I think that being self taught is a difficult task. Not impossible, but difficult.
One need to be passionate and have a lot perseverance and patience. It requires a lot of practice and some things come easy, but some things require lots of trial and error.
I been through this road. But I think there is nothing wrong with taking classes.
When I started, there where not a lot of classes in my area. Now there is more people teaching, wich it's not only fun but very helpful. I wish I had this option when I started. Self taught can get one frustrated at some points.
I used to take breaks to re-group and try again.
Edna
Yes Edna, it can be very frustrating at times.... thank GOD for CC members! Some of us just don't have much of a choice. No classes here, even the Wilton classes are 1 1/2 hrs away...with 3 small kids... that's not very easy to do. So it was either teach myself, or not do it at all...
I just do cakes for fun, but everything I've learned is self-taught. I've learned too much from trial and error 
, but hopefully I can stop that now that I've found this site! I can't justify taking classes taught by the pro's, since it's just for fun. But I AM having fun!
I think that you have to have some kind of talent whether you take classes or not. I remember sitting in my Wilton class watching some of the students come in with cakes that made me wonder what was going on in their kitchens. Some were just horrible.
It's like singing. Sure you can take lessons, but if you're tone deaf, no amount of lessons are gonna make you great.
I think that you have to have some kind of talent whether you take classes or not. I remember sitting in my Wilton class watching some of the students come in with cakes that made me wonder what was going on in their kitchens. Some were just horrible.
It's like singing. Sure you can take lessons, but if you're tone deaf, no amount of lessons are gonna make you great.
I got to say to this, that Wilton classes are just 2 hours a week. You learn the basics there, but you wont come home with perfect cakes. No matter how much you are taught, if you don't practice at home the 2 hours is just not enough to make you an expert.
You still need to go home and practice. I been teaching for many years.
I can tell from my students who goes home and practice and who doesnt.
But I know that in the end they will learn enough to get them started.
Some people have the passion for doing cakes. Others take classes to have a break from the daily stress..
Edna
Tonedna,
I would love to take one of your classes. Where do you do them? I'm in Wesley Chapel, not more than a couple of hours from you. I know you are a great teacher. I have seen several of your videos on youtube.
I'm self taught too I've never taken a class because I was never old enough lol I have always wanted to take a class, but now that I am were I am I dont think it would benefit me.
MMEX
I'm self taught too I've never taken a class because I was never old enough lol
I have always wanted to take a class, but now that I am were I am I dont think it would benefit me.MMEX
Oh don't say that!! Even the most experienced decorators learn SOMETHING in classes. I have a friend in the Masters category -- she does the most amazing work and I've take a number of classes with her and she told me even though she teaches the classes, she always learns something from one of her students!! The day you stop learning is the day you stop growing! 
I'm CC taught! I consider my few cakes before CC to be "playing with cake". Now I actually have a plan of attack before each project and have researched whatever technique I'm trying instead of just simpling winging it and not getting close to what I had pictured in my mind.
I can't pipe to save my life, so I found CC when trying to learn about fondant.
Self taught all the way never had the time or the money to take classes I would love to do some on flowers but would have to travel far to get those I had always hoped I would have the money if Cake Girls offered that maybe in the future.
Tonedna,
I would love to take one of your classes. Where do you do them? I'm in Wesley Chapel, not more than a couple of hours from you. I know you are a great teacher. I have seen several of your videos on youtube.
I teach basics in the area of Orlando. I have no idea where Wesley Chapel is 
Edna
Tonedna, I have to say you are one of my idols! I always watch your videos. Please make more I love watching your video's!
DANG! I'm in awe! $7000 in one month? Wow! How many cakes a week do you do? I'll be the first to admit that I'm slow.... I don't like to rush, I like to enjoy the decorating process...but I can do 9-10 cakes a week easy, and 12-13 pushing it. Mostly birthday cakes... with a few wedding cakes thrown in there. No more than 1 wedding a week though.
My problem is that I don't want to have a cake finished more than a day or 2 in advance... not exactly sure how long they will stay fresh and moist. Which has me trying to decorate most of them on thurs and fri.
