I want to try the rice paper butterflies. I'm a tad confused about rice paper.
There seems to be an edible kind for cooking and the kind for art. I would prefer my butterflies to be edible, but is there an advantage to using one or the other?
The instructions from Martha's website says to use 8.5 x 11 sheets which makes me think I should get art rice paper as I can't image that food rice paper comes in that size.
I just got a package of rice paper at the cake decorating store - 10 sheets for $1.25 and they are 8 1/2 X 11. I don't know how they differ from 'art' rice paper though...... I am told these can be run thru an edible printer so that is my next step, lol.
The edible rice paper or wafer paper does indeed come in 8.5 X 11 sheets. Easy to run thru the printer. 
And if by art paper you're looking at water color paper, I don't know that that stuff is food safe. That's not the rice paper/wafer paper that we talk about on here.
I also am interested in rice paper. If there is not a cake decoration store around where I live, is there any other suggestions on where I could buy rice paper? I am going to try tracing my picture on to the paper and then cut it out and place it on my cake then filling it in. Thanks!
Rice paper is more properly named 'wafer paper'
At one time it was made from rice hence the name but it isn't anymore. It is much the same as the 'host' used in Catholic church for Holy communion.
Be careful if you use it in a printer! We had two printers and one of them got sooooooo gummed up from it it was almost impossible to get it cleaned out
But it worked perfectly in the other one.
Wafer paper b'flies and fall leaves are sooooo real looking made from it: OR if you have an airbrush you can spray the colors on them. This makes them curl up so real like.
Before I got my ab I used non-toxic felt-tip pens to color pix on wafer paper. You have to be very careful as even the least bit of moisture will cause it to dissvolve. You cannot rest your hand on the wafer peper or it curls. Use a pad of papertowels under your hand and work quickly from top of pic to the bottom.
Some people don't like to use it. They say it is hard to cut thru but I never had anyone complain when I put it on cakes. You also can put them on a 'plaque' of gumpaste just as you would a frosting sheet.
Wafer paper is just a different product than the icing sheets. The icing sheets sort of melt into the icing on the cake and are easy to cut. The wafer paper does not get as soft and can be difficult to cut thru. Wafer paper is great for butterflies, leaves and such that are applied to the cake.
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