I have no idea how to make or use gumpaste! I have made some decorations with fondant (fairy simple ones), but haven't ventured into gumpaste yet. PLEASE someone help me! I would love to use this medium as it seems to be able to make more diverse decorations!
i am about to explore this medium as well. i think its the same as working with fondant only you can roll it much thinner and it dries much faster.
They're right, it's stronger and you can roll it A LOT thinner to make realistic looking flowers and foliage. If you've worked with fondant it will be easier. Unless you're doing flowers use it just as you would fondant, if you are doing flowers roll it a lot thinner than you think. You should be able to see thru it when you cut your petals. And work with small amounts if you're doing flowers so it doesn't dry out too much!! Good Luck! 
can you color it like you do fondant? with the wilton or americolor gel/paste?
cakel8t... tell me your avitar isn't your cake?! were you at the competition? It is gorgeous!
I am by no means an expert but I will throw in my two cents. Gumpaste is really good to use when making flowers because it can be rolled very thin. It is also good to add to fondant when making decorations such as drapes. It helps the fondant not to be stretchy. It also dries very hard and fast.
I have heard that Nicholas Lodges recipe for gumpaste and also the Wilton recipe for gumpast are both easy to make. I haven't made it yet. I have only purchased the ready to use stuff.
Good Luck in your adventures and I hope this post helped some.
Nicholas Lodge gumpaste is great. Easy to make, you store in the freezer if not going to use for awhile.
Recipe for gumpaste.
http://www.nicholaslodge.com/gumpaste.htm
wow! heading to that nicholas lodge link right now! thanks!
I use Nic's Tylose recipe and yes, I use raw egg whites, but I consider gumpaste decorations to be just that, decorations. Not meant to be eaten, and I explain that to anyone cutting one of my cakes. Take the flowers off and save them if you like, or toss them, but don't eat them. Gumpaste dries very hard and only tastes sweet, not appetizing to eat. Besides, most gumpaste flowers contain floral wire.
gumpaste can be tinted or can be left white and colored using dusts or chalks once the items are dry. You can achieve a more realistic looking flower when using the dusts or chalk.
I have a recipe for homemade paste but it dries VERY quick. But I have learned to work with the drying time and I like it a lot. Does anyone else have a recipe for homemade. Oh and mine has no strange ingredients so its easy to make.
Could you please share it with us? I am just starting to dabble in this part of cake decorating. I buy the Wlton powder and make the recipe on the can.
So far I have made the rails for the playpen cake. They are drying as we speak. I rolled them out. I hope they are dry by Saturday. 
Mary
Ok the roses I made on my daughters 11th BD cake. Its red white wnd blue were made with this. And the bow on the present and the numbers in the casket cake. Ive done more but no photos posted.( thoes were pre digital camera.)
Gumpase:
1 T Gelatin
3 T water
1 t lemon juice
1 T Crisco
1 T liht corn syruo
1 lb powder sugar (sifted 3x's)
Soak gel. in water add lemon juice. Let set 30 min in sauce pan.
Add Crisco and Syrup ontop of gel mmixture. melt on lowest heat.
Then knead in the sugar. Stor in an airtight container.
(these directions also say: pat with water just before sealing. I'm not sure if you have to, but I do.
Also It says it can be stored in frig for weeks.)
I know letting it rest is helpful. Also when using it a tiny bit of crisco on the fingers helps A LOT. I did get an instructional video fron Nicolas L. off of the international sugar .... something... website. It was a big help.
Any questions?
I use 's ready made gum paste & because I live in Hawaii, I add extra Tylose & extra hold fixodent powder to take care of the humidity. I used to use Wiltons when I lived in California & it worked fine there, but not here.
Ok the fixodent is new to me. But its so fun to take something that was NOT intended for decorating and make it work as if it were!!!
Fixodent makes everything super hard & doesn't melt in the humidity. It was a tip from a CC member, for the life of me, I can't remember who.
It was something to do with making a shoe & needing the gumpaste to be really hard. I thought if it will work, I will use it all the time, if anyone should eat it it will not harm them Anyway, it really works well & even tho' I can not remember who it was, I bless them every time I work with gum paste.
All my decorations were made with the ffg recipe:
Gumpaste
900g powdered sugar
8 tsp gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
4 tsp glucose syrup
Heat water in double broiler
Put cold water into a small pan and sprinkle gelatin over water. Leave a few minutes to form what ressembles a sponge.
Put the sponge over the hot water to melt. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Add the glucose syrup. Stir till smooth. Set aside for 1 minute.
Work syrup mixture quickly into sifted sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon , then by hand.
Form a ball and wrap in saran paper. Leave at room temperature 24 hours before using.
Use small pieces at a time. Keep unused pieces covered because it dries quickly.
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