Have I Blown My Big Break? Really Scared - Need You Guys!
Decorating By emmascakes Updated 12 Oct 2006 , 2:28pm by Narie
I had a really lucky break recently as I sent some photos in to a magazine and the editor (Cakes and Sugarcraft, UK) got back to me and said she was really impressed with my work and wanted to sponsor me to do some formal training (as I haven't had any training) with the view to publishing my work at a later date.
Anyway there's been lots of emails to and fro and it has been decided that none of the courses on offer cater for exactly what I need training in so they've hired someone (Paddi Clarke) to teach me on my own for a day, tragetting exactly what I need. They love my designs but think I need help creating a professional finish.
I was asked to bring along some design ideas so that the tutor could teach me how to work up the design into a real cake. I had a think about this and emailed the lady in charge to say that I had lots of design ideas but was concerned about what I could do within a day as most/all of my designs require various pieces to be dried for days before assembling (as most cakes do I guess) so I wasn't sure what I could do within a day and asked if I could be put in touch with Paddi directly so we could discuss ideas.
I didn't hear from them in two weeks and the day is less than two weeks away now. I got a call today asking me to ring the lady in charge back as soon as possible. I'm now really worried that they're decided not to give me this wonderful opportunity as maybe I was right and we can't do much in a day. I can't ring for about 15 hours so I'm now just stewing about it.
I was SO excited about it and now I'm SO worried I've blown it. I just had to post here as I know you will understand more than non-sugary people in my life!
Should I have kept my big mouth shut?
I wouldn't think that you not having an exact idea for design and mentioning that your designs need time to dry ahead of time would put a damper on anything. She said to bring them to your teacher. Is the plan to build an actual cake from scratch in one day with the teacher?
Don't worry. Maybe she contacted the teacher to get extra days of class. Maybe the teacher was out of town and tough to get a hold of. Maybe she needs to reschedule. Don't panic yet!
I just can't imagine that telling them about the drying time would cause them to cancel.
Emma...No, I don't think you should have kept your mouth shut. I think you were looking for a bit more direction. I think your request was a reasonable one.
How is it that you need help working your ideas into "real cakes"? You have awesome cakes!! But if they want to offer you a free day of tutoring, I guess I would ask for help in ANY thing that you don't have the most confidence in. (I can't imagine what that would be though).
And since you have so many good techniques now, perhaps the ideas could come in the form of sketches, with the parts that you "can do" just assumed, and the parts you want help with actually worked on. Does that make sense at all?
I hope your conversation goes well. I will be thinking about you. Perhaps she wants to give you more direction herself? Anyway......you'll do wonderfully. You are a spectacular designer, and very humble and generous. It should be a great experience!
You know what is needed to be prepared for this. I'm sure that they understand that. Remember, you are working with a corp. and that always requires more time than if you were dealing with a "regular" person. Had the same situation doing a photo layout years ago for Tea Magazine. Their deadline almost killed me but I got it done and was happy with it, as they were. Point is, I don't think you blew it at all. Hang in there and let us know what happens!!!
I think you were being honest and they should really have given that some thought in the first place. Your cakes are real works of art!! You really are very talented and it blows my mind that you have only been doing this for a year!!!
Don't be discouraged. I think all will work out fine.
You already know that they are recognizing your talent and I think they will try to work with you. I certainly hope so anyway!!!
Good Luck!!
Cindy
You did the right thing--sometimes people just drop the ball. The same thing happened to me regarding a book editing job I did this summer. I didn't hear back from the publisher for the longest time. I finally emailed them; they said they didn't have the work. I re-sent the original email/attachment. "Oh, yes, we do have it. We've had a change in personnel/organization." These things happen. Stay on top of it; you'll do fine!
emma.... omg! i love your cakes. i dont think you should worry about if you blew your chance or not. you have amazing talent. unlike any magazine. so if they wont give you the chance.... thats on them. than you have bigger and better things coming. dont worry about it. you have talent girl!!!!
emma.... omg! i love your cakes. i dont think you should worry about if you blew your chance or not. you have amazing talent. unlike any magazine. so if they wont give you the chance.... thats on them. than you have bigger and better things coming. dont worry about it. you have talent girl!!!!
Thanks guys, you've brought it back into perspective for me which has been invaluable. The whole deal started off with them asking me to send Paddi some photos and she would then work out what I needed to improve on. Then they decided I should decide what I needed to improve on (which I found hard to do - I was hoping the 'expert' would somehow spot all the persistent flaws and recommend action - I wouldn't know where to begin.) Then they had the idea that I should do a design and they'd help me with that, I don't think I need help with designing, that's what I love most, I think maybe fondant work and some piping would really help.
I will call her tomorrow and I promise to let you all know what happens. It never ceases to restore my faith in people that I can post all my worries and frets here and people always respond positively for someone they don't even know. Thank you so much for the time you spend here.
emma..........your cakes are absolutely fabulous.......you are like one of the celebrity cake makers........they're just wonderful!!!!! I can't imagine they want to teach you anything......are you sure they didn't mean that you should teach the class??????? Oh and how do you photograph your cakes......do you edit out the backgrounds??? The ones that are all white in the background??? Are you having to draw around your cakes edge and erase all the background?? If so......doesn't that take FOREVER????? In any case.....I love the look of it.....wish i didn't have all kinds of junk in the back of my photos!!
