Cake Due Tomorrow, Tacky Gumpaste...help!!!!

Decorating By Christen99 Updated 18 Jul 2009 , 5:49am by Christen99

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Christen99 Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 12:58am
post #1 of 8

I made my gumpaste figures on Monday, and they were nice and dry. I painted the black on my penguins last night thinking the coloring could dry overnight and I could put the arms on these little guys. I got up this morning and there were little patches of color that looked wet to the touch, so I took them into the garage set up a table and I've had a fan on them all day. They are still tacky! My dh came home and turned on the dehumidifier in hopes that it would help, but I'm not sure they're going to dry in enough time for me to put the arms on. the cake is due tomorrow, and the heat is sweltering here. I already had to call my customer (thankfully she is a good friend!) and let her know that there was no way in he** that the frosting she wants to use will hold up to the heat because it wouldn't hold a shape in the heat. She was ok with that, and I'm going to use it as a filling instead along with strawberries (it's whisper house buttercream). I'm switching it up and using IndyDebi's buttercream so that I don't have to worry about heat.

I've never worked with gumpaste before, probably the WRONG time to experiment. I was totally thrilled with my figures until this!

7 replies
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Christen99 Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 2:48am
post #2 of 8

Anyone??

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-K8memphis Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 3:24am
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Well is it just the paint? Or the gumpaste itself?

What I do is maybe for next time add alcohol to the color--the alcohol evaporates and the paint can dry a little easier.

Could you stick a toothpick in the shoulder to hang the arms on?
(sounds painful eh?)

You could sprinkle a little 'snow' (coconut chopped in the blender or food processor) onto any spots that develop from handling them--the 'snow' would camoflage any areas where the paint might pull off from being handled.

kinda tired but there's a coupla ideas anyhow...hope they make sense.

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fosterscreations Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 3:35am
post #4 of 8

I put my gumpaste things in the oven with the light on and that helps dry them out.

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stephaniescakenj Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 3:40am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fosterscreations

I put my gumpaste things in the oven with the light on and that helps dry them out.




Me too...

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icer101 Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 3:44am
post #6 of 8

you can turn the oven on to 150 F... nick lodge and scott woolley says this also.. i have done it .. for 2 hrs. and my g/p peice was dry.. hth

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xstitcher Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 5:11am
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I found when I painted with gel colours mixed with everclear that it took about 1.5-2 days to dry completely. The first day they were very tacky to the touch too. I didn't try putting them in the oven as suggested as I had done them a week in advance so they still had plenty of time to dry but I'm the light on in the oven is a good suggestion. That's how I dry my RI flowers.

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Christen99 Posted 18 Jul 2009 , 5:49am
post #8 of 8

Thank you guys! The coloring is what was tacky to the touch, but it was just little bits here and there and I tested them with a tiny cotton swab and none of the color came off so I pulled on my bravery panties and picked one up and just a very tiny bit of color came off on my finger. I'm leaving them in the garage with the dehumidifier on and the fan blowing directly on them because they seem to be drying off fairly well now. It was incredibly hot and humid here today and NOTHING was working and I was getting pissy. I was able to attach the arms with egg whites and they seem to be staying nicely. I'm not going to put the figures on until tomorrow after I get to her house "just in case!". The penguins turned out really cute, she wanted Penguins of Madagascar and these guys seem to all have personalities of their own just like the penguins. I'm really happy with how they turned out, especially for my first time modeling anything and using gumpaste for the first time.

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