Busy, busy, busy....

I've had a lot of fun with cakes these past couple of weeks. This first picture wasn't as well focused as I'd thought. Too late, now! I really liked the way the cake turned out, though.

This second one was for the post library's summer reading program. The theme was "Catch the Reading Bug!". I made a banner with the theme printed on it and hung it between two tall skewers on either end of the cake. Without a close-up shot it's hard to see the trails of ants going up the sides of the cake and into the ant hill. Other than the comment from one friend (well-meaning, I'm sure!) that the handle of the butterfly net looked like something left behind by a large animal, I was pretty pleased with it.
This last one was totally different than what I usually do. It was for the birthday party of 2 six-year old boys who wanted a Spiderman/Super Hero kind of theme. I didn't get a good shot of The Thing's other hand, which was smashed through a window as he tries to topple the top of the building, but you can get the idea. The kids loved it and thought it looked like a scene from a comic book with Spiderman hanging on for dear life. It was fun.
When I get a cake order, unless it's really specific, I sit down with the kids and we brainstorm ideas. We end up with a pile of papers with different ideas on them, then narrow it down to something I think I can actually pull off. It's fun to involve everyone in the process! After I'm done decorating the kiddos all fight for the decorating bags and cover every plate in the house with frosting creations. We've had everything from portraits to a 3-D plate of spaghetti and meatballs! I like the uniqueness of 3-D cakes and wish I could find someone to teach me how to really do what I'm trying to do. It's fun to play, but I'd feel more confident with some real lessons under my belt.