Here are a couple of pictures that a friend of mine on AOL shared with me.
These show how beatiful some simple pictures can be to make a cake. 

See the file: stencils for complete instructions on how to easily transfer pictures onto cakes. I believe Linda got most of these pictures from her computer program called Print Artist. Print Artist isn't marketed as heavily as many others, but it really IS Linda's favorite and also mine. I also used the 'tree' from Print Artist, shown above, for my computer-drawn cake I sent you in the Christmas '96 cake decorator's newsletter.

TO DO PICTURES:

1. As in Stencils. zip; lay your picture on styrofoam, lay wax paper (for stencil) over your picture and use a corsage pin to punch holes on all the lines.

2. Ice the cake. Let the icing crust just a little bit, so the wax paper stencil won't stick to the icing. DON'T let it crust too long or the transfer will make cracks in the icing.

3. Lay the wax paper stencil, centered on the cake, where you want it. Also place little pieces of wax paper around it so the cake is completely covered. (So the cocoa won't fly where you don't want it to go...see below).

4. Using cocoa in a nylon footie - ends cut off and tied with a rubber band or string - 'powder puff' cocoa through all the holes in the stencil. Carefully lift away the stencil and dispose of it. This stencil can't be re-used...but you CAN make permanent stencils...read about this in stencil.zip.

5. You are ready to decorate: Outline the picture with a dark color and tip 3 or 4. Fill in appropriate colors in star-fill-in method using tip 14-16. (Size of tips to use depends on how big an area you have. With small details, use smaller tips).

NOTES: Pictures can also be filled in using several other methods:

1. Using piping gel. This is just wonderful for church windows where you want the 'glassy' look and shine.

2. Use thinned down bittercream icing - Fill in with a smooth writing tip and buttercream icing, then with water on your finger, smooth it.

3. Fill in using the color-flo method and color-flo mix or royal icing. (May best done right ON the cake in this case though). But you CAN make this picture to SAVE. TO DO: Make the picture ahead of time on wax paper. Let it dry 3-4 days. Ice the cake as usual. Place sugar cubes on the cake, securing with icing. Pipe a dot of icing also on tops of the sugar cubes. Set the picture in place. DO NOT cover the cake tightly. When you are ready to cut the cake, lift off the picture and set aside....Great for sentimental people...and for YOU after you worked so hard making it!

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