AThanks for the advice everyone. Yes I think the stickiness of my icing was due to the temperature of my kitchen. It's just the buttercream that's baffling me. I did only use a thin layer for crumb coating. Was about to put a bit of then remembered someone saying use a very thin layer so you can even see parts of the cake. I'll keep practicing just hope I get it right. :-) [IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3287001/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

As you can see from my pics it's quite bubbly and not sharp on the edges :-(

AMorning all :-)

I've had a look at the cakes now, everybody stop complaining! :-)

M4rvel, buzz is dead cool, so shush your noise.

Sugar, your planes cake is brilliant, so you stop fretting too!

Another cracking Frozen one Siany, I love it, and the balloon is a lovely idea and really nicely done. I'm sure that it'll stay put, it can't be that heavy?

Danielle, it's hard to see what you're describing in the photos, but what I can see is the effect you've done on them is really effective, I like that a lot! What are they for?

I'm sorry to see about your mum Lynne, I hope it doesn't go on much longer, it must be bringing her down terribly.

My kids do gingerbread houses every year newstreet, they still *really* look forward to it even though I thought they'd have grown out of it.

I started making the bases for them when they were about 5 and 6,and we've done it every year since (they're 12 and 13 now!). I still make and ri the house as they like me to do the cutting out and 'gluing' so that it's a good shape, but they spend ages decorating them; it's really lovely :-)

I'm going to have a go at chocolate ones this year as well, but as a saleable item. Oh, and white chocolate brains filled with sweets for Halloween, so you can wallop the brain and have the sweets inside :-D

AMorning all. :-)

I can't believe how much I've had to read to catch up, Gota be a record even for this thread! As usual, apologies if I miss anybody, I don't mean to.

Lovely cakes Kuushi, my favourite is your grandads. You've done the other one really well, I bet it was hard work, so busy.

Planes cake (sugarluva?) I love the clouds actually, the planes are too cute.

M4rvel that buzz cake is fab, toy story was my sons favourite when he was little, we knew it word for word. It used to be my favourite kids film ever until frozen came along. I'm with you, making actual, real things is so hard. I can make a generic pig for example but peppa pig and her family were really difficult. Can't wait to see your medal cake.

Siany your cakes are lush. My favourite is the frozen one, I'm so jealous of everyone who's made one, I can't wait to have a go. I just showed Leah yours, she said "aw Olaf cake, wow!" And gave you a round of applause!

Your cakes look fine to me Danielle, very pretty. I can't enlarge them cos I'm on my phone but I can't see anything wrong with them.

Love all the rubbish jokes. :-D one of them reminded me of another one I know. Where would you find the Andes? At the end of your armies.

I know I'm late to the debate but I too am glad Scotland voted no. I don't much like Alex salmond but I felt sorry for him yesterday, he was gutted. I don't think it'll be the end of it, especially if Cameron reneges on his promises. I almost wanted them to vote yes just so we wouldn't have to put up with his smug face! This whole referendum has been bad for Britain as a whole I think, whatever the outcome.

ASorry Lynne, I can't believe I forgot to say get well soon to your mam. My dad had shingles, wicked, cruel, painful things they are. I hope she recovers quickly now, 4 weeks is a long time to be so poorly. Sending love and cwtches. X

Lovely cakes, Siany...  if you've used royal icing AND something going into the balloon/cake, it's unlikely to go anywhere!

Marvel - how lovely to make the cake of the medal...  I'd be going down the route of the box as the cake, with the rest as decoration.  Can't wait to see it.

Quick opinion poll, please.

Customer has asked for cupcakes with a jewellery theme.  I found these pics online which she likes, but asked for REALLY REALLY bright sugarpaste discs instead of the pastel shades.  What do you think?  Look ok?  Or distract from the jewellery?  She's happy to go with whatever I think looks best.  But now I'm doubting myself.

These are the sort of coloured sugarpaste she had in mind....

