Hi, I have so missed cake central... life is busy full steam ahead. I am making my friends baby shower cake... yesterday was my nieces cake.. and the first time I made edible gems... or the baby shower tomorrow I am going to try to make a fondant monkey! yikes
Saturday afternoon here in NZ, weekly rush is over so I'm enjoying making no stress cupcakes (or pupcakes as she calls them) with my 3 year old. Lots of pink sparkly icing Mummy!!
Four for this weekend. One was already picked up. Working on for tomorrow - castle cake, 50th wedding anniversary (I'm recreating the original cake) and a small party cake that I got at the last minute (like this morning) from a very desperate mom.
Leah and/or any other career decorators-
Do you ever get tired of doing so many cakes? I'm not sure I could make one after the other as it seems you're always doing.
I usually do 1-3 cakes per week & that is plenty!
I just finished a cute 20th birthday zebra/makeup theme cake but can't get it to upload! argh!
Also making a nurse graduation cake for sunday, starting tomorrow.
I had one cake that was picked up earlier today (a tree stump for an anniversary) otherwise don't have anything until next weekend, small wedding cake.
Sitting here with a sweet tooth, and trying not to go raid the kitchen for something. Hoping to go to bed soon, but baby is kicking me like no other tonight, i think he's going to be a night owl like his dad because he is keeping me up later and later everynight.
Grrrr...working on a crib cake and it's just one of those days where nothing is cooperating! Cleaning up the kitchen and starting fresh in the morning. Hopefully things will go smoother then. Send me positive cake vibes, please! Still have a belly cake, a folk art cake and a construction cake for twins due for Sunday. I'll need all the sweet energy I can gather 
Night all!
I've got my very first paid order picking up tomorrow morning. I'm so excited I don't know that I'll be able to sleep tonight. 
The client simply requested square cookies in white and purples to be used as party favors - she gave me creative license beyond that.
I'd never made decorated cookies before. I must have some hefty cake balls to take this as my first "real" order, huh? I didn't bat an eye, told her of course I could help her with her party favors. She didn't bat an eye at my quote and placed the order.
Made a practice batch earlier this week. Thank god for KHalstead's modified NFSC recipe - SO DELICIOUS and so easy!!
Couldn't find a square cookie cutter. Decided I didn't really need one for 3 dozen cookies - how hard could it be to make square cookies?
Hand cut all of 'em - 3" x 3" as well as the rolled buttercream. I'm getting a square cookie cutter ASAP. LOL
Piped the dots & numbers last night. It's been rainy and VERY humid here the last couple days so I figured I'd allow for 18 hours dry time. It's been almost 24 hours and the pearl dots are still a little tacky.
It's probably a good thing I'm too excited to sleep right now because I may need those hours to let the pearl dots finish drying before I package the remaining 38 cookies.
I sent a photo of the finished cookies to the client earlier tonight and she called me about an hour ago gushing at how much she likes them and how excited she is to be able to hand these out at the party. She asked me a few times if I was sure I was charging her enough.
I charged $2.25/ea ($2 base, $.25 for bag & ribbon) which, based on my research, seems a little above average for my area. I'm completely satisfied with my price, but either I'm cheap or she's awesome, because she asked my favorite color when we were on the phone; she makes custom jewelry - really cute stuff! - and she's making me a piece as a tip. Seriously, how much did I luck out to land this for my first order??
Oh God, this is ridiculously long but I'm just so damn happy right now and it's a little too late to call my mom and gush to her. 
Working on my first wedding cake. Not my first stacked cake but I decided to use the SPS since I'm delivering. WIsh me luck, still have more to go!!
Decorated cookie pricing (as a rule of thumb) is $1 per inch. So your cookies should have been $3 each, plus packaging.
For next time.
But if you're happy, we're happy.
Thanks for the guidance, leah. One of the first places I ran when she asked for a quote was CC, and I did see the $1 per inch guideline. I also saw a post from indydebi (all hail!) where she compared her cookie prices to those of Cookies By Design to a customer questioning the price.
Soooo, off I went to the CbD site, where I found their favor cookies at 2.75" priced at $3.49ea in my area. I set that as my high point. I looked at some other independent bakers 'round here and saw several with prices at $.50 per inch. Some were lower than that, even. I decided to go for a round number somewhere in the middle and hope for the best.
I wasn't sure that the market could support $1/in here, but based on her reaction perhaps it can.
This order was actually out of the blue. I just moved back to Ohio earlier this year to start a new life, so to speak, and my goal was to start selling in early 2011. (Blah, long story, haven't been able to decorate in nearly 2 years, totally out of practice, wanted to take time to get back in the swing of things and learn some new techniques). I posted a photo of my Mother's Day daisy cake on Facebook and the next thing I knew I had a quote request for these cookies. I'm taking it as a sign that I'm heading in the right direction.
Leah and/or any other career decorators-
Do you ever get tired of doing so many cakes? I'm not sure I could make one after the other as it seems you're always doing.
I usually do 1-3 cakes per week & that is plenty!
I just finished a cute 20th birthday zebra/makeup theme cake but can't get it to upload! argh!
Also making a nurse graduation cake for sunday, starting tomorrow.
I don't get tired of doing cakes because that's what I do as my job. I love it when I have "one right after the other". That means I make more money . I work for an individual that owns a bakery and I am her cake decorator. If there aren't any cakes to decorate I don't get paid. The more the better. Keep em coming. 
