Meet Michelle Elkins: college student, newlywed, and (though she will not call herself this) cake artisan. Michelle is pursuing a degree in business at Troy University while working and learning what it is like to be a wife. She makes her home with her husband, Jonathan and three cats in Headland, Alabama. I had the chance to sit down with Michelle and ask her about her cake creations. I found out, as I already suspected, that she is very creative in crafts as well. Here is our discussion in a Q & A format.
Me: “How long have you been decorating cakes?”
Michelle: “Since the 6th grade in school. So, a little over ten years.”
Me: “How long have you been doing this professionally? I.e. working in a business.”
Michelle: “For well over a year. I started with Delectable Edibles in Dothan, Alabama and they have just recently went out of business. I currently work at Sweet and Sassy, also in Dothan off of Westgate.”
Me: “So, Sweet and Sassy picked you up, as it were, from Delectable Edibles shortly after their closing?”
Michelle: “Yes.”
Me: “How did you come to creating these cakes? I know you say you are a cake decorator, but these cakes seem to be more like creations than just mere cakes. I would consider you a cake artist.”
Michelle: “Well, I don’t know if I am a cake artist. I had an interest in cakes from watching shows like Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes on the Food Network and it really interested me. My mom started taking cake classes at Michaels and she began to teach me what she learned. Then she would let me create my own. I filled in the rest by internet searching.”
Me: “Was there a lot of trial and error? Did you fail a lot?”
Michelle: “Oh, yeah. I still do, but I have learned so much along the way.”
Me: “You have been recently married and I understand that your mom wanted to let someone else make the wedding cake and the groom’s cake, but you convinced her to let you do it. You also created the cake for your husband-to-be’s man shower.”
Michelle: “Yes. I did all three.”
Me: “What would you say is the hardest cake you have ever done? And what made it the hardest.”
Michelle: “A four tier wedding cake. It was all pound cake, so it was heavy, and by the time I was finished with the swirls and scrolling, my wrists were hurting.”
Me: “What would you say is the cake you enjoy making the most and why is that? And could you give us an example?”
Michelle: “It would be the cake where I get to be the most creative. Recently, a lady asked me to do a cake for a coworker who is an accountant. She really wasn’t sure what she wanted, so we brainstormed and I came up with a cake that she loved. I was able to create a cake that was unique to her situation and for her coworker.”
Me: “You also do crafts. Tell us about that.”
Michelle: “I love to paint on canvas and create other things like door hangers. I also like to draw and illustrate.”
Me: “Where can people get in touch with you and/or get a better idea of the cakes and crafts you create?”
Michelle: “The best way for people to reach me is through my Facebook page and they can see more pictures of my cakes and crafts on Pinterest. Both are called “Cakes and Crafty Things.” They can also find me at Sweet and Sassy on Westgate Parkway in Dothan.”
One can see by the pictures of cakes scattered throughout this article that Michelle is indeed more than just a cake decorator. She told me she “decorates” cakes ranging from cupcakes all the way to full sheet cakes for all occasions. For reference, the common birthday cake you or I would get at a bakery is called a one-quarter sheet cake. Imagine four of those put together into one cake.
For more on Michelle’s Cakes and Crafty Things or to contact her, you can click on the link below:
The Salty Eclectic 