I'm hoping to get suggestions from anyone who can help me with a cake design. How would you make a parking lot? I will be putting a sheet cake of a building on it. I would like to have parking space lines, cart returns, and carts.

Hi,

I would cover the sheet cake in black fondant (at least the top of the sheet cake if you don't want it entirely covered), and then measure where you will be putting yr building. After you figure that out, then you can estimate where you would like your parking lot spaces to begin and end. You could take strips of parchment or wax paper and lay them where you would want to make your yellow parking space lines. Also, do the same to mark where yr shopping cart lane will be.

Shopping carts: Do you want yr shopping carts to look like the ones with holes in them:
http://www.clker.com/clipart-10390.html
You could use royal icing to make this kind
OR
A Solid exterior:
http://www.wpclipart.com/food/cooking/shopping_cart.png.html
You could use gumpaste to make this kind.

Print out the images and use them as guides.

HTH

Oh, the cart return:

You could draw out or print an image to use as a guide:
http://www.formfonts.com/viewModel.php?id=5212

You could use gumpaste to make this as well

Be sure to let all of yr gumpaste pieces dry completely before putting together as well as make additional pcs in case of breakage.

HTH

HI,

I just had another idea re: yellow lines for yr parking spaces

If yr not to scared to do this, you could try this: Where you have placed the parchment/wax paper guides for yr yellow lines, you can out the black strip of fondant (where you put the paper guides) and then cut a yellow strip (same size) and place the yellow strip inside where you remoc=ved the black fondant strip. This will make yr parking lane lines look even move realistic and they won't look like they where just strips you laid ontop of yr black fondant.

I hope I explained this well enough not to confuse you