Ok everyone....
I hear all these great tips on Cake Central and get all excited about certain products and ideas etc etc. and then I go and ask my Wilton inst. and she knocks them down.....whats a girl to do!!
So what do you think??
Makins clay plastic clay gun - does it work with MMF or no?
Wiltons rolling pin - do I have to have it or will a wooden dowel be good enough for fondant.
Thanks everyone!
Cindy
She also told me that when making cookies that royal is the best and you have to outline them first...maybe I should show her Antonia's!! 
when you're first starting out you might be better off outlining the cookies first.....some people like to continue...others like it better (once they get good at it)without outlining...that would be up to you. I use a cookie press with my fondant and it works great...I have the discs that have different sized holes in them and they work great for making ropes and things....hair..anything you need long even strands of fondant for. As for the rolling pin...you can use anything....I paid like 3 bucks for 10 ft. of pvc pipe and cut it up in 2ft. sections so I have five rolling pins LOL It works great and I throw it in the dishwasher when I'm done with it. I also buy the fittings that go on the ends and they're about 1/4 inch thick so when I put them on and roll the fondant it makes a perfect 1/4 inch thickness of fondant! I love pvc! Also...just try different icings on your cookies....royal is really easy to decorate with, but you can use fondant and paint on it...or buttercream if they're not going to be stacked...just have fun and play around with it you'll find out what works best for YOU!
Well, as I have always said, FONDANT to me is the best way to ice cookies.. NO mixing, NO waiting, very smooth and very sharp edge..And your decoration is NOT limited to just piped decorations.. I would not use anything else.. I love Fondant on anything.. it's almost fool proof or fail proof.
You can take a look at my cookies if you are interested in MY PHOTOS..
Thanks
Ok everyone....
I hear all these great tips on Cake Central and get all excited about certain products and ideas etc etc. and then I go and ask my Wilton inst. and she knocks them down.....whats a girl to do!!
Please remember, your instructor is suppose to promote Wilton products and techinques. Some will give you suggestions outside of Wilton, while others may not.
She may also not know the answers to your questions. Maybe she has never tried MMF or a clay gun with Fondant. Maybe she has only used royal for cookies or has had bad experinces with other things.
I can say that the most important thing I have learned about cake decorating in the last 6 years is that while one thing may work great for one person it may not work the same for someone else. I also believe that there is not just one way to do things, or one recipe that will work perfectly for everyone. There are several ways for doing most things. Think about posts you see here, where you get 5 different ways to do the same thing.
Wilton classes are a great beginning in my opinion. Not only because I teach them, but because that is where I started. I think they help you learn the basics. But there is life outside of Wilton and there are many many other techinques out there. That is where message boards like CC or LadyCakes or other individual sites that have how to instructions on them come into play. And lets not forget about all the cake books out there from all the 'cake greats'.
To me the best way to see if something will work is to try it for yourself. Don't be afraid to get into the kitchen and try out something new or different. You never know, you might even come up with the next great techinique that everyone wants to learn how to do. And if it doesn't work out, well chalk it up to experince and try it a different way.
Why not invite your instructor to CakeCentral? Maybe she will learn some new things as well?
isakov1:
I want to know who says Wilton is the last word on anything cake? Really!
I have always gone by the beat of a different drummer I guess. I don't use anything Wilton. Hated the classes and have a bad taste in my mouth for everything I learned in buttercream.
I took the classes to make cake sculptures like on Food Network. I thought it was a perfect outlet for studio arts background! Better than ceramics cuz I didn't have to store the product, it got eaten WOW 
How cool is that But anytime I ever asked the Wilton instructor anything more detailed than the buttercream flower she was teaching, she stated that type of cake was for cake artists........Grrrrrrr 
, ya well, that is what I went school for - Art - for crying out loud and I am an artist and now I am a cake artist also. Just couldn't take it anymore and never went back, found Cake Central and have been happy ever since!!!!!!!
Yep, I am different - some people love Wilton and don't get me wrong, their cakes are lovely - but not me. I will never create a buttercream rose - never - ha - rebel streak 
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