Airbrushing Lots Of Parts.....

Decorating By Loucinda Updated 7 Dec 2009 , 7:01pm by Loucinda

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Loucinda Posted 2 Dec 2009 , 1:37pm
post #1 of 23

I am done making the gumpaste poinsettia bracts and centers.......a total of 1500 freaking pieces!!! I now have to airbrush them all - does anyone have any hints on how to go about doing so many at once??

I have a large piece of styrofoam - which is fine for the little ones, the big ones won't stand though (they are too heavy for the wires they are on - 28g.)

I am not good at "thinking outside the box" - so any help here would be appreciated. I will be starting this process here in the next couple of hours.

22 replies
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TexasSugar Posted 2 Dec 2009 , 5:53pm
post #2 of 23

When I did mine I held each petal (where a glove) but I didn't have near as many pieces as you do. The thing I liked about holding them was that I could turn it to get all sides evenly.

I can't wait to see your cake!

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__Jamie__ Posted 2 Dec 2009 , 6:52pm
post #3 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by Loucinda

I am done making the gumpaste poinsettia bracts and centers.......a total of 1500 freaking pieces!!! I now have to airbrush them all - does anyone have any hints on how to go about doing so many at once??

I have a large piece of styrofoam - which is fine for the little ones, the big ones won't stand though (they are too heavy for the wires they are on - 28g.)

I am not good at "thinking outside the box" - so any help here would be appreciated. I will be starting this process here in the next couple of hours.




icon_eek.gificon_eek.gif Can you please upload a picture of all these pieces? I can't wrap my brain around 1500 pieces of anything handmade. Wowza!

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Loucinda Posted 2 Dec 2009 , 9:39pm
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icon_lol.gif That iis exactly what my DD said, TAKE PICS no one will believe you made all of those! I have taken some of the process - I will upload them after I get this DONE. icon_cry.gif

I have tried several ways of doing this, and nothing works better than picking each freaking one up and painting it.

I tried to dip some - that was a bad idea. I even thinned the color with everclear first - just not liking how that looked, so they will get airbrushed too.

Sure wish there was an easier way....... icon_sad.gif

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Loucinda Posted 3 Dec 2009 , 8:26pm
post #5 of 23

Airbrushing is all done, now I am dusting each bract. AND I counted, there are 1470 pieces, not 1500. icon_wink.gif My right arm and shoulder are KILLING me......not to mention all the little teeny tiny cuts in my fingers from the metal cutters. I hope to get them assembled this evening.

Any tricks for getting the color off my hands (I used gloves part of the time - but still got color in all of the teeny tiny little cuts, which won't come out) I have to make fondant tonight too, and I don't want the color bleeding from my fingers - I guess get the gloves back on.........

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TexasSugar Posted 3 Dec 2009 , 8:30pm
post #6 of 23

Wash dishes? That is the best way I have gotten color off my hands.

I can't wait to see the pictures!

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sadsmile Posted 3 Dec 2009 , 8:36pm
post #7 of 23

Ohh Loucinda I can't wait to see your pics. Double whammy wowzers that's a lot a pieces!!!

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melmar02 Posted 3 Dec 2009 , 8:44pm
post #8 of 23

I have heard that a white toothpaste will help take the color off. I haven't ever tried it - it sounded to out there for me.

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kakeladi Posted 4 Dec 2009 , 12:45am
post #9 of 23

Toothpaste, shampoo, or ammonia should do it.

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Loucinda Posted 4 Dec 2009 , 8:20pm
post #10 of 23

Thanks for the tips - I will be trying them today. I am STILL assembling these - had a setback last night, and I was so angry at myself. I have been taping 3 of each size together, and for some reason I was short 96 of one size, so I got the cutter out and rolled and cut 96 more....while they were drying I FOUND the original ones. icon_cry.gificon_mad.gif I don't know what the h - e double chop sticks I am gonna do with 96 medium size gumpaste poinsettia bracts, but I have that many EXTRA here now.

I have been taking pics as I go - when this monster is done, I will finally get them loaded. Keep your fingers crossed for me - I hope it turns out nice.

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BooBooKitty Posted 4 Dec 2009 , 8:25pm
post #11 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by kakeladi

Toothpaste, shampoo, or ammonia should do it.




