# Hey, I'm teaching a cake decorating class tonight!



## blueribboncakes (Dec 19, 2000)

It's at my church, and not for pay, but it's a start, and my first time ever attempting such a feat!
I love to teach, and I have been decorating for almost 3 years now. Wish me luck! :chef:


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Good Luck Valerie! I'm sure you'll be a good teacher.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Knock 'em dead BRC


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Ditto!


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## lynne (Oct 6, 2001)

Way to go! Let us know how it goes!

Happy Icing!


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

You'll do great! Here is to the beginning of a brilliant new carrear!

Remember, if you make a mistake, put a rose on it!


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

How was the class Valerie?


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## blueribboncakes (Dec 19, 2000)

E The class went really well!:smiles: I was a bit nervous, but overall everyone had fun and we got 240 cupcakes done in a little over an hour!
I had positive feed back today at the Fall Festival. I was able to be a part of the ladie's ministry table, and I decorated small 6 inch cakes with fall leaves, and they raffled them off. It was great because I was able to get a lot of exposure and get people to associate me with cakes. I just moved to this area, and have lost all the customers I had in L.A. Thanks for your encouragement!!!!You are great!
:bounce:


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## 1538 (Jun 3, 2001)

Congratulations, Valarie! What a terrific way to have fun & meet new people. And how encouraging when people bid on your work! Now you'll be in demand all the time!


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

So happy all went well Valerie. Did you take pictures of your cakes, would love to see them.


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

I'm glad to hear how well things are going for you. Please continue to update us. That's great news!


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## blueribboncakes (Dec 19, 2000)

Mail Box News is a cake decorator's magazine. Most of the decorators are home decorators, but some professionals have also graced the pages of MBN. Anyhoo, I was pretty jazzed when I read that I was going to be in there. I made a cool, sculpted turkey last year, that is in there. A friend of mine said that she had plans to make only a turkey breast. But, when her daughter insisted on a turkey on the table, she approached me about helping her out. It was a lot of fun.
:bounce:


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

What a wonderful idea for a cake!!!! 

How did you do your drum sticks? Did they come above your breast or did you do them so they were tucked in tight. (Those paper frills would have been fun on them...)

Did you do some neat fake garnishes around it so it looked dressed up on the platter? If so, what and how?

Last halloween I made a goul's head on a platter for 1 of my centerpiece cakes on my halloween buffet. I drew a blank for the garnish (which really pulled off the look) and wound up using real lettuce leafs with gummy worms and candy eyeballs. But the lettuce did the wilt thing after an hour or so, and I realized that was a mistake. Have you ever simulated lettuce with frosting?? Any tips, if you have?

P.S. I did look around and follow some links over at mailbox news. Thanks!! I stumbled across something really neat, making butterflies with wafer paper....there are some very cool ideas floating out there!


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## blueribboncakes (Dec 19, 2000)

Before I tell you about the turkey, the link you probably should look at if you like cake decorating is.... http://w3.one.net/~proicer/message/message.htm
there is a lovely community of women, and men decorators that are a very caring and sharing group of people. About a few months ago, there was a gal who posted some not-so-nice things about them, and it would suffice to say, it wasn't pretty. Many of them are homedecorators, but there are many shop owners and people who do this in a bakery. So, take a peek sometime. My name is Valarie, and yes, that's my real name.

OH kee doh kee...

About the cake. 
I made triangle shapes, sort of like the shape of a piece of pie. And put them up against the turkey. Yep, I did the paper frills, and used real mint, which is pretty forgiving and doesn't wilt fast, and dried cranberries. I used pieces of yellow and spice cake cut up into small cubes, like stuffing, and I attached it to the cake, where the stuffing should come out. Since I'm not familiar with airbrushing, I used hershey's cocoa, and it was effective to create a nice brown bird.


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## blueribboncakes (Dec 19, 2000)

The head decorator of Sweet Lady Jane's cakes in Beverly Hills did a demo on special effects with cakes. He did a skull that drips "blood" when cut open. 
This is how he did it. 
He takes a deep cake, the size of a head, and cuts off the top, and scooped some of the center. next, he put some rolled fondant in, making a well, then he filled it with raspberry sauce. This must be done right before it's going to be presented, so for commercial purposes, it's not practical, but for fun with friends, it's not only impressive, but gross!


