or do you use plain and color it with dusting powders afterwards? Are the suting powders to highlight and lowlight the work or to give the all over color? Can you get realistic premixed fondant and gumpaste colors are they cheesy fake colors? Can you suggest a good green to use when making rose leaves and calyx?

You can colour small amounts of petal / gum paste with the coloured pastes or you can make your flowers in white and then paint them by mixing coloured pastes or powders with vodka or vanilla extract. Once dry you can use the dusting powders to give a variation in the colour.