The cake is a mixed media piece, a wire cake outline was created using spot welded steel wire, behind which is a paper collage of cake images and the cake is then topped off with a moving flag which appears when the handle is turned.
Because the joy of automata is in the movement here is a quick peek of what it looks like when it's in the move:
Then I packed it up and sent it off, I couldn't take it in myself as I was still at college but my lovely husband dropped it in for me, where it was received in much excitement. This is the first automata piece that I have made as a gift and I was very nervous that it wouldn't be received well but so far I have had nothing but amazed delight in terms of feedback. Phew.
Not only was this the first automata gift I'd made it was also the first time I have ever entered a piece of craft into any sort of competition so I just had to go and visit it in it's window. I'm now waiting nervously for the results of the public vote.....