yesterday was our big bridal show....like 1000 brides.
I love the shows, but I am peeved about something and wanted to post it here to see if I am over re-acting.
okay, there is a cake designer in my area that is a snob. I mean really rude and won't even talk to you if you are a cake decorator. SHE IS VERY RUDE, did I mention that? and she always gives me the impression that she thinks she is so much better that me, and won't give me the time of day. so, yesterday at the show.....she stole my cake!!! I have a cake that I first brought to the show last Oct. and it looked like a wedding dress, and had white gumpaiste roses as the topper, and a monogram "S" made out of beads on the top tier, outlined in a bead border.
this is my favorite cake.....so I brought it to the show yesterday......and
SO DID SHE! of course, hers was BIGGER and the bouquet on the top was BIGGER, but it was my cake!
My friend went to her booth and said, "oh what a pretty cake, is it your design?" and the lady said it was!!
I know we "borrow" ideas from each other all the time.....but this cake lady is so rude, and expensive and has a min. order of at least 200 servings or won't even accept the order....but the main thing is that she is rude.
am I over-reacting?
my butt is on fire.....
can't wait to see what you all think.


thank you,

melody

Well...unfortunately you are always going to find people like that in every industry.I would be angry also that she stole/took your idea....I would have walked over to her and calmly said...."oh my Beautiful cake...If I remember correctly I made that very cake last year for the show.....did you?? and walk away....Every time something new is out we all want to try and replicate it..You see this all the time with clothes,toys,etc..take it as a compliment that she tried to copy your design and let it go....Life is too short to walk around miffed!!

Imitation is the best form of Flattery!!!

shake it off and continue doing your thing.

I can't stand rude, snobby people so that part of me would have gone up to her and told her straight to her face that I don't appreciate her stealing my idea. I may even be tempted to call her up today or go to her shop and tell her this.

HOWEVER, I always strive to be the bigger person (totally believe in karma), so I would just let her continue to copy me - because nothing is ever as good as the original.

I am a bit funny when it comes to situations like this. I tend to get kind of obnoxious. I would have said "Oh my gosh -so funny - that looks just like the cake I had here the last time. Great minds must think alike! I hope the cake works out for you because I got like 20 orders just based on that one design!" And then I would have walked away.It would have been great to show her a picture of the cake on your display table from the last show.


You can't help rude people - just know in your mind you are better - and appeal to those people who want small weddings. The way our economy is going I hope to see the trend in smaller wedding continue. And - if you do a great job on the smaller wedding cakes - there is of course the baby showers, birthday parites, celebrations, etc. in the future!

I know.....it just sucks that she struts around so rude and won't even speak to me, then steals me idea....grrr

I'll let it go.
hubby said to feel honored that she thought so much of my work that she stole it....

thanks guys


melody

RUDE? OH YEH....... Like you said we all borrow ideas.....but to lay claim it was you own? RUDE - RUDE - RUDE! and very unprofessional.

You don't want to be associated with people like that anyway so forget it. Not worth getting/staying miffed about. Chances are if she started speaking to you she'd have more opportunities to be rude. I'd wish her good luck serving the hoity toity, they deserve one another. I'd want nothing to do with them, even for the business/money.

Desperate people do desperate things. Obviously business isn't as great as she would like you to believe, or she wouldn't have copied your cake. We all use others' cakes for inspriation. But who in the world copies another decorator's cake for a bridal show knowing that the original designer's cake will probably be in the show! That goes beyond fair competition and is very unprofessional. She's obviously a fool and threatened by your talent. I think you handled the situation appropriately. Had you confronted her, she probably would have convinced everyone that you stole the design from her. Kudos to you for being the bigger person and maintaining your professionalism!!!

"Wow, I had no idea that you were such a fan of my work! Thank you!"

LOL

I have calmed down a bit.
and thinking that I may send her a card that says how honored I am that she used my design,

yep, I am a passive aggressive person haha

I should say that The Knot will be publishing my cake for the winter issue and my cake will represent the Midwest, for the Midwest section...so haha cake stealer.

you guys are great!

melody

I just added my web site address, if you want to check out the cake it is the white one with the gum paste flowers on the top and the ribbon....looks like a wedding dress.


melody

Wow melody - that's really a great cake!!!

And I totally did not see that you were also in KC! I know what show you are talking about and even though I didn't go, I think I have an idea of who you are talking about.

Well your cake is beautiful. All your cakes are. However, my post is a little off-topic. I want your handmade mints! Those sound sooo good! You wouldn't happen to ship those, would you?

Your cake is really beautiful! The strawberries that are stuffed with cheesecake, then dipped in chocolate sounded wonderful.

I really would've been tempted to walk over to her table and tell her JUST how flattered you are that a reputable cake decorator like HER would love one of YOUR designs enough to want to TRY to replicate it!!!!!!!!

Oh Melody- your cake is beautiful! And I nearly fell off my chair when I read your post....I had to make sure you weren't speaking about the women from my town! Yes, there is one in every town. And what makes me wonder is this: this woman is not only rude to other decorators, she is just as rude to her CUSTOMERS! So how on earth does she stay in business! Grrrrr......

I' ve gotten some of her customers as a matter of fact....they said she was very rude and there cake wasn't quit 200 servings so she wouldn't accept the order.
more orders for me I guess.

one in ever town....yikes. thats alot of rude in the world!