Cake Disaster. Feel Like A Failure
Decorating By melissalovespandas Updated 3 Sep 2013 , 6:50pm by kikiandkyle
I don't usually out myself on the internet but your post touched me.
I'm a psych nurse and your customer qualifies for treatment !!!
She has no idea what would make her happy. Probably has a spiritual hole and tries to fill it with "pretty things". She needs a psychiatrist not a baker, IMHO. If you get another one like her, send them my way 
In the interim, keep making your pretty cakes.
By the way, does anyone else find it odd that the customer requested that the OP change the skin color of the characters to make them "not dark"?
It's great that you found someone else who wants and will appreciate the cake. All those details!! So much work!! Your ex-and-never-to-be-again-customer clearly needs to see someone who can help her.
Even if you had to keep the cake, in your shoes I would have eaten loooooots of it, given some to neighbours and friends who deserve some nice stuff and would have taken the opportunity to take some nice pictures of the cut cake, displaying how nice and yummy it looks.
Just keep on cakin'!
Traci...I would find the skin color change a big "tell" if she didnt reek of other symptoms.
Neurotic folks are everywhere and they hardly ever gain any self awareness because its so....generational ;*) However, ones like this customer are likely to become increasing symptomatic with age and at some point may seek treatment because of a crisis in their life. By that time he/she has raised another generation of dysfunctional human beings. BTW, I'm not the exception to this scenario...you should see my offspring!
i am really sorry to had to have such an awful woman request this beautiful cake because ....SHE DIDN'T DESERVE IT! and you know what, only her child and the children at the party suffered and that's a shame. if you hadn't found someone to buy it from you I would've said to take this cake to the local pediatrics ward in the hospital cuz the kids there would have went NUTS over how cool this cake is!
one bad person should not stop you from doing what you love. live and learn. pick yourself up and dust yourself off because this encounter was just one little lesson in your cake decorating life. 
No way did she go back home without a birthday cake for her son. She ordered a cheap chain store cake and didn't want to tell you. I love the busy look of the cake. Kids love seeing all the different details. They see something new each time they look at it. I've had friends ask about a cake and then I don't hear back. I know they decide to buy the cheap cake or make their own and I have no problem with that. I would prefer that to them asking me to lower my standards and make the cheap cake.
I'm probably the least qualified cake decorator to respond to this...all I have somewhat figured out so far is the VIVA paper towel method lol...however I happen to be an A1 mommy...I mean I'm really good at it and when I make mistakes they only make me better!! I woyl loved this and would have paid much more if I could afford it cause my boy would have loVED it!!! Good job girl you are awesome!!!!
I agree with other posters... she clearly had buyers remorse and didnt want to pay 150. That cake is Awesome, details are great. Dont let some crazy lady make you feel like a failure, you should be proud you made that cake! Shes crazy! I hope you got a deposit from her at least, and I hope the other cake she ordered tasted awful
Your customer was just plain wrong! When you get feedback that isn't constructive, doesn't fit what others have said to you, and - most importantly - what you know about your work and yourself, it's a "bad data point." In the human world, that means that there was something going on that you don't know about.... because, based on what you were told and know, it just doesn't make any sense. Throw that feedback out! Not only is it NOT constructive - it could point/push you in a direction that is harmful to your excellent work. Just use this experience as others have suggested.... do what you need to do upfront with a potential customer to protect yourself and your interests.
In my book, your cake would have been a STEAL at $150. It looks more like a $300 cake to me!
I wish you great continued success and growth as the ARTIST that you are... and much pleasure in what you do and in the joy that your cakes bring to others!!
It was a kids birthday and she said it ''I know my son will love it but I don't'' lol
now im left with a cake. I might donate it. :/
What a selfish mother. It's her kid's party, not hers. Poor kid will probably be forced into going to a college and profession he doesn't want either. She probably makes him wear ugly sweaters and he probably has a bowl haircut too.
Your cake was absolutely terrific!!
By the way, Melissa, have you ever watched the live panda cam on explore.org? Soooo adorable, I could watch it for hours.
That cake is adorable! The pirates are so cute! My kids would love it.
I would bet all of the money in my bank account that she did NOT have the money to pay for the cake and intead of telling you, she insulted your work because every one knows we live in a "Customer is always right" society, even if that customer is a complete shyster asshat.
I would donate the cake to a local orphanage...Do NOT let this one crabby ass customer get you down. Even the most professional, most experienced cakers have mean customers.
''I know my son will love it but I don't'' Who are we really trying to please on his special day anyway? Seriously nice cake. I'm glad you didn't let her have it. I don't know, can you raffle it off? D'you have any meetings coming up? Is there an orphanage or children's home nearby you'd like to donate it to? I'm TRULY MIFFED on your behalf!
''I know my son will love it but I don't'' Who are we really trying to please on his special day anyway? Seriously nice cake. I'm glad you didn't let her have it. I don't know, can you raffle it off? D'you have any meetings coming up? Is there an orphanage or children's home nearby you'd like to donate it to? I'm TRULY MIFFED on your behalf!
She found a buyer already
Seriously? She needs a shrink, and you need a drink. 'Nuff said.
Seriously? She needs a shrink, and you need a drink. 'Nuff said.
You did a GREAT job on the cake.
Now it's time to rehearse some lines: "You don't like the cake? That's fine, GOODBYE".
Donate the cake to your local childrens hospital. They will make sure that all the kids see it and you will get plenty of real honest business out of it.
