Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

Need Feedback Please - Should we have a beginners only contest?

First, I want to thank everyone for their feedback about changing the Halloween contest end date. The date has been changed to November 1st, but not sure if people noticed.

Since the discussion turned once again to having separate categories for beginners and professionals, which the programming here does not allow right now, I thought we could have a beginners only contest next month. What do you all think about that? And how much experience do you think should be the cut off point?

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I don't want to red flag people who aren't licensed. What everyone does is their business, but I don't want to cause more problems for anyone. I wish there were one clear cut answer. It doesn't seem like there is. The last thing I want is fighting!!

Julie F said:
I agree with Deah. I think if there were beginner, intermediate, advanced levels I would be less likely to enter anything just because of bickering. I really don't see what the big deal is anyway; it isn't like there are hundreds or thousands of dollars at stake here. I don't believe there are categories in the cake central contests either, most likely for this very reason. Maybe just limit how often you can win in a certain time period (can't win twice in a row?) If the contest wants the best cake, the best cake should win.

I like the idea of liscenced/hobby baker- but it would probably be just as much of a mess unfortunately.
I had some issues with this..I dont think the years they have been decorating is what makes somebody better. I think is the amount of cakes and time working on cakes that can make a difference.
I known people that been "making cakes" t for 3 years at a count of 12 cakes in those 3 years and then another person that has made the same amount of cakes in a couple of months.

I would say that amount of cakes made could be a good way to define a begginner.

But like everything in life..Some people move at a faster pace than others. In some people creativity is natural. Other people have to work on it..
I'm thinking, to weed out the professionals from the beginners, just take the prize away, or offer a lower valued prize. This whole thing should be for fun. If you want it for fun, then there shouldn't be much reward other than recognition.


Carmelo Ricarde said:
I'm thinking, to weed out the professionals from the beginners, just take the prize away, or offer a lower valued prize. This whole thing should be for fun. If you want it for fun, then there shouldn't be much reward other than recognition.
I don't know about that Carmelo, some people are so competitive they'll enter a competition with a Tootsie Roll as the grand prize! ;-)


Carmelo Ricarde said:
I'm thinking, to weed out the professionals from the beginners, just take the prize away, or offer a lower valued prize. This whole thing should be for fun. If you want it for fun, then there shouldn't be much reward other than recognition.
Carmelo said it all,its just for fun im behind him,I am just a beginner myself,it`s tough at timesbut i wont give up I am hoping to post a cake myself soon great site and great people thank you all.
I have entered many contests; I have judged some too. There are *always* divisions, with rules as to who fits where. Though different, almost all follow basic guidelines of having been decorating X # of yrs OR having taken X # of classes. Those who win that time, must go up to the next level in following contests. And anyone who sells is a pro. whether you think so or not :)
Lynne
Yes, it is supposed to be for fun and no, I don't think it's the kind of prize that should have people breaking each other's mixers over, but I have already witnessed people getting very upset about things. So, they do so whether the prize is big or not. We're a big mix of different personalities here and what may seem petty to one person is a big deal to another. What we can do is test it out for one contest, see how it goes, and then if everything goes okay, we'll do it again. But if major fights break out, then I won't do it again. Most of us are adults here. Hopefully everyone can remember that.

Lynne Salmon said:
I have entered many contests; I have judged some too. There are *always* divisions, with rules as to who fits where. Though different, almost all follow basic guidelines of having been decorating X # of yrs OR having taken X # of classes. Those who win that time, must go up to the next level in following contests. And anyone who sells is a pro. whether you think so or not :)
Lynne
Good Luck:) The relative anonymity of the web has the tendency to bring out the worst in people. If I wouldn't feel comfortable saying it to someone in real life I don't type it; I hope this works out.
I think professionals should be a bit more respectful and not enter a beginners competition. That show lack od profesionalism.



Carmelo Ricarde said:
I'm thinking, to weed out the professionals from the beginners, just take the prize away, or offer a lower valued prize. This whole thing should be for fun. If you want it for fun, then there shouldn't be much reward other than recognition.
There is no real way to draw a line. As a beginner my work looked more like the work of an intermediate person.
I was making perfect buttercream roses in my second class. There is no way to figure it out.



Theresa Happe said:
Ok, so would it be silly to group contests by beginner, intermediate and advanced? The problem is, there are so many different scenarios. You've got the beginner who does it all the time, you got someone who's been doing it for years, but on rare occasions and you've got everything in between. So, where do you draw the line?

Deah said:
I'm sitting on the fence here. Makes no difference to me either way. I'm not a beginner but don't consider myself a pro either. While I'm no competition against many people here, seeing their work makes me hone my skills so I can be better.
I consider myself as a beginner, I don't have a portfolio of cakes...I don't enter contests...I see other pics and think did they just make this cake or did they just download a pic of a cake they made three years ago? I just got a job as a cake decorator...without the person seeing my work....ends up after a few cakes, the person I work with said I lied as to not being a professional.......(I took it as a compliment)..I don't sell from home and I don't bake alot...(whose going to eat all of it?) but I was practicing buttercream work...so where does that put me on the scale of beginner/professional? I actually just made my first stacked cake yesterday...

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