by Linda Cloutier

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Lucy the Ladybug: The Process and Judges' Feedback

So, going a little backwards here, but I thought I'd share a bit of how the cakes came about along with the judges' feedback. I didn't take very organized photos. I'm still not thinking ahead to what I want to post here.

Here's the very first step in planning Lucy the Ladybug's flower...
How big can I make a flower and still have it fit in a 20" x 20" area (per the contest rules)? Well, an 18" board will hold six 6" petals, that's how big! Now, what to do with that cakeboard?

Orange fondant, hot pink and orange ribbon...oops, turns out that ribbon is not quite wide enough once the board is covered in fondant...add some hot pink trim...done.

Here's the actual cake part...it's real cake but not really...


...and random ladybug parts...the hearts are for the other cake...

...with extras, just in case.

Lucy, ready for her close-up...

...and once again, the finished cake...



The scoring was on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 = excellent, 5 = good or above average, 1 = fair/needs improvement. Highest possibe score was 90. This cake was judged by two well-known cake decorators.

My scores were 65 and 67 out of 90!

I got high scores (8 or above) on Originality (one judge gave me a 10 for Originality, the other a 9!), Skill, Neatness, Creativity, and Execution of Techniques.

I got medium scores (6- 7) on Overall Eye Appeal, Color Combination and Appropriateness, Innovation, and Number of Techniques Used.

Positive comments included "fantastic idea", "petals are amazing", "fun cake", "ladybug is adorable", "great job with piping...", "love your base board".

Constructive criticism was mostly about the intensity of the pinks and oranges. "Color scheme is a little bold, but works nicely", "would love to see less of the same intense orange, pink & yellow", "consider adding red somewhere else". I was concerned a little about the color as well once the cake was completed. At that point, though, I'm not sure how I could have fixed it. I still loved that cake, and am anxious to have a chance to do another (smaller, tastier) version of it.

Overall, I was EXTREMELY pleased with my scores and the judges' comments. When compared to my entry last year, I have grown and improved in all areas and that's always my goal!


3 comments:

  1. That's very cool. I just finished up my first cake competition and the process was much more nerve racking than I anticipated.

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  2. I love this cake! so girly, perfect for my little soon to be 2 year old niece

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  3. I was a judge at this show, but not for this category. However, I recall this cake and I just loved it!! great job!

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