That Takes the Cake - Austin

Here it is...my attire for That Takes the Cake Show here in Austin this weekend (26th & 27th February). Look closely at the Celebrity Class list and you'll see yours truly printed on there. Yippee! A tee shirt with my name on! I've finally made it..hahaha! I've been so lucky today to be able to get an insight first hand to see all that goes on behind the scenes and I don't think anyone could imagine the work that goes on to put a show like this together, mostly by volunteers I may add. I got a sneaky peek at Mike McCarey's class as the students were busy applying buttercream to their models...which all stood as tall as me by the looks of them. The man is a genius and I am a huge admirer...but wait...who else was sitting on the sidelines helping him out today? None other than Lauren Kitchens!! "Beam me up Scottie...am hallucinatin' here!!" I am a HUGER admirer of Lauren, however, she knows me better as... in her opinion... I am "the funniest Facebook poster!" Oh well, it's best to be known for one thing than nothing at all. Haha! Tomorrow is the start of the show and it is going to be jam packed. On Sunday I will be teaching my Head and Hands class and will follow on with another couple of classes on the following days. Then I head home and hit London on the 8th...jet lagged and smiling like a cheshire cat no doubt. Can I just tell you that the Seal Beach, California classes are now filling up nicely but there are places still available if you are interested? We have a fabulous location and venue so please come and join me...it is fun, fun, fun and very informative. You'll have a blast..I promise!

"PLEASE can you help...I need a cake desperately...I know it's short notice but..."

So...if it was THAT desperate, why oh WHY didn't you bother to show up and collect it then?? I had originally posted this cake feeling pretty good about the fact that I took this order through e-mail in good faith...at the very last minute. Not something that I usually do and since not taking regular cake orders I thought I was being good hearted in doing this favour. Mostly stupid on my part for not asking for a deposit beforehand...but with only a couple of days til collection, I decided that cash on the day would be fine. This agreed with the very grateful customer, I carried on and completed the order in good time. In return for the favour, the customer has decided to leave me with this cake without so much as an explanation or a courtesy call. This isn't the first time this has happened, but it will surely be the last. To anyone out there who thinks that this is "just a cake"....think again. This is my electricity, my shopping trip to the supermarket for ingredients, my time and patience in covering this cake with great precision and care, my time in mixing and colouring the paste for your requirements, my time in cutting out letters...which is painstakingly tedious...and aligning them accurately just for you, my time and my effort in hand modelling all the little details.....my precious time. We cake decorators are sick and tired of hearing "it's just a cake". If a cake is all you want then go to the supermarket and buy one off the shelf...no hassle...job done. The amount of time put into hand made cakes and the money paid for such an art is often less than the minimum wage once you calculate all the time spent making it just for you...to your specification and requirements. Would YOU work for minimum wage? Would you spend a day at your office or factory and accept that you wouldn't be getting paid at the end of it? I'm sure the answer is no...so why do you think it is okay to place an order and use MY time and not pay me for it at the end of the day? For future reference...I may still decide to take a late order as a favour, but only if payment is made IN FULL on the day of the request and not otherwise. If this is not acceptable then I apologise...you know where the supermarket is. To ALL you cake decorators who read this...I write this in appreciation for you. To the person who didn't bother to collect or call with any explanation...I hope you feel embarrassed.

California dreamin' - Lorraine McKay workshops in March

Seal Beach, California is the location....25th - 30th March are the dates! Are you gonna be there?? Register now for workshops at The Big Cake Calendar A fantastic location, beautiful weather and a few laughs thrown in for free. Come and join me in CA. You won't regret it!

Copyright issues explained...again!

This subject is so worn out...but it's time to rectify something once again and put the record straight.

The Online Tutorials I sell for figure modelling are Copyright to me and each one has a Copyright Statement which reads as follows:

"Please note that Extra Icing's series of Online Tutorials are copyright of Extra Icing author, Lorraine McKay. The Tutorials may not be used for teaching purposes by anyone other than the Author. Any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without prior written consent of Lorraine McKay"

This said...I teach my techniques and skills to anyone who wants to pay me to learn, I do ask in classes that step by step photographs are not shown on any forums, websites or blogs. Following a class I am more than happy for everyone to go off and recreate their own models using the methods taught and selling their cakes to clients and making as much money as possible. I don't need to be credited for every cake that goes out of another baker's door. If you choose to copy and recreate a design belonging to ANY one, then in this case the original artist should be credited.

As far as teaching goes...it is NOT okay to attend my classes and then offer classes teaching the same methods, in particular the facial features of my figures which have become my own signature and are recognisable everywhere...which is WHY when anyone other than myself takes the class there is always someone...or several people who will contact me to let me know.

I find it very disappointing that anyone would attend a class to find the "secrets" of that particular person's work to then take it forward and offer workshops and try to gain financially in that manner. You have no right.

Anyone who publishes a book has it Copyrighted too. If the techniques of creating my figures, in part or in whole, appeared in any publication then I would take steps to have the publishings removed.

To clarify...I do not expect my students to leave a class and never to create the figures I teach ever again. This would be pretty ludicrous. I do not, however, give permission to anyone who attends my classes to then go forward and teach the same methods themselves...in part or in whole. This infringes my Copyright the same as copying and recreating the tutorial projects and advertising them on your own sites as "designed and created by...YOU". Created by...yes...Designed by...no.

I hope this message reaches any forum where anything I have said has been taken out of context completely. This is actually what I say to anyone...it's called protecting MY rights.

Thank you always to the followers of myself and Extra Icing who keep me posted on any wrong doings. I appreciate it always. Thank you.

Red Nose Day 2011

Are you ready for Red Nose Day 2011? This cake was a trial run and isn't very big...the cake drum is 8". I will hope to make another one on a bigger scale along with some cupcakes and gather in some money for this fund raising event. All you cakey folks could do the same! Follow the madness on Facebook or the Red Nose Day website.

Red Nose Day - 18th March 2011