I've worked with fondant, but not gum paste. Would you guys say they are pretty much the same in working w/ either? I want to try to make some white roses from gum paste, and have made them w/ fondant, should I know anything in particular?

I tend to roll my gumpaste just a bit thinner (vs. fondant) when doing flowers - particularly roses

gumpaste will dry much faster than fondant, and should dry hard.

You may need to knead a tiny bit of shortening into each small piece of gumpaste before you roll it out. Cornstarch should be very finely dusted on your rolling surface if you want to prevent sticking.

So in it's consistency, it's pretty much the same? I can model it just like I would fondant?

I have never made flowers with fondant, only with Gum Paste. You can roll it very thin & I use my ball tools mainly for shaping, thinning & frilling, but you can use any tools you prefer. It is really nice to work with, especially Nick Lodges Gum Paste, or maybe you make your own!
June

Fondant flowers have a tendency to be very heavy and take a very long time to set up, especially if you have warm hands.

Gumpaste is fondant with tylose added to it, but they are not interchangeable. It would be next to impossible to cover a cake with gumpaste, then it would taste bad and be extremely difficult to cut.

Think of it this way, knitting uses yarn and needles, and makes a variety of things, usually large. Crocheting also uses yarn and needles, but is for delicate work. Some things can be made large with crocheting, but normally it is for small decorative items.

This was the best way for me to describe the differences. It may not be totally correct, but I hope the idea comes across.

Michele