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I didn't watch any of it. The ads have annoyed me too much for too long
How stupid do they think we are?
I am the nice judge.
I am the mean judge.
The nice judge will be nice to the contestants.
The mean judge will be mean to the contestants.
Honestly.
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I didn't watch any of it. The ads have annoyed me too much for too long
How stupid do they think we are?
I am the nice judge.
I am the mean judge.
The nice judge will be nice to the contestants.
The mean judge will be mean to the contestants.
Honestly.
Lollll - you said it well.
I didn't watch all of it - thought it was a bit pre primary. and again, TOTALLY over scripted.
Bluehue
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Haven't joined in over here before but have to add my disappointment as well.
Boring with a captial 'B' - I'm not quite sure WHO they intend their audience to be - I;ve had a few people saying they liked it but for the most part 9 out of 10 people thought it was a huge flop.
Except of course for Kerrie Vincent - who posted on her FB page that it got rave reviews, all I saw said it was 'half-baked'
I guess I was disappointed with the whole format of the show - its just the same as most of the others. SO predictable - even the contestants all fit in their little pidgeon holes. It had ZERO entertainment value for me - Can't understand why they think baking/decorating should be a race - time constraints are ridiculous - trying to cut and ice a warm cake? why? It seemed to me that they started off with a gorgeous venue, slapped on a huge marquee (which would be horrendous to work in considering it was probably filmed during the heatwaves of early summer in Melbourne) fitted it out to look like a kids cubby house. It started with the contestants having a pile of ingredients on their work benches, then we saw a few seconds of each one as they mixed, dropped, flopped, spilt.... then BLINK and we had the finished products on the bench for the judges to ponder.
Do they REALLY expect us to believe that Kerrie Vincent did not know what pistachios were? heck she couldn't even pronouce it - and any bush chick from WA would know you don't talk with your mouth full ! LOL
Yep - BIG disappointment all round - can't see it improving
The best part for me was the ads for White Wings.... the little girl with the 'KV" headband on .... :)
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Haven't joined in over here before but have to add my disappointment as well.
Boring with a captial 'B' - I'm not quite sure WHO they intend their audience to be - I;ve had a few people saying they liked it but for the most part 9 out of 10 people thought it was a huge flop.
Except of course for Kerrie Vincent - who posted on her FB page that it got rave reviews, She is being paid top dollar, so of course all reviews must be good all I saw said it was 'half-baked'
I guess I was disappointed with the whole format of the show - its just the same as most of the others. SO predictable - even the contestants all fit in their little pidgeon holes. It had ZERO entertainment value for me - Can't understand why they think baking/decorating should be a race - time constraints are ridiculous - Exactly... trying to cut and ice a warm cake? why? I thought they were warm cakes - who does that
It seemed to me that they started off with a gorgeous venue, slapped on a huge marquee (which would be horrendous to work in considering it was probably filmed during the heatwaves of early summer in Melbourne) fitted it out to look like a kids cubby house. ROFL... we laughed at that also, we were expecting children to run in and start cooking...It started with the contestants having a pile of ingredients on their work benches, then we saw a few seconds of each one as they mixed, dropped, flopped, spilt.... then BLINK and we had the finished products on the bench for the judges to ponder.
Do they REALLY expect us to believe that Kerrie Vincent did not know what pistachios were? heck she couldn't even pronouce it - DH and i looked at each other and roared laughing at that... no matter what social economic area one might live in - there is only way way to pronounce pistachios. and any bush chick from WA would know you don't talk with your mouth full ! LOL Lolllll
Yep - BIG disappointment all round - can't see it improving
The best part for me was the ads for White Wings.... the little girl with the 'KV" headband on .... :) Bwawawaaaaaaaaaaaa
And when KV said she had never had anything so bland in her mouth - DH laughed and said, guess she has never tasted Marrow lolllllllllllllll
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AI agree with what everyone has said. I just find it so disappointing as they could do a really good show if someone with half a brain was producing the show. Cake decorating is so in at the moment and they would have heaps of people watching if they actually produced beautiful cakes....lol and not sloppy castles and cakes with banana chips on them. Seriously I am all for healthy food but if I was a kid and someone gave me a healthy concrete-type texture on the inside cake covered in dried banana chips - not only would they never be invited to my party again, think I would be scarred for life.... Gee - that is just mean not being able to have a beautiful and delicious cake (lol with actual sugar and or chocolate) as a kid on your birthday...I would complain as a grown up ;).