A

I forgot too. Sorry. Shingles is the adult version of chicken pox isn't it? Pretty nasty too as I recall? Sending get well wishes... xx

AWhat about loom bands Suzanne?

AEw no Suzanne, definitely pastel. I love the blue, the bracelet looks so pretty on it. I think yhe bright colours are too childlike for the jewellery tbh.

Sorry Suzanne - I was on my phone and the thing just shut down before I'd finished posting.  I wasn't sure if the cakes were for a child you see when I saw the vivid colours - I agree with Maisie - the jewellery is lovely but I don't think the neon backgrounds will enhance them.  That's why I said loom bands!

Kathy

Catsmum - hope your mum is ok.  x x x

ADefinitely the pastel shades Suzanne but it depends on your customer. We all know just by looking at those colours that the bright colours are going to be too garish to go with the delicate jewellery but some people don't think the same! If she really is happy to let you decide then definitely go pastel though, those are very pretty cupcakes.

AOh my god I love your cake marvel! Buzz is wicked! And Siany yours are awesome too! That Olaf? Wow!

Danielle, I'm not sure how you go about prepping you cakes but make sure they are level and flat before you crumb coat. Also do you have a smoother? You won't get sharp edges without one (I use two) unless you use the side wrap technique. Or you crumb coat in ganache and get super sharp edges underneath... Lots of different things work for others it's about finding what works for you. It may be worth signing up to Paul Bradford for his free 100 videos online. He can show you how he does things from the very basics and that may help you instead of us just telling you lol.

I'm gonna say that the brighter colours would be fab! It's what the customer wants and "I'll go with what you think" really is just a last resort thing for them. I think the brighter colours would be great if you did them like shourouk jewellery. I think they'd look amazing!

Like this! http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/62/ae/26/62ae26ffe129064e11340d22f4c4afa5.jpg

ALove love the cakes Siany.

Can only say the same as kuuushi Danielle, make sure they are level, and yes to two smoothers, it saves you putting your hands on it and making dents, smoothing takes time, I leave mine then go back and fore, and back and fore til I'm happy. What cakes are you making? And they are airbrushed?

AMarvel I've been thinking about your medal and an idea came to mind but I'm not positive on how well it would work.

Hear me out here...

How about printing out the coin and sticking it to card. The getting some foil and cutting the print out like the head and the letters and pressing the card in to the foil to create an indent. Then something flat on top to be the disc? Carefully take out the flat disc and the card and pour chocolate in? Once it's dried you can rush it with silver edible paint?

My god it will be a potch (welsh word for pain in the arse) but I rekon it would work?

Or you could just cut a thick disc of sp out and let it dry for a week or so, paint it silver and let it dry then take to a thin paint brush and paint in a darker silver to do the medal design?

AI'm taking a break from my car, its taking shape, gonna glaze it, then add the wheels tomorrow.

ALooking forward too seeing your car nanny.

I haven't had any cakes for a couple of weeks, I am starting to get itchy fingers :D

ACouldn't wait, I glazed it already but not finished it as I'm waiting for the wheels to harden. Its a strange car as all she wanted was a red sporty type car on top of the car, its a cross between a Porsche, Audi TT but with a Ferrari badge, ha ha, trust me. Newstreet, its the first I've had since the end of July so I know how you feel, thought I was loosing my touch. Got one next wkend, then a frozen castle, I'm looking forward to that one as it is only the castle, no fiddly figures, thankfully they have them, she wants a white one, was gonna airbrush the bottom blue, what do you think?

AOoh I've just been asked to do a frozen castle for a little girl for near Christmas. I'm excited to make it but a bit worried about the price. I only sell for cost and she's a friend of a friend I knew from ages ago but I know she likes to look at cakes a lot on Facebook and is always 'liking' pictures. The problem is they're always 'cheap cake lady' cakes so when I said I would do it for cost I think she's expecting me to say something like £20 and I know I'm not going to be able to do it for that. If it gets to £40 or something though I just know she's going to think I'm making a profit on that because cheap cake lady's would probably charge her that. So I don't know what to do? I could say no but I really want to make it. If it was someone I knew better I wouldn't mind going above and beyond the cost because I want to make it anyway, but because I'm not that close to her I don't really want to do that because it'll set off a string and other friends will then expect the same. She's always mentioned a belly cake for April because she's pregnant but I hate belly cakes!

