Thanks everyone, I'm not much at painting but I use to wood burn pictures and then stain them with translucent ceramic paints so I felt safer at working with the paints then trying the applique. Later I may try the applique but I didn't want to take to long getting them to the hospital.
And yes they will be going to the hospital in a few days. I still have to heat set them and then I want to do a wash test on them, just to be sure.
Some one had mentioned that they thought painting them would make them stiff but since I used the paint as lightly as I could, it seems to be ok as far as flexibility is concerned.