I know... it sounds like an odd question. I have had 2 people ask me if they could buy a gumpaste shoe to put on a cake that they are making (one birthday, one bridal shower). Do any of you do this? Provide shoes, or toppers etc without doing the cake? How do you figure out your pricing if there is no cake involved?

I have said no to both...but just wondering if anyone does this and how they figure pricing.

thanks

Nope...I charge for all my work which is done on my cakes by me only....I guess some would but to me that is just someone trying to pass someone else's work off as their own...

Anyone else have any input?

I will play devil's advocate. I don't have time (as well as the skill) to make some of the more intricate gumpaste flowers used on my cakes. I will order from one of 2 well known gumpaste artists that sell as well as teach. On the other hand, I don't advertise that these are made by me. If asked, I provide the info. OBTW...last time I checked, MS does the same thing.

I have done it........I've made floral centerpieces (gumpaste) as well as 250 roses w/ leaves on waxed paper squares for someone else's cupcakes! I charged them $.75/ea (they has a special recipe they were known for making but didn't know how to make roses)

I've also done the baby shoes as well. I charge $20/pair.


OH and as far as ordering gumpaste flowers, I do it all the time! Sometimes I'm able to order them cheaper and charge my brides less than it will cost me to make them myself! As long as I feel the quality is just as good, I see no reason to mess with them if I don't have to! Especially when 50+ flowers are needed for 1 cake!

Yeah..I guess I should reword what I said..I sounded like a cakesnob.....I don't usually sell figures etc because most people won't pay the extra $50.00 or whatever as we all know how time consuming they can be...I also am not confident enough to do great figures so I don't like to do them..having said that I certainly would order gumpaste flowers etc for a wedding and of course divulge where I got them from.

I totally let brides know where I got them, in fact I send them there to order them (so they can pay the upfront costs/ shipping/etc.) and tell them to get them to me at least weeks before the wedding so I can work with them, then I charge them a fee for arranging them on the cake............I prefer doing that than having to have a million half done gumpaste roses laying around worrying about breakage, dust, kids getting into them!!