Very sad as they have no cake shows in Aust - so I was looking forward to this one (unless you have Foxtel or something like that). Hahahaha - who wants to help me bankroll a good cake show :-D
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AP.S meant to add sounds like I missed the best part....damn I never got to see the White Wings ads....lol must have been when I was doing my cleaning :-( lol
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Anyone else think that Shane Jacobsen a strange choice of host . I really don't think doing a car show and playing a plumber with a speech impediment qualifies you to host a food show. I was so disappointed in the whole show , how the hell do they pick the contestants ????????????????????
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Anyone else think that Shane Jacobsen a strange choice of host . I really don't think doing a car show and playing a plumber with a speech impediment qualifies you to host a food show. I was so disappointed in the whole show , how the hell do they pick the contestants ????????????????????
Very strange choice......
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A
Original message sent by Chellescakes
Glad it wasn't just me Ella
On a totally unrelated note and nothing to do with the 'Crappy Bake-off'...... My cake is currently most favourited cake of the day here on CC.... Yay - doing my little happy dance now. Not sure if I am meant to post this as it sounds like I am such a swell head (lol did I mention how big my head is :grin: ) but I get soooooo excited if a cake of mine makes it to the 'top shelf'.....feel like I am hanging out with the big kids lol....
That is all - just wanted to share......am smiling away :grin:
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Ella - the other cake shows on Foxtel were not much better !!
I think these shows are pathetic - most are just hyped up 'battle of personality' shows that all seem to follow the same formula.
Cake decorating HAS suffered because of it - we are now faced with a population of people who think all they need to be a cake decorater is an oven, a box full of cheap chinese equipment designed to allow even a one armed monkey to churn out a cake and a reliable internet connection.
You see it all the time - people will say...... where did you get that mould/stencil ?? they are gobsmacked if you say...... I freehand piped it in royal icing
They don't want to know how to do that - because it might take more than 5mins to learn
Oh gosh..... I'd best be quiet - I sound like one of the OLDER Guild ladies - the ones I thought I would never become..... looks like THEY get the last laugh!! haha
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A
Original message sent by ApplegumPam
Ella - the other cake shows on Foxtel were not much better !!
I think these shows are pathetic - most are just hyped up 'battle of personality' shows that all seem to follow the same formula.
Cake decorating HAS suffered because of it - we are now faced with a population of people who think all they need to be a cake decorater is an oven, a box full of cheap chinese equipment designed to allow even a one armed monkey to churn out a cake and a reliable internet connection.
You see it all the time - people will say...... where did you get that mould/stencil ?? they are gobsmacked if you say...... I freehand piped it in royal icing
They don't want to know how to do that - because it might take more than 5mins to learn
Oh gosh..... I'd best be quiet - I sound like one of the OLDER Guild ladies - the ones I thought I would never become..... looks like THEY get the last laugh!! haha
You have made me feel better Pam - I aways felt like I was missing out on things when everyone was talking about the cakey shows on pay tv.....now I feel much better knowing that. That has lately been my hubby's argument to try and get me agree to get pay tv..."you will be able to watch all your cake shows" ....lol playing dirty. Now I can tell him that they are not that good anyway :smile:
Oh it is also interesting on the 'everyone jumping on the cake decorating bandwagon with an oven and cheap Chinese tools'. A girl in my town has just opened up a Facebook page which states in her description "cakes are neither hard or time consuming and she is sick of people charging over inflated prices for them. She goes on to say 'my mum has done a cake decorating course and has shown me a few things and I will now be selling cakes and toppers at reasonable prices". She says she will be selling them at pretty much cost, as long as she covers her ingredients...... Hahaha she then has a post just a day ago saying she is just about to bake and cover her first ever cake in fondant........hmmmmmmm interesting...... Oh and a post showing her first delivery of cake tools from eBay....lol they look, dare I say 'cheap'.....
