I just used my new First Impressions 3-5mm bead molds for the first time and had a VERY hard time getting the fondant beads to come out attached to one another in a rope, to use for borders. The most I could get was 5-10 together, with stragglers here and there. But the thing is 10 inches long! I've seen this done to edge an entire ribbon around a cake--I think I would have gone crazy. What's the trick?

Well, I used mine just a couple of days ago for the ivory bridal shower cake in my photos, and had no breakage issues. I used the 4mm size on my bow.

I used a 50/50 mix of Wilton fondant and Nick Lodge gumpaste. I used my Makin's Ultimate Clay Extruder to extrude 12" long snakes of fondant, which I laid in the mold that had been heavily dusted with super pearl. To make great lines of beads, I press the fondant down in the mold very well and then give the mold a sideways squeeze along the length of the mold. I use a very thin, flexible offset palette knife at an angle to cut away the excess fondant in a slight sawing motion along the length of the mold. Then I just turn it upside down and pinch it from one end to the other and it falls out just fine. I usually do three this way and then glue them to whatever I'm using them on, then make 3 more and repeat until I'm done.

I have not personally checked, but I bet somebody out there has made a video of this and posted it on YouTube that you can watch.

another way is ..... if you do NOT plan to paint/color the pearls, then whenever you have the long piece of fondant ready to be placed into the mold, wipe some shortening/crisco on it before using in mold. it will help to come right out. before removing, i also squeeze the mold together lengthwise, then start from one end and remove slowly from the end bending the mold back. dont try to remove from mold while holding it lengthwise, i tried. works better if you work from one end down.

My technique for the 3mm beads was the same as described above, except for the squeezing it out part--I can't quite picture that. For the 4mm pearls, you flipped it over and squeezed it together (the short way) and they popped out? I was so desperate I was trying to pry it open while flipped over and they were still falling apart! (Not sticking, just the seam was too insignificant).

I think the gumpaste is the key--the fondant did seem extra soft. And I'll try not to scrape off quite as much from the top (the seam) next time. I was using a sharp paring knife because the pallate knife was pulling them right out with it. Thanks!

When you say "squeeze the mold together lengthwise" do you mean squeeze the mold on left and right side of the pearl string, or do you mean squeeze the mold from the top and bottom of the pearl string? Sorry to be a pain, but I'm a very visual learner.

place the mold down with the long sides on the top and bottom. gently, barely, squeeze top and bottom towards each other, just to get the shape while loosening up a bit. lift up the end which is on the right or left and open up the mold to remove from the end. hope this clarified how it works for me.

Yes ~ when I said, "squeeze the mold together lengthwise" I meant I had turned the mold upside-down so the fondant faced the table, and then I started at one end and popped the mold open by squeezing on the sides of the mold. You just squeeze, move down, squeeze, move down, squeeze, move down, traveling down the length of the mold, and as you go along, the pearls pop out of the mold and fall onto the table.

If you are using soft fondant, it won't work (heh heh, I tried this when I first got the molds). It needs to be a bit stiffer, so adding the Tylose or gumpaste to the fondant helps a great deal. Then you should let them further firm up before moving them.

Hope this helps! I am very much a visual learner myself.

didn't Edna do a tutorial on you tube of this? Check hers out.

she sure did, excellent how-to, as are all of her tutorials

I have better luck if I stick the mold in the freezer for a few minutes before I try to get the beads out. I do this with all of my First Impression molds. I pretty much expect one side to stick some, so just use your pallet knife and loosen the side that is sticking. Good luck!

Here is the link to Edna's tutorial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_3__KwnXQ0&feature=channel_page

I watched Sugar Shack do it. She used an Exacto knife to get the fondant out of the mold. I was using the freezer technique. However, learning her trick, I won't use the freezer again.

Also, as far as the breakage, don't despair. Add it to the cake. Add the next one to the cake. The separation is not noticeable and it actually makes it look like the links between real pearls.

HTH

Paul