Help - I Can't Stop Buying Decorating Stuff!!
Decorating By Sugar_Plum_Fairy Updated 5 Feb 2007 , 6:08pm by tyty
I must be losing it. I just finished going through E-bay and checking my bid for a printer that I want to use for edible images. I got so involved in how great the Canon printers sounded, and I've been cursing my current HP for over a year (long story, but my sister-in-law was getting a new printer and said it would be a color laser printer, so I said "Ooh, I'll take one too" jokingly, and she got me one -through her business - but it's an inkjet!! Don't think she even knows the difference!); so after checking out my bid and looking at some others I just purchased a Canon Pixma MP600 for $155 from Amazon.com. I figured if I lose the bid I can still use this one for cakes, or if I win the bid I'll only have spent a maximum of $65 + $30 s/h for a Canon Pixma iP4300 exclusively for cakes.
My problem is I just bought a brand new (floor model) dining room set for $4,300 and we're awaiting a sign off on our inspection of our brand new deck (had to replace the crumbling brick stairs in the back/main entrance) and we owe the contractor $1,300 still.
I'm seriously losing my marbles.
Can't wait to try my new airbrush gun that I ordered in late Nov. Still haven't had a chance to do that yet. You people are a bad influence 
It is highly addictive! I haven't gotten into the more expensive toys yet though.... However, I did just buy an Ateco rolling pin & sleeves..... And I think I want a clay gun.... looking from afar at this point at airbrushing.... not sure how far though....
I totally understand. My poor DH just shakes his head. We just bought two more of the big storage tubs so that I can try to organize my pans, etc. a little better. I have one whole cabinet that has just cake mixes, flavorings, etc. And, we just bought our second roll-around sets of drawers with seven drawers in each and they're full too!!! I also have a whole room with just the stuff for weddings, special pans, extra freezer, extra refrigerator, etc. We're running out of room!!!!
I know what you mean about being addicted to buying decorating stuff. Me and my mom started cake decorating classes last month we are now on course two and we have went really overboard with all the tips, cake pans and such. I just hope now we can find room for it all. we have a three foot long shelf that goes up to the ceiling in our rec room full of cake decorating supplies, I just don't know what we are going to do after we finish the other wilton courses because I am sure there are more things we are going to want to try. I am excited about the gumpaste, airbrush, and sculpted cakes I've seen on here, so I know their will be more to buy. Maybe it will get better after we find our nac of how we like to decorate and our favorite tips, style etc. My one question for every one else is how do you guys find the room for all of your supplies?? Or do you have any tips on organization
Oh, I can go on and on about what I've purchased since joining this site. Yes, I got the clay gun (ordered it from London), and I washed my old set of craft rolling drawers and DH bought me another set! I also purchased molds, flavorings, dusts, parchment triangles, new baking pans, three new books, and more. Thank goodness my hubby is so understanding, especially since he doesn't know exactly how much I've spent in the last five months!
Missy, I know what you mean. My mom and I used to go "all out" and buy so much stuff when we used to make chocolate pops, then we went through a craft phase, etc. She was never a baker though.
I also signed up for Wilton classes. Unfortunately my instructor came down with a case of walking pneumonia and the class had to be post-poned twice. It's now set to begin in Feb (the day the fourth class was to take place). I purchased the few items I didn't have that are required (three tips and the board).
I can't believe how addictive this is and also how hard it is to get anything done with my three monst...er, uh...children running around!