I usually do 2 to 4 wedding cakes in a week and some other cakes thrown in as well. Most of my sales is from wedding cakes.
Tonedna,
Wesley Chapel is right outside Tampa. I would gladly travel to Orlando to take a class from you if you ever give one on flower making or advance techniques. I love your videos.
I'm mostly self taught.
I had a friend teach me buttercream roses as a teenager but then I didn't do a whole lot of caking until I was around age 25 or so (I'm 35 now). I did plain birthday cakes in college for people because I could do a rose and a shell border, and I could draw so I would make icing pictures and stuff.
Then later I started just messing around with doing cakes and experimenting, mostly doing alot of sheet cakes with hand drawn pictures and etc...then started inching into fondant and 3D cakes.
Later I took a Wilton III class to get some fondant pointers but had already known about 3/4 of what they taught, through trial and error.
I did work for a catering company about 3 years ago now and that really helped me learn more about the baking and "gourmet" part, plus it gave me some great tips on wedding cakes and built my confidence on those, since that's all we did. So while weddings made me nervous before I worked there, now they don't make me nervous at all (except maybe transport! haha).
So I would consider myself about 75% self taught. Especially with sculpted cakes...I know there are a few fancy classes, and I'd love to personally take Mike McCarey's internal structure class...but that type if caking is a LOT of trial and error and just doing what works, and practice doing the fondant work on that.
I'm far from being a pro, just started doing this last summer, but so far mine has all been self-taught with LOTS of help from cc and a long-distance friend.
I live close to Country Kitchen so I'll probably try to take some of their classes at some point. I have zero artistic talent outside of decorating cakes and cookies and it cracked me up the other day when one of my husband's friends saw something I made and said "wow, I didn't know you were an artist!" LOL
I'm also self taught. I've been "trying" to decorate for almost a year, but only within the last month have I actually started decorating and learning the right way to do things. I find that it seems so much easier for those who are artistically talented to adapt to decorating cakes (vs. someone who has never done anything artistic before, like me!). I've seen first time cakes done by artists or illustrators and they were amazing, but I realize it's going to take me a bit longer to get to that point (At least I'm having fun learning!)
Tonedna, I have to say you are one of my idols! I always watch your videos. Please make more I love watching your video's!
I will make more, I was busy with a new DVD . But I Know I have to add more. I haven't forgot my Youtube friends!
Edna
I am self-taught, never taken a class, and everything I've learned has been here on CC. Two years ago, I was searching for my 40th b-day cake and fell in love with anything cake , including all the cake shows. After paying $600 for my b-day cake (a replica of a Mercedes G-Class and there were only 6 of us to eat it!), I decided I wanted to try. So, about 9 months ago, I created my first cake. Unlike some people, I started in fondant and it would really do me good to take a buttercream class! Just don't have time. 
I am completely self taught, I don't know if I an "expert" but you can look at my pictures and make your own decision.I have started my own business and I am starting to do well.I "fell" into decorating, I have always cooked and baked made chocolates etc, one day a neighbor asked me to decorate her daughters b-day cake. I did it very quickly and it came out really nice, and I have been decorating and teaching myself non-stop ever since. The second cake I ever made I got goosebumps and looked at my husband and said "this is what I am supposed to be doing" Some people may find that funny or stupid because it is CAKE, but I don't care I love it, it is my passion and calling. I look forward to learning more and more and getting better and better. I truly love what I do and luckily I think I'm pretty good at it I'll add one of my more recent cake pic's.....
I think that you have to have some kind of talent whether you take classes or not. I remember sitting in my Wilton class watching some of the students come in with cakes that made me wonder what was going on in their kitchens. Some were just horrible.
It's like singing. Sure you can take lessons, but if you're tone deaf, no amount of lessons are gonna make you great.
I got to say to this, that Wilton classes are just 2 hours a week. You learn the basics there, but you wont come home with perfect cakes. No matter how much you are taught, if you don't practice at home the 2 hours is just not enough to make you an expert.
You still need to go home and practice. I been teaching for many years.
I can tell from my students who goes home and practice and who doesnt.
But I know that in the end they will learn enough to get them started.
