Well as I said in my intro thread I am not a cook/baker but I am VERY anxious to give cake decorating a try. So if you don't mind I have a few questions but first I should let you know that we do finally have a Michaels craft store here now and they do have a cake decorating isle. With that in mind are there any "must have" items that you can suggest? We also have a "bulk barn" that sells some cake decorating items too. We are a small community and getting specific items is not easy.
I am particularly interested in this gum paste that I have read about on here. I've heard of marzipan, being originally from England marzipan was well used for baking. Also we used royal frosting for our family Christmas cake, another English traditon. The cakes were a traditional dark fruit cake prepared weeks in advance. After baking you used appricot jam all over the cake then rolled out the marzipan and covered the cake, after that you used royal icing to create "scenes" of snow. We then used to put little plastic and ceramic figurines on it. Boy am I dating myself !!!
Anyway, I'm remembering and rambling here!! Back to getting ready for our daughters wedding cake.....can anyone tell me if there is something you can make/buy to make clear wings for a dragonfly? As I said in my first post, this is a garden wedding at our pond and everything is going to be butterflies and dragonflies. I was thinking of using melted sugar or something along those lines but maybe all you talented and knowledgable people know how to do this. We actually aren't planning on eating the "pretty" (hopefully it will be!!) cake, as it will be sitting outside and bugs I'm sure will be attracted to it. I am ordering a sheet cake from a local store for serving. But I still think it would add so much to have edible flowers, butterflies and dragonflies on the cake.
Rice paper??? I don't think I have ever seen this, but then again I haven't really looked before. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to paint rice paper with food colouring? If so I'm assuming a paste food colouring would be better than the little bottle of drops you can get anywhere.
Oh so many questions!!! But I don't want to overdo so that's it for now.
Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer, it is very much appreciated.

Hi Taigen,

You can use royal icing or rice paper.

SheilaF posted some fantastic butterflies that she made using rice paper.
You might want to pm her for help.

Hi and welcome to CC!

There is a way to do the wings but I am not the one to tell. I would have as many questions as you. You may want to search this topic on this website and view other post because I have seen this topic before.

I know though in a pinch I have seen a website that sells them already made: edible butterflies, dragonflies, bees, etc. Can't think of it right now....... too early and no coffee yet??

Anyway....... I know you will get a ton of replies but I just want to welcome you.

bj

I just ordered wafer paper from sugarcraft.com. She has a whole how to section on her website about butterflies etc. She also sells pre-made butterflies. I use the food coloring pens to color my butterflies. I think you can use airbrush but you must take extreme caution not to over wet the paper or it dissolves. Hope that helps.

Go to Sugarcraft.com. On the righthand column is "Lessons" There are lessons on everything you want to know! This is also a great website to order from. Good luck and welcome!

Thanks for the site!!! Lots of really great things there too! I REALLY have to pull away from this site...I'm supposed to be working on her invitations and flowers today but I've been on here searching and reading all morning!
One more question though and I know it sounds dumb but can you buy these rice/wafer papers anywhere? Like a regular grocery store? I woud like to practice making butterflies and dragonflies with it.
Thanks.....I really have to get at her other things for a while now hahahaha.....you guys DID warn me about this!!!!

I wish you could easily buy it at the grocery store but no. As far as I know and if anyone knows different please correct me, I can only get it online. I just got the 100 pack because it keeps me from ordering less often than if I got the 10 pack. Once you work with it you will find many reasons to use it. I am making a valentines card from it. I don't know how familiar you are with the pictures on a cake but if you end up getting a edible printer system you use this to print the pics.

I wonder if you could use sheets of gelatine cut out for the wings they would be clear.......I don't know, just a suggestion.......as for the rice paper.......your best bet would be to use the food markers......more control than painting with a brush and food coloring