Gumpaste Flower Classes

Hello to everyone,

Very good news!! I have been looking for a while for a place to start teaching gumpaste flower classes and by chance last week ran into someone who I worked with when I was interning at a cake shop a few years ago. We started talking about what each of us have been doing these past years and when I mentioned I wanted to teach gumpaste flowers she told me she has a kitchen that I could use.

I will be putting together a couple of classes to teach about the 2nd week of January. I will post the details later this week. If you know anyone interested please have them contact me. It is in Hungtington Beach, CA.

I love to make these amazing flowers and to share what I know with others. 

Blue Orchids

When you think of orchids you don't necessarily think blue.. but, I had an order for rather large orchids with a deep but subtle blue color. I was very concerned something might go wrong which I don't normally worry about. So, I made extra flowers just in case and what do you know? I didn't need them.

I began to dust the practice petals I usually have with the different shades of blues. I combined blues, added white to soften the deep blues and finally found the color I wanted. I should write down the colors I use like I say every time I make a flower but I think it is nice to always have them a bit different.

After much stress and time finding the color I finally started applying it to the orchids.. I started with a very pale dusting, then after I completed one entire flower I did like how it came out. I had several to color and decided to make them all different shades of the blue to give some contrast. All in all I was very pleased and happy to say so was the caterer. I had also made several loose petals to lay around the tiers of the cake like they had fallen off the orchids.



Orchids in shades of blue

 The one disappointing part is I only took a couple of pictures of the flowers before I delivered them.  I think I shall contact the caterer and see if she took any photos.

Teaching gumpaste flowers

Would you like to learn gumpaste flowers and decorated cookies?

I am getting an interest list of those who would like to learn how to make gumpaste flowers. I am planning to teach here in Huntington Beach, CA if I am able to get enough people who are interested.

Although I don't post the decorated cookies I make I am also planning on teaching that as well. You can see what I do on my website www.shailesedibleart.com.

If you know anyone in the Orange County, CA area please let them know. Meanwhile, I am working on some new sugar flowers and hope to have them posted in the next week or so...

What sugar flower should I make?

That is always the hard decision for me because I want to make so many. I don't like to make just one of a flower and it sometimes takes a few to get them to look just like I want them. Although I have books I look at for many of the flowers, I do like to tweek them a bit. Then, I forget to write down what I did for the next time. I don't write the colors down I use either because I like them to be just a bit different each time. So, now I have been thinking of making the Cherry Blossom, Sweet Peas, or another Orchid. Since Christmas is coming I am wondering if I should make some Christmas flowers. Maybe I can find a shop in the mall who will let me display them. I really won't know what sugar flower I will make until I start, since being artistic I never stick to my plans.. it will be a surprise what I post..

Colette's Catering Extraordinaire

Working with Colette's Catering in Orange County, California

I am very excited about working with Colette's Catering in Orange County, California.  http://www.colettescakegoddess.com/ 

She is now offering my gumpaste flowers to her clients and has dedicated an entire page to show my work.   I can't tell you enough how wonderful it is to know the gumpaste flowers I create are now another option for her clients to consider as part of their cake design. Her cakes are simply fantastic and I love that the gumpaste flowers I create can be part of them.

Please visit the page of my gumpaste flowers when you are looking at her site.

 www.colettescakegoddess.com/portfolio_sugar_flowers/portfolio_sugar.html.

Please also visit her blog  http://meridianclub.blogspot.com/ 

Colette's Catering in Orange County, California.

Succulents are becoming popular

When I made my first succulent arrangement I did so because I liked the look and I thought to myself can a gumpaste succulent really look real?? Well, it took me a few tries to get the look I was going for and to figure out how thick to make each petal so it wouldn't be too heavy when added to a cake. Amazingly, they are very light and I think they look fantastic as an arrangement on a cake.

Succulents and Kumquats

This one I added to the top tier was my first attempt and I was so excited it turned out so nicely I have since made more. Now, I am going to look for different types and colors of succulents and make a variety of them since I really do like how they look on cakes..



I am also very excited about working with Colette's Catering who is now selling my gumpaste flowers. http://www.colettescakegoddess.com/

Damask design with succulent


She liked the succulents and asked for a sample cake for her display showroom with a damask look. This is what I came up with and it all fits together very nicely.







