In 2002, Michael was introduced to the internet... and he was hooked! He saw the internet as the ultimate way to learn just about anything, and to reach thousands of people all over the world - instantly.

He jumped in with both feet, and learned how to put up websites in a relatively short period of time. Now, he's somewhat of a NewsMaster. (Kinda like an online answer factory, by finding and sending information worldwide, to folks absolutely passionate about their particular interest.)

Except for one class that he took when he was 15, he's had absolutely nothing to do with cake decorating, until 2005, when his mom's best friend for so many years asked him if he could help her put something on the internet.

The rest, as they say, is history!

www.YummyArts.com

"Back in the day," Sam loved to decorate the most incredible cakes, and collected every book on the subject she could get her hands on. But, the one thing that really bothered her was that she could never find a true step by step book that was as good as, or better than, private lessons with a pro. So, she decided to write the ultimate how-to guide herself.

Throughout the years while raising her family, she kept her cake decorating skills finely tuned, but, started going to fewer and fewer cake events and competitions, preferring to stay out of the limelight.

She never considered herself photogenic, and said she never liked the way her voice sounded. So, she pretty much kept to herself.

Flash forward to January 12, 2005. That's when she called her oldest and dearest friend (Michael's mother) on the phone...

With Sam doing most of the writing, and Michael doing his "internet voodoo" as Sam likes to call it, Cake Decorating Made Easy! was born...

www.CakesMadeEasy.com
www.CookiesMadeEasy.com

Susan enrolled in her first class about 10 years ago and after that, the "Game was On"!!! She just couldn't get enough of this wonderful world of Sugar Art.

She then began entering cake shows, joining local cake clubs, and then proceeded to start teaching cake decorating classes just one year later.

Approximately one year after that Susan began working as the Lead Cake Designer for a bakery in Dana Point, California, helping it to become one of the most sought out bakeries in Orange County.

During that time, she started giving Sugar Art Instruction and Demonstrations across the nation.

Susan's "Edible Works of Art" have won numerous awards and have been featured in magazines such as American Cake Decorator, as well as on the Food Network's show "Top Five".

And, in addition to being a World-Class cake and cookie decorator, Susan has a real knack for making her lessons F-U-N!

www.TheCakeCottage.net

As a full-time mom and avid home baker, Trish Boyer began decorating cakes for her family and friends. She took a few classes at the local craft store and in less than six months, she began teaching others the art of creating beautiful cakes, impressive cookies and mouthwatering candies!

A voracious student of all things yummy, Trish has studied with many world-class teachers including Debbie Brown, Colette Peters, Roland Winbeckler and more. She continues to take classes in all areas of sugar art so that she can continue to offer new and exciting tips, tricks, techniques and projects.

Trish's outgoing and fun personality, combined with her natural talent for decorating and love of teaching, have garnered throngs of fans, clients and loyal students far and wide.

For those who have seen our more recently produced videos, You may have wondered if Trish has a "cupcake in the oven." Indeed, she and her husband had their third baby in October of 2007.

http://CakeMaven.com

Carrie was introduced to the world of decorating through her first job with Baskin Robbins learning the basics. She then worked for a couple of small bakeries in Michigan to help put herself through Nursing school.

Like many of you, she has been mostly self taught due to the lack of decorators at most of the bakeries where she worked. She calls it "Baptism by fire!" At first it was "repair work." When delivery boys accidentally put their hand in a cake they were delivering or took a corner too fast in their cars, she fixed the cakes that other decorators had made. It was great training for doing her own work!

While Carrie has done many things from travel agent to registered nurse to massage therapist and Mom, she's always returned to cake decorating -- it's the creative side of her that she just can't ignore!

www.PinkButtercream.com

When Tami's first child was born she wanted to make beautiful birthday cakes for him, like her mother did for her. After taking her first cake decorating course in 1990 she immediately became obsessed with gumpaste and started learning all she could about foreign technique. She started competing in 1991, and has won several Best of Show awards and numerous Best of Division and First Place awards. After a few years she started teaching and demonstrating.

Tami loves to learn all she can and has had classes with Nicholas Lodge, Geraldine Randlesome, Carole Faxon, Debbie Brown, Jan Svenson, Eunice Borchers, Lynne Rigby, Maureen Stevenson, Steve Stellingwerf, Roland and Marsha Winbeckler, and Betty Newman-May, plus many others. She has worked as an assistant for Nicholas Lodge and Colette Peters in their classes. And she has been featured in American Cake Decorating Magazine several times and had her cakes in the ICES newletters.

Although she specializes in foreign technique cake decorating including Lambeth, gumpaste flowers, flood work, brushed embroidery, and bas relief, Tami thoroughly enjoys all facets of sugar art!

http://members.cox.net/TamiUtley/

Linda owns the DO IT WITH ICING cake shop in San Diego. She has been decorating for 35 years and teaching for 25 years. A former Wilton instructor, Linda has taught Cake Decorating and Gourmet Cooking in Adult Ed classes as well as Baking & Pastry in two Junior College Food Service Programs.

Linda has won numerous awards including Best of Show three times, has demonstrated in several states and has had two articles in American Cake Decorating Magazine.

She has been featured on FoodNetwork's Top 5, and regularly appears on local San Diego television. Linda is also Past President and currently the Advisor of the California Cake Club.

www.DoItWithIcing.com

Chef Laure'l - Decorator

Laure'l Silverberg is a Cordon Bleu trained chef. She has been working in the pastry arts for more then twenty-five years. She is an active member of ICES and a former Board member. She is also a member of ACF, The British Sugar Craft Guild and an ICES approved instructor.

Chef Laure'l is also the newest video instructor for Yummy Arts. Laure'l created a patented process for food-safe rubber stamps and currently teaches an adaptation of One-Stroke (tm) painting technique for sugar and chocolate through her company, The Sweet Palette. She is also an author, International Judge and her work has been featured on several national television shows and magazines.

Regina Lynn - Administrative Assistant

Since 2008, Regina has been our resident night owl who loves solving customer problems!

Being a work-from-home mom of a home-schooled teenager, she's able to keep a flexible schedule. Whether it's helping with your membership billing or store orders, computer problems or website issues, she's always up to the challenge- often when everyone else is asleep!

Relatively new to the world of cake and cookie decorating, Regina is passionate about this new "world" and our YummyArts community, and her motto is that if you're not happy, she's not happy!

And even though her hands are pretty full with a new baby, as a work-from-home Mom, and YummyArts support professional, she loves helping with any questions you have. From shipping notifications to cake and cookie decorating questions, to the occasional "Help! My Computer crashed!" issues, Isabella is always ready and happy to assist!