Octonauts cake - worth every minute!!!

I have been decorating cakes for a very long time and over the last few years, I have tried to finish every cake with the question - would I be content if this were my very last cake ever.  Most of the time, the answer is no.  Not because I'm unhappy with the cake, just because it didn't "challenge" me.  I learn something from every cake I do.  Some, I despise unitl the minute they leave my kitchen.  Some are just another order.  In the middle are those that turn out exactly as I need them to...and then there are those that just kinda happen.  They are so much fun and are such a blast that I lose myself for hours putting it together.  Those are the cakes that I answer yes to.  Yes - I would be completely content if this was my last cake ever.  The Octonauts cake is one of those. :)

I started the cake a few nights ago - the bottom tier is white cake with a teal swirl.  That didn't seem like enough, though, so I made 2 more tiers with teal, purple, green and blue batter.  The colors were amazing!  I wasn't sure if I would use all 3 tiers though because I had too many ideas in my head.  Last night it was time to decorate.  I made a double batch of fondant and a double batch of buttercream.  From that point on, everything just sortof came together!  I worked on it until midnight last night and knew that I had to stop until morning.  I'm still creative when I'm sleepy...but I make dumb mistakes - soooo...off to bed I went.  (right after we ate the top tier that I had decided not to use - Yum!!!) 

My alarm went off at 8am and I was back in the kitchen working away. :)  I colored more fonant today than I have in the last year I'm sure! lol  I made anemone's, starfish, coral, sponge, little clams with pearls (my fave) and then I got started on the charachters.  I was cruising along and having a ball!  Afterall, I had until 2:00 to finish.  Life was good...except that I was having so much fun I completly lost track of time and at 2:00. I still had 3 more characters to finish!!!  Thankfully, the Birthday Mom was a dream to work with and was kind enough to give me more time (the party is tomorrow). 

At 5:30pm I had over 10 decorating hours into the cake and was finally finished.  What I didn't know was that the best part was yet to come. :)  I met the Birthday Mom at our meeting place and she thoughtfully brought along the Birthday Boy - What a cutie!!! :)  I pop'd the trunk and he was crouched down to peek inside before I even opened it! lol  When I finally opened the trunk, he was so excited that my heart melted on the spot. :) The Birthday Boy and I checked out his cake together - I pointed out the vegimals and all the other little doo-dads that were piled around. I have to say, I couldn't have asked for a better customer...Little guys like him - seeing him so excited over something I made is the exact reason why I love this so much. :)  Even after 10 hours and aching hands from all the fondant - I'd do it all over again in a heart beat if I knew I could have another reaction like his. :) 

Happy Birthday Samuel :)  I'm really glad you like your cake. :)