Art Walk Huntington Beach

I was quite happy to get an email telling me I will be part of this Months Art Walk. This is an event where artists display their work in different businesses in Downtown Huntington Beach the 3rd Wed of each month. Several businesses offer their store fronts and visitors to Huntington Beach can enjoy not only our Downtown area but this Art Showing.

I have been working on creating new arrangements in containers for display. For me making the sugar flowers is much easier and less time consuming than arranging. So, all day I have been unwiring and rewiring the sugar flowers I have to create new arrangements.

Can't wait till tomorrow night!!!

I will include photos just as soon as I finish it all which will be later this evening. 

If you would like to see more about the Art Walk I have shared the link

http://www.surfcityusa.com/events/detail.aspx?id=887

Tulips....more than one species and color

I wanted to make some tulips and only know of the standard variety I see at the florists or at the market.   As I was looking through my flower supplies I found a catalog on tulips which I have had for a few years now. I had only glanced through it but kept it, and I sure am glad since I found different variety of tulips advertised. This led me to the Internet to search further.

Searching for a type of flower takes me longer than actually making them. I have an idea of what colors I want to use then I have to find samples of how they are grown. This is when I kind of go crazy and can't decide. For the tulips here are a few I saved to refer to when adding the color.

closed and open tulip to see shading and center

sample of another variety of tulip with wonderful color

So, after I save several photos I look at the shading and colors and just go for it. I don't always copy the color as I see it and sometimes I combine colors from a couple different flowers. I just like to get ideas and when it is time add the color I have an idea what I want to end up with.

New flower creations

Yes, I have been busy making some new gumpaste flowers

I get grand idea's I will be able to make many different flowers in a short period of time. But in reality I need to make several petals per flower, then each arrangement needs several flowers plus leaves and buds. So, it turns out it takes a few days to make just one arrangement.

I am in the process of finishing another gumpaste hydrangea in green with some shades of purple. For now here are the ones I have completed. I will be putting them in differenta arrangements shortly after I make a few more pieces to complete them.

Gumpaste golden wings rose

gumpaste slipper orchids

Purple gumpaste hydrangea

Teaching Gumpaste Flowers

Hello everyone,

I want to thank you for following my blog to see what new flowers I am making and information about what I do.

I started out wanting to only sell gumpaste flowers, but the more demo's I do and the more classes I teach I found I do love to teach gumpaste flowers. I have been searching out places to allow me to teach on a regular basis and meeting with many different people who are in the culinary and flower world.

In the past I would call those I found to meet with but noticed when I just show up with samples of sugar flowers in hand and they can actually see and touch, I have had many more doors open for me.

I had a couple of very nice meetings last week and will update my blog when I hear back from the two businesses I met with. I am working down my list of those I believe would be a great place to demo and teach and look forward to more doors opening.

Thanks again everyone for following me and those who would like more classes thanks for waiting. 

Deciding on Gumpaste Flowers or Fresh Flowers

I get a lot of inquiries about purchasing gumpaste (sugar) flowers for special occasion cakes. There are  many people who have only been able to see them on the Internet or the Food Channel.

Custom gumpaste (sugar) flower arrangement

The gumpaste flowers I make are custom made to look life like. It is something I love to do. They are all hand made and the color is all added by hand with petal dust and paint brushes. You might order several of the same flower which you will get but no two will be identical. That is what is so nice... just like the real ones

Every demo I do I lay out the many different gumpaste flowers and every one comes up to the table to take a closer look. Those who haven't seen them in person are amazed at how real I actually make them look. All but the smell, really. It makes me smile very big to get such fantastic compliments.

Everyone is very curious to feel them and I always bring some sample petals or flowers for people to touch. Although they look real with the shapes and colors of the petals they can break (snap) when pressed between your fingers too hard. But, if handled properly they can last indefinitely.



This brings me to the question should you have fresh or gumpaste flowers on your cake?

Some reasons to consider having gumpaste flowers

If a flower is out of season and you really want it

If you are looking for a flower in a particular color you can't find

You would like a custom flower possibly a cross between a couple of flowers

You would like something different  

They can last indefinitely if handled properly

They make a great keepsake

You can even gift them to someone else

They are very nice to have on display

Cost of course is another factor when purchasing any item. Just keep in mind.

