Jake's Cake... 7th Birthday

Pics as promised - click on any picture to make it larger. I was very pleased with the little gnome at the front - he's my favourite! Cake went down okay so that's good. Not entirely pleased with certain aspects of it, but let's just call it the 'rustic look' haha which should just about 'cover' any flaws. This one was a mix of cakes from the Debbie Brown book - the castle, combined with the gnomes/elves from another cake. Other Birthday cakes I've done are here. Each of the stones for the castle is individually made and 'laid' lol. Had to keep an eye on someone starting with 'Z' who was very keen on tasting the door... 'Mum... I think it's time for cake now... can I have some of the door?'
We won't be doing pinata any more (Jake wanted to make one for his Birthday so he did) as it turns into a vulturous bashing fest especially when the string comes off and it ends up getting beaten and kicked around the park. Think we'll go with the treasure hunt next time - each child finds x number of things - that way everyone gets a chance and no one gets dented in the process! So apart from two boys who got a little rough with each other and wouldn't back down, either of them, both going in hard, I think the kids had a good time!
The lolly bags were simple calico ones with Maxilock Swirls overlocked round the top and a big thick dark blue glittery ribbon to tie it. The kids can put marbles or shells or whatever in their bags later. Table was fruit kebabs (on paddlepop sticks), popcorn, oranges in eights, potato chips, corn chips and dip, proper juices (Apple and Mango, Apple and Pineapple, non-reconstitued and NAS, no pres, no additives etc) plus the big 20L water container. All the kids attending LOVE fruit so this was just the thing! Of course, we then had cake and the lolly bags, the latter containing a notebook with coloured cover, box of sultanas, Freddo and a few wrapped lollies. Apart from egg in the cake, everything else was vegetarian stuiable, no gelatin in the lollies etc.
For those keen on making the Debbie Brown cakes, even though I use the DB book for the designs, I don't use her cake mix or buttercream instead preferring a dense chocolate/vanilla cake (which will support the 3d weight of the cake) either home made or the Betty Crocker bought mix both of which I find nice and moist as well as tasty, and then I use the Betty Crocker vanilla frosing instead of the buttercream (this goes on the cake, between the cake and the ready-roll icing to give a smooth surface to lay the icing on) - since I switched to this every last piece of cake has disappeared - the cake has to taste nice as well! The little flowers are done using a special cutter with a spring and I use the gel colours from the Cake craft shop, to colour the icing, as well as edible glitter - other tools I use are from the kitchen; skewars, tips of birthday candle holders, knives etc. The books also ask for 'sugar sticks' for structural support but drinking strawes or skewars do the job here - the metal skewars you can reuse. For smaller supports, toothpics are hte go. Anyway, I enjoy doing these cakes - as I say to those who ask, it's like Play-dough for adults and I have a ball - just as much as seeing the kids faces when they see their cakes! Only have a Birthday once a year so what the heck eh!