Boy! I just went through and voted on all the beautiful cakes that were submitted for the Purple Cake contest. I have to say that I am out of my league here. I do not think I will ever get as good as most of you are. Great job everyone that submitted a cake the voting was not easy.

CakeRookie,

I feel the same way...wish they would have a contest for the average cake decorate like myself.

Would love to participate but I see the entries and know without a doubt that I have no chance...so I don't enter.

Don't be discouraged! Quite frankly, I vote for the amateur cakes that I like and look like the person tried her best. I prefer cakes that look good enough to eat. Some of the artsy cakes are beautiful, but not the least bit appetizing.

To be honest with you, I feel out of my league for the most part as well, however, how many pictures of pulled sugar have you seen?

Debbi

How long have you guys been decorating??? Some of those decorators may have been decorating for a long time... It's all about practice, practice, practice!! We all have to start somewhere... Try not to get discouraged...

I think we should have a " post you first cakes here" section. Catagories to inclued: crooked border, bad handwriting, not so rosey roses, ect. You know what... some of my first cakes would qualify for every catagory!

I was looking at some of the first cakes that I did the other night and could see alot of improvements.

I am practicing on my flowers...on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, I am at a 2 now, so I am improving slowly

Ya'll suck it up~ You do not give yourself enough credit!! If you keep thinking that way you will never feel you are good enough to enter in the contests! So.. SMILE, PRACTICE, SMILE, PRACTICE, SMILE & PRACTICE again!!!

If you ever look at the galleries everyone started somewhere! My first cakes were so-so BUT my newer cakes are WAY better then the first. Just do a cake for a contest! I promise you will feel better about yourself & your cakes if you do!!! Read my motto at the bottom of my post... HAPPY BAKING!!

Stephanie, your cakes a VERY GOOD!!

Yes I agree....just enter......everyone has to start somewhere and as we are always telling each other we are our own worst critics....you never know what people are thinking voting goes differnt ways some people prefer differnt methods ...I didnt post one because I didnt have a chance to make anything purple and hadnt done one that could be entered.....

but I keep saying next time Ill enter a cake

As far as pulled sugar goes I have only seen 2 pics and both were mine. I guess that might be the problem. I work on my poured and pulled sugar stuff more than I do my cake decorating. Guess the sugar work has kind of taken over at this point. But with my schedule I only get to practice a couple hours once a week and I take the sugar work over cake decorating. Maybe I should remove myself from CC. I mean it is all about cakes not sugar work.

When I was teaching cake decorating, I made sure that I took along pictures of my first cakes...pititful..but to me...the most awesome things I'd ever seen.

Why? To show people that even though they were not "show" quality..I did my best with what I knew, and that it took time to get to were I was at the time.

Like turtle shell says, practice practice practice. Some of my students would learn how to do the rose and immediately would "go into business" !..lol

I had a guy who after the first class, decided that his "signature" was going to be those clowns from class one! And he did run a pretty good business with his cake clowns!

See? it's all a matter of where you place yourself in this market.

So..you enter a cake decorating contest and you're not as good ( you say ) as some others. Most judges know that when they judge...you can enter your class division..that means..the other people have just as or less experience than you.

And like Turtle shell suggested, stop whinning about how terrible you THINK you all are, if you put that same energy into your cakes and your practice and a positive attitude...well, just imagine how far you all would be right now.

Stop pounding on your chests, crying about how terrible you think you are, EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES......

I STILL DO! I"M STILL LEARNING!

And Cake Rookie, I guess that my pulled, poured sugar pictures are invisible? Because, now there are more than just 2 of yours on the board...

I have posted several also.

There is no need to leave CC. It's all about the

ART OF SUGAR.

I'm sure that the owner of the site would back me up, and the moderators too....


To make you aware that IT'S ALL GOOD, if it's made out of sugar....lol


Cake Rookie, I've seen your cakes, they are awesome, and if right now your heart is set on the sugar work, well, honey...someone has to do it....and believe me when I say...that's where the money is...if people are willing to pay.

