Stuck On The Small Stuff-Am I Weird?
Decorating By Brickflor Updated 13 Sep 2007 , 12:51pm by Brickflor
I find it funny that I love doing stringwork, basketweave, roses, anything detailed yet when it comes to doing a border I draw a blank. Not only that, but I have such a tough time doing just a plain shell or bead border! Aren't these supposed to be the easiest? What is my problem? I love the reverse shell, for some reason that's easier than doing just a regular shell. They end up too fat, not uniform, and usually halfway around the cake I lose my rhythm so one half has one border and one half has another. I think this is why I'm always trying to cover my border with stringwork or flowers, anything to hide those dum-dum shells 
I personally detest Shell Borders!!! Especially on Wedding Cakes or really beautiful Party Cakes. I think they are common, birthdayish & very blah! I really hate it when I see a BEAUTIFULLY decorated cake and then they throw on a ridiculous shell border - It totally takes a way from the elegance in my oppinion. I'm sure that I am almost alone on this and that you'll all think I'm strange...lol
It's funny because when I'm looking at a cake on CC and my husband sees a funny look on my face - He doesn't even have to look at the cake - He says, "Shell border?"...lol That's how bad it is!! Maybe it's because that's all you see on Grocery Store Birthday cakes and it just seems not very special to me...
Ok, I'm done ranting about something so petty...lol
Brikflor you are SOOO not alone... I worked in a bakery for 5 months before I took the time to learn a shell border. I also had a horrible time getting all of my shells to look like shells and be consistent. I was one that ALWAYS did the reverse shell b/c it was so much easier for me (did make some of the other ladies envious though)
The best advice I can give you is take one shell at a time... dont' look at it as a border all the way around the cake.. Just think about one shell at a time. Make one, stop, make the next, stop, make the next, etc... I know it will take awhile the first few times you do a cake but eventually you get into the rythym (with a lot of practice) and you can just do it one day and you'll stand back and go WOW, I just did a shell border!
Thanks leily, I am going to have to give it a try! 'Don't sweat the small stuff!' right?
tbros-you are right, I think that's another reason why I try to dress up my border, not just to hide it, but to make it more eye-popping! I keep thinking too that if I got the shell border perfect, than that would make me feel better about it being blah! 
By the way, my eyes do pop out when I look at your cakes! Lady you are talented!!
Oh my gosh, I don't think I can do a shell border to save my life!! Okay, okay, a little dramatic but I hate shells too! I know that personally I need a lot more experience and practice [especially just learning stuff I don't know...like the reverse shell!].
Ugh, can't stand shell borders! But what are the options on buttercream cakes?
But what are the options on buttercream cakes?
OH my gosh! they are endless. Use the same pressure/movement for shell borders and use the leaf tip, or a round tip.
Some of my favorite borders though come from using the motion of the reverse shell border. My favorite is with the rose petal tip (take a look at an all yellow cake in my photos with some white flowers on there)
Or do a shell border then add in additional lines and dots with a round tip. or add in little fans with a rose tip.
Pick any tip and start doing a continous cursive "e" and see what you come up with.
Trust me after working on sheetcake after sheet cake that is buttercream in a production bakery you get creative where you can (and there is the best place because everything seems to sell no matter how ugly you think it is)
I had a friend from cake club say that she never puts a shell border on her cakes because she didn't want to use the same type borders as the grocery stores. It got me thinking and I decided to get more daring. Now I only use them as a last resort.
This is exactly my reasoning for not doing it, plus I just don't like it.
leily- I'm on my way to your photo album to check out the possibiliities! 
I, too, think the shell border is overused - though I tend to use it. My personal favorite is a rope border. I have also started liking a shell border with tip 199 (rather than the standard 16 or 1
, then using 104 to add either the same or different color "flutes" between the shells. Another one i did this weekend, was do a shell border with tip 18, then do another shell border directly above with tip 14 - nice effect.
~Chelle
Ugh, can't stand shell borders! But what are the options on buttercream cakes?
none at all! http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=970093 just smooth nicely and wipe the board clean.
Out of them all, my favorite is no border! Guess that solves my problem of not liking borders.
lower border on all my lambeth cakes
What's a lambeth cake?
It's a decorating style with overpiping and stuff. I have quite a few in my gallery, for example this one
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1007183
It's a decorating style with overpiping and stuff. I have quite a few in my gallery, for example this one
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1007183
Thanks, that is a beautiful cake...love that color and details!
Gefion, I love your cakes!! I have one saved so I can always check out your gallery 
I would love to do Lambeth but I don't have a steady enough hand or the time it takes to practice. I like using some of the borders though, even if I can't get them exact 
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