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

Ausome! That had to have created quite a stir!! 

Thanks for the site reference, I'll take a look next break!


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## shimmer (Jan 26, 2001)

I wish you lived close to me. I want to learn more about cake decorating. I work as a full-time cake decorator, but at a supermarket bakery, where there are set ways of doing everything. I feel as if I'm learning basics, and have definitely learned speed, but don't have time at work to be creative at all (we sell the most cakes of any store and add to that all of the silly people who wait until the last minute!).

To get beyond the normal, what would you suggest? You know, beyond what one would learn in Wilton 1, 2, and 3?

I'm glad you're teaching. It sounds like a blast. If you ever move up north, let me know!

~~Shimmer~~


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## blueribboncakes (Dec 19, 2000)

Taking from a teacher who owns their own cake store may just be what you need. Actually, I never did take Wilton's course. I took from a teacher at her own cake store. And then I took Intermediate, Advanced and Wedding cakes from another private store owner. Next, I took a gumpaste class from a special teacher who travelled from Tennessee to Calif. to teach. Joining a cake club is an excellent way to expand your network and learn new techniques. Subscribing to Mail Box News, and American Cake Decorating has been great for me. Hope these suggestions help. Oh, and the last thing is that I have signed up for the Mini Classes in Daytona florida. If you look up on www.earlenescakes.com you may get some idea as to what the mini classes are about. Keep on making cakes!! OH, and I forgot to say, I learned some great things from a cake decorator who works in a grocery store too. It's a stressful job, from what I understand, especially with the holidays coming. Maybe you will be able to take some classes in January!


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## shimmer (Jan 26, 2001)

There IS a specialty cake store nearby where I live, that's an excellent idea. I just have to say, for anyone thinking about it, cake decorating in a grocery store is extremely stressful. I thought working in a restaurant was stressful (and it is) but at least there you are not having to also deal firsthand with customers interupting every two minutes. And if you're mad, you can be mad. If you're having a bad day, you can bang things around for a while or take it out on the meat needing tenderized. When you work somewhere with easy customer access (and in a very busy store) it is very hard to keep that happy smile on my face. (I have so much I need to get done! And I never have a consecutive 20 minutes to finish anything!!)

If we didn't have a cake decorator 3rd shift doing the majority of the orders, I don't know WHAT we would do. 

As for me, I plan on not admitting any pie making skills until after Christmas, or else I might find myself pulling all-nighters in the pie shop as well as cakes by day.

Valarie, do you decorate cakes by day, or do you have another profession? 

~~Shimmer~~:crazy:


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## blueribboncakes (Dec 19, 2000)

and a homemaker. My husband is a graphic artist for the publications department of our mission. We work with New Tribes Mission. And I itake care of our 3 kids. One of my kids has medical problems, so I take care of him. He's 2 and takes special care. So, I do this as an outlet. It's fun and a creative hobby.
Oh, last night I went to cake club. They were making gingerbread houses to go on display at the Art Museum, Festival of Trees in Orlando. Pretty cool.


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

Hey Shimmer I worked at the bakery of grocery store once. It was right after I left the family catering business and was looking for some insurance while I did my art thing. Whew, I was not happy there!

Their system for doing things is rigid, so rigid it was frustrating. The constant union rules felt like I was in the army. Their methods for decorating cakes is pretty scientific as far as production and health of the employees arm, that was good. But the mentality of some of the ladies was really bazare, lets just say they have some sharp elbows and acted more like a pack of wild dogs than bakery ladies.

It seems to me that all the positions at the grocery store are stressful. I saw people trying to get other people written up for the smallest honest mistakes.

You probably have some good skills if your doing cakes there. I'm sure your comfortable with a pastry bag, comb and a spatula....There's alot you can teach yourself with books with your basic skills! Most of learning is copying the techniques, trying to repeat what you see.

Have either of you seen Beryl's Cake Decorating & pastry Supplies catalog? They have a great selection of decorating books, 15 pages front and back of decorating books plus they sell teaching videos. I think they charge $5.00 of their catalog (it's refundable with a purchase) but I thought it was well worth it for the book selection alone. You can find them at http://www.beryls.com if your interested.


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