I made a practice cake for my first real cake order next week. I would really like to know what I did wrong so I can fix it in time. It's a 9X13 torted with raspberry filling. Please be honest...***
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo-199213.html
Your borders are very nice! How about a fbct in the corner or off to the side to add interest. like this maybe: http://www.conniescakes.com/images/Teenadult/Cheerleader%20cake.jpg
Or some pom poms?
-Rezzy
I would smooth the top using a viva or the Melvira method. You could make the letters out of royal (tracing a pattern) That way allows you to use cool fonts. I can't write on cakes at all, so that's what I like to do. 
What is FBCT? I'm in wilton II right now and don't know what that is yet...
How about adding another color? I'm not the most creative person so I always search around for some inspirational pix. Did you try the gallery here for some ideas?
I have found it easier for me to use a large tip for my lettering then go back over it with a different color and a smaller tip. Or you can get a die cut of the letters and lay it on your cake and then trace over it. I did this on my chearleading cake. Overall your cake is well done - I like your colors and design.
Melissa
I think it looks nice! It's simple and sweet looking. Were you going for something else? What specifically do you not like about this cake?
I had a lot of trouble for a long time with my lettering/writing. I finally feel like I have that down. For the longest time I'd make a cake that I was very happy with only to ruin it with writing that wasn't up to my expectations. That was so frustrating. I know sometimes we see things in our cakes that drive us nuts! Things other people probably don't really notice.
Thanks everyone... I plan on using my practice board this week so I can perfect my writing. I appreciate all of your help.
It's definitely the letters that need more work. Try looking for a font on your computer you like and print out the letters as large as you can. Then use the enlargement feature of a copy machine to get them EXACTLY the size you want. Then with scissors, cut out each paper letter. When your frosting is crusted, put the three paper letters on the cake where you want them and gently press down around all edges of the paper with a toothpick ... this will mark the letters on the cake ... then pipe them out. You're not TRACING the letters dragging the toothpick through the frosting, you're pressing on the paper's edges with the toothpick. You can even do that with the school's logo of the paw print to make it look exactly like the actual logo.
Also, since it's for cheerleaders, you might try to find out some words in one of their cheers to put on the cake. (example of a cheer I did on a cake: "Tick ... Tick ... Tick ... boom ... dynomite!"
I think the cake looks great! I would like to see one other color or a darker shade of purple for the lettering or for the border. Just to give it a bit more pizzaz. In regards to lettering, I found a great trick: use a #1 tip to pipe the lettering in the same color as the base frosting and then pipe over it with the desired color. This way, if I mess up, I can spread it out into the base color and nobody would know.
Great paw prints!
You're borders are very pretty. In the pic the icing looks a little yellow. Maybe it's just the pic or maybe it's supposed to be that way. You said the colors was purple and white, right? Just a tip, if you are using real butter icing you can add a little bit of violet to cancel out the yellow from the butter. It really makes a nice crisp white. I agree with Littlelinda. It would be cute to do some little cheer slogans on it. Maybe with a tip three, on the sides or in the corners or something. Maybe some pom poms with the grass tip. Just some ideas! I think you did a great job on it and you really would be fine to leave it as it is.
My lettering sucks so don't feel obligated to take my advice 
, but lately I've been doing my letters with tiny star or dot borders around the edges of each individual letter. It really makes them pop,....I think you can see it in some of the cakes in my photos, if I'm not making any sense.
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