 Fresh flowers can't be compared to custom gumpaste flowers and custom gumpaste flowers can't be compared to pre-made gumpaste flowers. It is all preference and what you are looking for.



Sugar flowers for Sale

As you know I sell and teach gumpaste flowers and I have several I have made for displays and demos. After taking photos of them and I unfortunately store them away and it is a shame they are just packed away and hidden in boxes instead of being displayed somewhere or used for an event.

I have quite a few flowers left I would love to sell even though parting with them is sometimes hard. Some can be shipped, but not all due to how delicate they are. If you are intereted please contact me for prices.

Some of the flowers I have are Pink Stargazer Lilies, Yellow Day Lily, Cymbidium Orchids in Pink and Green, Calla Lilies in Pink and White, Gardenia's, Succulents, Hibiscus, Plumeria, Cherry blossoms, berries, and a few other types of flowers.

Here are a couple arrangements I created with a few of the flowers.  I can sell them as you see or just the indivual flowers.

For any of the above flowers I mentioned you can see samples of them on my gumpaste flower page or just ask me about them. I will post more photos as well.

Thanks for taking an inerest

Gumpaste Class Hibiscus and Plumeria

Last week was part 2 of the Plumeria and Hibiscus gumpaste class. I had a great time teaching the ladies who took my class and they were awesome students.

I believe none of the students had any prior experience using gumpaste and found my class either seeing me at the Orange County Fair doing the demo or the school catalog and being curious about it. I am glad to share this fantastic art in sugar and hope they continue on.

We started in week 1 making all the petals for both flowers since they have to dry before adding the petal dust and assembling.  I went over the tools a bit and how to use them and what they do. I then gave a demo on how to make, cut and shape the petals. Then everyone started working as I assisted or explained what they could do to make it different or help fix mishaps.

The interesting thing about teaching for me is I just do certain things to create the petals I don't explain. Not that I don't want to or think it is important, it is just that I do them, not thinking about it. I must have wondered or asked many questions when I started out.

Everyone made their petals using the same few cutters and we had all similar petals but with slight differences. I loved that since flowers are not all alike in real life and are much nicer when not all shaped the same. They all did a bang up job. The most important part is they all had fun!!! So, they told me.

Week 2 and now we get to add the petal dust and assemble them. This for me has always been my favorite part. This is where you get to make the flowers look lifelike and let the artist in you come out. I brought several colors to use, gave a demo on how to add the petal dust and some do's and don'ts from my own experience learning and then everyone began. Even with everyone using the same colors no two were alike. Isn't that great?

After adding the petal dust another brief demo about assembling them and using florist tape. This part just takes practice and will get easier as you do more. But, they all did great and assembled both flowers creating some fantastic Plumeria's and Hibiscus for their first time... I think they all turned out wonderful and again, having fun is what it is all about. I was very excited.

I think I am a true artist at heart. As much as I prepare I always leave something behind. This time it was a missing battery for my camera. I couldn't take any pictures and I am waiting for one of the ladies in class to send me some so I can post them. Mental note for next time is to check I have my camera with the all batteries.

I will post shortly more classes. The Chinese Peony and Stargazer Lily. They seem to be most popular.

Grooms Cake Lei

Summer seems the time for tropical flowers and I have had many orders for Plumerias, Hibiscus and Orchids. I am not complaining mind you since I love to make tropical flowers. They also seem to be a favorite of many people too.

I met my customer at the Orange County Fair where she saw the tropical arrangement I had. She was looking for something different for the grooms cake and she also wanted flowers for the brides cake. The flower she wanted for the grooms cake were the traditional flowers in a lei, so I thought why not make a lei for the cake. She loved the idea. She wanted bright for the brides cake and I love bright so it was a go.

I think the only challenge was figuring out how many flowers I would need to make a lei the right size for the cake. I guesstimated and was right on.. wiring flowers together in a circle formation isn't that hard it is just tricky to not them break as I move the lei around to attach the next flower. I was very pleased how it turned out and I think I will be making a couple other lei's with different flowers..

here is the finished lei...

gumpaste epidendrum orchid lei

Pretty with Pink

This was a cake order for a very traditional cake with Pink being the theme. The bride wanted all the flowers to be pink or have shades of pink on them. At first I wasn't sure about all the pink even though pink one of my two favorite colors. The bride had a list of flowers she would like on the cake and I chose the ones I thought would fit together nicely and would look fantastic in pink.