My chef has told us that one sugar rose is worth about $15.00 on a cake! So, get that lamp out...and go cook that sugar...and start pulling!

you may have to come back here and teach US old timers a few new tricks!

Sorry about that Diva I forgot about yours. Time to regroup. See y'all.

I think all the cakes are wonderful because they were made by the people on this site!. Experience has nothing to do with it. Someone doing it for 15 days may produce better(for lack of a better word) things than someone doing it for 15 years!!! So what?! If you love doing it, then do it!

And as far as voting is concerned...everyone has their own preferences. I may vote for a wedding cake because it's grand and beautiful, while someone else might vote for a character cake because it's so adorable, and yet someone else might hate fondant and vote for the darn blueberry pie! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Of course pulled sugar is part of cake decorating....please show me one person here who wouldn't just LOVE to be able to do that stuff!!!! I know I want to and just because I can't, yet, it doesn't mean I wouldn't vote for a cake covered with them.

Don't ever be discouraged because your work differs.....if you like something, then strive to do it. Bottom line...there is room for everyone!!!! Sugar artists and bakers alike! We are all great! So enter enter enter!!!!!

I would love to learn how to make pulled sugar!! CakeRookie, do you think you could do a tutorial on pulled sugar? Or even do a post telling us about it & giving some tips? Why not PM Jackie. She could point you in the right direction~ You should not leave CC, you have just as much to offer as anyone! If your not doing cakes now then do pulled sugar. Show us your progress. But don't leave CC.

When I vote I vote on the whole picture. Background, table, walls along w/ the cake. If the background is a EXIT sign... & the cake is beautiful.. I might not give an Excellent. If the cake is a beginner cake & it's great & everything is decorated wonderfully, the table, the background etc looks great then I might give an Excellent! If a cake looks like it's thrown together well then it gets a low score. Everyone sees things differently & that's great! It evens out the world~

I didn't do a purple cake because I've had to study so much. I haven't done a cake since Sept 3rd. That's a long time for me! I love fall so I'm hoping we get to have a fall contest! You can bet I will enter that contest~

Good luck w/ your baking, fondant, pulled sugar, etc... What you do is what you love~ Doesn't matter what it is! Just put all you have into it~

All the cakes ive seen in here are very good, I'm a little obsessive compulsive and can find things I don't like about every cake I see (especially mine) but that dosen't mean any of them are not good. I made a cake for the contest just so I could practice, plus its a good time to play around because if it dosen't work out the way you want their isn't a mad coustomer waiting for the cake...

Whenever I post a picture I only do it to get some good honest feedback. And most of you are all too nice - I want suggestions! That's what we're here for - to learn! And who knows, if you post your pictures, it might help someone else get that creative spark they needed! I know I always look here first when I'm trying to decide what to do with a cake.

I have not entered a contest yet but I would have done this one if I had had time for it. I would not have an expectation of winning, it would just be for the fun and practice. I am never happy with my cakes when I look at them in person but after a while when I look back at the pictures of them I think some are pretty darn good, even if I do say so myself!

Relax, have fun and enjoy learning new things with the rest of us!!


Cindy

I would first like to say that the PURPLE cakes were beautiful!!! I did enter the contest and it is all in fun. I entered a purple cake that I had done a while back because I was too lazy to make a purple cake just to enter.

Anyway...My daughter, Kasey, voted with me. She told me which ones she thought were good, excellent, and the best. And I have to say...She gave you all some AWESOME votes!!! Have fun while you practice...everything takes time to get good at!!!
traci