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Bougainvillea and Orchid cake

A cake designed around the sugar flowers



bougainvilleas, plumeria, cymbidium

This cake design came from the stenciling and applique work I have seen on several cakes on other blogs and magazines.  Adding a side design to match the sugar flowers used worked out well since I already had the cutters.

Bougainvillea cake

The top tier I wanted to keep fairly plain being so close to the sugar flowers so adding  a few bougainvillea petals and keeping them uniform made a nice simple design. The bottom tier would be the orchids with a bit more of flowing design and the addition of some color, texture and shape.   After I added the pearl borders I thought it all came together nicely...

Bougainvilleas

Gumpaste Bougainvilleas

A fun gumpaste flower to make

I finally finished the bougainvilleas for the cake I am making and took this picture of them in a vase. It took me a couple of tries to get the coloring just how I wanted it, testing it out on the extra petals I make just for sampling colors.

I am quite happy with the end result. I spent one entire morning making all the petals but I just wasn't really happy with them and thought I had wasted all my time. So, the next day I made all new petals which I used. I needed to make the leaves and I came to find out my time wasn't wasted after all with those petals I didn't like since I was able to use them as the leaves... I was pretty excited about that.

What to do???

Designing a cake is the hardest part

I usually design cakes around the gumpaste flowers I want to make. But,I want to make so many different flowers I end up going in circles... so, I took out just 3 of my cutters and have been very good at sticking to my plan for the first time. Lets see how I do... 

I am halfway done making them and now I have to decide what cake design I want to add them to. I have an idea of what I want in my head and I go through a lot of magazines and books for additional ideas. With several different pictures I found that I like and with the flowers I am making I have come up with a design... Yippee!! So, in the next couple of days I am going to make the cake and finish the flowers hopefully and have a completed cake to share.

I will update this later today of my progress and hopefully be able to add some pictures of the flowers I am going to use or at least of the ones that are complete.

Gumpaste flowers beginnings

My first ever gumpaste flower class

Several years ago I took my first gumpaste flower class with Nicholas Lodge and learned to make a rose. Being that is the most requested flower why not give it try. I remember not even knowing what gumpaste was but saw books about it and thought this could be fun. It was a two hour class with all the tools supplied.  Leaving the class I was very proud of what I had accomplished in the two hours and was totally hooked on making gumpaste flowers.

What I love about gumpaste flowers

Moth Orchids

It is the detail needed and patience required to be able to make something in sugar that looks so absolutely real. I knew that it would take a bit of practice and time to improve my technique so I decided to further my skills by taking more classes. It isn't only the technique of making gumpaste flowers but the shaping of each petal and leaf and adding the color that really makes the flowers look absolutely real.   If it is possible to make a flower in sugar I can make it.

The Rose, the hardest flower for me to learn

Rose, Gaura, Apple Berries

I have to confess that the rose was the hardest flower for me to learn and just don't understand why. I was able to learn and make the tiniest of orchids, the most unusual flowers, but when it came to roses they just stumped me and didn't look natural. I decided to stop making them for a while and keep learning other flowers until one day I had an order.. So, out came the books, a few samples of real roses, my tools, and I started practicing and finally it just clicked. It was the frustration on not getting it perfect in my eyes that held me back and decided to use different rose cutters and style which really helped. I am no longer afraid of the rose and very pleased at how I make them now.

Sugarpaste Pink Dahlias

Pink Dahlias for the Wedding

I had a customer ask me if I could make Dahlias for her daughters wedding cake. She sent a picture of the Dahlias she wanted and I did a bit of research on the Internet about them. I came to find out there are several different types and colors. I then went to the local florists to find the one the customer sent a picture of. Finally, I found it and the same exact color she had requested which thrilled me since it is always nice to have a real flower as reference. 

How the Dahlias came to be

Gumpaste Dahlias for wedding cake

First I had to find a cutter that was the shape and sizes I needed and began trying a few different techniques to find the best way to make them. When it comes to making custom sugar flowers the best way isn't necessarily always the quickest way. How real and life like I can make them is the part I do enjoy the most. Dahlias are a pretty full flower and in sugar it isn't always easy to get them just like you want. After my several different approaches I did find that wiring all the petals individually would work the best.  They can be assembled and arranged much easier and the end result is a much more realistic looking flower. Dahlia petals are quite small and do graduate in size a bit the fuller they become but not much so I had a lot of petals to wire to complete just one flower. I figured out the necessary amount of layers needed and I made 3 different size petals to achieve the flower I wanted.  After the petals were complete I had to make the center of the flower which were very tiny petals not opened yet and very slightly opened. Making that many very tiny petals was too bulky so I ended up taking a small ball of sugarpaste and cutting it to look like closed petals that were opening then making a few tiny petals to attach around it before adding the individually wired ones.  I was very pleased at the one flower I made and how it all worked out especially after I added the pale pink dusting color to it... So, now it was time to make the 10 Dahlias and the other flowers the customer ordered..

