To Everyone Who Is Pming Me About Cricut Issues
Decorating By leah_s Updated 29 May 2010 , 4:59am by marthajo1
Gefion, your cakes are gorgeous. Anyone who's wondering why people are thinking that the cricut is a crutch or a cheat should look at those cakes and see what some real artistic skill entails. I love hand piping, it shows true cake skillz.
Finally, I think the is the worst thing that has happen to caking ever. It is destroying the creativity and artisty of what we do.
I love this statement. It mirrors what I heard Kerry VIncent say in Las Vegas one year:
"We MUST preserve the art of buttercream. There are too many people who push some material in a mold, slap it on a cake and think that makes them a cake decorator."
In this world of "scratch vs mix" debating, I find it funny to observe that decorations made from a machine or a mold or pre-bought is ok compared to the "old fashioned" piping and BC roses and freehand intricate designs .... that somehow there's no debate or discussion on THIS "scratch vs. pre-made" issue.
Not trying to start the debate ... just an interesting observation.
I totally agree. I do not have the old school skills of piping and buttercream and hope to learn some of the techniques in the future. My skills are not the best but I do love to hand mold figures and flowers for my cakes.
I saw the HSN demo of the Cricutcake and I didn't like the look on the cakes. I'm not judging anyone who wants to use it. I'm sure that there are many talented people here who will create beautiful cakes with it. The cakes that they showed were just odd looking to me. The best one was the black and white brocade, IMO.
As others have said, I agree that this might be a fad. The TV shows and contests have encouraged people to try decorating and that's great but this can sometimes degrade the art.
I've seen this in the craft fairs. At least in my neck of the woods, that is. Years ago you would find gorgeous, hand crafted items that you would not find anywhere else, especially in regular stores. After awhile, when crafting became commercialized and the fairs were flooded with hobby crafters wanting to make extra money, you had a harder time finding the quality items. The booths were filled with cheap copies from the many craft magazines. They also started looking like dollar store material.
I'm afraid that this might have some negative impact on cake decorating. There will always be true talent out there, but the market could start to reflect more of the lower end goods. It also might highlight the difference between mass produced and old school techniques- who knows? Just my 2 cents. 
@ specialty cakes by kelli (sorry of I got that wrong)-- I don't think anyone is saying someone like yourself is, or would be, any less of a decorator by using a cricut. I think the issue comes up when you have someone with little to no experience who thinks that they can buy a cricut and make a lot of money selling cakes without a lot of work.
Do you see what I'm sayin here? I mean, that is basically how the HSN and other vendors have billed it. Like:
"look at what custom work you can do for a little money".
"No need to pay anyone for something this eeeeasy"
"Just add your design and voila you have made a plain grocery cake for $10 into the same thing as those pricey cake shops make"
I think it is the attitude behind that type of statement that folks take issue with. It's like someone else said- everybody wants to be Duff or Buddy without knowing the real deal.
This is all said in friendship if anyone is wondering.
@ specialty cakes by kelli (sorry of I got that wrong)-- I don't think anyone is saying someone like yourself is, or would be, any less of a decorator by using a . I think the issue comes up when you have someone with little to no experience who thinks that they can buy a and make a lot of money selling cakes without a lot of work.
Do you see what I'm sayin here? I mean, that is basically how the HSN and other vendors have billed it. Like:
"look at what custom work you can do for a little money".
"No need to pay anyone for something this eeeeasy"
"Just add your design and voila you have made a plain grocery cake for $10 into the same thing as those pricey cake shops make"
I think it is the attitude behind that type of statement that folks take issue with. It's like someone else said- everybody wants to be Duff or Buddy without knowing the real deal.
This is all said in friendship if anyone is wondering.
Oh I totally understand what you're saying there. I think there will be a lob of people returning it because it's not going to be as easy as they think it will be. I don't know about everyone else, or the big bakeries...but I don't sell undercorated cakes. I don't know anyone around here that does or would. So I'm not sure where someone could buy a fondant covered un-decorated cake to use... but once they figure out that the decorating is actually the "easy" part of making cakes... they'll be sending that machine back next day air!
We just happen to believe that one really should have a good understanding of how the BASICS work. if something goes wrong with the dovetail making machine, how does the guy know how to adjust it if he doensn't understand the concept of what dovetails do? If the wedding ring pattern on the quilt isn't working, how does the sewer know what's wrong if the sewer doesnt' understand the math and geometry involved?