I haven't gotten into the big toys yet either. I am trying to save up for a good camera right now. But God Bless my DS. He is taking an advanced woods class in high school. Last year he made me an AWESOME lamp stand( I can't think of the correct name right now) It is oak and goes between mine and DH recliners. So anywho he came home from school and asked what I needed for the kitchen 
Well I really wanted a huge shelf to go over my table for all my pans. It would be like an entertainment stand for my kitchen I could put a TV on it and watch while I am baking 
But the cost would be outragous. So we decided on a microwave stand. And it can hold all my cookbooks. And free up space under my table and I can get some cheap rolling drawers. To hold my cake mixes and other tools that now cover up the table and cupboards And maybe when I have more money and he whips this little puppy out and has free time in class he can make me some wall shelves to put my pans on
My one question for every one else is how do you guys find the room for all of your supplies?? Or do you have any tips on organization
I have my 'character' pans in those big storage tubs. They are wrapped very well in bubble wrap and I organized them alphabetically, kinda like files - standing on edge. My wedding pans are in another tub, carefully packed. I have all my candy molds in a tub as well and I used those expanding files to put them in, fully wrapped of course. I labeled them with the packaging they came in so that I could tell what was what. I have all my colorings, dusts, etc., in the afore mentioned drawer sets - (See earlier post) I am lucky though that we are empty-nesters, so in one bedroom we put a refrigerator, a freezer, and all of the tubs, as well as having shelves built up one whole wall with wedding stands, separator sets, stairways, cake toppers, plates, boards, pillars, tuk-n-ruffle, special items like the stand-up bears, the carousel separator set, and just waaaaaaaaaay too many other things to list. 
I do have one cabinet in my kitchen wih all of the cake mixes and all of their friends, such as meringue powder, flavorings, etc. I don't know if this helps or not, but maybe you can use something that I've mentioned. 
There was a thread a few weeks ago on this subject about organisig your cake equipment and one of the ladies posted pictures of all hers, it was amazing she was the most organised person I have ever seen, absolutely brilliant the way she knew exactly where everything was and able to put her hands on anything she needed straight away, it got me organising my stuff a bit more in an orderly fashion, but I still have a long way to go to catch up up with that ladies organisational skills, I really wished I had saved that post as I cant remember the ladies name, but she had some great tips and I now would have loved to refer back to it to jog my memory of them.
If this is the post you were referring to here is a link
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-49039-organise.html+organize
I think I am going to have to handcuff myself to keep me from reaching into my purse and buying more stuff, I want an airbrush and frosting sheet equipment...I keep telling myself...this is just a hobby, why in the world do you want all this stuff.
Me too, I have no space and am still getting stuff. I have an extra bedroom that I am about to clear out to store my supplies in (both catering and cake). It's amazing what I "NEED" lately. My wallet is moaning "stop already"....
hehe, it is addictive.
Oh that is so funny. I was in The Home Depot the other day and while hubby was looking for a few needed items, I started looking for baking related items, of course (little level, putty knives, foam roller, etc.), anyway I happened to see the tool organizer (just like the Craftsman) and was thinking how wonderful it would be to use one of those for all the baking stuff. I hadn't seen the other post regarding how our fellow CC'r organized all her stuff.
By the way, hellieOh, how do you post the link for a forum topic?
TIA
I need can only dream of being that organized! I have the extra bedroom that is a mini office/ storage space for my beauty supplies but it's one of those you do not ever open! This has inspired me to be organized thanks for the post as I have been buying all kinds of stuff off the internet for my new hobby. The internet is evil for impulse buyers like myself!!!!
Kelley
I bought one of those seal a meal things yesterday and when I got home with it dh ask where are you going to put it? I said somewhere. Right now it is on the dining room table! I have heard it is awesome for storing your fondant. It worked great. I even put a couple of small bits of different colored fondant in one bag and it sealed them seperate! I think I am going to love my new toy. I also just bought a case of DH cake mix on sale and that was a trick to find a place for those also. Who knows where the seal a meal is going to go!
Sugar_Plum_Fairy, I'm going to be the dash of cold water -
CAN YOU AFFORD ALL THAT STUFF?
Please, if you still owe the contractor $1,300, and bought the new dining room set, etc. PLEASE make sure you can afford it. I'm not trying to beat up on you, I don't know your situation...I don't want anyone to get over their head - I've seen too much of that.
If you can afford it all, then by all means go ahead - and ENJOY!
I know I don't have a ton of pans compared to some but I do forget what I have so I took pictures of all of them and put them on my yahoo photos web page so I can look at them when I need ideas. I can also send my link to people if they are looking for cake ideas so I have a place to start with them for orders.
Having them on the computer also keeps them right at my fingertips when I want to bid on a new one!!
