Horse and Present cakes

I have loved cake decorating from the time I was in the sixth grade!  I try all sorts, some works and some not so much.  This time I was trying a new fondant icing.  This is a really cool marshmallow fondant that is easy to make and even easier to use.  WOW!!  I finally found something that I love to work with.  So I experimented with this cake to see how it worked before I made the horse cake for my daughter's birthday.  She turned 12 and all she talks about and wants is a horse, so being the wise "***" mom that I am I gave her a horse.  apparently she wasn't referring to the edible ones.  Anyways, she did like her cake and ate it too!  The first view looks a bit shiny and that is because it is wet.  I used a small wet paintbrush to wipe off all the extra icing sugar and so it looks a bit wet there since I took the photo just before finishing cleaning up.  I usually make may cakes late in the evening when everyone is in bed.  Partly I want it to be a surprise and partly I don't want interuptions. Once I start working I want to keep working.  This cake is one I am very pleased with.  I even shaped cheekbones and nostrils.  I covered the cake with chocolate icing first and then covered with fondant.  I found with the present cake that the fondant looked a bit bumpy and each crumb under the icing showed.  With putting icing on first it smoothed things out a lot.  I am just a little bit proud of this!!!