Hi everyone! I'm a long time lurker, first time poster so please bear with me =) A work colleague has asked if I could produce something similar to the attached picture for her wedding next month (she has been very naughty and left it to the last minute and I'm freaking out as it can take a month or more sometimes for me to order in equipment from the US - I'm in Aus).

Would anyone know of what kind of mat/rolling pin would produce that kind of texture? And if it is textured fondant, how on earth would you get it so perfectly smooth without pressing all the texture out of it?

Any tips or guidance would be gratefully appreciated!

I'm also in Australia - drop into your local lighting supply store

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That would never have occurred to me!! Thanks so, so much Applegumpam, you're a lifesaver!! Your tutorial is incredibly helpful too! =D

I just thought I'd share with anyone else living in Perth that I called 2 lighting companies and they didn't have it in flat sheets but I gave All Acrylics a call -  http://www.allacrylic.com.au/ - and they are able to cut a sheet of prismatic acrylic to whatever size you like.  My advice would be to ask for a rectangular sheet - I didn't know what I was doing so I asked for a 30cm square and it makes it a little complicated for covering larger cakes if you are cutting along the diagonal (each piece ends up very small and you end up with a lot of joins).  That square cost me about $40.  

Anyway, for an example of the texture it produced, here's how it turned out - it was also my first go using dowels and I think I must've cut them too short as the bottom tier squished out to the sides a bit after the top tier was placed.  Also I couldn't make the seam look tidy so I had to hide it, and the top is bare as the bride says she has organised for fresh flowers to be placed on the cake. Haha this seemed to work a whole lot easier in my head!!

Gorgeous!!! It looks so clean and neat!!
 

Kitstar - great job

NEXT time you are after it ask them for their OFFCUTS ..... I got about 6 different designs in really big pieces for abot twenty dollars!

If you add 1/3 modelling chocolate to your fondant - if makes it heaps easier to join

Use the Merkens Super White candy melts if you want to retain the true white of the fondant

The pexiglas is genius, thanks!

That's a great idea about the off-cuts Applegumpam!!  I wish I'd thought of that, and I'll definitely give your other tips a go for next time too - when I tried it in small pieces the joins were really obvious, so then I double stamped the sheet along longer strips, but I found it really hard to get the edges to join together without the the section I was holding falling around all over the place - and then I messed with it so much that it started to dry out and crack and meanwhile the section that I had already stuck on was getting brittle too... argh! I'm pretty sure it shouldn't have taken me about 3 hours to get the sides on, between rolling and re-rolling and getting the measurements wrong and then trimming too much ... urrgghhh I've never been so happy to go on holiday!! =P  

Another tip is to cut your fondant strips on one of those flexible cutting mats (the thin type of placemat ones) You can spray it with Bakels Sprink or a canola based spray, wipe off excess- Roll and then emboss them first, then cut - THEN pop the mat into the refrigerator/freezer for a short time just until it firms up a bit)   It is much easier to handle (lift into place) , less likely to distort and MUCH easier to match up sections

Hello! I recommend you these acrylic rolling pins www.itacakes.com