Working on two graduation cakes tonight and tomorrow for a party on Sunday. My best friend walked tonight for her Masters in Library Science and they are for her.
Both are 8" squares. One is chocolate with cookies and cream mousse filling. The other is vanilla bean cake with strawberry mousse filling.
yeah that's true. I have found myself to be overwhelmed at times trying to do cakes on the weekend & in my spare time while balancing my "real" job, housework, kids, etc. So far I'm still liking it, I see it as my artistic hobby, I hope there's not a burnout in my future. 
Hi everyone,
Nice to see so many people so busy! I'm still working full time at my "day job" so I'm pretty much on hold with caking. I was very happy how the TV cake turned out for my son's 9th birthday...first time with an edible transfer...and now I'm working on finishing up all the small figurine pieces for a CubScout cake for next month...get them moulded and painted and drying so by the time I make the cake it's a quick put-together.
Right now I'm covering the office while my Mom is out due to knee surgery, they thought she'd be back mid May but that's not happening..will make the end of May interesting since that is when I booked my first cakes! I'm a part timer so doing three cakes in one week is too much for me but I'll be doing three the first week of June...with only one day off from the office in which to do it. That means a lot of before and after office work and a lot of time away from my family. I'm stressed just thinking about it!
Can't wait to see all the new photos when you guys get done with these cakes...will check in on Sunday!
Cat
I'm taking a break from making sugar flowers for a wedding cake for next weekend. I love making gumpaste flowers but don't get a lot of people who'll pay for them, so this is a treat. She'll get more than she paid for just because I like doing them. It should be pretty - dark purple tulips, pale yellow roses, little darker yellow flowers that look like forsythia, and some kind of pale purple flowers that I haven't figured out yet.
I actually got a jump on the Fri nite club by having a "sample" cake of sorts last night. Got done at 5am today and had to get up at 7 to go to the office.
Recipient wants a cake for her 40th Bday party in deep purple/silver, stacked rounds but not sure if she wants silver bows on purple or purple on silver.. So, silly me, I said, sure, I'll make you a small 2 tier cake alternating the colors so she could see how they would look. I only dusted the bows so as not to use it up on a sample cake. But the luster dusts only gave a satin shine. she wants sparkle.. she's "all about the bling." I ended up ordering the sparkle/disco dusts from GSA.
The bows kicked my a$$. 
Not the loops, those were easy. It was the little piece in the middle that's supposed to be the knot. I just could not get them right. The recipient loved it (could not take a pic because camera batter dead and could not find charger) as she really did not know any better. I've done them before but last night I even pulled up the tutorial here and it still gave me greif. 
Has anyone use the sparkle/disco dusts? Do they really sparkle? And won't it look funny if the surface AND the ribbons/bows are both dusted? I'm thinking the cake surface should be matt so the ribbons/bows stand out more.
So, I took a little nap and now am re-stocking my fondant flowers. I'll be at the Girl Scout camp tomorow then will be working on Grad cakes.
Sandy C
I'm working on my GD's 3rd Birthday cake that's a Dianey princess castle. Probably will be up the rest of the night with it, plus having to put up 2 gallons of strawberries... 
You all amaze me! I am working on a three tier cake for a contest tomorrow. I am so doubting myself! But, it's too late now! Say what they will....I am doing my very best.
Working on modeling chocolate figures for son's b-day party Sunday, as well as some lego cookies. I have 60 but I might do a few more....
Hope everyone is having fun!!
I tried the Cricut tonight again! Still not tried and true. I wish I could find a fondant, gumpaste,, time in freezer, or time to sit out before you cut it. I am exhausted and might sell it cheap at the moment ( not really). It can be really frustrating and the icing sheets taste awful. I have tried Satin Ice, Wilton, Chocopan, Fondarific, and Wilton gumpaste. If anyone has great ideas HELP. Sometimes it gets sticky in freezer and other times not. Have fun girls and hope you are done soon. Good night!
It is number 6 for me this week and a purse cake due for Sunday! Sorry I came into the forum late, but my computer is upstairs and cake kitchen is downstairs. Forgive me!
Gscout73 yes I have every color of disco dust...love it and love to get to use itshe will be very happy with the boing effect also I think you are right about the matt /dg contrast u and her will love it! What color dust did u choose ?
Auntie cake:first let me say I love ur icon where did u upload it from? Also did u buy the cake circuit? I was so thinking about buying it because I had seen it used on ultimate cake off and looked really simple but when was looking @it in person I was like am I really going to be able to use this you know t.v. Doesn't show all the step... Man I wish good luck with it and please let me know if you get it figured out.
Thanks all and bake ur hearts out!
Sugartime, I used regular silver luster dust on grey fondant and turned out really pretty, satiny. I used a violet on deep, rich violet fondant and again was very satiny. The purple came out so rich and velvetly looking I almost hated to dust it. The colors I ordered were vivid violet sparkle and silver sparkle. I'm thinking sparkly silver ribbon/bows on that velvety purple cake surface..
I want to try to make some edible jewels for it. I understand isomalt is better than sugar..
Sandy C
Just finished cap/ tassele w/ little diplomas cupcakes next is a light bulb and bolts then dentures...
OMG totally forgot my niece bday was tues just happened to pick her up to stay the night with the kids gonna have to whip her up some cc so much for down time lol...
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