I don't know about the older Guild ladies??? Is this the Cake Dec Assoc?? I joined but as I have three little ones I never get the time to do anything and have never been to one of the meetings :-(
P.S sorry about any errors - am on the iPad and I find it so hard to type on......
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Ella - the other cake shows on Foxtel were not much better !!
I think these shows are pathetic - most are just hyped up 'battle of personality' shows that all seem to follow the same formula.
Cake decorating HAS suffered because of it - we are now faced with a population of people who think all they need to be a cake decorater is an oven, a box full of cheap chinese equipment designed to allow even a one armed monkey to churn out a cake and a reliable internet connection.
You see it all the time - people will say...... where did you get that mould/stencil ?? they are gobsmacked if you say...... I freehand piped it in royal icing
They don't want to know how to do that - because it might take more than 5mins to learn
Oh gosh..... I'd best be quiet - I sound like one of the OLDER Guild ladies - the ones I thought I would never become..... looks like THEY get the last laugh!! haha
I don't know about the older Guild ladies??? Is this the Cake Dec Assoc?? I joined but as I have three little ones I never get the time to do anything and have never been to one of the meetings
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Oh Ella please don't let me put you off - I was actually meaning.... I think I AM one of the older ladies now - don't discard them, go to as many as you can get to you will learn so much - yes, a lot of people THINK it is old-fashioned and that they may be stuck in their ways but those same people dont realise that you need basic fundamental skills and that a lot of these people have skills that they are willing to share - not in a paid tutorial or expensive classes - they just want to pass on their knowledge - because they get pleasure from seeing the 'craft' preserved.
I understand it is difficult to make meetings - I know I haven't been able to make mine here for nearly 2 years now (they meet on a Saturday morning - which sadly if when I am most often doing deliveries) and the Association here in NSW has had so much internal turmoil that it imploded - all branches close to me have closed. It is a shame because it was fun to meet up with people - I still have get togethers with cakers I know - its sort of like our little 'unofficial' Association meetings.
I have been to a number of Seminars (organised by Guild & Association) - they are fun, I don't always get alot out of the dem's but the social side of it is great - I have made some great friends from all over Australia and New Zealand
My cake decorating career started 30 odd years ago and there was a big chunk in there where I put it on the back burner (when I too had 3 littlies) it is something that you can pick up again - your enthusiasm never wanes - just your priorities shift a little.
It is harder and harder to compete for business - I now find myself concentrating on doing the harder cakes, the ones that the 'new brigade' don't want to bother with - they only want the quick and easy cakes. Half of them have never cooked a fruit cake or think they taste yuck - even though the bulk of my business is mudcakes and their variations - I still would do 40+fruitcakes a year
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ACongrats Ella on being in the top today :) x
Yep the bake off show was really disappointing :( I wonder if it will stay on or be cancelled pretty fast.
Haven't been around much. How is everyone going? Wedding season dying down or going right through the winter these days??
Still haven't been able to attend a meeting or demo yet either at the cake assoc cos they do Sat morn down here too which is a bit hard for me.
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Pam - you sound like you've been through exactly the same thing as I have thing as me with the CDA. I have also changed over to the CDG (when our branch of CDA ceased wanting anything to do with the president and her cronies, LOL) , but have found it near impossible to get there on a Saturday for classes and meetings! I actually love the older ladies in my group - they are great teachers and have so many handy tips that have been forgotten with the 'cookie-cutter style' decoration we see these days. One of the oldest ladies in my group is a legend in this area, and she is now referring some of her longer-term customers to me, as she can no longer make and decorate cakes to sell. I see that as the highest honour! I am currently doing a cake for the engagement party for a girl who's Mum had her wedding cake done by this decorator 30+ years ago. And I will be doing both hers and her brother's wedding cakes in 2014/15.
