Do what I did, LOL. I get off work at 11:15pm and didn't have the energy to do a FBCT. I had some FBCT icing already made, so I printed my images on heavy paper and traced them with the black icing. Then I just placed them on the smoothly iced cake and rolled over the image a little with my paint roller. Well, the image came off perfectly and I just filled it in with regular buttercream, decorated the rest of the cake and sprinkled on some disco dust. I like that the image isn't sitting higher than the rest of the cake like it does sometimes with FBCT. Well, I thought I'd share!

Cool idea! It turned out great. Gotta love Dora and Boots! I can understand not wanting to do a FBCT - as I was completing one around 11 PM last night.

Thanks for posting that idea, cake looks great and sounds easy too

that is a great idea........how did you fill in so smoothly with regular buttercream!

After I filled in the areas with buttercream, I just waited a few minutes to let the icing crust a bit. Then I rolled over it with the paint roller lightly. Believe it or not, the colors don't run together. Then, I piped back over the design with black buttercream. It was super simple. Thanks for the comments!!

This idea is so great..I am artistically challenged really bad,a dn my DAughter wants a My Little Pony Cake...I was thinking How the heck am i going to draw that!!

But I could find a Pony coloring page and do this adn then it creates liek a coloring page right on the cake right?

What a fantastic Idea! By the way What is FBCT? I ahve Idea with most abbreviations..LOL

You did such a great job! The colors are beautiful, and the lines are so neat! I have one question, after you printed out the image, you put wax paper over it and then traced it?

great idea!

You just have to make sure to print the image out mirror.....that way when you trace it out and flip it onto the cake (just like a regular transfer with piping gel)........it will be going the right way...

is there ever a time it is ok NOT to print it in mirror image? My printer doesn't have that option.

And also what kind of "heavy" paper did you use?

TIA

OOps forgot to tell you the cake looks great! My 4 yr. old is about to have a coniption (sp?) fit.

Do you use reg. crusting bc thinned down? Same for the outline? Sorry so many questions.

The only time you absolutely have to print a mirror image is if there is text. It will come our backwards. If there isn't any writing, your image will be flipped but if it is a picture, it really won't matter unless you need it to face a certain way.

There was just a thread going on about printing mirror image. You might be surprised that you actually can get your printer to do it. But everyone's printer has different options...

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-184041-.html

Great idea! Thanks for the tip, I would also like to know which tip you used to fill in. Also, congratulations on your weight loss! Keep going!!

Here's another option (I am completely self taught and have always done it this way because I don't like the smeary mess it sometimes makes when you outline with gel or icing and press it down)...After you ice the cake smooth. Cut the picture out of the page it is on. Press it down onto the cake all around the edges until it makes a little indentation on the cake, an outline. Then I cut the picture on all of the lines and put them back on the cake and press them down, until they leave a mark. Fill in your colors. Smooth them with the Viva towel method and then outline and add finishing touches. I have to add, I've been doing it this way for 6 years. Ijust joined CC last month and found out about FBCT and am trying my first one today. I think I may go back to my old method

great idea

Can you explain this a little better I think I am either misunderstanding or I dunno...

Littlegrahamcracker, How cool is that?! Great minds must think alike. I don't think I am liking this FBCT method, but it is still too soon to tell for sure. We're in the freezing stage.

Let's see if I can explain any better. Copy your picture onto a piece of paper, or if you are using a coloring book, just rip out the page. Cut out the picture along the outside outline. Press it down onto the cake - after the icing has crusted and been smoothed. Make sure you press all around the edges. When you pull up the paper there will be a line/indentation on the cake. If you have waited for proper crusting the paper won't stick. Now cut the picture up along all of the lines and lay them out on the table like a puzzle you have put back together. Put a piece inside the outline where it fits and press it down lightly to leave the outline of this shape. Repeat with all of the pieces until you have the entire picture "drawn" on the cake. Now fill in each spot with the appropriate color. Let it crust and smooth lightly with a VIVA towel. Yes it smudges/grows a little bit sometimes, but not much. Then go back and do your outlining and details.

roanoker ~ I used to do mine that way too but I am sold on FBCT's. They are so much faster for me

I am hoping it will be faster once I get the hang of it, that's why I am trying it. But so far, it has taken me just as long, except that I could work on it WHILE the cake was baking, instead of having to wait until tonight. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Thank you for the details. I understand a lot better. If you do a FBCT please post and tell us which method you perfer.

Thanks a million

...will try ...thanks cassandrascakes.....great idea!

Gosh, I'm sorry it took so long for me to post. I went to work, lol. Anyways, here's what I did.

I didn't have to worry about printing mirror image, because I didn't care which way Dora and Boots faced. I just printed on cardstock paper because it's what was in the printer. You could print on any paper. I then traced the outline with the black icing. I used the recipe that's listed on the posts for FBCT, but I guess thinned down buttercream could work just as well. I just wanted to make sure the design stayed wet long enough to do the transfer.

Then, I just flipped the paper over and placed it on the cake and rolled it a little bit with the paint roller. You could also just press it with your hand or something. Just like you said, it looks just like a coloring page, but on a cake. Then I filled it in with regular buttercream. After the colors crusted a bit, I rolled it lightly with the paint roller again. Then I went over the lines with black buttercream. It was really easy and I was happy with it.

Thanks for the encouraging words about the weightloss. It truly is a battle!

cassandrascakes ~ I was wondering if you place anything over your printed picture before you do the outline in order to protect the ink from coming into contact with your icing? Or do you use edible ink?

How did you fill in with the buttercream? Did you just pipe it in, and what was the consistency of your buttercream? Thanks

That is BEAUTIFUL!!! Great job!!!!!