I made Calla Lilies with the yellow centers which looked very elegant, all pink Alstroemeria, Dendrobium Orchids, Tulips with many shades of pink and yes White Stepanotis filler flowers which balanced out the pink very nicely. The cake was stunning as you can see from the picture. It was designed and made by Simply Layered Cakes with the gumpaste flowers I made.

The Daily Pilot Article about me

I haven't been this excited in a long time.. I was written up in the local paper for Newport Beach and Costa Mesa called the Daily Pilot. It tells a bit about me making gumpaste flowers.. It was very nice of them to interview me and share the gumpaste flowers I love to make.

Please click on the link below to read it and  don't forget to click the gumpaste flowers in the article

Daily Pilot Article

The Orange County Fair 2011 Final Post

Hi Everyone,

Well August 14th was the last day of the fair. I know I have been posting quite a bit about what has been going on so this will be the last post.

I had a fantastic time and experience. Besides the daily demo on gumpaste flowers each day for 4 hours I also did one presentation on the stage, entered two, one day food contests where I won in both 1st place and Best of Show in my category. I was fortunate enough to work next to Chef Ray L. Duey a fantastic vegetable carver. You must see what he creates it is really amazing  http://www.chefgarnish.com/. I will post some pictures in another post.

I have a class coming up in September you can find under classes here on my blog and my website http://www.shailesedibleart.com/.  I had the class info posted during the fair and I am very happy to see the interest in learning custom lifelike sugar flowers.

I think just one of the memorable parts of this experience was being written up in the local Newport Beach/Costa Mesa paper The Daily Pilot  (please click on the link). I came to find out it is part of the LA Times so people saw it there as well. My friends were very excited to see me in the paper. I know I already mentioned I met so many wonderful people interested in knowing what gumpaste flowers are and how they are made. Many have seen them on the Food Network but told me to see them in person was very exciting. I met florists, artists, woodworkers, decorators, and many who were just interested in looking. It was an overall fantastic time. Thanks everyone and hopefully I will be part of the fair in some way next year...

My Experience at the Orange County Fair

Well, the Orange County Fair is almost over, this is the last week. It has been almost a month and it flew by much too fast.  This has been the first event like this I have been part of and I had no idea what to expect.

Remembering my very first day, hoping I brought everything I needed and wondering if anyone would actually stop to watch someone making flowers in sugar. I was very surprised and happy Edible Art was a very big hit with everyone. It was non stop the entire 4 hours and after the 1st hour I became quite relaxed and no longer nervous.  I have been enjoying doing a daily demo from the first day.

The flowers I create are very realistic looking and most people walking by would often say what lovely flowers not knowing they are in sugar. That was my cue to tell them they are made of gumpaste which then had people looking more closely at them. I would explain what gumpaste is made of and what the sugar flowers can be used for.  There are many people who don't know about gumpaste flowers and have never seen them. Then there are the many who watch the food channel and see them on the cake shows, either way people are very excited to see them in person.

What I have found very interesting is how many kids ask their parents to let them watch me make some petals. The kids ask all sorts of questions and want to know what everything is I am using. So many of them watch the food channel and want to go home and make some. Yes, spread the word of sugar art. I have met all sorts of people and some repeat visitors to the fair come back by.

Just a few days left and I will write more about my experience at The Orange County Fair very soon.

My gumpaste flowers on cakes

I have been working with my friend Christy Platt who owns Simply Layered Cake Design www.simplylayered.com. She makes and decorates fantastic cakes and I make the gumpaste flowers. We have teamed up and how lucky for both of us since she loves to bake and decorate and I love to make the gumpaste flowers. What a team we make!! 

 Here are a couple of her cakes I with my gumpaste flowers 

One large gumpaste white peony

Gumpaste cymbidium orchids

Cake Judging

Hi All,

I am very excited to share with you my experience being a cake judge at the Orange County Fair. I have entered many cake competitions and being asked to be a judge was a huge compliment for me.

I didn't know what to expect or how in the world I would judge cakes being my first time. It was not as stressful as I anticipated and actually a great experience I hope to have again. All the judges for all the different categories were gathered together and given guidelines and rules. We each had an assistant to answer our questions, explain any rules not clear, pretty much help us with anything we needed throughout this experience. But, in the end it was up to each judge to pick the best from each category. 

