The cake that started me off in this journey...

The one....the very cake that got me hooked into the crazy and beautiful world of cake decorating was the one I made for my son's birthday.  With practically no experience in baking let alone decorating, I didn't have the guts to make  his 1st and 2nd birthday cakes. I had done one or two cakes when I was in school and always wanted to formally learn decorating cakes but never ended up doing it. Finally for his 3rd birthday I thought that if I don't start now I never will. Next thing was to decide what cake to make. I asked my son what he wanted....hmm wrong move?? or did he push my boundaries ???

Initially he said he wanted Mcqueen and Tow Mater....that was settled I thought. Couple of days

later he said he has changed his mind now he wanted peppa pig...then winnie the pooh.... then back again to Mcqueen!!!!.  I didn't know what to do but in the meantime I thought I will use my son's Mcqueen and Mater toy cars as models for my gumpaste / fondant figures and I was also looking around on the internet  and books for inspiration and tutorial. Found the following:

1) Thank you MinjinaKuhinjica for your Winnie the pooh tutorial and also giving me the idea of using the number as the race track, cactus with a hat, border, flag and grass ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIDV1iW-_y0 and  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0jOtZuqckg&list=UUJ11MtVA4M6W5E-gFo9nyrw&index=9&feature=plcp )

2)I needed additional race cars for my race track and didn't feel like making more from the car's series. So I looked around on the net and  found the following tutorial. Thank you Louise for your tutorial on race cars ( http://cakejournal.com/tutorials/how-to-make-a-race-car-cake-topper/ )
 

 Thank god for the internet and books.  Thank you all bakers and cake makers that have inspired me.

1) 1st Fondant figures; 2) Curious George Ver 1 & 2; 3)Mcqueen figure + toy

My Son still hadn't decided what he wanted, so I thought I will do all the characters my darling son loves...what else are mothers there for :-). Do a race track with an auditorium where they all are sitting and watching the race!!!. Used printed out pictures to do Peppa pig, Pingu, Curious George, Cookie monster, Elmo, Bob the builder and the logo... 

 

Lots of sleepless nights and planning this is what I finally ended up with.