I couldn't believe the crap that imploded with the CDA. I was gobsmacked actually! Basically our group has remained the same in terms of membership and meeting structure, its just that we are the CDG now, not CDA!
Re: Bake-Off - can't say I was impressed, nor surprised. KV comes across poorly, and I am kind of ashamed that we have her as the representative of our industry. I actually had watched an episode of the British version when I was in Melbourne on pay-tv (I don't have it at home...waste of money IMO as we don't watch sports here, and we have about 500GB of recorded TV series and programs to watch on our PVR at any time), and I felt the British version was much better. I still hated the pastel coloured kids playhouse set up; but my biggest gripe is the editing. I would have liked to have seen more about the techniques and processes...maybe they need an experienced cake decorator as a Consultant on the show?
I was sent an application (I won't disclose by whom) to be a part of the show, but from what I saw it was purely for home hobbyists, not professionals *shrugging*. So definitely not for us.
Its a gorgeous Saturday here today. I have just seen off a First Birthday Cake (and complimentary smash cake) for an old client of mine. I did their wedding cake two years ago. Its so lovely when they come back a few years later for their babies' cakes (and christening cakes etc)...even if I'm booked, I will fit them in to my schedule because I love having clients come back!
What has everyone else got on?
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Well Done Ella on being in the top , it is such a thrill when you log on and see your cake up there.
Pam , I have the utmost respect for the more experienced members of our group . I have learnt so much from them and we quite regularly get them to demonstrate some of the skills that are seeming to be lost these days. I take note very carefully when they are talking and working sometimes it is the things they don't say that are the most important. Like you Evoir I am also getting referrals from some the older member in the group that are not wanting to take on so much these days .
I agree the social side of the Seminars are great . I am disappointed I can't get to the National in Adelaide this year , but I am really looking forward to 2015 when we host it here in my home town.
The Association hasn't imploded in Queensland like it did in NSW . It is awful how a few people can ruin such a large club with so many members.
Well I had my cake all finished and ready to go before 5pm last night and it was picked up before 9 this morning , so I have been down to Burleigh beach and watched the Whales frolic while I had my lunch.
Here is my Garfield cake I did this week . It was really fun to do and pretty much stress free.
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Hi guys. Another Aussie from Canberra and I have just started caking as a hobby. Already loving it and with a christening cake and birthday cake under my belt, I am hooked! I love this website, it is so inspiring.
Hi Shibby - welcome to the Aussie thread.... Bluehue here from Perth
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Thanks Freckles and Chelle - and I love the Garfield cake Chelle - very nice.
Sorry have not been on - tend to get busy and can't get to the PC. I have my iPad but I hate typing on it unless I have to.
Pam you have not put me off the Association at all - even though I have still not been to one meeting, I think I would learn heaps from them and that was the reason I joined up. I am a bit in the dark about the whole 'blow up' situation that happened - all I know is there are now two groups in our town. My membership has just lapsed for the original one - I know a lot have jumped ship to the new one....I have no idea what I will do as I want to sign up again, now not sure who to go with. I am thinking it will not really matter as I can't see myself getting to much of what they put on, but I still like to know what I can go....if I ever get the chance.
Is soooooo cold here at the moment - my fingers are actually hurting from the cold as I type. Chelle I am so super jealous of your mention of Burleigh Beach. I used to live at Currumbin and I would move back there in a heartbeat. I miss the beach so much - eeeeeek was so easy to keep fit when you had a beautiful spot to walk/run....
Am off again to sit by the fire and try and thaw out. How is things in Perth Blue?? Is it cold?? Not sure what it was here this morning but I am sure it would have to be minus something or close to...brrrrrrrrgh
:)
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@ ellawillow - how you going?
Yes, chilly in Perth - wonderful lot of rain last week and the week before... everything looks and feels much fresher. Tank is full of rain water
I see you too are busy caking - .
