AOh marvel I just looooove people like that! They want the world and the want it for free!

Just tell her to do one. Sick of people thinking were con artists. They really don't realise how much work goes in to them. Let's hope they get a lovely lopsided doc mcstubbles hahah!

AMarvel, I know how you feel. I have come across people like that many times!!! So it's there loss not yours!!

First impression do the letter blocks but they are quite expensive. You can try on eBay.

AFrustrating and maddening isn't it, Marvel. I know, & everyone else on CC and this thread how you feel xxx

Jeez, I'd forgotten how much batter a 12" fruit cake takes! No one orders them any more, it's the first I've had for yonks. I've just had to mix it by hand (literally, I couldn't stir the fruit in with the spoon!) in a huge preserving pan 

AHa ha, lizzy I had a 12" fruit last yr. Took me an hr just to mix it all together.

AEvery Christmas my nan and I making Christmas cake for the WHOLE family. Literally there are about 20 9x4 cake tins to do. Takes us the entire week before Christmas to do. We don't add the alcohol as a lot of our family don't drink.

My arms feel like popeye at the end of the week. I spend Christmas resting them hahaha!

lol, I know what you mean nanny:-) I always worry with fruit cakes as it's so flipping expensive if it doesn't turn out right!

That's a lot of cakes Kuuushi! 

AMy mum arrives on Wednesday. She will show me how to make her fruit cakes. I've always helped when I was young but only to mix or dunk the cakes in alcohol so I really don't have a clue.

Hi all, just thought I would check in quickly while im able. Unfortunately ive been having night and day attacks so about as much use as a chocolate teapot right now :( I did manage to drag myself to the fair albeit late and it was a complete disaster. Got there at 11 and left at 3 having sold 10 cupcakes a few pops and a vic sponge. It was just down to bad management I think. All the stallholders were complaining about it, just awful. We ended up visiting nearest and dearest giving them away by the box load.

I dont mind so much as it was for charity and they got 100% of what was paid for the stall and I know they blasted the target but just annoyed that i was under so much pressure and what with my head starting etc i could have done without it .

It may pay off in the long run as I did a deal with the mobile coffee guy that was there for 60 cupcakes a week! And also lots of interest in birthday and wedding cakes as i took some dummies at the last minute! So im fairly optimistic that it wasnt a completely wasted day.

Anyway i shall be quietly checking in but wont be very much atm as im just so tired. I had a quick read through and m4rvel feel free to add this to your fb page 

AOh no tidds that's terrible!!

At least you had something out of it in the end. Albeit a load of stress for nothing!

Really sad to hear you're having day attacks too! :( I can't begin to think how bad you must be :(

Sending bug hugs your way!!! Xx

AEvening all. I've had such a busy day! Not as much as usual to catch up on today tho.

I love thunderstorms too Lizzy, my favourite weather I think. I love to wTch them and sit out in them if it's been really hot. My gran used to tell me when I was little that thunder is God moving his furniture around. I asked what the lightening was then (tried to catch her out, didn't believe her!) she said, quick as a flash, "He's turning his lights on and off as he goes from room to room". Can't catch grandma's out can you?! :-D

Try not to let people like that bother you M4rvel. She obviously thinks you're better than than whoever will do it for £45 cos she wouldn't be trying to get you to lower your price otherwise, she'd just go with the cheaper quote.

Aw tiddy poor you. I so hope you get better soon. X

I love making fruitcakes. They're a lot of work but I think they're the most reliable cake. I've never made one that's gone wrong. How's yours doing Lizzy? Here's the one we (it was a bit of a family effort!) finished for my grandad today. I was pushed for time as usual so my mam was in charge of balls. She's never done anything like it before but by the time she finished she thought she was Duff I think! She made a delightful figure to finish the cake off! [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3269443/width/200/height/400[/IMG] If anyone's struggling to find the delightful figure it's the little dead alien on the board at the front! :-D

AIts delightful Maisie, lovely effort from everyone.

AHeehee, lovely diplomatic comment nanny, thankyou. :-) It was a lot of fun actually. Leah was in charge and I was her assistant. My mam, sister and niece all helped, they really got into it! I didn't stress at all about the state of it and they were all so proud of it when it was finished. They all made a sharp exit when it was time to clean up tho! :-)

AHey y'all lovely lot. Just realised I have a big caking suppliers near me. Anyone ever used mail order from Cake Craft? It appears they also have a shop, so might swing by and check it out...

