I was wondering if anyone had any tips for preserving the red color in gum paste flowers. I started with a beautiful batch of red gum paste, trying to account for some color loss with some extra color. I used a mix of super red gel color and Wilton's red red. When the flowers dried, they turned into almost a brown color. I have dusted them with ruby red petal dust and steamed them, and although they are better, they are still a deep reddish brown color when they dry.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions on what I did incorrectly? I appreciate any help you can offer. It was so frustrating to see the perfect shade of red turn into a completely different color.