I have been decorating for 45 years and have NEVER used fondant or
gumpaste. I don't know what hit me but I just got the idea that I should
and want to learn to use it. I am trying to teach myself. I have been
playing with the fondant and trying to make some roses. I tried a rose
cutter with the 5 petals that you just fold up around the bud, etc. then
I started to try and make them free hand just by shaping each petal
and wrapping them around a spiral center, etc. Sorry for making this
so long, but would it be easier to do with Gumpaste? I just ordered some
gumpaste (Satin Ice) online yesterday thinking that it would be easier
to make flowers with that. I am use to making all my flowers with royal
icing especially if for a wedding cake. In my mind from all I have seen
and read, I am looking at the fondant covering on the cake being like the
buttercream frosting and the flowers made of gumpaste being like the royal icing flowers. Is that kind of the difference?

Jerrycakes, you can make flowers from both fondant and gum paste - the difference is that the fondant once are softer and tend not to be so thin, whilst gumpaste can be rolled really thinly, making your petal really fine and fragile - makes a more delicate flower which you usually have to make on wire - then you can add leaves and arrange your flower display on your cake - you have to put the wired flowers into a 'flower pick' which is foodgrade and stops the wires touching your cake. Look at the picture in my gallery of the golden wedding cake - gumpaste flowers - and the 2 tier pink christening cake with the roses on the front - they are fondant

Good luck

Thank you very much Moondance. I kind of thought it was something like that
but just guessing, about the gumpaste being able to make thinner petals on flowers.
I have found that the fondant petals are thicker especially if trying to form them by hand.
Thank you again! I appreciate hearing from you.

you are very welcome and thank you for your kind comments on my photos

I use flowerpaste or gumpaste for my flowers , it is really cheap to make yourself . I use this recipe

Helen Dissel's flowerpaste
Ingredients:
- 1 egg white
- Pure icing sugar
- Copha
- Tylose powder

Method:
1. Mix egg white and sufficient icing sugar to form a stiff peak royal icing.
2. Add 2 rounded teaspoons of Tylose powder and mix through well.
3. Wash hands and put 1 rounded teaspoon of Copha into your hands and work paste thoroughly for at least five minutes.
4. It may be a good idea to mix two individual golf size balls separately to facilitate easier blending.
5. Wrap in cling wrap and store in an airtight container.
6. It does not need to be kept in the fridge.
Helens Sugar Art Tip...Please note that this paste will not work if it is not worked in the making process. It will have no stretch if you do not work it well. If you do, you will be able to roll it out paper thin / tissue thin.

instead of the Copha I use vegetable shortening . I also make a double batch in a mixer rather than by hand up to the stage where you add the tylose and shortening , I just divide it up wrap it in gling wrap , a freezer bag and then place them into a ziplock and put them into the freezer until I need them. Because you can roll it so thin you it goes a long way.
You can get your flowers very realistic with this paste. All of the flowers on my cakes are made with this.

Nic Lodge has a wonderful, easy to make, easy to use recipe for gumpaste. Somewhat similar to what Chellescakes posted.
Basically you make royal icing, add Tylose and waa-la it's gumpaste
When I was teaching Wilton I would have to make royal icing in class as a demo; I seldom use royal and was throwing it out when one day I needed some gp and tried adding Tylose to the royal I had made in class a couple of days before. It worked like a charm and have been doing like that ever since.
Many times when I have fondant on hand and want to make a couple of quick flowers I will take a ping-pong ball sized lump and dip it in the Tylose; mix *well* - kneed/work it - for maybe a full minute or two and it tightens up the fondant enough to make flowers. If you are not entering a contest where perfection/thinness is important it works fine