Extending spark Label

Question

I'm trying to extend a Spark Label so it always has a border with rounded corners like the code below.
<s:Graphic>
<s:filters>
<s:DropShadowFilter color="0x000000" alpha="0.5" distance="7" />
</s:filters>
<s:Group>
<s:Rect width="100%" height="100%" radiusX="5" radiusY="5">
<s:fill>
<mx:SolidColor color="#e0e9f8" />
</s:fill>
<s:stroke>
<s:SolidColorStroke color="#e0e9f8" weight="1"/>
</s:stroke>
</s:Rect>
<s:Label color="#23295D" paddingTop="5" paddingLeft="5" paddingRight="5" paddingBottom="5">
<s:text>This is a Spark Label control with a border drawn by a Rect.</s:text>
</s:Label>
</s:Group>
</s:Graphic>
How can I create a MyLabel.as (extending a spark Label) with the above code in it (i tried a few things but haven't quite got it right).
Or should I be using another component instead of a spark Label.
Thanks in advance
Bodrul Haque

Answer 1

Thanks Alex, I will take a look at SkinnableComponent.
Alternatively, this also gives the desired result (except component needs to be re-measured....still trying to figure how to do that).
The objective was to extend a spark Label and make sure MyLabel always has a border and shading .......and few extra things specific to our needs (which  I haven't added yet).
I've made use of the built in graphics.
public class MyLabel extends Label
  private var dropShadow:RectangularDropShadow;
  public function MyLabel()
    super();
  override protected function updateDisplayList(unscaledWidth:Number, unscaledHeight:Number):void
      super.updateDisplayList(unscaledWidth, unscaledHeight);
       //background
      var backgroundColor:Number;
      var g:Graphics = graphics;
      g.clear();
      backgroundColor = getStyle("backgroundColor");
      graphics.beginFill(backgroundColor);
      graphics.drawRoundRect(-5, -5, unscaledWidth+10, unscaledHeight+10, 10);
      graphics.endFill();
      // Shadow......is their another way???
      if (!dropShadow)
             dropShadow = new RectangularDropShadow();
       dropShadow.distance = 7;
       dropShadow.angle = 45;
       dropShadow.color = 0;
       dropShadow.alpha = 0.4;
       dropShadow.tlRadius = 5;
      dropShadow.trRadius = 5; //cornerRadius;
      dropShadow.blRadius = 5; //cornerRadius;
      dropShadow.brRadius = 5;
      dropShadow.drawShadow(graphics, 0, -5, unscaledWidth+5, unscaledHeight+10);
If I add a couple of these MyLabels into a HGroup (or VGroup) they look squashed. ......so I want to do a invalidateSize() or something