yep discouraged again. I cannot for the life of me get roses. I tried with a hershey kiss in the middle, and frosting. I believe they are evil ! (not really but you know what I mean)
I cannot do them, I am fustrated. First off I am using BC for the rose...it gets too soft within a few seconds to a minute. I know thats one reason, second I cannot look at the book and do it, and even an online tutorial with video isnt helping..... I must be just totally stupid.. cant wait to get back to the states and get into a class. I only tried two... and nothing about either made me want to continue!
NOW OTHER THAN Royal icing, color flow, is there a BC recipe that doesnt get soft so quickly that can hold its shape. This BC you can see the frosting move down!

Are you making sure that your BC is really stiff?
Other than that I don't have any other tips, sorry.

how do you make the icing stiff? what recipe would that be? A more butter then shortening..more shortening then butter? What recipe do you use?

Add more powdered sugar.

No kidding, I haven't even tried them yet. Too afraid

I had the SAME problem!!! My petals were melting together. I called my instructor in a panic and she told me to add more powdered sugar until you get the right consistency. A butter knife or spatula will stand up in the icing. If you get it too stiff, the petals will feather (look like a dianthus flower).

Hope this helps!

I think it took me about 15-20 practice roses before I finally got it and still I get feathered petals sometimes. Just keep practicing...it'll come

I actually think the feathered petals are pretty.

It does give them a more natural look . I don't think I've ever made a perfect rose but real roses aren't always perfect either. The Wilton tutorial shows a perfect butter cream rose. Instead of comparing your roses to that one, just look at your rose as it is. I bet you'll see that it is also very pretty!

Use a decent sized scrape of buttercream to stick the kiss directly to the nail. If you stick the kiss on waxed paper, then stick that to your nail, you are going to have massive amounts of "slide" and it'll be kind of like trying to pipe petals on a greased pig.

After you curl your first bit around the tip of the Hershey's kiss, put the petals on with an upside-down U motion with the wide end of the tip (which should touch the kiss at the beginning of the petal, barely during the petal, and then one more touch at the end).

And the bottom circumference will always look like crap. That's the problem with Wilton's deal. Just disguise it with leaves pulled up from the bottom (like a calyx) after you've put it on the cake.

There are other methods, too. If you're totally stuck after giving it a bit more time, let me know and I'll dig up and format the rose stick tutorial that some lovely lady on the Wilton forums sent me. Alternately, you can always try practice piping on a #10 witch-hat nail, too, if you can get one of those.

Illy

Me too. You are right that the base of the Wilton method roses look terrible!


>>>Edited to add - Me too - could I have your other rose making method???<<<

flayvurdfun

do not get discouraged. This is the hardest thing for me to do. I still dont do a great one, but it will do. I ususally will have to make a few before I get one that I like. And, stiff frosting wil really make a difference. I also have a heck of a time with tips 104 and 103. I get better results with 97, so i really try to use that one whenever I can.

marknrox: What's the email address you want it sent to?

Illy

[email protected], please & thank you!!!

cakeconfections, marknrox: Sent!

Illy

And I was beginning to think it was just me-I learned the Wilton way and the bottoms are awful looking-mine seem to be either too big or too small-some turn out ok and boy do I save those for the most obvious places-the others go where they can be disquised some way-I have never heard of using the hershey kiss-I take it that is used as the center and you put a bit of icing around it to match the color of the rose?

You definitely need stiff icing to make good roses. I use a tip 104 for larger roses and I make my base with it too. Start in the center of the nail and keep going around until it's large enough for a base. Then do a tight center on top of that and build your petals around it. Are you turning your nail in the right direction? My sister-in-law couldn't make roses for years until it donned on me she was turning the nail the wrong way and that solved it. If you are right handed you turn the nail counter clockwise. It seems to be the tips that break the petals at the top. I had a favorite rose tip at the bakery that never would make the petals break, it was more open than the others. If the frosting is too stiff that can cause it too. The more you practice you will get a feel for it.

I've said this before on another forum: some people just cannot make a rose (me included). No matter how hard I try and how many different types of buttercream I use (I've tried everything: thin, medium, thick, colder, more shortening, less shortening, more butter, less butter, more sugar, less sugar, water, milk, no liquid--I swear! I do not lie) and I cannot make a rose that looks anything like it's supposed to. It's a skill many people have, but some of us don't.

I defy anyone in this area (northern NJ/NYC) to teach me to make a decent rose. I will personally drive to where you are and you can teach me!

Thank you!!

Flav & everyone else that has a hard time w/ roses...

When I was taking the Wilton courses I had the hardest time! Finally I figured that if I stood right behind my teacher. After several times standing behind her I finally got it!! I would stand behind her during every technique she was teaching.

Finally on the last night of the 1st course (15 min before it was over) I finally figured it out!!! I still can't get the even look but I really think mine are prettier because they look real. I have one pic posted on bdays or just look in my gallerys & you'll see it. My teacher said I was doing them wrong but I told her some people have to do it their way & not Wilton's way. I make roses all the time now & I love them!! They turn out so real looking!!!! I do have to make my icing very stiff & my hands hurt after I do about 10 but I keep going!

Just keep trying & you'll figure it out!! If you know someone who can make roses try standing behind them & get the angles down & all. It's really very easy once you finally "GET IT"!! It will come to you so quickly & you'll feel so silly!! Like I did!!

Good luck to you all!!! I wish I could show you myself!!! ~TC~

I forgot.. the bottoms of mine don't look bad. I don't know why but they don't. When I do the roses the wilton way the bottoms always look bad~

Wow, I'm not the only one that makes roses with funky bases!?! *wipes forehead* That's somewhat of a relief. I can finally make a decent looking rose but the base looks TERRIBLE. Luckily nobody sees it but I know its there. And sometimes that just eats at you like no other. Ah well, I will take the tips in this thread and practice, practice, practice and practice some more

I learned without using a center, but instead to just start turning the nail and go around several times with the rose tip until you have a good base that which looks like the center of the rose, then start doing the petals. Bases aren't great to look at, but who is looking at your bases anyway.

I'm soooooo jealous!
I guess I have to actually see someone make them right before my eyes to get it. When I say I've tried all those methods I listed in my other post--I really am not exagerating. And I have probably made 100 practice roses (I would never put my roses on a cake I am selling) and been happy with 2-1/2 of them! I AM NOT JOKING!

I hate to admit but I had no problems with roses. My problem is with daffodils. I can't make one to save my life. I'm hoping fondant flowers will be easier or at least click with me and look real.

Joe

jscakes~
Your roses are beautiful!! I can't get the edges like that. Mine are more like roses that have just opened. I'm proud of them! They still don't look like yours. BEAUTIFUL!! ~tc~

ahhh, but I am still learning tricks!!! I want to make some like I saw on the Wilton site by a decorator, she made the biggest, most beautiful roses...cookieman- then you would be jealous! She said she used tip #116. Some day...
oh, thanks tc ~ should have seen the poinsettias I made one day...UGGGLY! One day I want to learn how to make them from gumpaste, they look so real!