A

Isn't that always the way... ;)

AHi all

Maisie i personally love that cake makes a change for everyone to get involved :-) i should let my kids help me on one i think..

Tiddy you poor thing, get well super soon xx

Thanks for all comments on my bedroom, family from Australia arrive on saturday i was going to put them in our room but I can't leave it now after suffering so long with a naff room !!

ALovely cake maisie, I love the idea of using edible pens and getting people/kids to draw on the cake. I know you've used that idea before and I really like it.

A

Understandable, it is beautiful... =)

ANo Maisie, honestly I really mean its fab.

AI know you did nanny, I was playing. :-)

Jo you really should let your girls decorate a cake, they'd love it. Do it for your husband or one of their grandparents, they'll just melt when they see it.

Yep M4rvel, always the way! Never used cake craft but it's got to be worth a visit.

Thanks Sugarluva, yes I did, for my husband in March. It really is a lot of fun. I've got the americolour pens, they're more expensive than most I think but really good. I used them first in march, sent them to school for the kids to use in June and used them again today. None of them have dried out, they're all as good as when I first used them.

AAh thanks Marvel :-) instead they will be squeezed on a blow up bed in my 3 year olds room ! who knows they might check into a hotel out of protest - that would be sad lol !!!!

Maisie yes i should but i fear my control freak nature would come out and yell 'get off the cake !!!'. I also only have one black edible pen ..

AQuick question for anyone, when you all make a cake for someone, do you all get feedback? Or do you all expect it as standard? And if you don't does it bother you?

Does anyone ever contact them to ask if they loved it or similar! Of just assume it was OK?

ANanny I know I dont sell my cakes but most of mine end up going to friends and family - they cant help giving me their feedback good or bad ! I do take any critism badly as only want the best !

I would say if you haven't had any complaints then you are all good, why do you ask ?

ALol maisie, loving the splatted alien - I can see them all over a black cake :-D

I'm really hoping this cake is OK. I went off-piste, used my very trusted recipe but did almost half as much again to get extra height (it's from an old school book so usually just hits 3" if I'm lucky), turned the temp down and gave it over 7 hours. It looks and smells fab, but my life it's a big bugger! I might have to take the apple corer to it to check the middle I think. I'd be mortified if it wasn't right in the middle, so hubby has to try it (I can't bear fruit cake).

If you mean cake craft shop/world M4rvel I use them a lot. Really good prices on boxes and boards, and very good service in my experience.

Sorry your fair wasn't great tiddy. The last one I did for a charity (the one we sponsored and they stiffed us on) we left at 2 instead of 5 after selling less than a dozen cakes. It's so depressing having to log everything you've worked so hard on back to the car, never mind the loss of money. I hope you're not down for too long.

AI don't contact nanny but I do get feedback a lot of the time, whether it's a fb message, a letter, or my personal favourite flowers and chocolates :-) I don't fret if I don't though as people are usually happy to complain, so I figure no news is good news!

AJust hate putting everything into they're cake and no one says a word, just feeling abit peeved thats all, I delivered the nurse cake on sat, it was for a good friend if mines daughter 30th, her birthday was yesterday.

I knew they went over in the morning, I waited, nothing, do this morn, I tested hi and asked if she liked he cake, he said she absolute loved but wouldn't cut it til all her friends and family saw it, do I though, fair enough, times goes on and still nothing.

Just hate that thats all, I mean it doesn't take alot does it?

Just wondered what everyone else did if they don't get any feedback

AMost of the time I get fab feedback, the last cake,the 50th, I had a lovely card from them, I just thought as he‘s personal friend, although his daughter isn't, I might have got something from them in the way of feedback, rant over!

AShould check my post before I send, so many errors, soz everyone.

AIn that situation nanny, yes I would hope they'd let me know. Is it possible they still haven't cut it? I think it's a lovely compliment for you that they don't want to cut it till everyone has seen it. I know it bugs us when it's not cut, but I really think it means they love it.

ALizzy good luck with the cake i'm sure it will be great !

Nanny I think I would be the same in your shoes and would find it annoying. As Lizzy said no news is good news.

Off to bed now Monday has broken me after a grim day at work :-(

night all.