I want to start making these! I just bought Alan Dunn's "Wedding Cake Decorator's Bible."

But I want to hear from all of you any tips, tricks, or advice that will be helpful. I tried to do a simple rose yesterday, but I was rushed and it wasn't working out. Tell me how you do yours! How thin do you roll your gp? What do you cut on? Do you have to buy the "Wilton Foam Mat" or do you use something else?

oooh now you're talking.

I love doing GP anything.

I have Alan Dunn's rose book and have seen Wedding Bible. I find them most helpful for inspiration and help arranging but suggest for starting out that you try the tutorial below from Edna. She does lots of flowers on you tube (and also sells dvd's)

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=tonedna1&view=videos

You might also find helpful this thread from CC that discusses making roses and has lots of different suggestions and links.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-622934-0.html

Here's a tutorial on making roses from a lady who teaches at Planet Cake http://www.flickr.com/photos/franjmc/2927935625/ (the link to the tutorial is partway down the page in the comments).

The little pink foam pad that Wilton sells is fairly useful. It's a little small for some things but I've gotten a lot of use out of the two that I have. I also make a platform for rose petals from a styrofoam plate with a hole cut in the center, so that I can attach the petals without trying to hold them all in my hand. A foam kneeling pad for gardening makes a good surface for things that you want to indent...lay the pink foam pad on top of it and then put your gumpaste piece on it.

Also, Nicholas Lodge's gumpaste recipe works really well.

When I've misplaced my little foam pad I use the heel of my hand. More than enough padding there LOL.

Awesome! Keep 'em coming GP anything, not just roses!

I love the foam pads. I didn't invest in a lot of tools yet so I first used the round ends of my old candy thermometer and the back of a spoon. I used those and a bone tool for all the flowers I have made whatever they are called.
I think the real trick is watching someone do it and then trying it yourself say half a dozen times... then I just finally got it.

What do you all roll your gp out on?

My glass cutting board for now.

till I got my crimpers I used the small ice cube tongs with the jaggy edge to grip the ice easier with and it crimped great and is a different design than the crimpers I bought so I might still use it after all.

http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/misc/lessons/gproses.htm


The ceramic silk veining tool featured at the above link is a very useful too. You roll it across your petals and it gives them that subtle veined look that really adds realism. They do sell rubber petal veiners that you press onto the petal. But this saves you getting different sizes of those. And I find this gives a better impression.

hI,

I'm sorry, but how do I get to the beginning of this thread to find out what is being talked about?

http://tinyurl.com/ycb5zhe
I use the CelBoards2, 4th one down at the above link. It has ridges. You roll your paste out over the ridges. The paste fills in the ridges leaving thick veins. You cut the petal or leaf so that the thick vein part is in the center of your petal. This makes it easier to thread wires into the petals. The reverse side of the board has no ridges.

I roll the gumpaste on a piece of vinyl, the same one I use for fondant.

when doing flowers, for me the basic equipment that i use for every flower/leaf is:

cel board with ridges
good metal ball tool (what ever ball tool you buy make sure it doesn't have a seem)
stiff foam pad (the $1 store garden pads work great)
Japanese paper covered wire (expensive but worth it IMHO)
Then what ever cutter you need for which ever flower you are making

I like Scott Clark Wooley's cutters and veiners, good quality at a reasonable price. i believe his web site is www.cakesbydesign.com

My advice about gumpaste is to start with one flower, then build from there. Perfect one at a time, then move on. It took me a long time to perfect my roses, but they are finally to where i like them. Roses are also a harder flower to master, the easiest i think is the calla lily.

I have a damaged Wiltons three tiered cake stand that I use to hang flowers as the dry, put way too much fruit on a grooms cake bent the frame badly. OOPs

I love making flowers. As far as tools I go with Peg818. Use the Nicholas Lodge recipe for gumpaste and it really goes a long way if you want really thin and more realistic petals.

Gee, thanks for starting this thread I just bought that book too!! although I haven't try any of the flowers, but I can't wait!!!

Another thing you can use instead of the ball tool is a melon baller!