Some people have the passion for doing cakes. Others take classes to have a break from the daily stress..
Edna
I totally agree. You get out of the classes what you put into them. Some students have more time and desire to work on things at home, while for others it is just something fun to do. And occasionally you have those that really have the want to learn but struggle along the way.
I always tell my Wilton students my experience with the buttercream rose. Because while I can do some pretty good ones now, 9 years ago when I took the class I couldnt get it. I hope that it shows them that yeah, I can do them now, but it took doing many of roses for me to get it. They too can do it with some hard work.
Some people have a natural awesome talent, where as others have to work for it. Some people benefit from hands on, while others can learn from words alone. I dont think either is any better than the other, just came about their experiences differently.
I started with the Wilton Courses, which is where I got my basics, but since then I have learned from all kinds of resources. I have learned from the internet, books, demos and classes.
While I would not remotely put myself in the 'pro' category, I am 100% self taught, trial & error, CC, youtube, books, etc. I started by making my son's 1st birthday cake, and then his 2nd, etc. & I haven't stopped since! I love it, and I love learning new techniques. CC has been an invaluable resource!!! I've since done a wedding cake, sculpted cakes, gumpaste flowers (Ok, 1 set, last week!) and used a pearl mold (THANK YOU Edna for the YouTube how-to on that!!! Another great video from you! I think it's so fun to play with food...(words of wisdom from Duff's book!) I seize any opportunity to make a cake, and play with a new cake toy!
Off to make something fancy for a Fancy Nancy cake!
me too. self taught and been doing it on the side for less than a year. opening my own shop this summer. oddly enough I HATE to bake. I love to cook and make breads, but cakes and sweets kill me! Its a needed step to be able to decorate though! ha ha ha!
Tonedna, I have to say you are one of my idols! I always watch your videos. Please make more I love watching your video's!
I will make more, I was busy with a new DVD
. But I Know I have to add more. I haven't forgot my Youtube friends!Edna
New DVD??? What's the subject??? 
While I would not remotely put myself in the 'pro' category, I am 100% self taught, trial & error, CC, youtube, books, etc. I started by making my son's 1st birthday cake, and then his 2nd, etc. & I haven't stopped since! I love it, and I love learning new techniques. CC has been an invaluable resource!!! I've since done a wedding cake, sculpted cakes, gumpaste flowers (Ok, 1 set, last week!) and used a pearl mold (THANK YOU Edna for the YouTube how-to on that!!! Another great video from you!
I think it's so fun to play with food...(words of wisdom from Duff's book!) I seize any opportunity to make a cake, and play with a new cake toy! Off to make something fancy for a Fancy Nancy cake!
I think we have a lifetime to learn..I learn everyday..if I call myself a pro I would be closing doors to learn new things..so I will always be a student!
I am gad the tutorials helped!
Edna
I am completely self-taught...I only figured out I could do a good job after I decided to make my twins' first birthday cake. I was hooked from then on!!
I think it's just a natural ability at being artistic/crafty...I have an artist grandfather...my uncle and dad are artists in their own way...my mother's side (gma, gpa, her) were all ballet dancers..(which, I know..isn't artistic in the same way, but u get the idea )
So I think it's easier for some of us but having said that I would be LOST w/o this website and looking at tutorials, pics from other decorators...etc...
well maybe not completely lost but it really helps me!
Tonedna, I have to say you are one of my idols! I always watch your videos. Please make more I love watching your video's!
I will make more, I was busy with a new DVD
. But I Know I have to add more. I haven't forgot my Youtube friends!Edna
New DVD??? What's the subject???
Is hydrangeas and blossoms..If I have space I will add ivy vines.
But mainly I am teaching techniques on how to do them with cutters and without cutters. This DVD will be a must have cause the information is priceless! It's being edited as we speak, so hopefully is out this month.
Edna
Off to make something fancy for a Fancy Nancy cake!
OOh I have an "order" from a friend for one next month!! can't wait! doing her sunglasses w/ gelatin lenses, a pearl necklace, gelatin butterflies..atop a frilly cake..so fun!
..of course! Just let me know when you buy it so I can sign it!Quote by @%username% on %date%
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