I recently made a batch of the color flow. I am needing a hello kitty transfer for a cake and the first transfer I made was a complete disaster. I don't think I let the black dry long enough. After a couple of days, I noticed the black had bled into the white and pink. So the second time I let the black dry for two days and tried it again. After a couple days, it did the same thing only not as bad. I left it to sit a few more days and it is still wet. It is driving me nuts! What is going wrong? Should I try a RI transfer instead? Also, what type of paper do i use? Parchment or Wax? I tried both and I think Wax is the best but I won't know until I get this darn thing right. Can't peal of wet frosting. I have a whole thing of the color flow powder that I would hate to see go to waste but I am at a loss now. Any advice will be great!

Oh, I do need to make one that will stand up. Any suggestions for this? I was told to make it as a cookie then stand it up.

What recipe did you use?

Are you leaving it out in the air to dry? Is it every humid there?

I had the same thing happen when I made a royal icing transfer last year. Here's a link to the mess:

http://letsgetcaking.blogspot.com/search/label/Monk

I've discovered that even if the black outlining is completely dry, you will still have bleeding problems if your filler icing is too wet. You do need a flow consistency of icing, but make it as thick as possible and still get a smooth surface, and you'll minimize bleeding colors.

I've had the best luck with using plastic wrap. I've tried waxed paper and the pieces seem to break easier. If you use plastic wrap, just flip the icing over once it's dry, and peel the wrap off the back. You just need to make sure to tape the plastic wrap in place to keep it from moving and make sure you have no wrinkles in the plastic before you start piping.

I hope that helps some.

Here is a great tutorial by Cakehelp for making a standing image:

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=648450&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15

Just scroll down the page, and you'll see it. She even demonstrates the technique with a Hello Kitty that she stands up using a toothpick attached to the back.

How big of a transfer are you making? If it's just a couple inches tall, it'll probably dry in 24 hours if you use royal icing. However, the larger royal icing transfers also take a few days to dry.

I'm sure you'll have better luck this time. Make sure and post pictures when you're done!

I like doing my transfers on plastic page protectors.

As far as getting it too thin, your flood consistany, with either royal or color flow, should be like Elmer's White School Glue.

The first time I made colorflow was a Hello Kitty image. It took me 3 tries to keep it from bleeding!! I do use wax paper and I have never had any trouble. I just tape it down to a cutting board or something flat that I can move. I use the Wilton Color Flow and once you get used to the consistency it works perfect. I use the Americolor Black and I make this icing as thick I as can but it still needs to flow well while making your outline. I let this dry in the oven with the light on for 24 hours. I then do all my colors with about a consistency of no more than the 5 second rule. I use my white at the very end. It might bleed just slighty but not enough to make a huge difference. When you peel it off the wax paper, just bring it to the edge of your board and let it sort of peel and do the work for you.

Ooh, I love the page protector idea, TexasRose!

UPDATE!!!

So I made a new transfer about 5 hours ago and it is completely dry. I decided to try the RI transfer rather than color flow. I will attempt the color flow again in the future but I just don't have the time to wait for it to dry. I did try it on plastic wrap but I could not get it to stay flat. It kept crinkling up. I am going to try a protector sheet next time. That is a great tip I will let you know when I actually put it on the cake. I am going to make a few more tomorrow AFTER I invest in some sheets. I have a feeling I might get clumsy with this one so I want backups! Thanks for all the help! I was really starting to panic!

So, have you made another attempt? How did it go?

Forgot to add the Raiders RIT. So here it is.

Wow! They both turned out great! The detail on the Raider's transfer is amazing. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Thank you! I was pretty amazed myself! I definitely feel a lot more comfortable with the transfers now than I did before. I have a margarita glass I will be making in a week but this one has to stand up. So that will be my next challenge!