I had my section of cakes to judge and being my first time I decided to just look at each cake then go back and give the awards. It sure is different being on the other side and deciding who gets awards and who doesn't. I took what I have learned from entering all the cake competitions I have and applied it here. It isn't always the best designed cake or the most creative but a combination of it all. You need to look for creativity, what sort of techniques are used and how many, how clean it is, do they follow the theme or guidelines, and overall appearance. So, just because you like a cake idea doesn't mean they necessarily win. I have learned that from entering... it really makes a lot of sense since two cakes could be in a tie for first, but you have to make the decision why one will win over the other.

In the end really everyone is a winner, even if you don't receive a ribbon.

When I first started entering competitions I was very nervous and really wondered if I should have, because there are so many people better than me. But, it really shouldn't matter since you are doing this for you, to share your talent with others doing the same thing, challenging yourself, and learning. It is a huge bonus if you win and it is wonderful to win, but not winning should never stop you from entering.

All the cakes I got to judge were wonderful and what I got out of being on the other side is how everyone can interpret the same thing differently. I never noticed it before when I entered. Everyone might use buttercream but not the same techniques, or everyone might add flower decorations but they will all be different.  A big cheers for me being given this experience and to everyone who entered. Keep sharing your talent..

As a sugar person I love to promote sugar art and share with everyone how fun it is...

Sharing Sugar Art

So far I am having a fantastic experience doing a daily demo at the Orange County Fair. I get to show so many people who have never seen a sugar flower how they are made, explain what gumpaste is and answer all sorts of questions. I can't believe how many kids are interested and actually stand there while I demo. Maybe there are some young sugar artists among them.

The best part is when the people come up close to the flowers and look and say those are sugar??? They look so real. That for sure makes me smile and I say thanks with a huge smile on my face.

I am so glad I get to share making sugar flowers and promote sugar art.

Gumpaste Flower Class

September Class at Orange Coast College Cummunity Education.

2 Tuesdays September 20th and 27th from 6:00pm - 8:30pm.

Cost is 99.00 plus 30.00 material fee

Plumeria and hibiscus with the leaves and buds as time permits.

All supplies are included. 

Would you love to add that special touch to your decorated cakes?

Custom gumpaste flowers will do just that. In this series, learn how to work with gumpaste to create the hibiscus and plumeria. These are wonderful flowers to learn if you haven't worked with gumpaste before and for those who have.

You will begin by learning how to create the hibiscus center and petals for both flowers adding texture and shaping to give them movement, followed by adding the dusting colors and creating shading and highlights which really bring your flowers to life. The most exciting part will be assembling your flowers seeing your wonderful creations.

Please visit them for further info at http://orangecoastcollege.augusoft.net/

Sharing Gumpaste Flowers

As everyone already must know I am doing a daily demo at the Orange County Fair on the gumpaste flowers I make. It is day 2 and thought I would share what has been happening in brief.. This being my first time doing a demo like this I didn't know how to prepare..

I had my business cards made, a flyer saying what I do and all the supplies needed to make my flowers. I was very happy that the only thing I had forgot to bring was an offset spatula. I use that to make succulents. So, I am off to a good start.

I have come now with a plan of what I want to do but it has yet to happen. I have a ton of people coming by which is more than exciting for me asking questions and wanting to see different things I do. So i haven't had the chance to make one complete flower. Day 3's plan is to work on  a flower and when I start to do a demo put it aside to continue on later.. now, that is a brainstorm idea I didn't think of before.

It is very exciting to know that a majority of the people who come by and see all those flowers and find out they are all made of sugar think it is the coolest thing ever. I didn't know how many people don't know about sugar flowers and are interested in seeing them made and ask all sorts of questions. Even those who don't want to learn or buy them.. I love to share it all and hope to be able to promote sugar art.

Today, my second day I was asked by another exhibitor across from who works at a nursery to come do a demo for them. I was flattered and said yes of course and thanked her.. I am going to demo orchids but not sure which ones yet or when I will do the demo.

 I absolutely love doing this and hope to be able to start teaching others very soon.

I will post weekly of how it is going at the fair.

