I have to do cake for tommorow and I need to do a diamond pattern , but I cant find an impression mat. I went Dick BLick and to AC Moore looked through both the clay tools and stamping tools, but couldn't find anything. Any suggestions? Also I need a super crusting icing recipe. Thank you!!!

you could try looking in the scrapbooking section for embossing mats. They are smaller, but they might work for you.

Do you have the flower former trays (I think that's what they're called - the long, white trays that are curved, for letting royal icing flowers dry)? If so, you could use one of those by angling it sideways a bit, then impressing it in your frosting (once crusted), all around your cake; then turn it the other direction and impress around the cake, creating a criss-cross pattern. This might work - ?

I highly recommend getting a diamond impression mat. I got mine at cakesbysam.com and I love it.

patti

I do the same as patti mentioned only I use the Pampered Chef scraper http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=186&categoryCode=KW

Here's a pic of one cake I did like that:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=Steady2Hands&cat=0&pos=79

Make sure your cake is crusted just enough to not stick to whatever tool you use. If it's too crusted, the pressure of the tool will crush the crust and you won't get a clean line. It will have small ridges along it.

using a drafting triangle to align what ever tool you use to make the lines will also help.

they come in various slopes ...45, 30, 60 degrees most common.

look for them at any craft store or office supply store.

How'd it turn out?