Unless they are total jerks who love to give bad news, I don't think they would tell you to call "ASAP" just so they can say "Sorry, we've changed our minds" But I don't blame you for being anxious.
We are SO excited for you and look forward to hearing about your progress.
emma's cake!!
ARE THEY NUTZ? What could you possibly need help with? You're cakes are even better looking that Colette Peters!!!
Sorry Colette..lol
Emma, I know it's hard, but try not to expect the worst! They probably appreciate your honesty and perhaps they're phoning you to let you know that they'd like you to start on the pieces that you need to have dry for several days. It could be anything... and if they've gone to the trouble of arranging all of this for you, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about!
Cheers and good luck!
Again, thank you so much, I am only new to this and my flaw is that I have 'grand designs' but not much experience in making them and I'm hopeless at the basic skills like 'piping.' It's a shame we can't all get together sometimes and share as we'd all have so much we could pass on.
As for the cake photos - I have 'Adobe Photoshop' which has a 'magic wand' feature which helps. I take my photos outside, as the light is good, and place a black board behind the cake. I then upload the photo ane use the 'magic wand' to select everything that is black and get it to make it white - it takes a bit of time, but not ages, and I prefer it to having to think of something to put in the background. I got the idea from Margaret Braun's web-site as that's how her cakes are done too.
I will post tomorrow about what the woman wants. I'm thinking it's probably something small - you're probably right that she wouldn't ring and ask me to call her quickly if it was just to cancel, she'd probably email - I hope so anyway. I don't think I'll be sleeping much tonight. I just so don't want this chance taken away from me.
Oh Emma... my heart is aboslutely pounding for you!! I HATE it when someone tells me "I need to talk to you" and then wants to wait until 'later' to tell you what they wanted. It makes me sick to my stomach with worry. I am teaching classes and Saturday the manager told me he needs a copy of my SS card because there was some sort of mix up with my name... I am so upset over it because that sounds like a line of hooey, and I am paranoid about what is going on. I always assume the worst. (What... like the feds are after me for something? What exactly am I worried about?) Take a deep breath and remember that you are talented, and they see that. You are going to do fine. I have my fingers crossed and am dying to hear how it goes.
Melvira - me too!! If I even SEE a polic car I feel red and flustered like it must be me who's breaking the law! Like at school when the teacher is waiting for someone to own up, I always used to convince myself that I must be the guilty one!
Why can't people just say 'I need to speak to you about X' instead of just leaving it scary! I'm a teacher now and whenever I ring a parent my first words are 'don't worry, it's nothing bad' as they're probably thinking I'm ringing to say that little Johnny has broken his arm.
I am running a class in November 2007 !!
http://www.theoldkennels.co.uk/entire%20programme%202006.htm
Scroll down and you'll see my course! Because I'm a teacher I always feel the need to teach everything I learn. I've no idea how the bookings are going, I'm quite nervous about that too - expect more worried posts about this time next year!
Emma, just read through this thread (I should be in bed!), and am so sure the woman just needs you to phone her for directions to your house!!
Your cakes are superb .... they'd be nuts to miss out on an 'exclusive - class with Emma's Cakes' for their magazine, so I'm sure there's nothing sinister about the phone call!!
I'm going to check out your course & see if I can get myself on it!!!!! I'm just up the road (?!) in Surrey!
Best of Luck, Eilers
Well, I phoned her - she says that the session with Paddi has been cancelled for this month as Paddi can't make it any longer. So it's been postponed until December. I am terribly disappointed as I had made my half term plans around it, but at least it IS still going ahead. I'll post again about it in December and let you know how it went.
Eilers - it would be good to see you, let me know how you get on!
Congrats Emma!! That is so cool and exciting!!
I was checking out your website, and your cakes are beautiful!! I am new to this site, and new to deocrating. I've never taken any classes, but would love to learn to do cakes like yours!! Waaahh, if we weren't moving back to the states I'd beg hubby to let me take your class next year!!!
Congrats Emma!! That is so cool and exciting!!
I was checking out your website, and your cakes are beautiful!! I am new to this site, and new to decorating. I've never taken any classes, but would love to learn to do cakes like yours!! Waaahh, if we weren't moving back to the states I'd beg hubby to let me take your class next year!!!
my flaw is that I have 'grand designs' but not much experience in making them and I'm hopeless at the basic skills like 'piping.'
I spent a bit a of time inspecting your cakes and you are obviously a good teacher because you have nailed your weakness. You have a superb sense of design and innovation. As a fellow teacher, not decorator since I am not, may I suggest that you you choose your cake photos that have bits in them that make you cringe, circle the cringe bits and label them for what you see as the problem. The other thing is the grand designs that you can not execute because your skills limit you. Draw out a design that you can't do because of your skill limitations. Again circle and label the problems. That will give the woman who will be your instructor the information she needs to create a tutoring session deigned to fill in your gaps. She may also see things that you aren't even aware of. She will more than likely have practice drills for you that will help you develop those "basic skills."
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