Does anyone have advice on how to correctly put wires into gumpaste flowers? I have such trouble keeping them from poking through the bud of my roses, sliding down the wire and keeping the point of entry small so the flowers don't move around. Any advice out there would be great. Thank you.
i was taught to do the gumpaste flowers in steps. for example, for the rose, do the rose but first. let that dry for 24 hrs. then do the rest of the rose. the wire wont slip around and move then. its alot easier.....but you do have to wait, and thats not fun.
good luck
Which flowers? Generally, **Make sure you have the correct gauge wire. ** Also make sure your rose base is the correct height. That being said, for the rose bud, I always make a very small hook at one end of the wire , dip in a small amount of egg white, wipe off, and push through the bottom of the rose tear drop base. Smooth the wire to the gumpaste base carefully, then I let it dry overnight. There may be a tutorial on CC as well. Hope this helps! 
I'm having a problem with my leaves and pedals. The ones that you can't put a loop on the end.
Hope this helps!!!
**Make sure you have the correct gauge wire for whatever flower or leaf you are making""" Next, be sure NOT to roll out the base of the leaf/petal [where you will be inserting the wire] too thin. Then dip in egg white, wipe off really well and c a r e f u l l y insert the wire--just far enough--too far and you may break through the gumpaste. Let dry for an hour or two if you plan to steam them. Otherwise, let dry overnight.
I'm having a problem with my leaves and pedals. The ones that you can't put a loop on the end.
But as for roses...I recommend drying the tear drop first...then do the remainder.
Hope this helps!!!
You might want to invest in a cel board for making your leaves... http://www.cakesbysam.com/store/images/pi_21643.gif It makes rolling out your paste much eaiser and more uniform. It also creates the ridge you need to insert the wire. Make sure your using the correct gauge wire.
Also, have you tried making your rose without wires in the petals. You just glue them on the the rose base? It's much easier and I think they look just as pretty.
no problem mrsfish. All this is very helpful for me in trying to learn how to work with gumpaste.
TamiAZ - I have done my roses with no wires and like them very much but would like to start using them on wedding cakes where the bride could remove them and keep them so I really want to learn how to do sprays and stuff like that. Thanks!! ( : This is all really helpful.
I don't think you'll be able to do the roses really really well unless you make the base at least a day ahead. I put on 4 rows of petals, let them dry another day, and then put on the 5 (and sometimes 6 or 7 rows). I also let them dry for a few hours before steaming them. And I've never heard of using wires in the rose petals themselves - just in the base.
Sometimes using too much egg white "glue" is bad because it takes much longer to dry.
Wires in leaves and petals: I leave a slight thickness at the bottom when rolling (but I don't use a channel along the whole petal), and I hold the item in my left hand between my thumb and forefinger while I insert the wire. that way you know you aren't poking through. Again, too much egg white is BAD. Then I dip my fingers in a little cornstarch and really work the gumpaste onto the wire. and I never touch the wire until the item is 100% dry.
I'm attaching some photos . . .
Mrsfish - I'm not sure where you live, but I took ONE class from a guy in NYC - Scott Woolley. If you don't already know who he is, he does work that is amazing, and he is a reallyreallyreally great teacher. He also has a book and a couple of DVDs (expensive, but worth every penny, IMHO). his website is www.cakesbydesign.cc (NOT .com) if you have basic skill working with gumpaste, one class with him will jump you up light years. if you can't find the website (if I typed it wrong) just search on his name and you will find it.
Yes! I do know who he is....I have purchased some cutters and veiners from him recently and I have his book. I am trying to save up for his DVD. Maybe I should check ebay?
You are right....pricey right now for me...but cheaper than me flying to NY....I live in California. LOL!!!
Thanks for that info.
thank you JMT1714 Wow!!! Your roses, stems and leaves are AMAZING!!I do think I was trying to make them too quickly. So that is such good advice. Ok, I guess I need to get a book on flower making since I'm trying to wing it and there is much to learn but I have not heard of steaming the flowers. What does that do?
no, I mean steaming. if after you form and dust them, you give them a shot of steam (I just pass them over my tea kettle while it is boiling). It makes them shine more realistically. especially is you've put on luster dust. just be careful to not leave them in the steam for a long time or get it too close or it will melt.
I can't help much with answers or suggestions, but reading these posts brought a question to mind. What kind of wire do you use? Is it food safe (since it seems that the flowers would stick into the cake)?
Thanks,
Chelle
I don't know about the wires. They are covered in plastic and then covered in floral tape.
As for the steaming.....Thanks!!! I did that to these ivy stems...works great! Please tell me what you think about them.
Well it won't let me post the picture here so I will add them to my photo gallery. If they are not there...its because it wouldn't let me add them.
This might be a little off the subject but I want to ask all of you gumpaste flower experts about adding petal dust to the flowers. I'm making white roses and want to add a "blush" of pink coloring to them. Is it petal dust you use and do you brush it on dry prior to them drying or can you add it to the roses after it is dry?
I color roses as I make them, b/c you can't really reach into the petals well once they are dry. but since you are just giving them a hint of color, I'd would probably let them dry a day, then use a flat brush to lightly dust just the edges with color. If you want a light color all over them, you would want to lightly dust as you are building them.
This might be a little off the subject but I want to ask all of you gumpaste flower experts about adding petal dust to the flowers. I'm making white roses and want to add a "blush" of pink coloring to them. Is it petal dust you use and do you brush it on dry prior to them drying or can you add it to the roses after it is dry?
You dust the flowers when they are completely dry... Also, how you brush themand what brushes you use makes a difference. If you want a soft touch of color make sure to use a soft pink. You can mix some cornstarch into a darker pink to make it lighter. Sometimes the dusts can be potent so a little goes a long way. Use natural hair bristles for the best results.
I should mention that I have used the "Soft method" for making flowers and you brush the petals before putting the flowers together. You use a special gumpaste for this method that allows you more working time before it starts to dry. It's a quicker way to make flowers because you do everything at one time.. No need for drying in between stages.
I make the wires for the leaves the day before and I put the usual hook in them and then dip in egg white and insert into a very small ball of leaf-colored gumpaste. Then, I smish the little ball really flat, like a thin flat wafer and let it dry stuck in floral foam. The next day - when I make the leaves, the wire disk fits nicely right on the back of the leaf - with a little egg white or gum glue.
The downside of this is that you don't want the underside of your leaves to show in the display, but they are quite sturdy.
Thank you Tamiaz and Jmt1714. I experiemented and added the petal dust as I built the rose and then did another after I built the rose. Either way is beautiful and it's like you said it depends on the look you're going for. I didn't wait until my completed rose was finish as I was too anxious to try it out and it worked fine. You are GREAT!!
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