SugarEd Productions

Cymbidium Orchid Tutorial

Why am I so excited you ask???    The photo Tutorial of the Cymbidium Orchid I did will be available in the next four weeks on the SugarEd Productions Sugar Art School website. 

It was a great experience to make these photo tutorials. I figured out a system, I guess you can say of writing and photo taking. I found out during this process how many steps there really are to make a sugar flower. I never really gave it much thought until I had to photograph each step of the way...

When you are visit SugarEd Productions website

look for my photo tutorial on making a Cymbidium Orchid

Shaile's Edible Art Cymbidium Orchid Tutorial

SugarEd Productions Sugar Art School

Please come check out what the school has to offer:

• new and exclusive video tutorials by Sharon Zambito and guest celebrity instructors
• new and exclusive printable detailed photo tutorials from an array of talented contributors 
• a huge recipe bank you can add to and print from
• a huge article bank with information on baking, business, marketing, food safety and photography
• an exclusive 10 part tutorial series on cake photography
•  member photo gallery where you can share your creations
• member photo tutorials; come share your skills
•  member message forum where you can chat, ask questions, lend advice, and more
• tons of resources including lists of classes and organizations, and more 
• and more to come: games, contests with great prizes, and new features to be rolled out soon

We will be adding new content every week, (or more). Please come enjoy the interactive community we are building, where you can learn, share, make new friends, and have some fun along the way!

Gumpaste Hydrangea Tutorial

Quick and simple method to create gumpaste hydrangeas

Gumpaste Hydrangea

I had a last minute order for gumpaste hydrangeas to fill the top tier of a  6" cake.  

I normally make hydrangeas with individual cutters, so I needed find a quicker method. 

You will need:
Gumpaste color of your choice
Four petal cutter
Silk veining tool
Small rolling pin - I use the small celpin
Softening Pad with holes. This helps speed up making the flowers

1. Roll gumpaste over the medium hole of the pad

2. Cut out flower using the 4 petal cutter

3. Place back in the hole on the soft side of the pad

4. Elongate each petal slightly with small celstick rolling from the center out to the end

5. Widen the center part of each petal. 

6. Roll back and forth with the tip of the celpin in the middle for a rounder shape

7. Using the Silk Veining Tool roll over each petal to add texture

8. Use the small celstick to frill just the edges of each petal

9. Add the center of the Hydrangea
10. Allow to dry in the shape you would like.

This is a quick method hydrangea.
The color is added on small sections of the flower to add highlight

Orange County Fair 2013

Another Fantastic year at the Orange County Fair

It's coming to a close, just one week left. I didn't realize how fast it has gone by.

I have met some really great people plus reunited with those who I have met the past couple of years. Each day I am there it just flies by while I demonstrate to many interested people the sugar flowers I make. So many haven't seen or heard of sugar flowers and are very interested in how they are made and how they can look so real.

Some shots of me at the fair this year

Shaile's Edible Art 2013 Orange County Fair

Shaile's Edible Art demonstrating at the Orange County Fair 2013

Shaile's Edible Art sugar flower display 2013 Orange County Fair

August Classes

  Current Classes 

If you have ever thought about learning how to make life like sugar flowers I am teaching now at ABC Cakes in Orange, CA and I teach at Dragonfly Shops and Garden in the Orange Circle.

Go to the tabs Photos to see some samples of the flowers and arrangements I make. Also, when you go to the tab Classes I post upcoming classes. There will be more to come in the near future

I have been away from my blog for some time and I am now updating it and adding new photos and information so please stop by anytime.

Sugar flower classes 

I am happy to write about the sugar flowers classes I will be teaching at 

ABC Cake in Orange. 
There are currently 3 classes offered in August and more will be added soon.

August 12th I will teach a Plumeria and Bower of Beauty from 5pm to 9pm 

August 14th I will teach a Cymbidium Orchid and berries from 3pm to  6:30pm 

August 19th I will teach a Rose and berries from 5pm to 9pm

Please contact ABC Cake to sign up for any of the classes.

To learn more about the classes I teach you can click Classes or go to the Class tab above. 

Current class photos

Updating my blog

While learning how to change my blog layout plus add some new and different features so I can update and add photos and class information I thought I would post some photos from the past months.

These were the two entries in this years San Diego Cake Show 2013. It was the first time creating arrangements in these styles.

San Diego Cake Show entry Gumpaste Flowers

San Diego Cake Show entry Gumpaste Flowers

Gumpaste Daffodil Tutorial

Gumpaste Daffodil Tutorial

Sometimes I want to make a flower and I don't always have the exact cutters and/or veiners necessary. If am lucky I have something close enough to use. This I found what I used to make the daffodil...

