I was asked to make a cake for a ladies 75th b-day. She loves lady bugs but most of the designs I can find are too childish I would like to make it elegant with some flowers. I am at a loss on designs for the most part. It is going to be a 3 tier cake with white frosting. I was thinking black and red flowers some red with black centers some black with red centers but I am thinking with the lady bugs that will be too much red and black. Any ideas and pics would be great more eyes looking will probably make a difference I am googling but so far no luck.Thank you all so much and I look foreword to seeing what all you creative people come up with!!

Ok, make the ladybugs a design element...don't know how many guests but you say a three tier cake...pretty piping on the sides with "vines" and teeny flowers crawling up the sides. ladybugs on the flowers here or there. On the top have a bunch of sugar flowers, some with ladybugs, and tilted onto the bunch a pretty womans straw hat with a ribbon that flows down the cake...put a ladybug on the brim over the flowers.

Wow catlharper!! That sounds awesome!! I haven't done a lot of piping but i think vines shouldn't be too tricky. Now to figure out how to make a straw hat... hmmm. I will google it..LOL Would you have color suggestions for the flowers that would go well with the ladybugs??

I love sunflowers with ladybugs on them.

I think a summer bouquet (multiple colors) would look nice, and have the lady bugs mixed in with that. It would be charming.

i know this isnt what you are looking for.. but it is just too cute!! i like the whole design. http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1558324

I like the idea of small flowers like sweet peas...so something pink, something blue but small like forget me nots..then a couple of large flowers like sunflowers or peonies...that would be pretty. The straw hat could just be made of gumpaste as well...while still soft carve in the detail of the rings/hatches. And yes, vines shouldn't be too hard...just a meandering wavy line basically. It would just take a few flowers and then little buds like the sweet peas on the vines.

If you don't make it I might just have to do up a dummy cake just cause it sounds charming! LOL!
Seriously hope you do it tho so we can all see what you come up with!
Cat

When I read 75th birthday, I saw classic. I see the three tier in a cream color. I see muted colors of cream, ivory, light green, with vines barely green with tiny delicate white flowers with lady bugs on them here and there light pink with white spots and hues of baby blue and pinks... barely any color maybe 74 of them with one red one on top... all very sweet and delicate... that's just my vision for a non-childlike.. cake!

All of these ideas sound so wonderful now my head is swimming with them. Thank you all so much!!

I always think of daisies with ladybugs -- and I think white flowers, or maybe more vivid wildflowers, would look better than pink or blue.

Some potential inspirations:

Ladybugs
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1660151.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1196112.html (this one's for an 80th b-day!)
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_284443.html

Gardening hats
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1467060.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_625113.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1450617.html

Garden flowers
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1442494.html (imagine this with a ladybug or three instead of the butterfly at the top...)

I agree with the vivid flowers - that's why I said the summer bouquet idea. The red of the lady bug will go better w/ vivid summer flowers.

Celebrating birthdays is always fun and exciting for all involved, but there are certain milestone birthdays that deserve a little something extra. 75th anniversaries are known as platinum, so why not treat a 75th birthday the same way? Get your family and friends together to make your loved one's 75th birthday the most memorable one yet.

I love this cake from the the pink cake box

http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/tulip-wedding-shower-cake-2010-05-03.htm

http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/search/ladybug
check out tiered lady bug cake.

Thank you all for the gorgeous ideas!! I had some inspiration last night while I was trying to sleep as usual. Some of the pictures reflect the idea I had. Thank you all so much for the input. If anyone has anymore ideas i am still open to inspiration!