Steampunk airship, on a cake!

[beccas_song]

For my brother's wedding last July, I was asked to make the wedding cake. Once we got the design set, my sis-in-law and I started talking about a groom's cake. She told me that if I could do a steampunk airship, it would rock their world. I told her that as long as the airship didn't have to be cake, I thought I could do it! My brain started turning, and this is what I came up with!

I used this picture http://anneangersbach.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-Airship-132679776 and this artist's work http://www.annwoodhandmade.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=267 for my inspiration. I also cut out a pic of this steampunk couple http://resident-jade.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-Couple-169288314 to go inside and this gnome http://www.amazon.com/Gnomes-Wil-Huygen/dp/0810909650 . Want to give credit where it's due!

How I did it: The balloon was made from a balloon that I taped into shape and covered with fabric strips and paper mache. The ship is cardboard covered with old sewing pattern pieces (loved the color and texture). The wings are velum that I tinted and wrinkled. The bits and bobbles are from my stash, and I used quite a bit of copper wire- all the bits that look like string on the balloon are wire. It was held above the cake by a dowl that went through to a hole drilled in the base. It was really sturdy!

My brother was totally surprised by the cake/balloon, and my sis-in-law loved it. Especially the trail of gnomes from the back (inside joke from a role playing game they once did).

Hope you like it too! C&C welcome!

[WhimsicallyObsessed]

love it! ^__^ Great idea!

[teachart]

Wow that's beautiful! It looks like it was a lot of fun to make too. What a nice sister you are! 

[waterbaby]

Great design, wonderfully executed!  Would you mind explaining how to "tape in shape" a balloon?  This is right up my airship-lovin' alley, and the envelope, rotated vertically 90 degrees, could also be used for a hot air balloon!

[beccas_song]

Great design, wonderfully executed!  Would you mind explaining how to "tape in shape" a balloon?  This is right up my airship-lovin' alley, and the envelope, rotated vertically 90 degrees, could also be used for a hot air balloon!

Sure! I took a regular balloon and inflated it. Then I started wrapping the narrow end with masking tape to elongate it until it was a shape I liked. That's pretty much it. Hope that makes sense.

[calamitycarm]

This is great! The gnomes were a nice touch & made me laugh

[whatthedickens]

would you mind if i copied this idea with my little sister? imitation being the most sincere form of flattery...would send u pics