I never realized that you could view members photos from their forum posts until now! I agree.....Gemini and Needacookie...your work IS amazing!!!

I'm no where near as good as Gemini and Kneadacookie, but when I do a black outline, I let the base colors set completely (like at least 12 hours) before doing the black outline so that the colors don't bleed. I've never had a problem with bleeding when I do that, only when I don't wait long enough.

Bonnie, please! Talk about humble! I just lost another hour looking at your photos! You are as talented as you are creative! I love the fish, the cinco de mayo arrangement, the teacups, the wedding dresses, etc, etc., etc. And the details - you even poked air holes in the Bandaids! Really great work. Guess what I'm having for dinner tonight? After seeing your cake, I have a hankering for a burger and fries!!

By the way, thanks for the tip on bleeding. I've only done a few cookies, but have noticed that with the antonia74 RI, after a day or so, deep color starts to make its way into the lighter color. Maybe I just need to let them set longer. Do they get stale though, as you are letting the base colors dry?

I agree with vinman9, Bonniebakes...your work is amazing!!! I hope to one day get that good .

Thanks for the tip on preventing bleeding of colors

Bonnie my jaw hit my lap when I saw those fish. Just stunning!

Thank you for sharing ,i really appreciate it , your work is awsome by they way.

Great tutorial, Gemini! I always outline in black first, so I will have to give your idea to outline afterwards a try. Thanks for sharing!

To be listed with kneadacookie as a comparable decorator is high praise indeed! Her cookies, along with yankeegal's, got me obsessed with decorated cookies in the first place! And bonniebakes....please...I have more than one of your cookies parked safely in my "favorites"! I'm always excited to see your new cookie pictures.

When I outline, I have the tip just barely above the cookie but not touching. I also like to wait overnight to add the outlining, but there have been many times that I'll add it immediately after finishing the rest of the decorating. I haven't had a huge problem with bleeding, but sometimes it just seems to happen. I agree with kneadacookie that red and black are the worst offenders.

susan...don't sell yourself short. you are so high up on the list of fab cookie decorator's, that if you ever fell off, you'd break an arm...lol i could spend all day looking at your cookies, as well as tracy, bakinccc, bonnie, yankee, sweetdreams and heidi. it's amazing how much cookie talent is here!!
i'm still so critical of my own work, that i almost blush when people talk aobut how "great" my work is. no seriously!! i guess i always just like to shoot higher. now, to be like nancy...OMG! i can only dream to be half as good as her someday.

I'm going to be at an event that is going to be hot and humid for 3 hours. What icing is best for that? I do fondant RI and Glaze.
I to would like to know how fast cookies get stale as well. And Can you freeze glaze and RI on a cookie? I need to make some way in advance so I was hoping it worked. What a great thread!!!!
Jen...

Thanks! I'm making sample cookies to give out with my card and have to make 100's so I thought if I could freeze some it would save me some time at the end.
I think the fondant would be too soft and my logo edible image would cause it to slide and be a mess.
Jen...

I'd have to guess it's the recipe. Wish I could be more help![/quote]

Thanks for take time to answer me!! i just maybe have to try to find another recipe.

thanks, everyone, for your really nice comments about my creations. I really appreciate it! I look at all the wonderful talent on here and I'm constantly in awe - I guess we are our own worst critics, huh?

I've not frozen my cookies (decorated or not) other than for experimental purposes, but my mother-in-law freezes decorated cookies that I send her all the time. She says they are as good when she takes them out as when they are fresh... (oh, I use a modified version of Antonia74's royal icing (I add some corn syrup to it, though)

Regarding bleeding and time for colors to set - other than black and red (or occasionally if I'm putting a really, really dark color next to a really, really light one), I try to wait at least 12 hours so that the colors don't bleed. I store my cookies in an airtight container (or semi-airtightly) from the time they are baked/cooled until they are bagged or packaged, so I haven't had a problem with them getting stale.

OK... I think I'm just outlining challenged!!

I did some bug cookies today and I outlined a few for comparison. Honestly - what do you think - do you prefer it with or without the outlines?

I like it better with..

They both look great but I like the cookies with the outline a little better

mellormom....the picture below shows my cookies with 1/3 rolled buttercream 2/3 MFF with an edible image added using corn syrup as glue.

I prefer to do my edible images on the RBC/MFF mix, they really seam to do well and taste really good.

Bonnie - Count me as one of your big fans! Regarding the outlining, I am a bit torn. I like both versions, but with the pink caterpillars, I do like it. It is a perfect, thin line and is very nice. But on the blue caterpillars you posted, I liked them without. I think it made his little expression pop a bit more. For the snail, I tend to think without. Again, the expression pops wonderfully. This is going to sound odd likely, but for me sometimes the 'personality of the cookie' calls for it and other times, I doesn't. I am working on sailboat designs right now and, with the light look, I am not envisioning an outline. I think it depends largely on the cookie, but boy, as Gemini has shown so well, it certainly can make them pop! Many times I will try both methods when I do my prototype cookies and it becomes immediately apparent which works best for that particular cookie.

Not sure I helped much, but I do love your cookies!

You'll need to add me to the "with outlines" group. I think they look just fine without, but when you add them, it just gives them more definition. As Tracy mentioned, sometimes you don't want that and you have to decide on the look you're after. I'm always thinking illustrations and cartoons, so the outlines are kinda important for many of the designs that I do.

KathyTW:
Thanks! Do they freeze well? I'm sure the image doesn't but what about the rest?
Jen...

thanks everyone, for your comments. I'm torn too... I think the snail is better without and I like the caterpillars both ways - one definitely looks more "cartoony."

My husband prefers them without, I guess it really does depend on the cookie itself and the desired effect....something for me to think about as I do more cookies....

thanks for starting this thread!

Mellormom....I don't know but it would only take a couple of hours to test. Through a test cookie in the freezer with a couple of different options and see which one works out best. (And make sure to post your results so the rest of us can add it to our knowledge base!!!!)

I'm so excited to see this post! I'm another one who outlines, dries, then floods. I can't seem to get the knack of outlining and immediately flooding. I get icing dripping over the sides that way, because of my consistency. When I outline with black it's stiffer. Then I flood later with thinned icing.

I will have to practice, practice, practice, because I really like the way those look. I've noticed that if I get too much flood icing my outline almost disappears. This would eliminate that problem.

Thanks!!!

I will test! I was planning to do it tomorrow. I'll take pics as well.
Jen...

I did the freezing test. The glace cookie sweated to much and got soft around the edges. The fondant cookie froze fine and the RI cookie sweated but not to bad. So I wouldn't freeze glazed but RI and fondant seem fine.
HTH someone!
Jen...

thanks, Jen. Good to know!

i LOVE to outline to me the cookie isn't finished until it is-and i can't seem to stop myself either i have to have something on there either an outline, highlight, sugar something. i just made balloons for a good friend's sons' class (just 20 thankfully) and though she was paying me a gave her a deal and i tried to tell myself it will be fine in simple colours and wrapped but no... okay it's in my pics (i don't have the patience to shrink then wait to load) it's there
thanks for the comments guys-see i don't even do the outline simple lol can't stop myself i have to do that little bit extra