Here we go again.....everytime I get excited about some cake stuff, my bubble gets popped. I realize my ranting here doesn't change things but it's a venting for me and hubby gets tired of the cake talk. I just bought a bunch of chocolate and MM to try fondant (again....) and some transfers. I don't know what to do with the cakes. My neighbors haven't said anything about being overloaded with cake.....yet.
Every time someone mentions me doing their cake, it falls through. I was going to do one for my 4 year old nephew but he is a bit of an ornery child and didn't even want a party. My neighbor was going on and on about finding a choc/PB cake for her son when I mentioned I was going to practice some stuff and she said, "Oh yeah, I should have had you do the cake....." Her daughter's birthday comes a month later, nothing. My sister wants me to do a cake for our mother next month but mom is on a restrictive diet and should not be eating cake at all. My husband's friend and I were talking about me doing his daughter's 10th birthday this month, nothing. My best friend asked me on my daughter's birthday to do her son's cake this month. Talked to her today, nothing. My friend is turning 30 in January and mentioned me doing her cake. I get all excited, she says you have 6 months to come up with something. I start planning and am thinking about assorted cake and filling flavors, lots of color, a tiered cake, fondant accents. She says choc. cake with vanilla filling and vanilla icing. Ughhhhh. Oh yeah and a SHEET cake, too. A day or two later she tells me she is trying to plan to go to Vegas for her birthday now. There goes the cake.... I offered to do cakes for free for my church and nothing. I am not going to force myself on these people. Oh, did I mention the 78 roses I did that my SIL said she'd pay me for......nothing. Still waiting to get my cookie sheets, pans, cake tip and rose scissors back.
I think it's time for a cake strike......seems I am already on one without my knowing it. I feel like little Johnny who wants to be an astronaut but he sucks in math and science--you want to do it but it just ain't workin' out that way! 
I'll probably regret this long-winded whine but here it is....
Oh but I want to say thanks to Cindy--you are a kind, encouraging friend and "good cake find" 
Don't give up. Your cakes look great!! These people are missing out on quality confectionary genious, and that's too bad for them.
Your day will come. No strike for you!
Good luck....and you can make me a cake any time you want! 
Angie
Okay, your cakes are beautiful! Don't get discouraged. It does take time to get things going. Hang in there and it will pick up! 
you poor thing! People do have a habit of not panning out with me either. *hugs*
I wish I knew what to say...I don't see why these people arn't banging down your door! Your cakes are fabulous!!! Some times people just tend to flake out...you know? I think that people love the idea of having a custom cake but when it comes down to it, it's just easier to grab a cake from the grocery store.
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING ON A CAKE STRIKE, just b/c the cookie strike is over ....your cake look sooooo good...just let this get you down---you could always do what i just did, SIL wanted me to do her dd's cake dd decided she wanted an ice cream cake (no cake in it??), so i decided that i'd do the cake anyway, heck I REALLY NEED THE PRACTICE. Just take your friend a cake as a surprise, maybe she will realize what is would have benn missing & i some of these people are family, just ask them if they still want you to do it.....i hope that things get better.
I could be in the same boat your in, but I like to look at it a different way.......Their loss. The folks at church know I do cakes but I have only been asked to do 2 birthday cakes, actually my dear friend volunteered my services (she likes to volunteer me for a lot of things at church!). The thing is, there is a lady who sells Pampered Chef and she teaches cooking at a Boys and Girls Club, so everyone thinks she'sn the bees knees where desserts are concerned.
Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is don't give up. Keep practicing and giving goodies away as you go. The worst that can happen is you become known as the Cake Lady of the neighborhood!
Bern,
Hang in there friend! Don't let anyone else take the fun out of this for you!! I just love to make cakes for the practice at this point. I've actually come to the realization (now that I am getting a trickle of orders in) that I'm not sure I'm ready to start selling. I get so much enjoyment when I'm doing them for fun..when I have to sell them, the pressure is on!
At any rate, I agree with one of the other posters. Start giving them to people if you feel you have to give them away even if they haven't asked for them..your friends/family will be blown away. If you don't want to give them away, do what I do and just sit them where you can see them for a few days and enjoy what you've created!
