Well I've been working on all my gumpaste flowers and trying to perfect my piping for the border I wanted on my wedding cake. But I suck. I need to start doing hand exercises (No joke!) because it gets horribly tired doing an 8" cake. Then I get sloppy. On a border I can't do at the base of a cake to begin with so I gave up (or at least gave up for my wedding cake). Too much stress.

Then I decided a nice pearl border would be nice. Already made pearls to add to my cake, no stress the day of, perfect! Except when I made the 150 for my sister's cake it took forever! And they were not perfect so I dreaded the huge amount I would have to make.

I stopped by the cake store the other day and decided to splurge and buy the CK pearl mold and I tried it out last night. Expecting it to be a huge pain and boring but after the first one, I'm hooked! I love it, it's tons of fun, and I can't stop making them!

Thanks for surviving my long post but I'm super excited and had to share!

Great news! The CK one is that the blue or white one? I have the blue one but it has always been hard for me to work w/ but the white one is wonderful!

It's the blue one. I didn't have any issues with it. How's the white one different?

Any tricks for getting it to work and look clean? I have this mold - I tried it once and couldn't seem to get it to work...

Bec

I love the CK pearl maker too. This link has complete instructions. Easy to do, just be sure and brush lots of pearl dust in mold first, or if want beads without pearlizing, spray with a cooking spray, wipe out excess, then make the pearls as instructed. http://www.countrykitchensa.com/ckideas/ckIdea.aspx?Occ1Id=&ideaId=169&idea=500&occasion=General%20Cake%20Instructions

I love the CK pearl maker too. This link has complete instructions. Easy to do, just be sure and brush lots of pearl dust in mold first, or if want beads without pearlizing, spray with a cooking spray, wipe out excess, then make the pearls as instructed. http://www.countrykitchensa.com/ckideas/ckIdea.aspx?Occ1Id=&ideaId=169&idea=500&occasion=General%20Cake%20Instructions

I got one last week but haven't trie it yet.

thank you all for the instructions.

Ok...I have the blue CK one...I just can't get the hang of it!! I got it months ago and through it in the drawer! I made one myself and I got better results!
I guess I better pull back out and give it another whirl!

Hi! Is this a 3d mold? I have the silicone half pearl mold and it is good and I just purchased the FMM plastic bead cutter and I can't get the pearls to look nice. They are not really defined pearls and there are seams on them. I followed the directions but still can't get it. Is the mold you are using a 9mm?

Thanks!

Sandy

I have the ck pearl mold, haven't used it for a cake yet, but practiced with it and it worked like a dream. I hope it works as will when I need to make a pearl border for a cake!

You know what, after taking another look it's actually the FMM bead cutter that I have. I'm with you, Sandy - they come out with seams which makes them look more like a cheap set of plastic pearls once they're done! I like my other FMM products...perhaps I just need to take some time and practice more with this one.

Bec

the ck pearl molds are great.. sugarshack uses them in her dvd.. jennifer dontz uses them in her dvd also.. have had mine for years. got different sizes and rope border , rose border.. dust with pearl dust.. make a sausage.. lay in mold.. press with fingers.. close mold.. squeeze tight together... cut off excess with small spatula.. open.. turn on side.. as they start falling out... use soft brush to help ease on out.. this is the way i was taught.. glenda galvez.. at auntglendascakes.com.. has a great dvd on this also.. where she puts them around her bows. it is not expensive. also, a great dvd on making beautiful large roses....hth

I to bought the CK pearl mold and had trouble I am going to try it again my problem is I would put to much dough in it and it would all come out of the mold and when I tried to cut off the excess my pearls would just fall a part I got so frustrated I just put the mold away and never got it out again.

Molly

Yeah, I heavily dusted the mold and rolled out a log of fondant. Then held the mold upside down and squeezed so the opening was wide open and placed over the fondant. Flipped it around, forced more fondant in, squeezed it closed (leaving just a tiny gap like it looks with nothing in it), used a knife to scrape off the excess and popped it out. Perfect little strings. Really it took no more than 1 minute to do it.

I highly recommend it!

I too love popping out pretty pearls. I've got two different molds--one is the CK one that you have to be careful extricating the pearls because if the stiff mold closes while you're getting the string of pearls out then they get smashed. This one is about 6 inches long give or take.

The other mold is about 14 inches long and a softer silicone and user friendly to the max--much easier to remove the little gems and three sizes of pearls in one mold be still my cake toy loving heart.

k8memphis

May I ask what brand is the softer white mold?

Molly

I teach lots of classes, and when we do the pearls, the students are blown away! I LOVE LOVE the CK pearl makers! They produce and all around pearl, not a 1/2 pearl. I also developed a clay I use in the pearl makers, I call it pearl clay but it has many other uses. The pearls really are FUN to make, but most that I've encounted that have difficulty with the blue molds, just don't know how to use them properly. I've made literally hundreds of strands of pearls. My customers are BLOWN AWAY that they are "chocolate" pearls.

A satisfied pearl gal

Jen

Oh, Jen, I'm in awe of your work. It's truly amazing.

Thank you for your kind words aswartzw....

Jen

I've been wanting to get a little pearl mold. I'm glad that I found this thread! Thanks everyone!

I adore my CK pearl makers and use them all the time. I am going to use the big oval one in my next "production"

Are there different sizes of pearls? Or just one size? If there is more than one size, what size do you recommend?

I'm up to four different pearl molds. I now have the daisy border mold
it makes daisy bunches like the pearl mold. I love It.
I will never roll pearls again.leave it for the molds.

I use the 4 mm to edge bows, the 6 and 8 for borders, and the large oval for kids cakes and whimsicals a lot:

Thanks Sugarshack!! You are amazing and so are your cakes!! Thanks for answering my question. I really appreciate it!!

YW!

I lurv me some pearl molds! ( blue CK ones)

Jennifer do you mind sharing your pearl mold clay recipe?

I also use the CK blue mold. The more pearl strands I made starting out the better I got at making them. They remind me of one sided DNA strands when they first come out unfinished. LOL I would also like to try the mold that Edna uses in her video. It is longer so less time making pearl strands plus her's looks a lil more flexible and softer.

I am getting ready to buy the Aztek airbrush and can't wait for that toy also!

Livin in cakeland,
Chippi!

I have the blue mold with 3 different sizes but I'm having trouble with mine.......my strings dont come out in a string, they break apart into single or double pearls???? Is this supposed to happen?