Hi all you wonderfully talented people. I have been looking on this site for a few weeks now. I am just completely amazed at all the awesome cakes I see on here. I have been dabbling in the fine art of cake decorating for years now. But I am nowhere as talented as you all are. My question is where in the world do I get started with doing the brilliant fondant and gumpaste work I see on here. I plan on taking the Wilton course this summer. But would like to start practicing some things now. I was never very talented as a child with the whole play doh thing. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Heather
Go out and buy yourself some fondant and play with it. Wilton is fine so long as nobody plans on consuming it... EVER. It actually does taste like the play-doh of your youth! If you have ready access to some other brand, then I'd go with that so you can put it on something and actually EAT it (so you can try covering a cake, for example). I still use Wilton for stuff I don't feed to people.
Here is a link on gumpaste tools, which can be used for fondant too=)
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-54056.html
And here starts a bunch of how to links that our famous link finder, JanH, has provided a bunch of info on! She is the "Link Queen"!
And a link for gumpaste/fondant info..
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-227901-.html
http://forum.cakecentral.com/gum-pastefondant-tool-kit-ftopicp-1800201.html#1800201
Here is a super link that JanH provided some tutorial links on..
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-65833-.html
How to make fondant bows..
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-255141-.html
How to make tulips..
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-254761-.html
A link on a few different gumpaste directions...
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-243191-.html
Fondant figurines...
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-235211-.html
Gumpaste tiger lilies...
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-216071-.html
Sorry so long, but thought some of these tutorials might be nice to have as you start your fun=) HTH some, Jen
Thank you, thank you so much for all of your helpful ideas. I do come on here daily. I was having cake picture withdrawals the other day. I will surely check out all of those links. And as far as the taste of Wilton fondant, I agree with you about the taste, however my 23 month old daughter LOVED the stuff. But then again she will eat ANYTHING. 
I have learned tons of stuff on here already.
Thanks,
Heather
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