About us, Dolores, Sue, Jessica and Joyce with our Crew

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_{STARTING OUT:  I am basically self-taught. There weren't any classes available in my area "way back then."  My first few years in cake decorating were spent experimenting and reading every cake decorating publication I could get my hands on. The first book I bought was "DECORATING CAKES FOR FUN AND PROFIT" by Richard Snyder. Then I sent for a Wilton catalog. It wasn't a yearbook then. (1965) It was good for more than one year and cost 50¢. This catalog had a pink cover and was all wedding cakes. The wedding cake picture on the left-hand page and the instructions on the right-hand page. Wilton products made up the last half of the catalog, just as today. I hadn't learned to do wedding cakes then, BUT the book contained an icing recipe using vegetable shortening (CRISCO). The recipe was what I needed to help me learn to make roses. For a long time, I just made cakes for my family, friends and my Girl Scout troop. Later people started calling me and asking me to make their cakes. My children's friends told their parents about my children's fancy doll birthday cakes and THEY wanted one too! I had no idea I could make money and have such fun besides! Being an artist at heart, this became a very fullfilling ambition for me. I had a couple of friends who helped spread the wrod...and I never forgot them on their special days either.}
 

_{TEACHING: In 1975 I began teaching cake decorating classes for Sears (through Wilton) when the very first department store classes were offered in our area. Then around the area for groups, and in my own store for many years. I stopped teaching around the year 2000.}

_{My children grew up. My youngest married in September and the following Spring I opened a retail cake decorating supply shop and bakery called "SUGARCRAFT" and began offering classes in cake decorating there.}

_{At first we did custom cakes and sold a few supplies. The shop has grown to become one of the largest shops of it's kind anywhere.  I use to have orders for as many as 14 wedding cakes at one time. Once I remember, we had 14 wedding cakes - 5 with stairways and fountains. It was all Sue and I together could do to get them delivered through out the day. We've grown and eventually bought a professional oven that holds 6 full sheet cakes at once...where does it end! Daughter Sue manages the retail part. Luckily, my daughters now have had the luxury of making a living and still have THEIR children with them.}

_{We've moved 5 times, lastly moving into our own beautiful well-planned new building in 2008, where we will remain. For years, I kept very little profit and put most of it back into the business so I could stock more supplies. Cakes make money right now, supplies take many many years to turn a profit. (You can see how many by reading this!) You need to clear 5% after all expenses. 5% of $100,000.00 is just $5,000.00 per year...which sure isn't much when you think how much you make on baking! You have to grow bigger to make a good percentage in retail. We closed our bakery at the last place we were before we built. In 2008 we only sell supplies. Probably 25-30,000 different products!}

_{In early in 1998 the Internet and computers (sugarcraft.com) became easier to use. I saw the potential for selling supplies worldwide. I created our web site in 1996 with the help of my grandson Christopher. I do all the maintenance and additions or corrections to our web pages by myself. I have the best employees in the world or I don't know what we'd do. Our production and service capabilities enable us to ship the majority of our individual retail orders in 24-48 hours. We are proud of the special recognition we have received from our full range of customers for our outstanding service performance. The present location was too small for the volume of sales on Internet so in the fall of 1998, we moved the store and the bakery again.  We stopped baking and decorating cakes then. Joyce now does the cakes. See Joyce's Tasty Cakes.}

_{Now we have 3 generations enjoying working at Sugarcraft! Plus we have around 20 other men and women employees.}

_{I still do paper work, do computer maintenance and pay the taxes and bills.}

Would I do it again? NO WAY! Having a 'real' business, it is important to make enough money to pay the overhead FIRST. You work over half the month JUST to pay taxes in a shop. So it is almost impossible to create the kind of artwork cakes that I love to do. I do miss that. I wouldn't dare 'play' with gumpaste the way I did when I worked from home. Taxes and record keeping involve much of my time. No time to play. I found out customers aren't nice to business people like they were to me at home. At home, they treated me like I was doing them a favor (even gave me tips!)...now they treat me as if they are doing me a favor (no tips now!)! Its okay to go into retail if you aren't very creative, don't care too much about perfection and don't have husband and children who would like to see more of you. Working 12-14 hours a day as a 'real' business owner outside the home is sometimes a lot less than fun!

_{......Other times, you can find me out on the water someplace fishing and boating with my husband Bob, who is retired. ;o)
Or - painting - I've taken up a new hobby. I'm definately still learning, but have painted a few pictures suitable for framing and hanging. Now I PAINT fairies instead of making them with gumpaste! I missed the creativity that decorating cakes allowed me and this has fullfilled that gap in my life.}