Hi...Just as a little background, I just started cake decorating back in October of this year, when I started to take some classes....Although the cakes that I have done have been pretty and family and friends were impressed by them, to be honest, browsing this site, I am totally overwhelmed...Will I ever be able to make cakes as beautiful as these????

Last week I tried to make a cake in the shape of a pocketbook...Easy, right? I figured, how hard could it be? I had the pictures and instructions right in front of me...Well, as I was carving and carving, the pocketbook ended up taking more of the shape of a bowling bag than a trendy pocket book...I was very disappointed in myself, thinking that if I can't do something like that, how am I every going to learn to make all those beautiful flowers and techniques that I am so eagar to learn.

Please, if there is anyone out there who had had similar problems when they first started, let me know...I would LOVE to hear about them...It will bring me encourgment to know that I am not alone and wasting my time...All the cakes on this website are so beautiful and are an inspiration to me...Hopefully, I can strive, one day, to be confident in my ability and make cakes as wonderful as the ones here...My heart is willing...

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

I to am just getting started and amazed at all the different cakes and gumpaste flowers that other CC have created. I hope that some day my creations will look 1/2 as good as any of the ones on here. So I understand how you felt when the cake took on another look it has happen to me many times. But one thing I do know if you keep practing it will get better. Also everyone on this site are so helpful and encouraging there is nothing you cannot ask someone will have an answer. But the great thing about this site is now one treats you like you are ignorant so you will do great.

you really are too hard on yourself. you have to realize...cake decorating is an art and it takes time to perfect that art. my suggestion...just keep practicing. many here are self-taught, like myself. be patient with yourself. practice makes perfect!!

Sculpting cake is something that takes a real special talent!
There are many, many cake styples you can make that will not be hard and look soooooo pretty.
After all you haven't been decorating *that* long It takes lots of practice and dedication to perfect this art.

I agree with kakeladi. I carved cake is a pretty high degree of difficulty. And it does take practice. But as with anything, we always learn from our mistakes. That's the only way to really grow, right? Start simpler and build your skills. Stretch yourself just a little each time. I'm a special education teacher and when I'm working with students who struggle with reading, the only way for them to improve is to read something just a tiny bit challenging. Too challenging and they give up/feel frustrated/can't profit from the lessons. Too easy and they make no growth. Its called their instructional level. Find a cake at your instructional level. Believe me, with each one, you WILL be able to take on more challenges because you will have learned lessons from each of the previous. I am a totally self taught decorator (or should I say CC taught!) and if you look at my pics you can see my progression. You can do that too.

Hi and Welcome to CC, Traci9130.

Decoding CC acronyms:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926-.html

Sorry I can't offer any words of encouragement other than practice makes perfect.

(And that's only because I need so much practice myself.)

Quadruplicate post, please also see:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-587366-.html

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-587367-.html

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-587368-.html

HTH

I"ve been decorating for many years, and thought I did okay, until I joined CC and found out just how much I still needed to learn! LOL But in the last year, since joining, I've learned so very much! Just pay attention, keep track of cakes that inspire you, and keep practicing. One day, you'll be someone that folks look up to, just like some of the 'greats' on here.

Keep at it! Nobody started out perfect!

Nobody's ever perfect. We all see our flaws magnified to the "nth" degree. Most people, when they look at our cakes see them for what's great about them while we see them for what's wrong. Understanding that, and accepting that there will always be flaws we see that others don't (thank goodness) is what allows us all to keep doing this.

Hi Everyone! Thanks for all responding so quickly. It's nice to know that there are a lot of people out there like me, that took little or no classes and progressively got better...I guess the answer is, don't give up and practice, practice, practice and hopefully, one day, one of my cakes will be on one of these galleries!

Sorry about the multiple posts. I didn't think that my post was going through, so I hit it again and it resulted in four posts of the same question.

I can't thank you guys enough...I will start off slow and work my way up...