There is a real pretty Tiara cake uploaded by bonjovibabe on dec 01 2006 that I would love to do for my daughter but I am not sure how to do the diamond pattern on it. I hope someone can help me.

This is where I got mine:

http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/mini.aspx?T=1&SubCatId=1327

You can also do it freehand using a ruler but I'm no good trying to do it that way so I bought the mat!

Welcome to CC!

You can also find them at www.cakesbysam.com

Angie

I recently did a wedding cake with the quilting and I was unable to get an impression mat so i used a square metal cutter. Wilton sells a set of 3, I used the middle sized one and it turned out great. Takes a little longer to imprint each but effect was great.

You might want to try this link, I've bought several mats here

http://cakecarousel.com/cakecarousel/cakecarousel.html

Is there a video or tutorial on the use of the mats? I've never used one and would love to get some pointers.

I dusted mine pretty good with cornstarch before I woudl press it into the cake. Just practice with it. It takes just a bit of practice to get a feel for how much pressure to use and getting it lined up but once you get it you can move pretty quick around the cake!

would you do the pattern b4 u put the fondant on the cake or while its on?

The sunflower cake was bc but if you are using fondant, cover your cake then use the impression mat. If you are using it on fondant I wouldn't dust it with the cornstarch.

Impression mats are my new best friend. I love them for doing the side of a cake. The gazebo/garden cake in my photos was done with a "brick wall" for the cake sides. I used a smaller cobblestone mat from the clay dept. at Michaels for the path (doesn't show well in the pic but looked great on the cake). Tomorrow I'm doing a birthday cake that will have a deck using the plank impression mat--this one doesn't make as deep of an impression as I would like, but it will be ok. On fondant it's good to impress as soon as possible after rolling. If at all possible do it before transfering the fondant to the cake, but some designs will dictate that it be done after. For icing, wait for the BC to crust then just have at it. Overlap your mat on the design as you go around the cake or you will create a line where the mat edge meets the previous impression. Quick. Easy. Looks great.

Patwork cutters makes a diamond quilting set that is even easier than a mat! It looks like a cookie cutter and all you do is line it up and press it in. I got mine at Global Sugar Art. The mat I have is plastic and I had a hard time molding it to do the side and tops. You dont have to worry about that with the set.