New Cake Decorating Product Line!!

So, I have this problem... I go to the store "just for one thing" and then I spend an hour looking around, usually purchasing way more than I intended!

Today, when I ran to Michael's, just for one thing... I moseyed on over to the cake decorating aisle.  Usually, I just poke around and check out any new products from Wilton or Duff and keep an eye out for clearance items.  Well today... I was happily surprised to see a brand new line of cake decorating supplies!

The new line is from LittleVenice Cake Company by docrafts!  I was drawn to the dramatic and elegant packaging... but the items look to be high quality.

The line features a lot of products you would expect: icing tips, spatulas, etc...  but there were also some products I hadn't seen before!

 

I'm not sure how the quality of Little Venice Cake Company icing tips compare to Wilton's, but I like the pink case!

Again, I'm not sure that disposable piping bags can be better or worse than the one's Wilton offers, but I did pick up a box to try out... I needed the anyway ;)

This "Modeling Mat" is one of the products I was really happy to see... It would be incredibly useful for making gumpaste flowers.  I use a larger white pad, and I love having the extra space so I can work on multiple petals at a time.  Up until now, all I've seen at the craft stores is the tiny Wilton square set.  And I was never all impressed by that.  I think this will be a good buy for anyone getting into sugar flowers!

The line includes two different fondant smoothers... One is rounded on the ends and is called a "Flat Smoother" and the other is squared off a the ends and also has a little "lip" at a 90° angle on one side.  I think this is a neat feature for anyone who has trouble keeping their sides perpendicular!  I'm guessing the rounded one is for working on the top of the cake...

There were a couple of other interesting items they had that I didn't photograph:

• The Non-Stick Icing Sheet- I think this would work pretty much like re-usable parchment paper.  I didn't read the package closely enough to see if it is heat/oven proof.  But there are plenty of times when I need to cut out gumpaste and/or fondant to dry on a non-stick surface.  Parchment paper can wrinkle, but I think this product would work beautifully.  I imagine there are so many different uses for it!
• Clear Work Boards- There are several different sizes of these work boards, and these might be what I'm most excited about!  Yes, they are just clear acrylic boards.  But, I can see myself using these ALL the time.  First, instead of the disposable cardboard rounds I use when working with a tier, I could use these.  Then just wash and reuse... less waste, and in the long term probably cheaper.  And second, I've been playing with a new method for smoothing my buttercream to get straight sides.  The cardboard rounds I use can give me ridges in the buttercream if I press too hard.  Because the acrylic rounds have smooth sides, I could eliminate that!
• 12" Serrated Cake Knife- I've been using a smaller bread knife to level and torte my cakes.  I was excited to see this, or a good price, so I picked it up!  I haven't used it yet, so I can't comment on the quality yet.  But, it is nice to see a good sized serrated cake knife at an accessible location and for relatively cheap.

There are so many new products that I couldn't possibly list and discuss them all here.  I'm not sure how many retailers are carrying the Little Venice Cake Company line, yet.  If you don't see them at Michael's, or want to see the full line, I know you can check everything out online at Joann Fabric and Crafts!

I am hoping that the products in the Little Venice Cake Company line are in deed good quality and gain popularity.  I love that Michael's is carrying them.  For so long Wilton has had the monopoly on cake decorating supplies.  Duff brand has some stuff, but most of his line seems gimmicky, geared towards people wanting to try making a cool cake once.  Not so much for people wanting to build a supply of quality, professional tools for cake decorating.  For me, Wilton's supplies are hit or miss... there are some useful things, and the brand is everywhere, so it is convenient to buy... but I almost never do.

I'll be sure to let you know how I like the items I bought!!

Happy Caking :)