Meet Katie Tolman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Tolman.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
As a child, I loved to bake. Every Sunday I was always making some kind of yummy treat for my family. About ten years ago, I woke up one morning and decided that I was going to make a cake from scratch including the fondant. At that time, cake shows had just started to be big on tv, and I loved watching them. So that morning I found a recipe to make a cake and researched how to make my own fondant. It was so much fun, and I was surprised at how good it turned out. I made a delicious cake decorated with homemade white fondant with colorful fondant flowers on it. I was so proud of myself. For the next couple of years, I would make cakes for family member’s birthday, and slowly I started to get better at my craft and felt comfortable having actual clients. After a few years on my own, and all my children in school, I thought I would go try to find a job at a bakery. I worked at a small cake shop Designer Cakes in Gilbert. It was so much fun, and I got to learn so many new techniques. I’ve been on my own now for quite some time. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to have my vision come true as I make cakes.

Please tell us about your art.
I make decorative cakes for all kinds of celebrations like wedding, birthdays, graduations, bridal showers, baby shower and anything else you can think of. I am inspired by customers with a vision of what they want, and together we create a beautiful centerpiece for their events. I think my style of cakes is elegant but fun and whimsical. I enjoy seeing the reaction of the customers when they see their cake for the first time.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
One of the biggest challenges is the pricing. Customers think that we just whip these cakes up in an afternoon. These cakes are a work of art and are about a week of hard work and time. So many artists struggle with this because it’s unknown how much their art is really worth. I’ve lost many customers when they find out how much it costs. You get what you pay for. My cakes are a high quality, made from scratch decorative centerpiece to any celebration. It’s worth every penny!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The best way to see my work is on my Facebook Business account page. The Cake Bizzle. That is where I post all my cakes. I also sometimes post them to my family Instagram @katietolman. Supporting small businesses is such a great thing to do.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 480-208-1317
• Email: katietolman_4@hotmail.com
• Instagram: katietolman
• Facebook: The Cake Bizzle

Image Credit:
Annie Randall Photography

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.