Researching Flowers

Sometimes I can't find the real flower I want to make or someone asks me to make a flower I don't have time to find. My only other option is to look it up on the Internet. There is a world of info out there from photos to oil painting and a lot in between. I tend to do a lot of research on the Internet even if I have the real flower. I can see the range of color, different species, close up shots, their leaves or buds, I can really find a lot out just with a bit of research.

Today I wanted to make a Freesia but I don't have a real one handy so I went on YouTube and looked it up. I found people post a lot on flowers and found a short video of a time lapse of the Freesia which I gave the link to.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI15fctUZRc&feature=related 

It is very helpful to see it this way and I even got to see the inside of the flower  showing what the stamens look like. I also googled Freesia flowers to find out what they look like and how they can be used in arrangements, the colors and whatever else I can find.

So, now that I have done some research I am able to figure out what cutters I need to make the flower, what types of stamens it has, how it grows, the colors, markings, pretty much everything I need to get started. As much as I would love a real flower in front of me it isn't always possible, but the next best thing are the posting on the Internet.

Here is one example of a Freesia I found to use as a model 



Real freesia to model after



Modern style Peony

Another flower order request was for a modern take on the Peony.. They wanted it big, bold, and white.. I have to admit I can get stuck in making sugar flowers only realistic. I do have fun going outside my box and creating something new, not knowing if the end result will be what they explained or what I like to do.. So far each time I have made a flower the customer has been happy.

Sometimes it is harder to make a flower without frills or without any details. Why? Because after I cut out the petal I want to make it into something different instead of just slightly giving it some softness. Then when I see it sitting in the drying area sort of plain I wonder if I should just add a bit of movement? Then I say to myself, this is what the client ordered. I can always make another my way.

I was very pleased how it turned out and how it looks on their cake. Being the petals were so big assembling them was sort of a challenge. It can get quite bulky and heavy fast.

Modern gumpaste Peony

Simply Layered

It is a small world indeed

By chance I ran into Christy Platt owner of Simply Layered  when we were both working in the same business complex. We knew each other from "Let Them Eat Cake" in Costa Mesa a cake shop we both interned together at a few years ago, but haven't seen each other since. She has gone on to start her cake business and I now make custom sugar (gumpaste) flowers. 

It was just the right timing we met since she needed someone to make sugar flowers. Her passion is baking and designing cakes and mine of course are the sugar (gumpaste) flowers. As much as I love to create flowers my way,  realistic I know Christy likes a more modern take to incorportate in her cakes and we have been working extremely well together.

Here are some dramatic red orange Cymidium Orchids without much of the detail I typically add. I do love the coloring of it.



Red Orange gumpaste Cymidium Orchid



So many flowers so little time

I think I am a bit overwhelmed with wanting to make so many new flowers I have found. I have limited time and limited cutters and try to improvise at times. Sometimes it works out like the Parrot Tulip. There is a cutter but I don't have it so I rummaged around and found another cutter that I had to use. I have tear drop cutters that I usually only use for roses.. I found I can make many other flowers with them. The one thing I am lacking are veiners to give the flowers the perfect veining just like a real one.

So, I spend a lot of my time looking on line for flowers I would like to make, studying them, then rummaging through all my cutters, dusting colors, wires, and other supplies.. Then after wasting all this time I make too many and put them all in the stryofoam waiting to be arranged. They wait with all the other flowers I make.

Then it is time to use them and hopefully create an arrangement of some sort. But, what I have come to notice is I make flowers I like, but don't think about putting them in an arrangement together at the time and come to find out they don't go together.

So, I need a system or plan when I start creating them  soI can make an entire arrangement.   I think a list would be good start and find out if I have all the supplies needed to make them. Then, stick to my plan. That seems to be the hardest part for me. Doing what I planned to do. For some strange reason I always, I mean ALWAYS stray from my plan. Whether it is the colors I decide to use, the sizes and quantities I need or changing the flower I want to make.  So, I get no where fast. 

I can laugh since I am in no hurry but I do want to make so many flowers and then see how much time I waste just planning and getting ready?

So, tonight I am going to start my list of desired flowers to make to include what supplies I have and what I need to get. I will start with 10 flowers and see how that goes.

I wonder if I am the only one who has this issue?

My First Alsterimariea

I love this flower and their colors. I have been wanting to make them for a long while. I don't have the proper cutters.

I decided to search through the many cutters I do have and found a couple that would work.

