I made this cake just for practice. It was my first time making the crown, 1st time using the stencils and royal icing and also the first time using an impression mat on fondant (have only used it one other time and that was on bc). Overall, I was pretty happy with how it turned out but, I know somebody here must have some tips to offer. ( I know the pearls would have looked better if they were all the same size, but since this was a practice cake, in the interest of time, I just made them freehand...I know it doesn't pay to take a shortcut 
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Can anyone offer suggestions on how to use the impression mats? How do you put enough pressure on the mat to get a good imprint and not squish the cake?
With the royal icing and stencils, I should have scraped of the icing better. But, do you have to wash the stencil each time or was my stencil too loose allowing icing to get underneath? Because of the size of my stencil, I needed to repeat the pattern 3x's. Icing got on the back of it, so if I didn't wash it, it would stick the next time I used it and leave behind excess icing. Any tips?
And finally, my tiers stuck together again. 
Am I just not putting enough powdered sugar between the tiers?
TIA
-Penny
R U SERIOUS..I THINK U ARE LOOKING FOR COMPLIMENTS..THIS CAKE IS AWESOME..KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
On the pearls, you can roll out your fondant and go get a pretty big cutter so that when you roll it up, they're all the same size. For the layers sticking together, I should use crystal sugar. It's kind of like rock candy all broken up. I don't know how to explain it. Powdered sugar is too fine. Your cake looks BEAUTIFUL. I love it and it looks fine to me. I would wash off my stencil though.
Wow! That is beautiful! I wish I had little girls to make stuff like that for! (just rotten boys around here!)
I like the different size pearls. I can't really see the stenciling very well, But I say the cake as a whole is great!
Where did you get your impression mat? I am looking for one, but don't want ot spend a lot of money.
I saw this cake when you posted the picture. I think you did a great job. I think the crown is great. It would be hard to improve upon that. I definetly don't think you need to make any changes to the design. I is just right. Not too much, not to little. Good job. The only thing I see is maybe the fondant is a little wavy. That just comes with practice. I am sure your next one will be perfect.
Hope you don't mind me stealing your idea 
R U SERIOUS..I THINK U ARE LOOKING FOR COMPLIMENTS..THIS CAKE IS AWESOME..KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
I'm really not fishing for compliments but thank you. I just thought there had to be better ways to do the impression mats and stenciling than how I did it. It seemed so awkward but, maybe it's more inexperience than technique? I was hoping others might have tips on what has worked well for them.
Wow! That is beautiful! I wish I had little girls to make stuff like that for! (just rotten boys around here!)
I like the different size pearls. I can't really see the stenciling very well, But I say the cake as a whole is great!
Where did you get your impression mat? I am looking for one, but don't want ot spend a lot of money.
I only have girls (3 under the age of 5). The only thing they were interested in was the crown. 
I got my impression mat at www.cakesbysam.com. It was pretty inexpensive, I think around $5. I don't remember how the shipping was though.
Wow you did a great job!!!! Wish my dd would love pink, but she's now in an age that she hates pink and princesses... maybe if I make it a Bratz cake, in purple instead Hope you don't mind me stealing your idea
My oldest (5) just recently switched from princesses to Bratz. I was all set to make her a Tinkerbell cake and about 2 weeks before her birthday she decided she liked Bratz better. 
Her favorite color is also purple. But when I did her Bratz cake, I used the plates as inspiration and she thought it was cool (even though it wasn't purple) that the cake looked like the plate. What a compliment it would be if you used this idea. I can't take credit though. The inspiration came from so many cakes I've seen here on CC.
Thank you all for the compliments. The camera really does hide so many of the flaws that I saw. Which is great for portfolio purposes, but makes it harder to explain what I mean when asking for help.
I don't think you were fishing for compliments. It is absolutely gorgeous, though, and I'm afraid I have nothing to comment on for improvements. As far as tiers sticking together, my opinion is that once you take it apart to serve it, it doesn't matter what it looks like....people are going to eat it, not evaluate every little piece. Plus, they know it was stacked. So they know something was sitting on top of it.
I think the stencil would have to be washed in between, just like you did.
I'd love the instructions for the crown, if you are inclined to share....
I made a cake similiar to this one last year and what I used to make the balls equal size was a Polymer Clay tool used to measure clay in equal portions. It looks like a clear ruler but with holes of different mm so you get consistency in sizes.
I made different mm balls but each size was consistent. I really love this tool!
Amy
I'd love the instructions for the crown, if you are inclined to share....
I would love to share but the credit goes to Colette Peters (Cakes to Dream On) and another CC member - Carrielynnfields.
Tape your tiara design around a cake pan or other rounded object. The size of the pan depends on how big of a tiara you want. I used a 6" pan. Then cover the design with waxed paper and pipe the tiara with royal icing, on the waxed paper. I used a #2 tip to pipe. You can adjust the size of the tip depending on how intricate the detail of your tiara (the smaller the detail, the smaller tip to use). Let this dry and then pipe over it again. You need to do this at least 3x's to give it strength. It also adds detailing. You also need to make sure that you have a lot of lines that touch each other to give extra support. I didn't have to wait too long in between the layers.
Colette Peters book has a nice design in her book Cakes to Dream On and Carrilynnfields was nice enough to share several that she made. I used a modified version of one of her designs. (Thankyou Carrielynnfields 
) http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-26355-.html
cakemommy - thanks for sharing. I'll have to look for that next time I'm at Michael's!
You have some amazing cakes. I have to add that yours is one of the cakes that I got inspiration from in designing mine. After reading your post, I took a look at your pics and I have the cake you are referring to saved in my favorites!
Where did you get the template for the tiarra? Also in Collette Peters' book?
Where did you get the template for the tiarra? Also in Collette Peters' book?
There is a nice one in the Cakes to Dream On book. But, I used a modified version of one shared by another CakeCentral member, Carrielynnfields. Here's the link to the forum where she had posted them.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-26355-.html
Where did you get the template for the tiarra? Also in Collette Peters' book?
There is a nice one in the Cakes to Dream On book. But, I used a modified version of one shared by another CakeCentral member, Carrielynnfields. Here's the link to the forum where she had posted them.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-26355-.html
they're also posted in the Sketches & Patterns & Templates gallery
they're also posted in the Sketches & Patterns & Templates gallery
Thanks! I didn't even know that gallery existed! (Or is it a result of the recent revamping of the site?)
There is no reason for any changes whatsoever. It is simply beautiful. My three year old daughter would love this. I am going to have to get Colette Peters book myself. They had an old one of hers at the public library, but not this one. Keep up the great work.
cakemommy - thanks for sharing. I'll have to look for that next time I'm at Michael's!
You have some amazing cakes. I have to add that yours is one of the cakes that I got inspiration from in designing mine. After reading your post, I took a look at your pics and I have the cake you are referring to saved in my favorites!
You're so sweet!!! I haven't tried the impression mats much. I haven't tried the one you used. I'm afraid my lines wouldn't match up when I had to move it. Stupid question but did you imprint and then cover the cake or cover then imprint?
BTW, I would not have the patience to do that tiara! You did a phenominal job!!!
Amy
cakemommy - I covered the cake in MMF and then used the impression mat. It is a bit tricky to line up. Mine definitely aren't lined up perfectly. Actually, I think the dragees make that more noticable.
I was more afraid of squising the cake when I used the mats though. I was using one hand to press the mat and the other to hold the cake. I thought for sure I was going to ruin it. Maybe putting it in the fridge or freezer for a bit before coving with fondant would help?
That cake is gorgeous!! My little girls would love it 
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