Take a look at the cover of the 'Cakes to Dream On' book by Colette Peters. Alright...how do you achieve that metallic/shimmery look on the teapots?
What I mean is, can anyone recommend a product that they have actually used and had a good outcome and then tell me how it is done? I really need something like that and to learn how to apply it to get that look.

I have used the shimmer dust from Michael's ...I have tried the silver, gold and pearl...the silver and pearl do nothing. The gold however, applied with a little vanilla and a decorator's brush looked just like wet sand. Not exactly the look I was going for.

Thanks!
Mixee

what you need is the luster dust (not wilton brand) make a paint of it with either lemon extract or vodka. then paint with a brush or some say to spray with an air brush (but i don't have one so i can't comment on that)

Hi Mixie, I just posted a picture of a cake I just made with Old Gold luster dust. I put it on top of yellow MMF, and I probably would like the color better if I'd either left the MMF white or used a regular gold luster dust! My mistake was putting apricot glaze under my fondant and it soaked into the fondant and made a mess.

Anyway, it might give you some idea how the gold looks painted on with vodka to liquify it.

The t-shirt is pink lustre dust on pink fondant, but more sparingly applied. Janice

Mixaleena, what kind of vanilla are you using? Oil based, artificial with alcohol?
Also, shimmer dust and lustre dusts are not the same thing, at least not in some brands. It is what you mix things with that makes a difference according to what kind of product you are using.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I have a feeling that what you are using is actually meant to be sprinkled on dry, it isn't lustre dust. Lustre dusts can be mixed into a paint of used in dry form. If you are using the Wilton product, it is meant to be used dry and it is too coarse of a particle to use as a paint.
I copied part of a Wilton post I made a while back.
LUSTER (LUSTRE) DUSTS
Give a metallic sheen. Available in a huge range of colors. Not water soluble.
If they contain Iron Blue or Chromium Oxide, they must be labeled for Decorative use only. In some countries they are considered edible, others not. Mix with clear alcohol or oil based flavorings or use dry.

SPARKLE DUSTS
Just like lustre dusts, but larger grain size. Same rule, mix with clear alcohol or oil based flavorings or use dry. Used more in the dry form for sprinkling on cakes. Can be crushed into a smaller grain size.

PEARL DUSTS
Pearl finish with a hint of color. These are water soluble and can be mixed with water, alcohol, or oil based flavorings or used dry. Can be used in addition to other finishes.

PETAL DUSTS
Various colors to give the most realistic finish to your flowers, these have a matte finish. Can be used in combination with other finishes. For instance, brushed or painted on and then lustre or pearl dusts applied. Petal dusts are water soluble and can be mixed with water; alcohol or oil based flavorings or used dry.

Check in your locality to see if these items are considered safe for food consumption.

Hi Mixie, meant to tell you that I ordered my Luster Dust from sugarcraft.com. If you have a cake supply store they should have it also.

Yes, the luster dust actually dissolves with the alcohol liquid, but the alcohol evaporates, so it will thicken again, all you have to do is add a little more LD to it.

It looks like liquid gold when it is mixed, nothing like sand! Janice

You have to be careful and know what the product you are using is considered before you mix it with any liquid. Some products lose their metallic sheen when mixed with the wrong liquid. For example if you mix a gold lustre dust into water, it will just just look a browny yellow colour, no longer metallic gold.
I think most folks tend to have easier access to the CK products.
Hugs Squirrely Cakes

Colette uses only "lemon extract" with 80 % alcohol. She told me not to use normal vodka, because it contains to much water. If you use vodka on bigger areas to be painted, the fondant can become wet and soaky. Also the oil in the lemon extract will give the luster extra sparkel.

so I take it that to use luster dust you should mix it with a liquid???? just wondering..... I was given some but stumped on what to do and how to do it with it....

You can use luster dust without liquid, but it will not have such an intense shimmer, as on the cover cake.

Well, I find that they mix better with the oil based candy extracts and flavourings. Lemon extract does seem to be more oily, I don't like the effect with the regular artificial vanillas. Vodka works well, but it makes the paint more watery than the oil extracts.
Dry you get a different effect, that is true. I like the combined effect of applying wet and then going over drybrushed.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Thank you so much for all the responses...squirrelly that list of descriptions is great! Thanks! I was also interested in Petal Dust.

Now I know sugarcraft.com, but what is CK Products?

Also....how far does 2 grams get you of the lustre dusts? Thanks all.

Hi Mixie, the trophy cake I used the luster dust on was about 10" tall, and I used about half of the little plastic container. Some areas of the trophy got two coats of the liquified luster dust, so the 2 grams goes quite a way, I think.

The pink I put on the tshirt was used on each of the "sequins" and wasn't a complete coat of the whole cake, so I only used about 1/3 of the container. Janice

PS I don't know if you saw the post, but mixed with vodka, the liquid luster dust crumbled my BC piping (you can see it in the phot). Just in case you are going to use it on BC!

I kinda like the idea of the lemon extract that someone mentioned that Colette uses.

=)

Thanks so much guys!

Well CK Products was the original manufacturer of these dusts. Now in the U.S. you had some issues with FDA approval, so I note that now Sugarcraft has another brand, Crystal, which is FDA approved. Not sure if and where you can get CK Products.
I have never used Crystal Products.
Well, I use vodka sometimes with lustre dusts and haven't had any problems with using it on set buttercream. My buttercream is half butter and half shortening, milk, cream and powdered sugar, not sure if that makes a difference. I also use it on a cooked chocolate icing and haven't had any issues either. You do have to be very careful and gentle.
Whatever works, haha!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes