I know I will make a lot of people mad.... and that is not by aim

but has anyone else noticed the decline in the quality of cake pics in the gallery over the last 2 months?

Don't get me wrong there have been some great cakes posted but we used to see a lot more quality work..... which is what I first loved about the site.....

My work is nothing to write home about so I guess I come here to be inspired but I have not seen too many cakes that have done that recently.

Just wondering if anyone else noticed this

Karen,

I think that you are just getting better, so the cakes made by others, which you once thought unachievable by you, are now within your reach.

I don't think the quality of work posted is lesser than it has been, I just think the more we experiment, and challenge ourselves, the more able we are to see the flaws in cakes, ours as much as anyone elses.

I like seeing all the different levels that people display here. I especially like to see the work people aren't happy with posted, so that they can improve from the advice of others. I'm too chicken to do that, I only put on my prettiest cakes




Cheers,
Fran

At the risk of angering members, I am gonna join in here. I am not sure it is so much the quality declining as it is experience and knowledge decline. I have seen ALOT of "oldbies" move on since I joined almost a year ago. I also have seen ALOT of new decorators joining this site, Which I think is wonderful. I think anyone who decorates should benefit from this site. But until some of the "newbies" get more experience we aren't going to see as many WOW cakes. I also think I for one am spoiled. I have gotten accustomed to being blown away by the talent here. Things that used to excite me are now ordinary and common. The amount of talent some members have is amazing and I know I just don't have that much in me.
Just my thoughts on the subject, hope I didn't offend, it was not intended.

Please oldbies and newbies keep the pictures coming. The only way we can learn here is by helping each other.

Kimberly

Just my two cents. Even if you feel that way, don't you think it going to be offensive to someone?! I think so. It seems a bit too derogatory, with really, no purpose. So why post it?!

I apologize. Normally I wouldn't ...suppose I haven't had enough sleep to be responding to anything. I will go crawl into bed now....

newtodecorating, my reply was aimed at this original post. Why start something so derogatory, with no purpose, listed as, "just wondering" WHAT? Well, do you want your answer from the only people posting?

I'm really sorry you feel that way since the majority of CC members are beginners and intermediates. We all have fun showing our creations that we've worked so hard making.

I used to oooooooh & aaaaaaaaaah over just about any cake I saw until I started plugging along doing different things. I still ooooooooh & aaaaaaaah over most cakes but see the ''flaws'' much more than I did in the beginning.

I love this site for it's friendliness & encouraging words all the time. I also love all the help that is so willingly given to others.

I still see so many wonderful cakes presented here and know all the work each and every one has taken to create.

Maybe while being a CC member and enjoying what this site has to offer, you could just go look at other sites that offer more advanced decorating.

I wish you much success with your decorating hope you will continue to post your wonderful cakes for us to admire.

People change...this site is no different from others...people move on to other things as well.

I'm not sure that all members know how to maneuver through this site. I've seen questions, about a certain subject, posted and then a week later the same question by a different member. I'm not sure if members know how to search for a certain subject that may answer their question???? before starting a new thread.

NEWTO...don't feel badly...you have a right to your opinion....we are all grownups here... .....

I've said before...clients can be brutal with their criticism of our work..we need to learn how to deal with that sort of thing. If you can't you are in the wrong business.

The site has changed and will continue to change...doesn't everything??

Thankyou stylishbite.....I wasn't quite sure how to respond. You said it well. Also a good point said by ihatefondant, Lisa

Hi everyone:
I have been enjoying this site for about a few months and I learned a great deal from those cakes that are "not so great" by some people standards. I also have learned and enjoyed immensely from those talented people who decorate gorgeous cakes as well. But, I must say that we learned from everyone. Life is a learning experience and even when people don't share the same ideas as we, we are still blessed by their opinions because in my case it stimulates me to search and questions myself even deeper on how much can I really learn.

Some of us didn't know that we had talent in the craft area till we join this site. All people here are very patient, courages, generous and overall great teachers. Bless you all.

I love you all and see that in each one of you there is a little bit of me. Keep up the good work and effort that you all make. That's what life is about. If we don't share ideas and our God given talent than we haven't learned anything at all.

Everyone is entittled to their opinion but lets not forget kindness for one another, sometimes out evey 10 cake decorators or maybe less, there is someone who may not be happy or feeling well and this site has become a safe place where one can ask questions and get great answers.

Forgive me if I have been out of place in my opinion, but I see everyone as an extended family and friends in the craft of Cake Decorating.

Keep up the great work and enthusiasm. It's not so much completing a gorgeous cake but the thrill of each moment spent on cake decorating.

I look forward in showing my cakes to each of you and also for you opinion, I know it comes from your heart.

Hugs to each one of you and have a great day.
Cats28 (Tina)

P.S. Talking about cakes, here is my latest addition to my cake world. I love the color combination, but not so much they eay it looks. So I learned that these two colors look good for a beach scene. Opinions please.

I love those two colors together, your right it would make a great beach cake using them!

I have to pitch in my two cents....we are all at different levels, and this is not a site strictly for professionals. I know that we do have a lot of beginners, but we all started somewhere. I am glad people encouraged me when I just started out, otherwise, I would not have challenged myself to do better.
I don't feel like I want to chastise anyone for posting her feelings, but I check these boards out everyday and see stuff I get excited about all the time. So I can't really agree that there is not enough interesting stuff on here that excites me. Not every cake is top line professional, but I am happy that people are doing something they love by decorating cakes.
Also, sometimes, the cake orders I get aren't for the knock-you-out fabulous sculptured cakes that I like to do...sometimes, I get orders for a sheet cake or a simple birthday cake. I am also proud of that work as well, because I know my customer gets a quality product.
I say keep encouraging people to get better...I thought that is the purpose to this site to begin with. Cake improvement!

I'm fairly new to cc and haven't posted any pics yet. After reading the original post I'm not sure I want to. I'm not a professional decorator and thought this site was for all levels of decorators. I've learned so much from everyone here, including the beginners like myself. I value everyones comments and opinions. However, I thought everyone was welcome to post their work, even if it wasn't in the professional catagory. IMHO even the "not the best quality" can be a learning experience. I enjoy browsing all levels of decorating. So much for my personal opinion. Hope I haven't offended anyone.

I think everyone has a right to their own opinion, but I would hate for some people reading this post to get discouraged from posting their pictures because they don't think that they are good enough. I don't think that there has been a decline in quality at all & I'm glad that people from every level of decorating are continuing to post their pictures.

Inspiration comes from all levels of cakes. Some of us can't do beautiful flowers yet or are not good with working with fondant so when cakes are posted that are in my level I get excited. What's a decline in quality to you might be encouragement to someone who can't create that "masterpiece" just yet.

Maybe we are looking at a different gallery, but I continue to be amazed & inspired everday!

What I love about this site is the fact you can post a cake and not feel like it's just not that great compared to all the others.(until this post maybe). I think a lot of new people will read this and feel like maybe I shouldn't post my cake now because it's not up to standards and isn't that sad. I hesitate to post my cakes on other sites because of the perfection of most of the cakes posted. We are all so proud of our finished cakes that we enjoy showing them(believe me, we know they are not perfect).

fairly new cake decorator
sorry my cakes aren't up to some unwritten standard

I for one, like the fact that beginners post. I get a kick out of seeing the improvements they make over time. My Gallery is a prime example. I look back at my first posts and think....man....I have really gotten better at this. So too will the beginners. And just because the Icing is not smooth, or the borders are perfect doesn't mean that you can't learn from the overall idea of the cake, or from the color schemes. I'm afraid if they were all "WOW" cakes, I would have left this site a long time ago, because i'm still a long way from that. But I am proud of how far i've come.

Sherry

Gee now I don't know if I want to be on this site anymore. I am a newbie and have posted pics, not knowing that we all have to be "professional "quality. This was a fun site, but now I'm not sure anymore. Maybe one should not be so critical of others work. Just my opinion.

I hope you all will continue to enjoy this site. And please, PLEASE post your wonderful creations.
I haven't made many cakes. I started about ten years ago but only make between 2 - 6 cakes at the most a year. Generally it's ony 3 - 4 and for the family or close friends. I did have a customer for a 50th anniversary cake and I put my heart into it. I know it's not even intermediate level, but they loved it and so did I.

I learn from almost every cake I view here at CC.
So please hang in there and be proud of all your cakes and keep posting them. Most everyone here is very encouraging.

I am very very disappointed by this post.
I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but I have a lot of opinions that I "keep to myself". Everything is not meant to be said.

I really enjoy this site. My first pictures, which are really truly are some of my first cakes are horrible...but my cakes are getting better. I have learned much from this site. I bought a digital camera to improve the quality of my pics so now I will try to present them like others. I learned how to use fondant and tons of other things. My birthday cake in the gallary (brown, gold, white) was my first digital pic I was excited about.

This is a site to improve on and when someone post something like that it really discourages those who are not the "top notch" professionals like myself. I enjoy cake decorating and I know that my icing is not smooth all the time so I search topics on how to make it that way.

I disagree and say that somethings just should not be said and I think the poster is rude!

luannie, I kind of thought the same thing when I read that post. I put a few pictures on last night and I have a few more to put on today. I am very new to decorating and I've not been able to take any classes, just trying to teach myself from a couple of books that I've purchased. So, my work is far from "perfection" but you know what? I'm having a ball learning to decorate and even though my work may not be up to one or two individual's standards, I'm going to post everything that I do because I feel that the majority of the people here enjoy seeing everyone's cakes and don't judge us if they are not perfect. I think they enjoy helping us be the best we can be. Maybe, just maybe, there are one or two people on this forum that shouldn't subject theirselves to some of our "inadequate work" and go find a more professional sight? Just a thought. Please don't let anyone make you feel that you are not deserving to be on this sight or to post your pictures. One or two people do not speak for the entire forum. I love this forum and it's here for us new decorators as much as anyone else.

Well Said Butternut!

I love to see pictures from ANYONE posted. And I must say, that I was as proud of my first picture posted as I am of the last. I know that all of them are far from perfect, but I am proud of them nonetheless. And the nice comments only encouraged me to keep going, and to get better.
As a whole, this site is filled with talented and HELPFUL people, who just want to encourage each other, so Please stick around, and post every picture you have.

Dky: you said in your original post, that you knew you were going to make people mad I'm not really sure the point of your thread unless you were trying to make people discouraged & upset. Even if people agreed with you about the declining quality(which I certainly don't) what purpose does it serve to post this?

Maybe we should ask for this to be locked or deleted just because I would hate for people to think their work isn't good enough or think their cakes aren't good quality. I still think people have a right to their opinion, but this time it doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than making people feel bad.

ge978 ~ I totally agree with that!!

I'm not sure what the intent of the original poster was. I found it to be rude and condescending. Sure, we're all about free-speech, but I really saw no point in that sort of opinion being posted here. In no way could it have made ANYONE feel good about themselves.

I love this place and will continue to post my sub-standard cakes for all to see, laugh at, and maybe get some inspiration from. I love to see what else people out in the world are learning and spending their time on creating.

I am dazzled by everyone's cakes in here on a daily basis. Keep the pics coming!

At the request of members of CC, this thread is being locked.