I totally agree Debi! When I was in culinary school we had to learn to do EVERYTHING the "old fashioned way." Whether it was making a pate brisee or whipping cream or making a meringue, we had to learn to do it by hand, so we could see and feel the changes taking place in the materials as we were creating the product. I even learned to cook sugar to soft ball stage using my HANDS in a bowl of ice water instead of a thermometer, so that we were learn what the sugar looked and felt like when it was ready, instead of depending on a thermometer (which could be wrong if not calibrated correctly). I still do it this way as I find it to be more consistent and reliable than my thermometer.
Only once we had mastered those skills were were allowed to use a mixer, thermometer, or other modern equipment to produce. The tools are a great way to save time and energy, but you need to know how to get your end product when/if your tools fail you.
Kitagirl said it right with the using of color in a pleasing way. I've seen some gorgeous cakes on here, but wondered what were they thinking with the color combinations. Yes cake decorating is an ART. Takes a lot more than just the cricut. I think the cricut is a good way to enhance our skills not to be our skills. I guess some think they get the cricut and voila instant success. NOT SO!!
I have the Cricut and haven't used it too much. Like Edna, I'm just too lazy!
The only thing I really have against it is that I love to look at a cake and try to figure out "how'd they do that?"
With the Cricut, I can identify the "cartridge" designs from a mile away.
I know, I know, there are a lot of things we can identify- I see Nicholas Lodge's cutters on cakes all over, not to mention tappits, etc. But Cricut just seems like a big one that could be totally over used.
However, as long as its only one tool of many!
The cricut is merely a tool - like any other tool that is used in cake decoration. I don't see how any art will be lost just by it's use. I'm very new to cake decorating - though my mom was a professional decorator for over 20 years. She ONLY worked in buttercream so that's the extent of my exposure and experience. Nobody in our town ever even requested fondant so she never learned that side of "caking". So now we have both decided to go ahead and learn fondant together. My background and BFA is in Art and Design and my current full time work is in graphic design. I think with her skills and my skills - combined we have a pretty good shot at making some amazing cakes together.
I did purchase the cricut and unfortuantely have not had much luck with it so far. This is probably due to my lack of knowledge about fondant and gumpaste and how to "work" them correctly. I'm trying to learn all I can so I can make this work for me - I'm still deciding if I'll even keep it - I have about 20 or so days left to decide! Am I going to rely on the cricut to create every cake design I do? Of course not! That'd be just silly. But I can definitely see some use coming out of it. I love the idea of the large monograms that look lovely with the shadowing behind them. The damask patterns have had some impressive results as well - especially when accented FURTHER with royal icing accents piped on top of it. I can also see some great potential for children's cakes with all of the cute little animal cut outs. Those would take a great deal of time to do by hand - why not save some time and the customer some money? They are just as cute if done WELL.
That said - I think some people will buy this machine - have some success cutting stuff out, slap them on a poorly frosted cake and be totally pleased. Am I worried about these people being a threat to the entire cake industry? Uhhhh - nope...
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Oh and hey I have to give a shout out to Edna - I really liked watching your YouTube videos and even used a couple of our recipes so thanks! Your cakes are so pretty!
I have mixed feelings about it. I ordered one, with the comfort that I can return it within 30 days if I don't like it. I may love the thing, or I may hate it. I'm not sure how it is going to destroy the creativity of the cake industry though. I don't think of myself to be extremely creative, but by no means do I have to depend on a machine like this to make cakes. I ordered the it because I think it could help me with very intricate design such as snowflakes (always wanted to do the little boogers, just can't get them right). I think most professionals are like me, they ordered it to enhance their business...not to depend on it.
I agree with Kelli (I mean just take a look at her work and you will see that nothing is going to take the place of pure talent), I think it is just another way to accomplish decorating.
Snowflakes grrr!
ctinaw is absolutely correct.........a tool is only as good as the person using it! Like everything else it takes practice and patience. You have to use the right product, the right consistency, the right thickness. That's why people make money teaching these techniques. Check out Linda McClure's DVDs. Her wedding one has beautifull patterns with it, scrolls, damask, etc. (over 60 patterns included).
Just a short story to add to what (I think) the general consensus is around here:
I have quite the random background (architecture, art, and engineering) and I remember in my first year of architecture (2003), we had to do EVERYTHING by hand. If you can imagine what a typical blueprint looks like, you can understand how time consuming that would be. All the lettering, shading, and line work was done with just a pencil, your hand, and a slide rule and it had to be perfect: no erasing, straight, uniform letters, and consistent line width. We would complain and thought it was ridiculous because of the computer automated drafting programs available (AutoCAD). It would take us literally days to complete something that could be easily accomplished in less than an hour with a computer. It was learn the basics first to an extreme. We had to learn that computers are just an (immensely helpful ) tool. It was nice to know that if all the computers vanished one day, I could still do my job.
