I've read a few tutorials, tried out a gumpaste bow yesterday.
Here's my problem. It has some small cracks on the edges.
I let it dry with a rolled up piece of wax paper in the center of each loop. Did I remove the paper too soon? I removed it after about 6 hours, the gumpaste still moved a little. Should I wait for it to be completely hard?

Or was my gumpaste too dry when I made it? I was unsure what the consistency should be.

Any suggestions???
Thanks!

The gp was probably a wee bit too dry when you made it. Once it's completely dry, and I mean completely, you can use a microplane or sandpaper to smooth out the edges.

Hello splymale! I like my gumpaste consistency to be like "tight chewing gum." Did it feel at all flaky/crumbly when you were making your bow. It is possible that your paste was just too dry, but it's also possible that it hadn't been worked quite enough.

You're saying the he gumpaste was still slightly flexible at 6 hours? Are your loops quite thick? Or are you actually using a fondant/gumpaste mix? I live in a very damp climate, and at six hours my loops would be dry (although I leave them longer to ensure the pleated ends are fully hardened.

Thanks for the replies...
I used all gumpaste, no fondant. Maybe too thick of loops, I tried making them thinner, but I had a hard time with it.
When I was making the loops, I had to work very fast, because the strips would dry out and start to wrinkle when I manipulated them.
What should the ratio of gumpaste mix to water be?
I'm using CK gumpaste mix.
Thank you so much!

If you mix some fondant into your gum paste the loops won't dry out as quickly and it will give you plenty of time to work but still dry hard and stable. 50/50 is a good mix, but you can go as little as 25% fondant/75% gum paste and it still really helps with the workability.

I use gum paste for my bows all the time...I just love making them! Anyway, I don't use a mix...I use Wilton pre-made gumpaste (get it at Michaels with their 40% off coupon). It can go really thin without cracking and it dries quickly. I found that by working with Crisco, you can get it really smooth and more pliable if you're having a cracking problem. I so like using Crisco instead of powdered sugar. Just coat a little in your hands and start kneading the gum paste. I also put the Crisco on my fondant roller and on the board I'm rolling it on. You might even try the Crisco on your CK mix gum paste and see if that will help. Good luck!

Thank you!