Well, I made it through all 3 courses! I'm going to take the fondant and gumpaste course in a few months, but for now I'm done!

Anyway, our instructor left the design up to us (the other girl chose to do the wedding cake on the cover) so I searched thousands of pictures here and came up with this. It's not entirely as I had envisioned. I was going to make the bow out of fondant (either the denim blue or red) and do a bandana print on it. I ran out of time, though and had to use chocolate clay which didn't work as well. The frosting is nowhere near as smooth as I usually get it, but it was very humid and wouldn't crust enough in time. (that and I kept sticking my fingers in it! )

What'cha think? (and be honest...it's the only way I'll get better!)

I like it! It has a cute "country" look about it. Nice work!

Great idea...but HONESTLY, I do feel that it would have been much better all in fondant.
Practice makes perfect, I still find faults in my own work although my husband says "it's something that no one else would notice".
I think if you are serious about decorating, you'll always find ways to improve.
You are obviously serious about it and I can tell you have alot of potential!

its a very cute concept and you did a really good job practice makes perfect work a little on smoothing out your bc (something im still working on after 8 years of decorating) but you are definitly on your way.

Yeah, like I said, my buttercream is usually perfectly smooth. (I'm actually kind of anal about it. ) BUT, I was sooo short on time and it was so humid that I didn't have time to wait for it to crust so I could smooth it as well as I usually do. Add in the fact it got a little messed up during transport and sticking my fingers in it...it could have been a lot better.

Wow, is it that bad that no one wants to comment?

It does have a cute country look to it... and no its not that bad that no one wants to comment. All things taken into account i think you did a great job

I think it's very cute. I could picture it at the county fair (ours has a cake contest).

You can always blame the icing on the "new" crisco which is now trans-fat free! Lots of people have commented that they have had frosting issues lately.

great colors and theme! I start course 3 on Tuesday, can't wait!

I just saw this thread and had to read it because you and I started the Wilton Courses just 2 or 3 days apart so I have been following your posts and progress in pictures.
After reading this thread I have to say I KNOW things were not going perfectly for you when you iced and created this cake because I have seen every single cake you have created in the Wilton classes and you have continually progressed forward in getting the bc smooth. Another example is the fondant bow (orange I think) on a cake you recently made was beautiful and came out better than this one.

This cake is not bad at all but you have done better. I KNOW THE FEELING as well as the trouble humidity can deal us! I like this cake of yours and think the way you put it together and the idea are very neat and creative as well.

When you can take the Fondant & Gumpaste Course it will help you in learning to work with Fondant and deal with the humidity issues some of us have with it too. I took the F & G course at the same time you and I were taking Course 3. I almost overloaded myself but am thrilled I did it now that it is over with.

You make me sad by saying what you said about the cake being so bad nobody wants to comment on it! Take it back!
The cake is good and you have come a long way in decorating! Both of us can only get better from here!

Teekakes...Congrats on finishing your classes! I just looked at all your cakes and they are fabulous!! Thanks for your kind words. It's just really frustrating because I had such high hopes for this cake. The humidity combined with the fact that I just didn't have enough time to smooth it properly is a real bummer. The bow is awful because it is made from chocolate clay instead of fondant. It was too soft to do much with. But, I tried and that's what counts I guess. I know I can do better!

I think its cute, better than any class cakes I have done lol.

MrsMom........thanks for the compliments. I know about the high hopes you are talking about, trust me! The other night I had to get my dh's help with the fondant because it was sooo soft from the humidty and two hands were simply not enough to get it on the cake without tearing. It is the pink carnation one in my album. DH's bday is next Tuesday the 8th and I have plans of using the homemade chocolate fondant for his cake. I have this nagging gut feeling for some reason that his cake is going to be my first failed cake. It is a big struggle for me.
Oh well, continually making new cakes with new ideas, patterns, icings, fondants, and whatever else is the only way we are going to get where we want to be as a cake decorator.

Cheers to all us beginning cake enthusiasts and may we never let anything get us down!

Congratulations of finishing your course. Your cake turned out wonderful.