Developing your skills in this "hobby" is very expensive. I was going overboard at first too. I have since slowed down and am happy that the pay off from all those free cakes are coming in: PAID ORDERS. It feels so good to practice new techniques on someone else's dime! Also, I can justify the bigger items I plan to invest in this year: printer, scanner, airbrush machine, 2nd mixer...
Hello Irene &Brenda - It's nice to know I'm not alone.
nglez09 - it's funny you should say the leveler was your worst buy. I was just thinking that was my best buy. Everyone always wants a 'filled' sheetcake & that was the only way I could get it perfect. My most useless item was the fondant cutter/embosser. It doesn't roll well for me.
I actually have a really ridiculous purchase coming up - I just got home from Sears where I was checking out a new stove w/double ovens....I have a perfectly fine glasstop Whirlpool purchased when we built the house 10 yrs ago. I've been baking about 2 yrs so it's not overworked. It will be recycled though - my mom needs a 'newer' oven, but why do we do these things? It would be much cheaper just to buy her a new one & keep mine - the sad part, it was my husbands idea!
I have a big problem too. I went through a shaped pan phase but now I'm just trying to fill in the basic shapes I need because I've been carving and stuff. Now I'm buying cookie cutters, I keep coming up with reasons why I need the different sets.
I can always spend money when I get near cake stuff.
nglez09 - it's funny you should say the leveler was your worst buy. I was just thinking that was my best buy. Everyone always wants a 'filled' sheetcake & that was the only way I could get it perfect. My most useless item was the fondant cutter/embosser. It doesn't roll well for me.
I don't do sheet cakes so I haven't tried it on that. I hate it for this reason: it didn't work on my 14" round bottom tier! I don't know, really bad experiences with it. It didn't work on the granite countertop and kept slipping. . .the cake kept moving instead of getting torted, etc. I BLAME MY LEVELER FOR HOW CRAPPY THE BRIDAL CAKE I MADE CAME OUT! It literally gave me about 7 pieces of uneven cake "slices" which I had to glue together and literally RESHAPE into a cake shape w/ the icing the and crumbs!!!
I will never forget that experience. . .never again am I buying 3"-high round pans. 
I don't do sheet cakes so I haven't tried it on that. I hate it for this reason: it didn't work on my 14" round bottom tier! I don't know, really bad experiences with it. It didn't work on the granite countertop and kept slipping. . .the cake kept moving instead of getting torted, etc. I BLAME MY LEVELER FOR HOW CRAPPY THE BRIDAL CAKE I MADE CAME OUT! It literally gave me about 7 pieces of uneven cake "slices" which I had to glue together and literally RESHAPE into a cake shape w/ the icing the and crumbs!!!
I will never forget that experience. . .never again am I buying 3"-high .
That's so odd...i actually bought the large leveler for the round cakes and it didn't work for me either! I ended up baking about 10 very thin (cust request) layers for each tier of a 70th bday cake. i was so frustrated that I almost took it back...
Lucky you, you have granite countertops
It's horrible, you start off with a few cake pans and a few tips, then you need some more cake pans and some more tips, then you need some colors, then you need some more colors, then you need decorative accents, then you need more decorative accents (just incase). After you feel like you have the basics, then you get on here and realize you haven't even started. Obviously we all need the printer, the airbrush set, the cake stands, the pillars and the turntable.
If that don't beat all, you start to realize that a couple of well placed cookies, or chocolates could really jazz up what you've already started so your hobby has now turned into a second hobby starting all over with candy molds, candy flavors, candy accessories to do it "right", and the same with the cookies. I don't even make cookies (yet) but I have more than 20 cutters so I can do it "someday".
Hmmm, with all that stuff, I think feel inspired to go bake something,
i had my husband make a 6ft countertop in our back room. So now he has to build me some shelves for cake dummies and such. and i stole two cabinets from my kitchen. I got an extra silverware holder for my extracts and colors. They fit in great and if one leaks i can just wash it off because its plastic. I got a bunch of the shoebox storage totes and separated airbrush from cutters and embossers and all the rest of my tools. Now I just need to buy 8 more because i have too much. An a big one for my cookie cutter addiction. Now if only i can find a place for a printer...
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