After a couple of tries with a few cutters I found, I narrowed it down to the two that are working. One is from the  Bamboo Orchid and the other is from the French Tulip.  I trimmed the inner petals to make them thinner and elongated the outer petals and I think I am almost there. I still need to make the yellow center petals a bit thinner and smaller and the outside petals a bit wider but for my first attempt I am pretty pleased. 

Yes, I want them to look just like the sample of the fresh flower I am using. I also have to work on the coloring a bit more to blend the painted lines so they blend more and look more natural.   



Gumpaste Alsterimariea or Gumpaste Peruvian Lily



 This is really wonderful learning to make gumpaste flowers from a fresh sample.

Cherry Blossoms are blooming

I believe it is past cherry blossom season,

but I finally had the chance to make

them and create these lovely branches.



Gumpaste Cherry Blossoms


When I make flowers for the first time I like to make a few so I can get the hang of it and perfect them. Since I needed many little flowers to create one branch it took me a while longer as I needed so many. I made open ones, partially opened and buds..

I often think about taking pictures as I make them but then as I begin I forget all about it till after they are all complete.. Luckily I had a chance to take some pictures of the process. It is the same as most flowers rolling the gumpaste very thin, cutting out the petals, softening them, adding texture, shaping them, laying them to dry, dusting them with dusting powder and finally assembling and arranging them. It is a long process, but for me well worth it. I intend to make more but don't know when with all the sugar flowers I have on my list I want to make.

I hope you enjoy looking at them

as much as I enjoyed making them.

Please give me any feedback for next time

I found using pink thread made delicate stamens for the flower

Making the center of the gumpaste cherry blossom



using the handy 5 petal cutter

Threading the gumpaste 5 petal flower on the stamens



Soften the petals while adding texture

Drying the gumpaste flower

The finished gumpaste cherry blossoms

Spring is in the Air

Here is a sample cake I made with gumpaste Gardenia's, brightly colored Daffodils, Jasmine and a pink Bower of Beauty

Gumpaste Gardenia, Daffodil, Jasmine, Bower of Beauty

Gumpaste Flowers

Not enough hours in my day

Many times I make gumpaste flowers and take pictures of them only when I arrange them for a cake  or display them in a container. I have looked back over my pictures and found a few of them which I posted on a new page I created titled "Gumpaste Flowers"

I am also guilty of making the same flowers repeatedly usually ones that

are requested or the ones I like...                   

I will also try more often to take pictures of the process of making the flowers. I intend to several times but just get caught up in making them and I have to admit I forgot or remember when I am almost done. 

I am going to start making more flowers and posting them on this page to share what I do. Lately, I have been contacted by some people who find me here on my blog when they are looking for a particular flower they would like in sugar.

I would love to thank everyone who stops by to see what I do and promise to start adding more of a variety. Making gumpaste flowers isn't a speedy process and as much as I would love to make a new flower daily it is almost impossible because of all the steps necessary to compete one. I have learned patience, but get very excited to finish to see my creation.

Here is a lovely hibiscus I had made several years ago. This flower is long gone, but this

gives me reason to make some more in different colors..

gumpaste white hibiscus

Nothing but white flowers, please

I spent all last week making lots and lots and lots of flowers to fill an order. They wanted all white. I didn't have time to take any pictures of the process but will be making more of the same so I will next time.

It is hard for me to leave all these flowers in just white. When I looked at them scattered around the drying area I kept saying to myself.. just a little color. That is all they need. But, I left them alone. Or did I? I did add some color to the moth orchids since the throat just couldn't stay all white. And the Peonies have yellow stamens so there is the color.

White gumpaste flowers

When I laid all the white flowers out together to take the pictures I decided all white flowers do look really nice. I just looked at them for a while and realized they look very beautiful all white and they will be going on the cake and make the person very happy. They will be adding silver touches here and there to them so I will have to wait and see the pictures.

All the white gumpaste flowers together

The 4 and 5 petel cutter

I made Dendrobium orchids and filler flowers all in white. I can get a bit carried away with making filler flowers making them as detailed and exciting as the main flower. This time I decided to go with the basic 4 and 5 petal cut out flower. But, I didn't want them all the same round shape, so after I sofented the edges I pinched the tips of a few, curved some and ended up with a few different styles using just the one cutter.