Forgive this old brawd for getting involved in this one, when it has nothing to do with me EXCEPT this.
I don't know, maybe there is something in the air, too many days of dismal October rainy, dull days, I don't know. But it seems to me, upon returning to the site, that I am pulling up some posts that look like we should all have a bowl of milk with some catnip and maybe chase a mouse for good measure. Because there are a few comments on the site that are, well a bit Sylvester Putty Cattish.
Come on folks, we aren't competing with each other here and we don't need to be sarcastic. This is a supporting and helpful site where we are supposed to feel safe and act friendly. I don't think I am in the minority wanting the site to remain this way. Yes there is freedom of speech, but there are nice ways of saying things.
We learn something from everyone that makes a post here, beginners, dabblers, everyone. I get my new ideas from pictures and things suggested by the newbies, so if you think you aren't contributing, you are really wrong. I admire you all and am blessed to read your posts and see your pictures and hear about your new cake adventures. Or sugar adventures, or cookies, well you get the idea.
It isn't my site and perhaps I should keep my mouth shut, but I hate to see a site get uncomfortable and I have just read at least 3 different post threads that made me feel uncomfortable.
Just a delicate reminder that we are all guests here and as good guests, we don't have the right to take jabs at other invited guests just in case we find ourselves shown the door.
Words said with the greatest affection to you all,
Hugs Squirrelly

I agree with SquirrellyCakes--
Play nice!!! I enjoy coming here and I have learned alot from everyone--the new to decorating as well as the "pros". We ALL can teach someone something, and every day is a learning experience for everyone of us, that's why we start each day with a brand new attitude. We have to hold ourselves open to that. God Bless everyone of you and even though we haven't met personally, I tell everyone I know about my friends at CC.
Sweet Dreams--Pam

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Just wondering how this post has gotten 431 views BUT only 21 comments have been made!! If you have an opinion why not give it whether it is good or bad????

Heehee, I don't know my Turtle friend, but perhaps there are folks that have more common sense than I do and just steer clear of controversy. They may read the post and hope by not commenting, that the thread will die a quicker death?
Hugs Squirrelly

Yep, your right! Not me I jump right in w/ my eyes wide shut!! I think everyone should speak when something moves them to speak BUT I do agree that they need to keep it nice!! I tried encouraging CakeRookie but I don't know if it helped!

Everyone who wants to encourage CakeRookie to stay please send her/him (not making the same mistake of calling CakeRookie a woman like I did TheBigEasy!! LOL!!!) a PM & let he/she know that they are welcome here no matter what!!!!!

You know that old saying:
"It takes a a village to raise a child"?
I think the same goes for most everything. We all have special talents and with all of our knowledge combined we can create a masterpiece.

I just love this site and I have had opportunities to share with others as well as learn from others. I am constantly learning new things in the cake world and this site is the 1st place I come if I need encouragement, advice, ideas etc. I may look at other sites, but mainly for the pictures. There is a Wealth of knowledge here and we are all responsible for that. I have never been a part of a group like this that is so genuine and considerate of one another.

CakeRookie, you can teach us the arts that you excel in and you can learn other things from the rest of the group. I understand that time is a big hurdle and we tend to steer ourselves more to the things we like better or are more comfortable with. But that shouldn't make you want to leave. It should just help you to realize that since you don't have the time to practice some things, you can come here for a quick answer or guidance.

I hope you stay. Cause you have a lot to offer, like the rest of us.

Leslie

I wish I could add to this post, but, I'm not sure what is happening. ?? I can't tell there is something going on but seems like there must be something deeper because it doesn't make sense to me.

I agree with you Squirrelly. We are here to help eachother in whatever we are doing. I'm not even close to being as good as everyone else here but I know that with time and alot of patience from everyone at CC, I'll get better and better!!! And I would never want to feel discouraged by anyone or vise versa.

I hope you will stay on CC, I love to see your sugar art and would like to see more of it. If you stay, upload pictures and discuss your work then maybe someone else would like to try it out and others would join. It sure would be really nice to have you here. I love the diversity of this site.

CakeRookie - no reason for you to take off! You're a student and teacher of sugar arts, and that ALWAYS goes hand-in-hand with cakes. Heck, the most prestigious cake competition is called the Oklahoma Sugar Arts Show. Many cake clubs don't even have cake in the name. Here in Austin we have the Capitol Confectioners.

Personally I have had a few comments that weren't very positive but have had so many more positive ones that I'd be nuts to leave because of that!

I hope you will also consider that on a board like this, it's really hard, sometimes impossible, to tell the "tone of voice" in an email. Hard feelings can result even when something was said with the utmost respect and admiration.

I do hope you'll stay. I'm sure you have a lot to offer us, and I know there's a lot to learn here.