I'm prepping for a huge wedding Saturday week -
A 3 tier round (7" - 9" and a 11" all x 6 inches tall) - an extra round 11" x 6 inches tall - 1 x 6 inch Round Fruit cake x 6 inches tall - 2 x mini fruit cakes 2 inches tall x 2 inches round and 1 x dozen GF cupcakes boxed and tied with ribbon.
Its all go lollllll
Ughhhh - haven't had time to do the sugarveil yet - its on the list.... lolllllllllllllll
I'm thinking December might see me get around to it loll. Actually i want to get it sorted for a dummy cake for a showing in September.... a garden setting at a Manor ... thinking shades of sage green to go with the sugarveil. I have other dummies sorted - just want to get that one done.
How are the extensions going - nearing completion
@ Shibby - glad you are enjoying your new world of Caking - plenty to see and read on here . I see its been a tad freezing in Canberra - you get some icy frosts don't you over that side of the country. What cakes have you got coming up - something special?
Bluehue
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AHelp help help please making these shoes and the person wants gems local cake store is out of those edible diamonds and I don't want to spend heaps as I only charged her 13.50 got the shoes
Any ideas pleaseeeee
Can't figure out how to attach pic but there just really small clear gems
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ADo you have isomalt available? There's also a recipe I think it's referred to as sugar glass with corn syrup. You could also use gelatin. If you use gelatin attach with gelatin, same with isomalt.
If the shoe isn't going to be eaten why not get some gems from the craft store
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You charged her $13.50 for the shoes??
Does that mean you are making TWO shoes? ie. $6.50 per shoe?
Honestly she should be lucky to get a plastic pair for that - you need to be unfront AND honest and say.... "I am sorry, but that would NOT be possible for your budget"
Even if you COULD buy them locally they would cost you more than what you are charging for the whole shoe/s
IF you go down the route of trying to make them..... messy/fiddly/time consuming work!! that you will not be getting paid for.
Sometimes we can't always give the people what they want
Sometimes we need to say NO
IF you are insistant on being a people pleaser..... the BEST you should offer her is a few stick on blings from the $2 shop (Reject/Go Lo/even Big W have strips of self adhesive 'bling'
The price you are charging is NOT enough to compensate for 'hard made edible ANYTHING"
Sorry, not wanting to sound harsh - but sometimes you need the coice of reason to SCREAM loudly in your ear !! :)
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AHmm gelatin? Just melt it in water? Pour it and smash it? They have to be edible
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AYeh apple that's how much I charged her I can't really go back on I no? But I understand what your saying I haven't made shoes before and I was unsure what to charge I went of prices of eBay :/
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I understand what you are saying - we have all made the mistake of undercharging for our work at one time or another (some continue to do so)
It is perfectly feasible for you to contact her and admit that when you did your initial quote you were not aware of the price of the 'gems' - tell her the additional cost and ask her if she still wants them added.
How big are these shoes?
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AThere just little baby booties 8cms after reading your strongly worded post I did contant her says gems wear just to expensive I could put white or silver cachous on there instead
Thanks for your advise I would still be worried about it if you hadn't been so truthful
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Ahttp://cakecentral.com/a/gelatin-gems
I haven't worked much with gelatin but I've had a difficult time getting a clear color.
What did you make the shoes from, Gumpaste? I'd just have her remove them, either way I doubt they'll actually eat the shoes. I wasn't sure if you were making cupcake heels or sugar shoes but Pam is right. I've undercharged before and chalked it up to a learning experience, but if your not going to call her and explain I'd wouldn't go to the extra trouble. Even if you were able to buy sugar gems at the store, they're fairly expensive!
I make chocolate shoes (with a mold) and Gumpaste shoes, I'd charge more then that for just 1. Out of curiosity, is that all you charged for the entire cake?
The high heel, shoebox, jewelry, and makeup cake and decorations are some of the most popular party cakes I get. They take a lot of detail and days for certain items. You really want to charge accordingly! You don't always have to give a price right away, if you're unsure how long something will take you do some research and get back to them (as long as your confident you can achieve the design) or even take a few hours to practice before agreeing to a price-it will save you headaches like this!
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