first of all, I just want to say I'm a rather new member and frequent forum reader but this is my first post.

So far I have been seriously addicted to the site ( the warning is right!)

Now I find the need for just a few suggestions from all of you talented and nice people.

I just got a order for a graduation cake for a state level wrestler, the first think that pops to my mind is of course the mat itself, generally red I believe with distinctive white markings I can research and do accurately if I choose, then after that I'm kind of stumped, shy of sweaty half naked men rolling around in their ridiculous uniforms I cant seem to see anything else.

2 weeks before party so I would love to hear some ideas!

mat can be any color...usually school's color

markings: small circle (start circle) & large circle (out of bounds)

boring!

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head gear?

singlet (that ridiculous uniform)

both of these set any wrestler apart from all other athletes...takes a lot of guts/self-confidence to wear that singlet!

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arm of wrestler being held in up by ref in victory!! the final action of any match

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medal (often awarded in tournaments)

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trophy

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does your state wrestling association have any special logo or award design??

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if good at figure modeling.

cake is mat on it three figures....opponent FLAT on back, the graduate on top, ref to side slapping mat --

he's pinned his man -- VICTORY!

and for a real nice added touch, find out what his fastest pin was and add a scoreboard w/ time on it!

I did this cake awhile back but I took off the ribbon decided I didn't like it so I used red licorious string and tied it on the post.

Doug and Sharon, thanks for the suggestions, all good , now the hard part .. deciding on what exactly to do! Since this is my forst question to the board, if,,, IF it turns out worthy I will post a pic after 8-5-06, thanks again!!

wow, great suggestions! i would definitely find out school colors and maybe the mascot and tie it in somehow.

Doug, you must be really creative because you always have the best ideas for people!

Doug's ideas are all very good! (as usual with him)

OK OK >>>WHEN.. i post the pics! good idea on the school colors , i had that incorporated already, knew them since i went to the same school, but that mascot idea??? would you beleive its a COMET? yeah like those fireballs in the sky, trust me i have seen many variations of the custome for mascots over the years and , well wrestling one would really be a trick! i think i can work in at least some flames, representing the comet and just how hot a wrestler he is!

I did a UFC Cake for my nephew (totally lame and unprofessional but then I'm not professional by any means ) in my photos. maybe you could borrow the idea and actually make it look ok hee hee (sorry that might be off what you need, i dont know anything about high school wrestling lol)

more and more great ideas, so far i havent commited myself to anything set in frosting yet but im leaning towards getting the wrestlers HS pic, photoshopping it into a full size wrestling magazine cover, with a catchy title, some snappy headlines , the date and high school name mentioned, applying this to a "magazine" laying on the mat and with some gold medals on ribbons laying near by too, sounds simple yet impressive i think, what do you all think?

why even do the mat..

the magazine cover is a great idea by itself, it could be the entire sheet cake -- can you do it as an edible image? have it and the medals which could be small 4 or 6 inch round cakes.

you've come up w/ a nice, creative idea!

doug, ok next question/challenge, the cake is to serve 75+ thats why i was thinking of a larger sheet with the other items added, the magazine cover WOULD be an edible image, that seems to be the rage with the graduates in my area that ive been doing all summer, cant off the top of my head see how i could make the entire cake an edible, unless maybe in sections..hmmm, the smaller rounds as medals is a possiblitly since several flavors are requested unless maybe the proportions would be off.
and as for doing the mat i just see this big red smooth MMF with bold white circles/rings on it and imstill playing with the comet flames too , maybe standing around the sides or laying around sides!

ok...the keep the mat...all red, white circle and comet mascot logo in center of center ring...and even repeated on sides of cake.
that could be the main big cake.

for other flavors: small sheet magazine and several rounds (big as needed to get required servings) as medals.

are you willing to prop cakes at an angle?

if so, see sketch.
main sheet is the mat in glossy red
comet logo in center ring and on sides of cake.

to either side series of "meda" cakes w/ their neck ribbons (fondant) laying on main sheet (the mat)

up at back is magazine cake propped up a slight tilt w/ edible image and message.

oh yeah baby!! im diggin that !! i had the "mag" propped too and your ribbons draped just like i was thinking, thanks , soon to get to work on it i guess!!

Ok, all the ideas came in , the party got downsized some and finally the wrestling cake has been delivered and as promised i am here to post the pics.

first an overview, the magazine cover to the left, the mat surrounded by mascot "comet" flames, the gold medal and the triumphant winner raising his hand as he emerges right from the mat.

a close up on the detail of the fondant free hand modeled gold medal and red white and blue ribbon.

the photo and print shop generated magazine cover complete with al lhis winning stats

and another edible image, this one mounted on some foam core do to week of high humidity and nothing else seemed to want to dry.

thanks for all the ideas, hope you enjoy the finished work, i was happy when the grad-boy saw it and was very happy and sometimes its hard to impress a tough guy!

not really trying to bump myself here but i got so much help from the forum regs, i didnt want to get their chance to see the end reults buried a few pages back, thanks for looking!

hoorah!

great job. really like how it came out!!!

YDG!

thanks doug, i especially wanted you to see it since you had sketched for me and all, hope your having a good vacation, mine is this week, but not much cake time,

You did an amazing job on your cake...I know they loved it!

That turned out great! Your hard work paid off!

Love the cake!!!!!!!!!! You did a great job..

Great job!

It's fabulous! What was their reaction?

Thanks for all the great feedback. This order came to me in a slightly unusual way.

i had delivered a graduation cake in the afternoon and then a few hours later my phone is ringing, I didnt recognize the number on the caller ID but I take my chances and answer it. The voice on the other end is a bit hard to understand as she begins to babble on something about cake, at first I thought I would be having a "disaster" story to add to the forum, but come to find out eventually that she just had a mouthful of cake and couldnt wait to grab one of my cards from the cake table and call to order her sons cake!

Shes that kind of great customer who says "I don't care what you do, I'm sure it well be wonderful"

But my nerves really shot up as I am carrying the cake into the house when the mother of the grad tells me "several years ago I used to work at (big local bakery) as the head decorator" She proceeds to tell me that she really enjoyed the work but never got into anything like the style that I do, nonetheless to say it made me just a little more nervous to reveal the finished work.
.... She loved it, couldnt say enough how it exceeded her ever vision, when I had asked her for the photos to do to edible images with she couldnt understand what i would ever do with them.

Then the grad boy came into the room and was blown away, anyone who knows a 17 yr old boy, knows they dont get too excited over many things besides 17 yr old girls, but he was just glowing and kept beaming that his cake was awesome and by far better than any he had seen at other grads partys.

As i was getting paid, he even piped in "be sure to give him a big tip!"

thanks again for the guidance through this one!
a new but highly addicted member here,what a great place!