Ikibana Style for Gumpaste Flowers

I have been very interested in the flower arranging style, Ikibana.  I have been spending countless hours on the computer researching Ikibana and looking at an endless amounts of pictures. This style of flower arranging is perfect for sugar flowers since there seems to be a focal flower and the arrangements can be very minimal but a very BOLD statement.

I have several large focal flowers already made and found a couple ideas to try my FIRST Ikibana arrangement. Since there are a lot tree branches I needed to create these from floral wire and floral tape. Another wonderful part of creating sugar flowers I am excited to do.

What I found out is there are different types of containers for Ikibana and there are an abundance of choices for each. Instead of rushing out to invest in a new container, I used one I already had and created the arrangement around them from some examples I found in my countless hours on the computer. 

I am quite excited to share my my first try and happy with what I created

And, I will be continuing on with this style of flower arranging

Ikibana gumpaste Cymbidium orchid

Ikibana gumpaste Cymbidium orchid

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2012 San Diego Cake Show Entry

Cake shows seem to have a huge build up of excitement for me. It starts first with deciding what to make a cake with gumpaste flowers or just a gumpaste entry piece. Every year as I learn more about gumpaste flowers and learn new ones it alters my decision.


Having been away from the San Diego Cake show for a few years I thought I would enter both the cake competition and a gumpaste piece. I had an idea in my head of what I wanted to do for the cake and sketched it out.

 But, I am not one to follow the original design and created an entirely new cake idea with little decoration but a lot of flowers.  Here are a few flowers I decided to decorate my cake with

What I wanted to create  was a cake with spring color flowers, not necessarily spring flowers. I made some hypericum berries, some small green plants, and white filler flowers to add to it all, but the flowers I make are so delicate they break if I add too much to a group. I kept the colors all similar but different shades with a couple of stand out colors in the mix.

Sometimes I do get carried away and want to include all the flowers I make since I find it hard to decide. But, I was pleased with what I ended up with and like to think of if as my garden cake. 

San Diego 2012 Cake Show entry 

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San Diego Cake Show

This weekend March 10th and 11th will be the 29th annual San Diego Cake Show.

Procedes benefit

The San Diego Ronald McDonald House

San Diego Cake Show 

This will be a fun event for everyone...

There are gift baskets you can win with raffle tickets, cupcakes for the kids to decorate and EAT, and hundreds of beautiful cakes and other sugar art items to view and enjoy!

There are many categories for professional, non-professional, adults and children. Anyone who enjoys making decorative cakes, cookies, or other sugar art items is encouraged to check us out and enter!

The "Grand Wedding Cake Competition" is for the highly competitive advanced sugar artists who are looking to be creatively challenged at the most extreme level of perfection.

During the Show, there are live demonstrations of many sugar arts, i.e., various cake decorating styles, candy making, cookie decorating, flowers made from gum paste, sugar eggs, gingerbread art, marzipan, or rolled fondant. We also have a booth called "Kup Kake Korner." For a small donation, a person can either decorate a cupcake or a decorator will make one for them.

The Award Ceremony is held at 3:30P.M. on Sunday. This is where the Best of Show and all other prizes are announced.

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Stargazer lily class

I will be teaching a class at Dizzy Desserts March 19th and 26th from 6-8pm

It will be the Stargazer lily, buds and leaves. All supplies are included

You can contact

 Dizzy Desserts 

Surprise Cake with Succulents

Grooms Cake with succulents

It was wonderful to receive an email from a customer telling me how much they loved the flowers I made for them. It was even a nicer surprise to see photos taken with the flowers on their cake.

The customer informed me he was surprising his wife to be with a small square grooms cake. He would be making it himself and wanted succulents to add to it. I created an arrangement for him with the colors he liked and I was so happy to hear it was just what he wanted.

 The cake he made and the succulents fit right in and completed his surprise grooms cake. 

Grooms cake with gumpaste succulents

Grooms cake with gumpaste succulents

Inspiration to create new flowers

Visiting Flower Gardens Inspires me

I just wish there was more time so I could make all the flowers I see when I visit different flower gardens. I have my list going but like most I have a full schedule. If I could sit and make flowers for the majority of my time I most certainly would.

I have visited different gardens to look and learn about the flowers I now create, and the ones I have on my very long wish list. Here are few I like to walk through.

A wonderful place to stroll through is Rogers Gardens

I never get tired of walking around and looking and discovering new plants or ones I have missed on my last visit. I am lucky it is close to where I live

Another beautiful garden is  Sherman Gardens

This garden very deceiving since from the front is looks rather small, but once you walk through the front gate it opens up to a whole world of beauty.

Here is a garden favorite for many and have been visiting this one for years The Huntington Gardens.

There is more than just gardens to see here and have always loved to visit here.

All these are worth a visit and also repeat visits.  I get very excited and so inspired to rush home and create some of the flowers I see. But, I have to work my way down the list I have going as I also keep adding to the flowers I still want to make.

 

gumpaste slipper orchids

 

Finishing the Moth Orchid

Lastly, to complete your Moth Orchid you will now add the color and assemble. The beautiful Moth Orchid needs little color. You can make the color as deep or as soft as you would like.

Adding Color

• With a flat brush starting at the bottom of the petal, using little color on the brush. Brush from the bottom up fading as you brush towards the top of the petal. Use a mid bright yellow. 
• Add color to all the petals
• Adding color to the throat. Dust the inside starting from the middle to the outer edges. You can decide how much you would like to color.
• Adding the spots and markings. Use a magenta or burgundy dusting color or a mixture of the two and add a couple of drops of clear alcohol to make a paint. With a fine tip brush dip in and paint dots and lines on the inside. You can refer to a real one to see how it looks. 
• Let the paint dry before assembly

 Assembly

• First wire the anther cap to the throat with floral tape
• Next, wire the top petal referred to as head, followed by the two large wing petals, and lastly the two lower petals referred to as the legs.
• Now your flower is all complete