Cindy
Hey..your work is just beautiful. I have been where I felt like I was in a rut before and then all of the sudden I wished I was in that rut again. Right now I feel like people are coming to me just because I'm cheap. I even had one lady tell me "I hear you're cheaper than Wal-Mart." *sigh*. But they will be running over each other to get to you before you know it, because your talent is definitely there. Beautiful, Good tasting, quality baked goods are hard to find and people know this. Chin up! 
Your cakes look great! Try not to take their flip-flopping to heart. I think that like a lot of people they probably don't realize the planning and time that goes into making a great cake. They probably think you just whip one right up and that there is nothing to it. So they probably don't realize all that you have already put into it. I can understand you are disappointed but please don't let that stop you from making your wonderful cakes!
I totally agree with Calla74! I think people take it for granted that you can just whip off a cake and it's very little "trouble" We cake decorators need to demand respect 
Seriously, your cakes are beautiful, as the saying goes "Build it and they will come.."
Zamode,
Don't be discouraged your work is great! Have you considered donating your cakes to a charity like Ronald McDonald House? The Ronald McDonald House host families all over the world that are out of town for medical care. Our office volunteers to make dinner a number of times for the families there and I always decorate a cake for them. The kids as well as the parents love it. You can get the practice you need, a tax write off and most of all make a family smile. You can check the internet for the house near you. Good luck and keep your spatula up!!!!
Your cakes are wonderful. Maybe its like picking out a painting and they just havent seen you do one like the one they want. I have been trying to run pictures(bait) by my target people(Fish). 
Sometimes their taste in cakes is different then mine. 
My sons fiance loves wild colored cakes. So it took me awhile to find something to impress her. My mom has been really hard to hook.
Keep up the great work Zamode! ;-
Your very talented. So dont give up! D
Thank you ALL for your very kind words. What a wonderful bunch here! BakeQueen, that's a terrific idea. I suppose at this point, I will do small cakes with cheap ingredients just for practice and go with the flow. I told my husband and he laughed. Guess he knows you can't stay away for too long. Thanks everyone! {{hugs}}
I've gone through something similar as well. I have had one potential client make an appointment me with for a wedding tasting consultation. Well I got so excited about especially b/c she knew I could make the cake that she presented to me. She ended up cancelling her consultation with me and said that she found someone else to make her cake.
I was disappointed b/c I was looking forward to a wedding cake order and plus it would have been a chance for me to gain more potential clients.
I know its hard but sometimes you have to try not to get so excited. It's hard for me to do that as well. Especially since I've had two people cancel their orders the week the cake was due and I had already purchased the cake kits for both cancelled orders. 
So don't give up and try to keep calm when people even mention cake orders to you.
I got tired of having to suck up the cost of cancellations or track payments down. So, I usually ask for either the full payment or a deposit of at least half at the time of booking. If the customer cancels, I deduct the cost of any supplies purchased from the initial deposit. According to my husband I still don't charge enough for my work. It's hard to put prices on such a labor of love. I am taking a few lessons from the area bakeries to avoid baking myself into the poor house! One thing I have listened to my husband on is that if a customer doesn't appreciate your the price of your labor intensive work, send them to Walmart! But I put my heart and soul into each one of my creations and you cannot find it at Walmart. 
I know just how you feel Zamode. Years ago I used get upset when someone did not get back to me about a cake. But not anymore.
For a long time now, whenever anyone mentions they'd like me to do a cake for them, I make a note of the occasion and the date and put it on my calendar. I write up a preliminary order with all the details I have. Then, about 2 weeks before the date, I call to remind them. It is rare for anyone to ever say they have made other plans. Most times they are happy to be reminded. Some have even forgotten they asked me in the first place, and others have let the date sneak up on them and are grateful I remembered.
So all it takes is one reminder or one phone call to get the ball rolling.
Be Brave!
Thanks again ladies!
SugarFrosted, I thought about that, just coming out and asking....not too much if an issue but I would feel like I am putting them on the spot (even though they asked....) and if I ask, I don't want assumptions that they will be free. I can't be picky but it's not a cheap hobby, either. I'll do as you all advise and take it with a grain of salt as I already have that way of thinking now....and if they want cakes, they can pay of the ingredients up front.