Gumpaste Dahlia arrangement

My customer was very happy and pleased how beautiful they came out... I got a big hug and knew she really did love them..

Tropical Sugar Flower Order

Tropical gumpaste flowers
for "Fresh Ideas" venue

I never excepted so much from entering my cake in the Orange County Fair. As I wrote earlier I had several displays and even did a demo.. I met such great people in the culinary department coordinating it all and the whole experience was just wonderful.

To top it all off I got a sugar flower order from Renee Fontes of "Fresh Ideas" who was the coordinator of the culinary exhibits. You can see her blog at www.chef-renee.blogspot.com/ . I made the tropical sugar flower arrangement for the cake she made. You guessed it a tropical themed party...

2010 Orange County Fair display cakes and arrangements

Gumpaste roses and orchids

The other area I contributed to was the floral department with the fresh and dried flowers. I had on display a wedding cake with roses, orchids, and filler flowers. It was very nice of the floral department to allow meto be part of them. When I called to inquire about displaying what I do they really couldn't visualize what gumpaste flowers were. It isn't easy to explain except saying they look real.. so I brought over samples and they were very impressed at how real they do look. I was very excited and honored to have my sugarflowers part of their display as well.


 
 

My display

Lastly, I was one of the featured artist and I was displaying a few of my sugar flower arrangements. It was a wonderful exhibit with an array of talent from bread sculptures to butter sculptures. 

A short write up

There was fruit carving and decorated cakes to just name a few.. It was a great honor to be part of such talent and share with others what I love to create...

2010 Orange County Fair Demo I did

Peony gumpaste flower with cake

I also did a demo at the fair for the first time on making a gumpaste Peony. I came with most of the pieces already made and assembled knowing I had only 1 hour to show how to make a complete flower. This particular flower takes at least 2 days to make from cutting the petas, shaping them, drying them, dusting them just the right colors, and then assemblinig it.


I had a lot of interest and questions about gumpaste and the flowers throughout my demo which was fantastic. It is always nice to share with others a craft to keep it going and for others to learn. One person that watched was so kind to email a picture of the cake and flower I made that I had with me... this is it... It was a lot of fun and hopefully next year they will be offering demos again and I can be part of it.

2010 Orange County Fair Winning Cake

gumpaste tropical flowers

It was a wonderful year at the fair not only going and eating all the great fair food but being part of it this year. I was very excited and surprised to learn while I was at the fair that the cake I had entered won "Best of Show" in addition to the Division Winner and 1st place winner.

Winning ribbons!!!

Here are the ribbons I won for it all. It was a very exciting day indeed. The wonderful part was I got to share with everyone at the fair that came to see the culinary department the gumpaste flowers I create. Although it isn't an unknow sugar art, there are still many people who do not know about it or don't know how real they can look.

2010 Orange County Fair

Hi everyone,

Gumpaste flower arrangement

This year I decided to contact the fair and see if I could display my gumpaste (sugar) flowers. When I met with the culinary department they were thrilled to see what I do and have me share it as an exhibitor. I was more than excited. I created 1 gumpaste floral arrangement in a vase and 2 cakes for the display. In additon to contacting the culinary deptartment I contacted the floral deptartment to see if they might be interested in gumpaste flowers displayed. It is always hard to describe what I do over the phone, so I made an appointment and showed them just exactly what gumpaste flowers are.

Large white gumpaste rose

They were very impressed and couldn't believe one could make life like flowers out of sugarpaste. They liked the orchids and roses I made and wanted to display a wedding cake with them too. The cake came out wonderful and I added some berries, leaves, and succulents to the arrangement. I also entered a cake in the cake decorating contest and recieved divisional winner with my cake of tropical flowers. Lastly, I am doing a gumpaste flower demo at the fair on August 1st . All in all this was more than exciting and I am so glad the Orange County Fair gave me this opportunity.