When my husband asked her what she didn't like she said ''thats something you can discuss with her in your own time'' My sister got so upset that she told her ''if you want a cheap cake go to walmart'' lol.
I think the cake is cute. It is obvious you put alot of work into it and you did not charge enough - your time alone was worth $150.
That being said, as a person who runs a business myself, I had somewhat of a problem with the above information you put in a post. Your husband asked her something and your sister said something to her? Do they work for you? Are they employees? If they are not, I feel like it is very unprofessional to have them involved in this incident. Am I the only one that felt that way? I have only had one small incident (customer loved the cake but wanted a few red hearts on it that I forgot to include) and I gave her a gift certificate for $$$ off the next order that was the total of the cake she had just purchased. But my husband nor my sister got involved in our "discussion". It was between her (the customer) and me (the business owner)
[quote="1234me"]
Your husband asked her something and your sister said something to her? Do they work for you? Are they employees? If they are not, I feel like it is very unprofessional to have them involved in this incident. Am I the only one that felt that way? d)
Agreed
so ihad this customer asking me for a jake and the neverland pirates cake / bubbleguppies and she hated my work. im a very soft person and couldn't help but cry. she was in a 150 dlls budget so i worked with that and she looked so dissapointed. it was my first unhappy customer
but to me it was the best cake ive done. everything is mmf i made each character and it took me a week. I have a feelling that she wanted a free cake. :/ she said she wouldnt even pay 50 dlls for it . i dont want to make cakes anymore[/img]
The characters are really done well. The only thing that I see that looks odd is the layer that says Koni, there is so much going on with all the other layers that your eye is directed there first and it looks like something is missing. You can see that you put a lot of time and love into that cake. There are so many great details like the crocodile and the parrot on top and the ship and the pirate boy, The lady who upset you is obviously just a jerk. Keep baking and decorating, your characters are better than most of the people here will ever be able to make...and next time get a non refundable deposit.
Thanks everyone for taking time to reply, I just feel awful
I just recently got my license but I rent a kitchen since I can't afford a shop. I know it looks busy but she wanted all those details, she asked me to change the skin colors of the bubble guppies and not make them look ''dark''. I added the peter pan shadow , She didn't want no skulls she wanted an octopus instead, I added all the details she asked for when I asked her, her excuse was that the bubble guppies head wasn't big enough. When my husband asked her what she didn't like she said ''thats something you can discuss with her in your own time'' My sister got so upset that she told her ''if you want a cheap cake go to walmart'' lol. I know it didn't help but I tried so hard to please her, I kept sending her pictures of all my characters and she said she loved them. but when she saw the cake she said she was very uGH I still can't believe it, It was a kids birthday and she said it ''I know my son will love it but I don't'' lol now im left with a cake. I might donate it. :/
It's a shame. This was obviously a lady who is miserable and angry and wants to make everyone else feel like she does. You sent pictures that she approved and that should have been enough. The fact that she basically said her son would love it, but she doesn't care about that is disgusting. I feel sorry for her kid, I just hope he doesn't turn out like her.
I looked at the cake and you did a great job on it. Definitely worth the $150. The lesson to learn here is to get (at least some of) your payment UP FRONT. I'm thinking something else happened here, like someone one else brought a cake or something. You may never know the whole story, but don't worry about it. Place her on your "Do Not Do Business With" list and move on.
AI can't believe no one's mentioned this yet (I just scanned the thread so if someone already mentioned this, sorry for the repeat) but $150 is not even close to what that cake is worth. By having cheap prices, you inevitability attract cheap customers; the type that will complain even when nothing is wrong just to get some or all of their money back. Raise your prices and you will avoid these types of clients. You may not get as many orders but it's so much better to do 1 cake for $450 than 3 cakes for $150.
I think your cake shows a lot of effort. But one thing I have found is that you have to be VERY precise when doing cartoon characters.
The easiest way for a new professional baker to do that is to print out the character on edible paper and put that on a cutout piece of gumpaste.
The BUBBLE Guppies do have enormous heads. It's a big part of their signature look.
This is an example of printed out characters on gunpaste. It looks "exact" and sets the theme for the party
I think your cake shows a lot of effort. But one thing I have found is that you have to be VERY precise when doing cartoon characters.
The easiest way for a new professional baker to do that is to print out the character on edible paper and put that on a cutout piece of gumpaste.
The BUBBLE Guppies do have enormous heads. It's a big part of their signature look.
This is an example of printed out characters on gunpaste. It looks "exact" and sets the theme for the party
Might as well just use plastic picks. It's a lot cheaper and achieves the same look.
A
Original message sent by Carrie789
Might as well just use plastic picks. It's a lot cheaper and achieves the same look.
It really doesn't look like plastic at all. When you combine things like fondant lollipops and candies, it works well.
Cartoon characters are very specific and the client usually wants the visual to be correct,
I think her cake was great, and if the Bubble Guppies were visually correct, it would have given a completely different reaction from her customer.
A
Original message sent by Lynne3
It really doesn't look like plastic at all. When you combine things like fondant lollipops and candies, it works well. Cartoon characters are very specific and the client usually wants the visual to be correct, I think her cake was great, and if the Bubble Guppies were visually correct, it would have given a completely different reaction from her customer.
[URL=http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3033366/]
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AYes, the original post was of a cake that required immense amounts of time and the cake artist should have been compensated for that time. However, I keep reading the thread hoping someone will point out the, presumed, illegally-reproduced characters. Now the post has morphed into instructions on HOW to illegally reproduce characters as edible images!
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