At the very beginning, I gave away a lot of free cakes, but only when I donated them. If someone ASKED me to bring a cake, I told them how much it would be. Some people said they assumed because we were friends I would not charge them. I asked them if they thought it was fair for me to spend my money and several hours of my time to do a cake free for them. Would they come and clean my house for free, or mow my lawn for free, or cook for my family for free? Most were embarrassed and said No. They usually had no problems paying for the cakes after that. And they always ordered more. I have baked for some people for more than 15 years, every birthday and anniversary, every occasion when they need a cake. You can't back down. But you can give a discount, as long as you tell them what a good deal they are getting.
I always tell people how much I charge, on the front end, as soon as they decide what they want. If I have to get back with them after I figure it up, I tell them that.
Zamode pretty soon you will be so busy that the people who passed you by wont be able to get your cakes,you will be wayyyyy to busy. NOw dont forget about the cookies.
Hmmmmmm.....about a year ago I ran into a gal I hadn't seen in a few years. Her son was getting married, so I mentioned that I was doing cakes. She rebuffed me and said she had a baker and a caterer who "were the best" and didn't want to take a chance on a "homebaker".....
PS...the caterer she had is one I've worked for and he hired me to make her cake, as she had seen some of my work, at one of his affairs and loved it. (She had no clue it was me who made it)...
Ssssoooooooooo.....made the cake and was setting it up at the venue...I heard her come into the reception site and say.."I just have to meet the cake artist"..I turned around and she about had a stroke. 
What goes around..comes around....
PS....BTW..my fee for that cake went up by $150.00....
I know this is going to sound wierd, but what you need to do is step out into the real world! I don't know how to explain this, but friends and family are not the ones to go to order cakes from. They don't look at you as a real baker, because they watched you grow. When it comes to special occasions, people just like to go with the pros. For instance, what if you had price winning roses in your garden and offered them to a bride to use at her wedding? She would decide to instead pay hundreds of dollars for less roses at a florist. What you are doing is offering people roses from your garden. What you need to do is start spreading the word that you are a professional and are ready to take cake orders. Sell a few cakes to some strangers, and when your friends and family see this, they too will go Hmmm, maybe I can get a discount and will come to you! Your cakes are beautiful! You are ready to stop making the freebies and spread that talent! Put out flyers, approach businesses, etc. And then take the joy in when your friends ask for cakes and you have to turn them down because you are too busy!
Too funny IHATEFONDANT.
I had a lady that I was making her son's wedding cake (I knew the bride's mother). She kept asking if I knew what I was doing...Had I ever delivered a cake before...Did I know how to make a wedding cake...etc...etc...etc...
She was asking through the bride's family. So at the reception, I'm standing near the cake when everyone walks in, the bride was elated as she had wanted the fountain...wasn't going to get it but I changed my mind. The MIL's mouth could have drawn in flies. She came over and gushed the entire reception about how beautiful the cake was. I told her "Gee, really? Hmmm and this is only my about my 20th wedding THIS year."
Hmmmmmm.....about a year ago I ran into a gal I hadn't seen in a few years. Her son was getting married, so I mentioned that I was doing cakes. She rebuffed me and said she had a baker and a caterer who "were the best" and didn't want to take a chance on a "homebaker".....
PS...the caterer she had is one I've worked for and he hired me to make her cake, as she had seen some of my work, at one of his affairs and loved it. (She had no clue it was me who made it)...
Ssssoooooooooo.....made the cake and was setting it up at the venue...I heard her come into the reception site and say.."I just have to meet the cake artist"..I turned around and she about had a stroke.
What goes around..comes around....
PS....BTW..my fee for that cake went up by $150.00....
hahahahaha! I love it!!
SugarFrosted, that's it, I think people assume it will be free and honestly are taken a bit aback if you suggest any kind of fee but sheesh, give me some money for materials anyway. Keep practicing and see what happens....
I Hate Fondant & Mac, that is great! Love it, love it!
Loriemoms, thing is I don't think I am completely ready to venture out just yet. I certainly wouldn't mind friend of a friend and the neighborhood thing. Need to build up some skills yet but it would be nice to start with family and friends to use them as bait.
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