Gotta Spend It to Make It

As usual, my taxes were filed early and I received all the money the government is willing to return to me for all the hard work I've done all year. Bastards.

I invested a portion of it, which I promised myself I would do. I paid off a couple of low-balance credit cards to zero them out. And I bought my new toy.

I have a new compressor and airbrush kit coming my way! I decided to kick up my initial investment goal of $75 to $200 at first. Then, I realized I'm not really going to be doing a whole lot of airbrush drawing on my cakes, which is what a more sophisticated set would be used for with various sized nozzles and accessories.

My goal is set more towards color-coverage over large areas. Instead of dying a set amount of fondant, and possibly being left with extra colored fondant that I don't need, I can keep the fondant white, cover the cake, trim off excess and store it away, and then go over the covered cake with my color of choice. It will save money in the long run and TIME!!!

Do you know how long it takes to knead out fondant while making sure all the color is evenly distributed? It can take nearly an hour. If it's cold, it can take longer than an hour. My wrists and hands are suffering for it because of some mild arthritis (Shut up, I know I'm getting old!) and my back wouldn't complain if  I gave it a break every now and again with the physical labor.

After looking at all my options, I scaled back my $200 budget to $100. I was going to buy a Master set which included two airbrushes, the hose, the compressor, and a small set of colors for about $120 plus shipping and handling. Then, I found another deal for a compressor and three airbrushes for $105, plus a $5 rebate and free shipping. I'm estimating a savings of nearly $30.

I've never airbrushed before, except with aerosol cans, and I was not happy with the results. I know the technique takes a lot of practice and patience. I think a set at this price is a good tool to learn with, and over time, if I find it something I am using a lot, I can always upgrade to something a lot more professional. Right now, this seems like a good fit!

Just in time for my upcoming Winnie the Pooh cake next week. WOOHOO!!

This is the set I ordered. I really hope I get what I paid for!