Okay, all you gumpaste experts...what do you do if the gumpaste feels dry? Do you add Crisco, like with MMF? I know it tends to dry fast, so I'm trying to work fast, but the edges seem to dry out before I can get it all done. I'm working on a shoe, using Nati's tutorial.

TIA!

bump?

I would try kneading some Crisco in, coat the palms of your hands with a small amount of Crisco and then knead it. After you roll it don't cut out too many pieces at one time, and on those you do cut out, cover them with a piece of plastic wrap while you are working on them, one piece at a time. Don't use cornstarch to roll out your paste, it is very drying, lightly grease your board with Crisco as well as a light film of it on your rolling pin.

Thank you very much, Shirley! I do that with fondant, but somehow thought gumpaste called for powdered sugar or cornstarch. I'm glad I asked, that should make it much simpler.

Thanks again!

im probably late...but yes the crisco will soften it up...but there will come a time if you are reusing a piece often that it will not be able to work any longer.

I do the same as Shirley

Like Shirley, I use a small piece of gumpaste at a time, and cover my cut pieces with plastic to prevent drying.....as in doing roses, I cut no more than 5 - 6 petals at a time.....re-rolling any unused portion and replacing in a sandwich bag until I am ready to roll again. After a while, the left over willbecome quite dry so I add a fresh piece from my stock, and rework it.....I use a ball about the size of a large cherry at a time....adding as I need from my stock....

do any of you have problems w/ cracks in your gumpaste? What gumpaste do you use? I was using Wilton's ready-made and I could NOT get the cracks out of it- I was trying to shape the heel of the shoe and it was all cracked..... no matter how much Crisco I added or how much I rolled it, it still was cracked.... I've had trouble with Wilton fondant doing this too. I just don't get it. Is it better to just mix gumpaste & fondant together???

I'm glad you asked that, imartsy. I had the same problem with my heel. I wondered if it was because I didn't add enough Crisco, but it also wasn't very smooth.

I guess you could use crisco......... My goal is to keep it from drying out in the first place and my main weapon is PRESS N SEAL! I find if I wrap the gumpaste in press n seal and then put it in ziplock it lasts a lot longer. And then when I am working with it I make a pocket of press n seal (actually I'll do the initial roll out on the table and then put on the piece of press and seal and then use the cutters. Then I fold the press n seal over the top. Now I can reach in and out and get a piece at a time (sometimes I'll put something over whre I keep opening and reopening to keep the airtightness) and then my gumpaste is good for awhile.

hope that helps!