Tombstone/Pushing Daisies Cake

A quick post today.

My friend and coworker recently celebrated her 50th birthday, and of course I had to make her a cake!

Her first grandbaby was born just 2 days later, so I guess we can say her youth is "officially" pushing daisies now that she is a wise and respected Grandma!  But since she is someone who neither looks nor acts 50 years old, I didn't feel one bit bad poking fun at her with this cake. She was a great sport about it too. 

Here's hoping the next 50 years are as good as the first...Happy Birthday Heidi!

This cake is fondant-free (yucky stuff), all yummy buttercream frosting.  To make the letters, I put the cake in the fridge until the frosting was stiff, then I used my CTMH alphabet stamps to create the letter impressions in the icing, and filled in the color with a small paintbrush and black petal dust mixed with vanilla to make an edible paint. Turned out pretty good!  The daisies are royal icing.