Hi everyone,

I would love some help pulling two themes together on a cake.  This is for a client's 60th birthday, who will find out if treatment for stage 4 cancer is possible only days before his party.   I wanted to go over the top with the design for this special client and also in memory of my father who passed away from cancer. 

The client requested to combine her husband's medical profession with his love for the outdoors/hunting.  I have most of my design worked out, but feel like I need something to "explain" the animals wearing medical garb.  Below is the cake design by each tier and a link to 4 out of 5 figures I have made from gumpaste and fondant.

http://cakecentral.com/g/a/3495575/3d-figures#

Cake board - earth/ground colors fondant,  on corner small pond (blue piping gel) with grass piped around edges

Base tier - square cake - greyish green fondant decorated with gumpaste cat tails and greenery and black gumpaste bird silouettes.  

              Sitting on the tier will be turkey and hunter with fishing rod (above the pond corner).   Will have a few bear paw prints leading away from hunter around the back of the cake.  

Mid tier - round cake- camo fondant with plaque of age 60 on the side

              sitting on tier will be the bears that stole the hunter's bag of fish.  Here, is the first medical reference.  A bear is wearing a doctor's relfector headband.

Top tier - round cake - rustic green colored fondant with a buck/antlers plaque on the side

              sitting on top will be a buck with large antlers wearing a white doctor's coat and stethoscope.  I wasn't sure if I should put a couple of pine trees or maybe cat tails/greenery to tie in with the base tier. 

Sounds like it will be an amazing cake - I love that it tells a story. And your figures are adorable.

Perhaps the bear could have stolen the hunter's 'doctor' bag (you know, the ones doctors used to carry to house calls in the past) as well as the bag of fish, and he's scattered the medical equipment across the cake/wilderness (as well as managing to wear some himself too, silly bear!) as he's made his getaway.

Hope that makes sense (and helps)!

Cris.

Thanks for the idea, love it!!  I had thought of a bag, but didn't know what to do with it.  Maybe I could put the bag on a corner of the cake board, followed by a couple of bear prints and a couple scattered items. 

Thank you for the compliment on the figures.  It was my first time scultping with gumpaste.  I've only tried rice krispy treats before.  Gumpaste is much easier!!  I am nervous about making the buck for the top.  :)

Thank you for your helpful ideas.  I just completed the cake and posted a few pictures.  Would love to hear feedback.  This was my first time scultping with gumpaste/mmf mix.  Thanks!