This would be a good flower to make for those who never worked with gumpaste but would like to learn or give it a try. It is cut, softened, shaped and dried.. which is the basis for most if not all the flowers I make.



gumpaste cutters and tools



I roll out the gumpaste  on the pad which leaves a length of paste on the back to add the wire in and then cut it out.





 

rolled out gumpaste



cutting out the flower

You can see the extra paste through the cutter formed in the hole in the pad. You can do this by hand as well.

Softening the edges gives them a more realistic look. It also smooths any messy edges



Softening the gumpaste petals

After the wire is added to the gumpaste flower and the edges are softened and shaped slightly it is laid in the former till it dries to keep its shape.





gumpaste filler flower drying

Using the same round 4 petal cutter I was able to get different shapes and looks.





Filler flowers using same cutter





The making of the Gardenia

When I asked for suggestions of flowers to make a friend said a Gardenia. So of course I had to look up on line what the actual flower looks like compared to the many gumpaste ones I have seen. Then I went to the store to see them first hand. I found there are more than one variety and chose to make the Gardenia Jasminoides variety. It is very full with nice texture on the petals and also has many different shapes to them. As I make a new gumpaste flower I also learn a little about the flower as well.

The Gardenia Jasminoides is a tropical plant, very fragrant, and a favorite for gardens. It is also known as the Gardenia Augusta. Here is the sample I found that I just loved and wanted to make.

A photo of a real Gardenia

 Since I am making this version of  the Gardenia in gumpaste for the first time I had to find the right cutters in my collection to cut out the petals.. some trial and error to get what I wanted but finally I found a match that I liked.

Here are all the tools to make the Gardenia.

I roll out the gumpaste fairly thin and cut the petal out

 I  soften the edges 

 

I start to shape the gumpaste to give the petals a more natural flowing look. 

 

Then  I begin to assemble the flower.

The finished flowers

Shaile's Edible Art. www.shailesedibleart.blogspot.com

I will post an arragement with the Gardenia's as soon as I complete the other flowers that go with them

The finished looked

It was very fun to make these little lilacs and I do plan to make more for future arrangements. They were suggested by a friend.. I also did re-wire the four bunches I had previously made into these two tighter bunches.  And yes, I feel they look much nicer this way just like they are in real life..

Lilacs take center stage

At first I couldn't decide how to include them for a cake topper. I laid out all my sugar flowers I thought would look nice together, then began creating different arrangements and changing sugar flowers and finally decided this is the one I like the most.

I wanted the lilacs to stand out from the rest and with the bright color and being placed higher than the other sugar flowers I think it came out very nicely. 

Lovely Lavander cake with gumpaste flowers

Wonderful Moth Orchids

Orchids are my favorite flower to make in sugar...

I never get bored making them and I like the challenge of the intricate details that is added to make them look more realistic.

As you can see I had made quite a lot of these moth orchids for this lovely arrangement. Everything is made of sugar except the container and the grassy filling. 

Gumpaste moth orchid

Lovely Little Lilacs

I really hoped I had made enough of these little flowers to make a huge arrangement since I was making them for hours... when all was said and done it seems I made 4 small bunches which I could have assembled in a tighter fashion. But, being anxious to finish them I opted to leave them as they are. I will make more of them and rewire them into tighter fuller bunches and take more pictures to compare.



Just the color I wanted



I last posted the lilacs made, but patiently waiting for the color to be added, the leaves to be made and assembled. Here is stage 2 adding the dusting powder which I normally like to add in layers. I do mix colors but also layer the colors to give them a more natural look. The lilac leaves are a rather bright green in one shade. I still mixed the greens I have to get a green I liked.



Adding the different colors



Color added and ready to assemble

pale green gumpaste to start then add shades of green

All colored added now assembly time

The last stage is assembly which of course everyone is always anxious to get to. At least the first time making a flower I can say I get anxious. I just can't wait to see if they come out how I expected them to or if I need or really want to remake them.  But of course the more you make a flower the better you get and can fine tune any part of them you aren't happy with or change the way you make them.



Lovely little lilacs



I think these will  make great filler flowers and are very cute and fun to make.. I will make some more in a pale shade of pink and put them with the next larger flower I am going to make.. so, come back to see what I create next.  I will also post more pictures of a fuller bunch of lilacs.