Supplies I used
Round cutter
small leaf cutter
Rolling pins both to roll and hallow out
desden tool
Silk veining tool
28g wire
celboard
Celpad with 3 holes (if you don't have this roll a ball of paste into a cone and hallow out)

• Roll paste over the largest hole and cut shape with a small round cutter (size of the cutter depends on the size of the flower you want) 

Roll gumpaste in large hole

Cut out using small round cutter

• Now you will frill the edges and hallow out the center using the dresden took, silk veining tool and rolling pin. I first hallow it out a bit the celpin. Next I frill the edge with the dresden tool to pull out the tips some, then I use the silk veining tool to smooth. (Try different methods to achieve the look you like)

Hallow out center with celpin

 

Soften with silk veining tool

Frill with dresden tool

• Now you will attach it to center stamens. Add a bit of egg white inside at the base sliding in the stamens. Pinch gently around the base to attach and stand in styrofoam to dry. 

Stamens and bell shape

Center complete

Making the stamens isn't shown

The stamens are made using 30g or 33g wire and rolling a very tiny ball of paste on it. Make 6 of these. The center stamen is made with the same idea except use a heavier wire and leave a tiny ball at the top. Flatten it standing it on the top take a dresden tool or pointed end of smallest celstick and pull out the edges.

• Using a small basic leaf cutter cut out 6 petals and wire with 28g wire. I veined them using the Stargazer lily veiner which looks very similar. Soften the edges and let dry in cupped shape.

Veining petal

Soften petal after veining

Drying the petals

• After it is all dry add the color. I added touches of orange around the tips then blended it in with the yellow. Just to highlight. Add yellow over the whole petal if you want a brighter look or you can just leave it. 

Adding Orange Petal dust on edges

Adding Yellow over the Orange

• You can now wire the entire piece. Tape 3 petals around the base in a triangle arrangement and 3 more below those again in a triangle shape to fill in the gaps.

Gumpaste Daffodil

Creating Gumpaste Leaves Quick and Easy

Just a few supplies needed and you are ready to begin... 

Board to work on

Softening pad

Cornstarch, wires, egg white or gum glue

Spatula and/or Veiner

Drying container

1. Roll a ball of gumpaste
Note- Depending on how large a leaf you want depends how big a ball of gumpaste is needed. 
2. Shape it into a cone shape, insert a wire and taper the bottom to a point too.

3. Using either a spatula or veiner flatten the ball of paste. If you are veining the leaf you can use the veiner
Note- use cornstarch to prevent sticking to the board and veiner when flattening

 3 After it is flattened roll it upwards to elongate and thin out further.

 4. Place on veiner and gently vein, soften the edges then pinch the central vein.

5. Shape leaf and place on tray to dry. Since these are so small they dry quickly and don't loose shape laying in a tray. If you make larger leaves you can lay on foam or put fewer in container.

 You are ready to add the petal dust and assemble...

Soften The Petals Edges

I love making gumpaste flowers and leaves look realistic  The way I create this affect is by both shaping the petal or leaves and adding the petal dust.

Here are a few extra steps to take while making your flower or leaf to add a more realistic look.

Start by cutting out your petal and softening the edge lightly, you shouldn't ruffle it. Just smoothing the sides of any harsh cuts really

Right petal is slightly softened

Take a Dresden tool or another tool with a similar tip. Now just along the very, very edge of the petal pull outward the edges with the tip of the Dresden tool. It is almost like shredding it a bit. You don't need to do it much or to heavily. You still want to keep it realistic looking

Rememer: only the very, very edge

Pulling the very tip out just slightly

After you vein your leaf take a small rounded tool such as a celstick or ball tool and run it along the very, very edge to soften. All you want to do is blend and shape it just a bit more.
  

Remember: stay along the edge or you will loose your veining.

Veined the leaf

Softening the edges of the veined leaf

Here is the leaf with the right side complete. 

See how it looks a bit more natural looking.

The petal when it is complete

The Beautiful Open Rose

Flipping the pages of my Gumpaste flower books I came across the open Rose in Pale Pink.  It caught my eye with it soft flowing petals.

Doing a bit of photo research online I save several photos I like to use as reference. Here is just one!

Sample of a real Open Rose

To get started I went through my cutters and tools choosing what I thought might work. I colored my gumpaste and with the photo in front of me and the gumpaste book as reference I began making the flower.



Here are the tools I have decided to use...

Tools to get started making a Gumpaste Open Rose

and I won't know for sure what works best until I make my first flower.

Cut out the tear drop shape and with the smaller cutter, cut out the tip. I used this method instead of a heart cutter, because it is not as full.

A Petal

 Then I soften the edges and shape the petal slightly...

Softening  Petal

I also hand cut the heart shape with scissors to give some petals a different look.

Cutting out shape

After I soften the petals I shape them and lay them to dry in different shapes.. 

Drying  petals

I am in the process of completing the Open Roses.. I will post a photo and some additional info in the next blog post at the end of this week...