A

Let me clarify, I don't WEAR pantyhose, I BUY it for the kids to stuff with toilet paper when they are making a costume that needs a tail. I just nick a piece of their supply when I need a new one. It's so much easier than the purpose-made ones they sell!

MB you are an inspiration to us all.  The leaps and bounds you are making in your icing work is amazing but your JOY  in doing is the best of all.

I still have those first pink roses & leaves on wires on my table.  I gave the cake away, so it's been long eaten gone gone gone.  The flowers I get to enjoy looking at every day as a keepsake.

A

This is absoutely how I feel too! It's nice to see someone who's trying to learn by making an effort, not by wanting a shortcut or a quick fix. Which is why I sent @mbalaska a box of gumpaste fun ;)

As Robert Heinlein wrote:

“I never do anything I don't want to do. Nor does anyone, but in my case I am always aware of it.”

“One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.”  

"TANSAFAAL"

AI love the fact that MB asked humbly for critique of her work and accepted all the feedback, the encouragement and constructive criticism, and then went away and PRACTISED until she improved. It was fantastic sharing in her excitement and seeing the dramatic improvement.

Such a difference from the people who come to the forum and demand a video tutorial of the precise item they need to make with exact quantities etc required and then disappear with no thanks or feedback.

I know who I'd rather help out....

Well today was try-to-make-a Poppy day.  Found out that you don't shove dark green wires that are thick in those poppy petals. Ha.  it only took me 7 of them before I decided to find a thinner white wire. Sharp as a marble.

They are drying now, so they'll probably all pop off.  Live & learn....

So here goes round two.

I've been making poppies also.  I've made many kinds of flowers but somehow never tried the poppy. As I'm sure you found out, the poppy petals are very thin.  You really do need that thinner wire.  :)

Looks are deceiving.  The poppy flower has always seemed like the simplest flower, just a few petals and a center.  Harumph  @JWinslow there must be good reason that you haven't made very many poppies.

I kind of love them because California poppies will occasionally grow in our yard. They are so bright and colorful that they stand out like a beacon in the muddy green here.

I made 2 centers on wires & put it in the foam to dry.  (Yes the florist foam and the straws work great.) Then had a terrible time trying to get those petals wired up.  I think that I'm going to need to so shopping again and buy more small wires, and keep them in the package so I can tell which size is which.  I had the few wires from the Wilton kit in one bundle and can't really tell them apart.  It makes a huge difference what size wire you use, I can see that now.

Maybe 28 or 30 for these petals - opinions?

the first mistake was using the dark green wires in the colored gumpaste.  They showed though. On the petal that I put the white paper wire in - nothing showed.  Then I carelessly knocked around the centers and some petals.  Popped the wires right out.  so had to put them back in and try to repair.   I ended up putting some patches on the back of the petal to try to hold the wire in.  I figured that no one would see the back anyway.

I'll give them a full day to dry and keep my grubby paws off of them.   I've seen beautiful poppies done with so many different kinds of centers.

• Lifelike beaded/pearl stamens and center,
• threads cut and put on a center,
• and gold or silver fantasy button style center.

I kind of like them all.   tomorrow will be fun.

OMG @JWinslow !!! I just checked your website and your poppy blew-me-away   The color is perfect.

ALove your cake and roses MBalaska, just simply elegant!

For drying petals that are slightly curved, get one of those pulp trays they use at the grocery store for apples and pears. They have a good curve to them and the gumpaste doesn't stick to them (unless you get it really wet), plus they come in a couple of different sizes so you can do smaller and large petals. I use them all the time...My son worked in the produce section of the grovery store for a while but he wouldn't bring any of them home to me, which made me bitter. I think I got mine from Walmart one day. I just asked them if I could have them and they gave me a few.

i have a question that maybe has already been covered so forgive me if i'm repeating something -- you state your wires popped out -- are these all paper covered wires? if they are then the only time i had wires come out was when i used too much glue and when i then learned to apply it as usual then give it a wipe it off so the wire is only just moistened -- if it's not a paper covered wire then there's almost no hope of getting it to stay in -- well there's nothing i know of to keep it attached --

if that is a factor for you --

i worked for someone who used plain slick uncovered green wires -- i guess 'tried to use' is what she did and that's what i thought of when you said the white paper covered ones worked and the green ones popped out -- so just wanted to make sure all yours are covered 

Thank you ladies!! 

MB, my poppy center was made on a 24g wire with a curved tweezers to get the pod look.  I know waiting for them to dry is the hard part but you HAVE to - lol
I drive myself nuts when I get impatient - never ends well. 
I used 30g wire for the petals.  Most of the petals I hung upside down and some I let dry in an apple tray (like costumezar posted).  The ones in the tray I put little pieces of paper towel here and there to get some exaggerated curves

My petals all started out white and I used a couple of shades of red dust, a touch of orange and than a very dark red (kiko) to highlight.  My favorite wires are Sunrise Wires (I get from Global Sugar Art) but the ones Sugar Delights sells are pretty nice too  - They are both paper covered.   I used 1/4 width floral tape.  
 

here's a better photo to see the errors more clearly.

it does absolutely frame the roses very nicely -- if i was doing a 360 view rolled out rose i might do calyxes as well --

however i would be piping the rose on a cupcake too -- on a cupcake i want all edible -- while gum paste is edible i wouldn't use it on a cupcake -- maybe super stiff flavored fondant -- and i would run the leaves right up the side of the rose where they are visible above the top giving a nod to a calyx -- and i would do leaves exactly as you placed yours maybe run a coupla tendrils -- even though roses don't have tendrils of course -- 

i love the look of the cupcakes and i especially love the poppy -- sentimental favorite

Then the roses would be better placed on a cake, and removable.  I'll have to bake something this week.

I put those other roses on the blue plaque so that they could easily be lifted off and removed. Even though there were no wires, and the toothpick had been removed.  Yes I do see your point, and I see the difference with your explanation. Cupcakes are better being all edible. You're an encyclopedia, knowledge and experience.

Funny that My husband cleared out his whole garden in the time it took me to put together that one little poppy. 

you're just getting down the basics -- flowers will get much faster -- think about rolling out an 18" circle of dough and cutting out dozens of petals at once -- keep it covered with plastic wrap (press & seal is nice) and just whip out one petal at a time, and away you go -- no different than making rolled out cookies once you get the basics down yes?

MB,  I forgot to add.  The petals curve inward.  Give that a try if you are still doing them.