Maybe with caution if you have cuts on your fingers.. icon_wink.gif

Can't wait to see the pictures.. My goodness thats a lot of pieces!!!

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Loucinda Posted 6 Dec 2009 , 5:54am
post #12 of 23

I am finally done and home now. The cake was gorgeous! I don't have a good pic of it yet though - I let my DD take the pics of it with my camera, and she didn't let it focus first. icon_mad.gif

Anyhow, here is the best of the bunch for now. I will post a better one when I get them. (photographer took LOTS of it)

The caterer asked if she could have one of the poinsettias, there were over 300 people at the wedding, and I lost count of those taking pictures of the cake, it made my day!! icon_smile.gif I still haven't forgotten about the in progress pics, I will post them tomorrow.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1532173&done=1

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Darthburn Posted 6 Dec 2009 , 6:11am
post #13 of 23

I didn't catch you before you got done, but for airbrushing I was going to see if you could hang them upside down (maybe about 10 poles of pvc and a homemade rack) and spray them that way? Just an idea.

They look like they came out beautiful. Nice work. icon_smile.gif

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sadsmile Posted 6 Dec 2009 , 1:50pm
post #14 of 23

The color is gorgeous! I love the white on white texture of the snowflake background. I can't wait to see better pics!

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Loucinda Posted 6 Dec 2009 , 3:40pm
post #15 of 23

Thanks Sadsmile, I can't wait to get the good pics of it too. I attended the wedding (it was my nephew) and most of the folks even ate the fondant! icon_biggrin.gif

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kjt Posted 6 Dec 2009 , 3:52pm
post #16 of 23

I can't wait to see the "poinsettias in progress" pics icon_biggrin.gif .

Ths cake is just lovely-even tho the pic is not completely in focus, I can still see how great it looked! I LOVE the sparkley snowflakes thumbs_up.gif .

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Loucinda Posted 6 Dec 2009 , 4:08pm
post #17 of 23

Here is the pics of the work in progress - they are not in order....1470 parts, and I only broke 2 of them when I assembled them! It took about 1 and 1/2 recipes of Nic Lodges's gumpaste to do them all. I also used 28g. wire, if I were to make them again, I would use thicker wire on the biggest (green) bracts. The 28g was a little thin to hold those up.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1532334

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kjt Posted 7 Dec 2009 , 12:46am
post #18 of 23

icon_sad.gif I am getting the dreaded "The photo does not exist" message...

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Loucinda Posted 7 Dec 2009 , 2:17am
post #19 of 23

I got a message from the powers that be that they had deleted all of my pics of the progession. icon_sad.gif If you would like to see them, I can send them to you via email (pm me) It isn't pics of How to do them, it is just pics of all the different pieces at different times during the making process.

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TexasSugar Posted 7 Dec 2009 , 3:11am
post #20 of 23

Luocinda can you post some on this thread?

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superstar Posted 7 Dec 2009 , 4:13am
post #21 of 23

Loucinda, you poor thing! I can just imagine your pain!!! I love the look of the cake & I can't wait to see a picture of the whole cake.

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sadsmile Posted 7 Dec 2009 , 5:43pm
post #22 of 23

If you make it one post in the flowers section and attach all the pictures(as different views) of the work under the one.. It should be OK. then a person can open the first pic and see the different pics in smaller boxes under the first one and browse Beeton them all.

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Loucinda Posted 7 Dec 2009 , 7:01pm
post #23 of 23
Quote:
Quote:

If you make it one post in the flowers section and attach all the pictures(as different views) of the work under the one.. It should be OK. then a person can open the first pic and see the different pics in smaller boxes under the first one and browse Beeton them all.




Sad - that is exactly what I did. I posted one pic in the gumpaste flowers section, and the others were added ones to that. They deleted all of them and sent me a message to please not do it. icon_sad.gif (it MAY be an added feature later to be able to put "progression" pics - but not at this time) I don't get why we are allowed to post multiple pics of ONE cake, but are not allowed to post the progression of how to make a flower? icon_confused.gif

I will work on a tutorial and submit that, maybe they will allow that to be posted? (as soon as my fingers quit hurting that is!)

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