• Chit Chat,  Prototypes

    Failures and More Prototypes!

    My adventure with tarts has been a test of perseverance. I made the first one, a pumpkin tart, a second one, another pumpkin tart with a different method for whipped cream, a third tart, a cherry bakewell, and then I stopped making tarts. Spending hours and hours on something, only to have it not turn out in the end, is quite discouraging. So, I’ve been taking a break from that particular confection. Instead, I’ve been making peanut butter blossoms. I completed the first set of four tonight, only to discover an issue at the end of their baking. So! The set will be discounted.

    I’ll be sealing them tomorrow, hopefully, if there isn’t any more snowfall. Once they’re complete, I’ll photograph them and list them on Etsy. You can follow Tack & Feed here, on Facebook, or on Instagram to see when they’re released.

    For now, here’s a peek at the process!

    Note: The toothbrush has only ever been used for texturing polymer clay. Otherwise = icky.

  • Business,  Prototypes

    Discounted Prototypes

    I started a new line of faux food today! Mini tarts! They’re formed in actual silicone tart pans, then removed and detailed by hand.

    Each new prototype takes a lot of time. This particular one, a single pumpkin tart, took about three hours to make.

    I have a spreadsheet that details the cost of every item used for each product I make: polymer clay, weights, and pastels, for example, as well as a packaged price that includes the bakery box, tissue, and decorative paper. So everything I create has a base price that isn’t flexible because it’s just whatever it costs to make the product. Since my profit comes from my per hour charge, three hours for one item would increase the cost of the tarts to a level I wouldn’t expect anyone to pay.

    Of course, as with most things, practice will help, reducing some of the time required to make the tarts, but some items are just more labor-intensive than others. A doughnut, especially a plain glazed doughnut, takes far less time and effort to create than a cinnamon roll, which takes a lot less time than a pumpkin tart, and my prices reflect the amount of work required to complete a piece.

    There are usually “flaws” in my prototypes — the wrong coloring, improperly mixed icing, etc. I alter the aspects I dislike to improve future versions. So, while they take a good bit of time to make, because they’re not up to my usual standards, I sell them at a discounted price. If you’re interested in snagging one of my weights at a deal, keep an eye out for listings in the prototype section!

    Visit the prototype section here!

  • Bakery Props,  Faux Food,  Pattern Weights,  Prototypes

    First Prototype Available

    This particular cinnamon roll is an odd/prototype. Imperfections and/or design flaws make it unsuitable to package with a set or sell as a properly finished product.

    I dislike certain aspects of this weight, plus there is a bubble flaw, and the icing was not properly mixed, leaving it looking a little curdled. There are still weights inside, so it functions as intended, it’s just not quite up to my standards.

    My experimental “loss” is your gain! Marked down to $15, with FREE SHIPPING! There’s only one!