Thanks for posting all the different links and info. Based on what I have seen and read, THIS IS A LOT OF WORK!
My question is --has anyone use the simple surgar on carved cakes to deal with the crumbs? Does it cause the cake to be hard? does the sugar create a crust?
Thanks!
Do you mean simple syrup? If so, it doesn't crust or harden, it moistens, so I don't see how it would help with crumbs.
Theresa 
I tried it with my second batch. I dropped a few in and the cake was soggy and even dripped when bitten into. The others I just dipped the sides in. It didn't seem to make a difference in the crumbs though. I did find this video on you tube
Any tips on getting the sides smooth? I froze my cake before I cut it. Is it best to cut with a serrated knife? It seemed to add more crumbs to the sides.
I use a chef's knife to cut them and spoon the frosting over them. I've never dipped them, but there was a old thread here where someone had quite the system for dipping... I can't find it now, but can look again tonight...
leahs had shared her technique...I tried it and LOVE IT!(thanks Leah!)
4th post down...
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-612265-skewer.html
scroll down...she shares(CC member too!) how she ices her's
http://cakesandcupboards.blogspot.com/search/label/petit%20fours
OMG! Great article about Leah and her works...B&B et al
http://www.epicurean.com/articles/tea-cakes.html
In the second to the last paragraph, in the left side column, she shares how she does it...
Check and see if you can find tube of CK in black. If not melt some dark chocolate candy disks and add black OIL to color. Water may make it sieze.
Can u use wilton gel to color the candy? I only have wilton stuff around here. The one store that carried CK that i knew about closed. 
I have used Wilton candy coloring OIL (does it come in black?) Don't know about the regular gel or pastes. Why not try it on a small amt and let us know what happens? Has anyone checked the candy or regular icings located with cupcake and cake decos at the regular market? I think the brand would be Betty Crocker. The whole point is to get a reliable black and red SOMETHING for decorating petits fours.
regular gel colours are water based, and will not work with the chocolate, it has to be oil based.
i diped mine - i think it was in the bakarella link? finger on bottom, thumb on top, dip each side, and spoon over the top.
whether simple syrup really helps with crumbs or not, im not convinced, maybe they do - but with petit fours, they are supposed to be very moist, and its hard to get moist cake into tiny layers so you need the help!
xx
I need red and black decoration of some sort, I was thinking stripes or polka dots. I have red candy melts so that is covered. The black on the other hand... are there any options besides an oil color? I have a wilton gel black, should i try royal icing or the petit four pourable icing with that? Will fondant tint black easily if it is a small amount?
Maybe RI would work. Fondant type icings never seem to get darker than pastel in my experience.
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