I am pretty hopeless with design and colours.. I want to make a co-worker a suitcase cake (I only just decided this 10mins ago and the cake is now cooking in the oven) so as you can see I am skipping my usually obsession/research/study phase .

It will be a vanilla cake, covered in fondant, the thing is I dont want to do brown leather. Would a pink suitcase look silly? Can you give me some good colour combinations should the straps be a contrasting colour? I will be painting the metal part gold.

Any help or ideas would be gratefully received.

Im off to model her as I will have her sitting on the edge if the suitcase. She is off to Thailand on holiday after a really stressful year, so just thought it would be nice to see her off in style.

Kathryn

Hi Kathryn

i found this wedding cake by lindy smith, it is gorgeous and has lots of details... i would look really pretty in pale pink and gold...

http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/GoldenSuitcases.jpg

kylie

mmm, nice idea, Kathryn!

Pink & brown always appeals to me as well, sort of girly & elegant at the same time, here's an example:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=search&search=pink%20and%20brown&cat=0&pos=1&search=pink%20and%20brown

Maureen

Here she is.. I will have her sitting on the edge of the suitcase.

Kylie I saw that one too and fell in love with it although probably a bit beyond what i could do.

Missyv110 I love pink and brown too.

Anyone have any tips for making the suitcase cake? I have baked two large rectangle cakes....

Well it is now 1am here so I'd better get to bed, I've work tomorrow and then home to make this cake.

Any help anyone can give would be wonderful!

Kathryn

I have a suitcase uploaded to my photos that might help.

Oh my, please check out DianeLM's cake!

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&&file=displayimage&&pos=91117

It's fantastic!

Thanks Diane, that suitcase (along with all your other cakes) is perfect!!!!!

I've also had an extremely detailed email from srmaxwell on how she did her suitcase. (check out her work, it's fab!)

So once again THANK YOU - you awesome CC'ers

Sorry I can't offer any assistance..

But I just can't wait to see the cake

Well its 12:30am and I have just finished the suitcase cake.

A huge thank you to DianeLM & srmaxwell for their advice. It was actually a lot easier than I thought. Fiddly doing the straps etc but all in all not too bad.

I was going to do a whole lot of things that represent her around the figure but when I got it together I thought it was enough with the straps etc. The message at the back reads "happy Travels" sorry for the bad pics I'll take some better ones when I wake up tomorrow.

I am shattered, I cant keep doing these late nights. Thanks again for everyones help

Cheers
Kathryn

WOW and WOW!!!

This is fantastic!! Congrats on a job well done!!

WOW....what a lovely cake....and on such short notice.

Congrats, it's really beautiful.

Wow, Kath, the suitcase looks amazing (I already loved the little figure)..she's going to flip when she sees this; it's so cool. DianeLM and srmaxwell are sooo sweet to help out; just like cc-ers!!!!!

I had JUST seen DianeLM's suitcase-cake uploaded, and was drooling over how gorgeous it was, and here you are with one all finished!!

looks great, don't you love cc???

Maureen

OMG...kathryn

this is fantastic, i thought the gold was real, thats how amazing it looks..

you are one clever lady...

now go get some well deserved sleep...

kylie

WOW! Once again I'm stuck by talent and skill, fantastic! I'm sure your friend will be delighted.

WOW Kathryn!! You did an amazing job on this! I can't believe how quickly you made all the details! And I am just in love with that precious figure! She is adorable! I'm so glad I could contribute in some small way to this masterpiece!

Oh man this is lovely!!!!!!!!!

Diane - didn't Kathryn do a great job? Your suitcase cake is so inspirational; actually, I spent a long time admiring your gallery;your work is really lovely.

WOW! that is such a cute cake! I have a question, where do you learn to model the little people? I would love to try it, but am afraid they wont turn out very nice. What is she made from, gumpaste? or fondant? I wish I could put a cake together that looked that nice. Good job!

Thanks so much for the nice comments ladies Ive just dragged myself out bed. Its a nice way to wake up and try and motivate myself to go to work!!!

4Dollars, I started making figures a few months ago after being inspired by the awesome work of Aine2. She put together a website tutorial on how to make the face. Here is the link (although it doesnt seem to be connecting at the moment but keep trying) http://www.lorraine-icingonthecake.co.uk/masterclass/face-howto.htm

Have a look at Aine2s work. She is the master of modelling.

Have a go I practiced a lot before I got something that resembled a human!!! My first attempts all ended up in the bin so dont be put off by your first attempts. As for the bodies and clothing, its trial and error for me, although Debbie Brown & Maisie Parrish are good books to invest in if you want to buy something.

I spend hours looking at Aine2s pictures (almost stalker level!!!!) trying to work out how she does it. Hopefully she will get her tutorial website up and running I will be the first in line to sign up, she has a natural talent for teaching!

Regards
Kathryn

WOW, AWESOME job! That is such a greta cake!

That is really impressive cakework.

Please remember to tell us about the reaction of the recipient! Thanks....

Thanks for the link. That's a really interesting site. I'm going to have to make some fondant up and practice. Hope you don't mind me looking at your pics, they are great! and I promise, not stalking !

Perfectly done and adorable. Love the colors and am sure the person receiving this cake will feel the same.

that is a beautiful cake, i would love to see a tutorial on how to do a cake like this please someone give us a turotial ( pretty please)

Thanks beesting I wouldnt even know where to begin with a tutorial as I make it up as I go along. But this is what I did.

Bake two rectangle cakes, cover in BC and then cover in fondant.

I used my sugar gun and glued the trim onto the bottom and top. Then use a ruler to mark a line around the suitcase, then just above and below it run a little stictching wheel around the line.

I used gumpaste for the straps. Cut into shape and again use the stitching wheel to mark the stiches. I placed it on the cake and marked where I wanted the eyelets to go. I then used tip12 to cut out holes. I then used slightly bigger cutter and cut out another circle which I placed over the holes on the straps (is this making any sense as I am confusing myself! ), these were then painted with gold lustre dust (mixed with alcohol).

I made rings out of gumpaste and let them dry for a little while then slipped them through the strap and glued into place. I then made little sausage shapes and fitted them into the eyelet to complete the buckle.

The handle I just moulded out of gumpaste, with a little dot on each end painted gold to look like a stud. I made little hinges for the back which were just squares of gumpaste with four small gumpaste dots which I cut with a knife to look like screws.

Most of this cake is illusion. So it really isnt a huge amount of work. I would definitely make this cake again.

Missyv110. Her reaction was so cool! She was beside herself, she later told me that she has NEVER been given a cake. Can you believe there is someone out there who has never been given a cake!!?? They called just about everybody from every floor to come and have a look. By then I was actually quite embarrassed.. like dont get me wrong I love feedback, but I just dont particularly like being there when it is happening!

Only a few people I work with know I make cakes. So now about 550 do. I can just imagine the I was wondering if you could make. Which is a bit of a worry as I have never charged for my cakes, and dont particularly want to get into it like that. Id have a heart attack from the stress!

Your cake is just beautiful. Congratulations!

ANOTHER STUNNING CAKE KATHRYN !!!!! I JUST LOVE YOUR CAKES

Denise