This is for all you gumpaste gurus out there who turn out flowers that look so real they make me go

I ordered white orchids for a cake for next weekend, but they need to be colored lime green with burgundy speckles, so I also ordered lime green petal dust (and electric green Americolor, just in case). I have burgundy Americolor paste already. I've painted fondant before, but I've never done flowers, and I've never used petal dust, just luster.

So.

What's the best way to paint them so I don't mess them up on my first try?? I also seem to have bad luck if I ever try to paint anything with more than one coat to get a deeper color...any tips would be SO appreciated!

Hi homecook.

Whenever I have to paint or dust a new type/color of flower...I take some of the gumpaste dough, in whatever base color the flower will be (in your case, white) & roll it out flat. Just a few square inches is all you need. Let it dry, and use it as your test swatch. You can paint on it, dust it, speckle it, etc, to see how the effects will look on your flowers. This way, you don't ruin your flowers by experimenting directly on them.

Since you ordered your flowers, maybe you don't have gumpaste dough around....it takes about 10 minutes to make, if you want to try it - or go buy some Wilton or other gumpaste if you don't want to make it.

Dusting vs. painting will give you very different effects (subtle vs. vibrant). For dusting, I recommend cutting your petal dust with cornstarch in varying degrees - you can save on your petal dust, and the colors are more realistic (unless you need something really bright.) For painting, a VERY small amount of vodka mixed with the petal dust (no cornstarch) or your gel is all you need. You shouldn't need any second coats, because painting with wet petal dust or gel gives very saturated coverage.

Hope I'm not telling you a bunch of stuff you already know!

Jen N

are you making green cymbidium orchids? let me know how you like the lime green after you try! i would love to see a picture of your finished orchids! i need to make some for a wedding cake in about 6 weeks, and i bought some chartreuse petal dust. big disaster! i was going to exchange it for moss green (just judging by the pics online) but if you really like lime green, maybe i'll exchange it for lime instead.

and the biggest advice i can give on painting with dust, is to make sure your brush strokes are even and smooth. it helps to have some nice artists brushes too. for a second coat, i would wait until your petals are completely dry, then go over them again if necessary.

good luck! post back when you've finished!

Hi BeccaKelly and Homecook,

I just did a buncha orchids for a wedding cake a few weekends ago. My pictures are in my photos of the flowers.

I just wanted to comment on the petal dusts. I do use moss green most of the time for most of the color and use chartruese as well as forest green for highlights and shadows. The floral tape that Michaels sells as well as most basic floral tapes, the moss green seems to go well with.

I make the orchids with the 5 petal-method. Just the basic cymbidium. I use this book for their method which I think is pretty easy and he does GREAT orchids:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/190399215X/?tag=cakecentral-20

Hope this helps,

Lisa (Loriana)

Thanks you guys. I do have some gumpaste here, and I have made it before, but honestly, I...suck...at making GP flowers, I'll just come right out and say it--which is why I broke down and bought the orchids.

The bride's colors are bright (I mean, really, really sparkly bright neon!) lime green, so I think the lime petal dust will be closest to what I need. I'll just play with it a bit once it gets here.

Of course I'll post the finished cake--how could I resist? It's one of the first cakes I'm doing where I've been given pretty much "creative license" to do "whatever I think looks best".

Wow LOVE creative license. You go girl!!

Hope your cake turns out great!

*hugs*

Loriana (Lisa)