Anyway sorry that was a bit waffly...

ANope that was a lovely rant Nicola, I know what you mean tho, ppl, just have no idea how much the cost do they? The car I'm making I told her about how much it would cost, she said oh right, didn't think it would be the much, no this is a 10" 4 layers, jam and cream with an 7,8" car, I gave her an alternative, told her to have a think, she went for this, I'm not lowering my prices, they aren't bad to start with.

How will you do your castle?turrets etc?

AI'd tell her to get some quotes, she'd soon come back to you.

AYeah I think I will find a couple of example pics and give her a rang of prices and see what she says, eg. You can have this small one for X or a bigger one like this for X and see what she wants.

I haven't thought much about it yet but when I was last asked to do a castle cake, which I did think about but then it never came through, I decided to have a practise with pastillage so I could possibly go down that route again. Or if she only wants a small one maybe just very hard Gumpaste? I'm not sure. Do you have any ideas for yours yet nanny?

AThat's a great idea nanny. You could just say " here is what I can do it for, check around just so you have an idea of cost". Hopefully she will realise quick enough she is on to a good thing :)

AYep, thats sounds a plan.

Normally I make the turrets hollow, this time as I Have some RKT left I might make 3 turrets out of that, 2 small 1 larger, gonna try and make a rail to go around the front, dunno yet tho, have to see.

If you make yours whats it gonna be like?

AThanks newstreet I think that's what I'll do.

I'm not too sure yet nanny. She said not too big so I'm thinking just one tier, possibly two if the top one is really small with 3/4 turrets - 2 big and 1/2 small. There are some really pretty frozen castles on Google with very intricate balconies and doors but I don't want to spend ages on it for no money so I need to gave a think. A rail would be great though and RKT sounds good too, that might be something I could have a play with as well because I haven't made any of that yet. Was it is easy to make and use?

AThere are also some lovely castles with blue sugar glass stuck all around that look very good but that's another thing I haven't made any very hot stuff and me don't mix well!

AThats what I made my car out of, never made it before either, apart from it being very sticky while its warm its really easy to make and use.its easy to carve too.

The glass shards very easy too make too, and keep well, I have some left from the last frozen cake do hope I can use it.

ANanny I hope your car is coming along okay!

Nic, be careful. I know that it's easy to knock down your price because you want to make it but just think of how much you will resent it when it takes ages more times than you expected. I hate resenting a cake! The VW cake I charged £150... *facepalm*

So I've just come back from my grandpas bash and my hubby made me sit in the back room so he could take a picture before we went. He's ever the budding photographer! Lol. I thought I'd share it as I do quite like how it's turned out!

[IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3287177/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

AKelsey you look so different in every photo you out on here! Hehe You look lovely though and I love that necklace.

No need to fret about the castle cake though I've found just the one I'm going to make.

Step 1: fill sandcastle bucket with jelly (that's not even blue!)

Step 2: done! Haha

Good idea for jelly and ice cream... Not quite sure I'd call it a cake...

[IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3287180/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

AHaha thanks nic. That's how I look really a little round in the face but I try to manipulate myself with positions when I do it myself so my face looks longer haha. Sadly I'll always be round! That necklace is from ZARA new season £29.99. It looks even more gorgeous and sparkly in real life too!

Suz, I love statement necklaces as you can see! You would only need simple jewellery using different size dragees. You could even cut out small pieces of sp and put them on top of a built up pattern of dragees like in the pic to make them look 3D. I'd love that order haha I would have sooo much fun with it until it got to 3am and I hated the customer and her stupid jewellery cupcakes