So when you all design your sheet cakes, do you frost it and then do the writing, or do you draw it out on paper so you know exactly what you are doing before you get started? Should the writing, borders or other designs be done first? Is it something that gets easier with time?!?!?
TIA
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What on earth are you talking about?? Your cakes look great. I have a couple of them in my favorites!!
You can probably ask everyone who does cakes and get different replies from each person. It mainly depends on how you are comfortable doing sheets. I like to sketch out my design first regarless of what kind of cake it is. If there is a picture and wording, I do the picture first, then the words and do the borders last (so I don't accidentally bump into my border while writing out words-I'm kind of a klutz sometimes).
Hi Edibleart! I took a peek a your cakes and I think you are a fabulous decorator!
I really love the tractor cake. I had thought about doing one similar to this for my dad, who will be 70 this year. His tractor is a Massey Furguson and it looks like the one on your cake. I have searched for it everywhere to do a FBCT with and can't find anything.
Could you tell me where you found the pattern for your tractor?
Thanks, Sherri 
I really enjoy hearing what works for other people and maybe it will help me (and others!) to develop a system that works best in my case! I really like doing the cakes that are done in a shape because then I don't have to do any designing on my own! I get to follow the pictures/item exactly as it is and wah-lah it looks fine. As soon as I start having to come up with my own things, I feel really uncertain - too much, not enough. Sometimes I find that I just keep adding and then it's overdone! But maybe that is just inexperience? I hope so. Right now, I spend way too much time trying to decide what to do with a cake - especially sheet cake orders! Looking through the galleries I have noticed that people develop a style (especially with the sheet cakes I think) of their own, a "signature" style. Maybe I just need to work on that.
Anyone else care to share their system of design?
Sorry Sheri - we must've been typing at the same time. I found a picture of the tractor that my grandpa had when he first started farming on the internet. I printed it out and then used a light box to trace it. I made a reverse image copy and slid it in a sheet protector and did the FBCT on top of that. It was quite time consuming but I was really happy with how it turned out and my grandpa loved it!
Sorry Sheri - we must've been typing at the same time. I found a picture of the tractor that my grandpa had when he first started farming on the internet. I printed it out and then used a light box to trace it. I made a reverse image copy and slid it in a sheet protector and did the FBCT on top of that. It was quite time consuming but I was really happy with how it turned out and my grandpa loved it!
Thanks so much, I'll try again.
Thanks alicia_froedge & foots2. I appreciated your comments. I have been satisfied with the orders that I have done before but I just feel like there must be a better way - it just takes me way too long and then I am uncertain if it is finished or not?!?! I hope it doesn't seem like I'm looking for compliments. That wasn't my intent with this post. I am just trying to glean some tips and expertise from people who know what they are doing - CCers!!!
http://www.learningtreasures.com/suite101/farm06.jpg
MessyBaker
Is this what you are looking for? HTH
Well I have the same problem too. I search forever through the galleries. I've also seen that ppl seem to have a nitch that is theirs, like Cakery for example uses ribbons in the corners of her cakes. I love that. Its simple but very cute.
Where do you get your inspiration from? I really like the designs that follow an invitation or napkin. I have even gone so far as to just look at pictures of those to find ideas. I have also looked at fabric samples for color inspiration. Anyone have any other places where they look for inspiration?
This should help get some ideas I started this thread a while back it was very popular I'm surprised no one has given you this link yet,
c'mon Doug!
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-337713.html
gosh, I never even thought of sketching out a cake. I have it in my head and just transfer it to the cake .... sheet or wedding. I always do the borders first so any grass, leaves, flowers, etc, that I want to drape down the front or sides, will drape over the border. Most of the time, I have no design in mind whatsoever. I stare at a blank white cake with borders for awhile until something hits me. Then I start placing flowers or whatever until "it looks right".
I do the same thing indydebi does...take a quick moment to stare at the cake and the whole thing just flashes through my mind. If I am going to airbrush a background on for it tho I do that before the border goes on...then I add the border before doing the rest of the cake. This is something I love about doing sheet cakes it takes you to a whole different world while you are doing it and you are......playing baseball, hunting...gardening....being a friend of Barbie....watching a new baby come to life.....It is super fun for me.
So many new things to learn, so little time to try them! I too like trying all the different methods; what's great for some, may not work out so well for others and sometimes, with a few of the different techniques combined, you can come up with what's best for you!
I'm bad about winging it as in no sketching; and design might change as it needs to if it's not working out on the cake like it did in my head. 
Usually writing comes last unless it's a lot of writing and then I might plan a little better. I've been writing so long and doing sheets so long I get lucky a lot; it does get easier with time.
I once read a post when I first joined CC. It said that the more you do cakes, EVERYTHING becomes a potential cake design. I go through the $ stores thinking how can I use that on a cake.
HAHA!!! Me too!!!!
Do you think that alot of decorators have an artist background? Would taking some courses in color and composition - even floral arranging, be helpful or is experience the best teacher?
Edited to add: I missed a bunch of posts before I wrote this one. Thanks notjustcake for the link. I have been watching it since you first posted it! It is one of the reasons that I asked my question - because I have seen such great sheets and I want to try to learn how the masters work!
Do you think that alot of decorators have an artist background? Would taking some courses in color and composition - even floral arranging, be helpful or is experience the best teacher?
my exhusband and my sister, both, are canvas artists. neither of them could ice a cake, let alone decorate one, if their life depended on it. I always wanted to draw and I can't..... not a lick. A white cake is my canvas.
I'm terrible at blending colors. We re-did our kitchen once and I was targeting country blue and pink (it was in the 80's .... that color was "in" at the time.) It ended up victorian blue and dusty rose pink. My country kitchen ended up a victorian tea room! I have NO color sense ...... until it comes to a cake.
So in my ever so never humble opinion, classes in color and composition may be a help .... but not a necessity.
Do you think that alot of decorators have an artist background? Would taking some courses in color and composition - even floral arranging, be helpful or is experience the best teacher?
and class in sculpture, pottery -- any 3D medium.
cakes are not flat canvas -- even sheet cakes.
one you start adding borders, flowers, etc -- it's now in the 3D world.
and just like in pottery where you can build a vase out of 5 slabs of clay -- even then ornamentation is necessary.
I can't paint either...except on cakes. I did take art classes at a junior college though and I think it helps on the backgrounds and shading. I also took a class on flower arranging and it helped also. Getting your mind to thinking in 3-D is a real plus. Just think about things as to what is further away and what is up close. Of course, because I had problems drawing in 3-D I started doing all of my drawings with a combination of figure piping and drawing to get the dimension to it.
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