The day all this frustration paid off was when I was in a brainstorming meeting and quickly drew out an idea. The client was so impressed he hired our firm on the spot. I also think it has helped me with my piping work
Crabbab's I totally get what you're saying. I'm a graphic designer and I hear it all the time from the "more experienced" designers who learned back when everything was done on paper with sharpies - and drawn out and done by hand. Now - nobody does it - because it's inefficient and results that are just as good if not better come from the various programs available to us. I use all of the Adobe products for my design work, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.
Now going along with what we're talking about here though - anyone who wants to can go out and buy Photoshop or InDesign and proclaim themselves a graphic designer (and they do) without any formal education - and their results will - in most cases - show their inexperience and or lack of any kind of talent. Not to say someone couldn't self-teach and make some decent stuff - that happens too. But I believe formal design education is important - for all designers (cake or whatever). I understand the frustration of being in a career where anyone who wants to invest the money can proclaim themselves a graphic designer or a cake decorator or what have you. However, I also believe there is also always room for those with natural talent. Those who can learn by trial and error and become good at what they do.
What does the cricut cake have anythign to do with this post? Not sure - I kind of got lost here I guess my point is that some will succeed and some will fail. The people who have no talent aren't going to ruin the cake industry with their cricut cakes - they are just going to have some fun making cakes for their friends and family. Then there are those that will use it as a tool enhance their craft. The sky isn't falling
I guess I have mixed feelings on this issue.
A dear talented friend of mine has a neighbor who has just got "the machine" and now thinks she will be able to produce works of art like my friend. LOL - she doesn't even know to level a cake after it is baked. I think the product will disappoint her in the end. And I think that it may get oversold and die out quick if there are a lot of folks in that camp who have unreal expectations. There is quite a bit more to learn in the world of cakes than there is in scrapbooks. And an artistic eye isn't going to come with the purchase of a $300 machine.
On the other hand I look at this just as a tool, and it seems to me that the comments about it 'killing off creativity' and undermining the profession are a touch extremist.
I am reminded that in another profession a man was harangued for being totally unprofessional, skipping the basics of the art form, and undermining the profession of both fine art and illustration. He used new technology and tools as a basis for his work and it had his world in an uproar. The man was Norman Rockwell, His crime was posing people and using photographs to work from in his studio.
Now I doubt the Cricut is going to revolutionze the world like the camera, and certainly my friends neighbor is no Rockwell. However, the bottom line for me is that it may interest some people in decorating who wouldn't have gone there. And perhaps it will fall into some talented hands who may never learn to do a bead border or a buttercreme rose, but may produce some fantastic works of art outside of that.
So while I may be a touch skeptical of the actual product, I would like to remain open-minded on it and refrain from labeling it the death-knell of caking or insist that everyone learn to do cakes the way I have.
My children live in a new generation. They don't need to learn to use a real typewriter before they can go onto the computer keyboard. . . .
Some tools really do replace others. Here's to hoping that the future of decorating will be rife with new inventions, faster and easier ways of doing things that can lead to greater expansions of creativity. . . .
What does the cricut cake have anythign to do with this post? Not sure - I kind of got lost here I guess my point is that some will succeed and some will fail. The people who have no talent aren't going to ruin the cake industry with their cricut cakes - they are just going to have some fun making cakes for their friends and family. Then there are those that will use it as a tool enhance their craft. The sky isn't falling
AMEN. Such a reasonablel and rational view of what this machine is.
i'm an RN and in the early days nurses had to count drips to get the correct rate to run IV fluids. Now we have electronic pumps to do that. So what happens if my pump fails????? i get another pump! i certainly don't go back to counting drips because that's they way they did it 30 years ago.
I have the cricut cake but I am not sure if I am going to keep it. I mainly got it to give my hands a rest. I can only decorate a little at a time and my hands go numb. I wouldn't dare take the cricut to the wedding so if i need to fix something I still can but at least my hands will be rested (hopefully)
I'm sorry...I'm still a little green (new that is) what exactly is SPS and is there anymore room in the cake club for one more? 
I'm sorry...I'm still a little green (new that is) what exactly is SPS and is there anymore room in the cake club for one more?
SPS - A support system for cakes that is pretty much (according to many here) foolproof. I haven't used it but it is on my list.
Here is a link to LeahS's directions.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-603925.html
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