Hi Susan, do you happen to remember what size star tip you used to make the shell borders on the cake? And is that a 9-inch cake? I never seem to get the size of my shells correct. Yours are gorgeous. Maybe that could be part II of your decorating with buttercream blog. Thanks. Hi, Beth. I'm pretty sure that one's a #7; it's the one I use the most. The shell trick has to do with the generous squeeze and combining the letup in pressure from your hand with a bit of the "ta da" feeling as you do your tail-off. Think of it as a bit of a swoop. And you can always practice off the cake until you catch the rhythm, then move over and just keep going. Good luck. Susan

• Reply