Okay, as you can tell by the title next to my screen name - I'm a newbie. I took the wilton classes, etc. I've made a few cakes but nothing spectacular. I want to get better...being on this website and looking at all the fantastic work you ladies and gentlemen do is such inspiration. However, I've seen some cakes that I would love to make only they are made by using gumpaste. How does this stuff work? Is it hard to make? Hard to work with? Can you buy it? Thanks for your help!!

Wilton sells a powder Gumpaste and all you do is add water to it. It is very easy to work with. I love using it. I have been using it to make my decorations instead of fondant.

RoseAnn

Gumpaste is a sugar based medium that dries very hard. It is mostly used to make flowers and decorations that are no eaten. It is easy to make. Wilton has a mix, and Nicholas Lodge's website has a recipe-his is easy to make and is a whiter product. You can also order it from his website, ready made, but it is more expensive. It does give you a chance to work with the product to know what it should be like.

hmmmm...can't be eaten? why? is it yucky tasting or lethal?

Yucky tasting but safe.

Anyone know where to get that tylose stuff for a good price? It's an incredibly common ingredient (listed as cellulose gum or sodium CMC) in all sorts of products from toothpaste to ice cream so it can't be THAT expensive but on the shelf, packaged for cake making, it's $9 for 2 ounces!

Usually it's used to make detailed flowers and leaves. It gets really hard so, it's not something you'd usually chomp on.