I absolutely love to make gum paste flowers/leaves (hoping practice will make better, if not perfect), and over the last couple of years, I've amassed tons of random flowers.  I store it all in lidded plastic totes, in closets.  I mean, I have TONS.  Dozens upon dozens of roses, calla lilies, magnolias, hydrangea, fantasy flowers, totes full of ivy, rose leaves, hydrangea leaves, etc.  A mixture of all different colors and white.

I've been asked to do a small wedding cake for a friend's daughter and she wants roses for the cake.  I have *gobs* of roses.  Would it be appropriate to airbrush a handful of the ones I already have?  I guess at this point my concern is not being able to get a good airbrush coat on the roses and completely hiding the original color (I only have a couple in red-the color she wants-so I'd need to airbrush a few lighter colored ones).  Am I just being paranoid thinking that someone will inspect those roses and realize they--GASP--may have previously been another color and weren't made specifically for that particular cake?  I don't think I can dust them into a good consistent deep red, so I'm thinking it would have to be airbrushed.

Anyway, just wondering if y'all regularly use previously made gp flowers and just dust or airbrush them into the needed color?  Honestly, I enjoy making them so much that it's no problem to sit down and spend several hours over several nights making new ones.  I would just love to deplete my hoard a bit lol :).

Wow, I love your passion for making flowers and leaves.  I don't work with fondant/gumpaste but it seems people keep them around, they aren't actually eaten, don't see why you couldn't paint them up.  But the reason I am replying is, couldn't you sell your lovely hobby?  Let cakers in the area know, even maybe sell them through etsy?  I have this picture of you sitting with a smile just making flowers for the sheer joy it brings you,  how wonderful.

I would use them , I always make a couple of extras every time I make flowers and particularly leaves. You never know when they might come in handy. Airbrush away, I pretty much work in white so I can always colour up to what I need in a pinch.   I have even been known to pull apart sprays and re work them for a new cake. 

Oh and quite a few of my cake friends have called on me when they were in a bind to see if they can find something in my hoard. 

ADenetteb, that's exactly what I do :). After the kids are in bed I'll pull out the gum paste and some random cutters/beignets and start making flowers. Before I know it, I look up and it's 1:00am. It's really relaxing to me.

Chellescakes, I've also received calls from cake friends in need. It's wonderful to be able to pull out a handful of flowers or bow loops to give to a friend.

I did airbrush a handful of roses and they looked fine. I do enjoy having surplus on hand! Thanks, ladies.

I make all my flowers in white and package them up, then airbrush or dust as I need them. You should be able to airbrush them red no problem.