Gum Paste/Fondant Roses

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, we did end up having to put my dear baby girl down, so it's been an up and down kind of week. She will be missed, remembering all of the amazing times she's given me, funny times, and the times that she's been my shoulder to cry on. We were lucky enough to be able to bring her home, so she has been laid to rest in the backyard where she grew, and where she can roam and visit us as she pleases...which she has done a few times already (yes, I believe in things like this).

I had no choice but to get busy today as I have an incredibly busy week ahead of me. I needed to get my roses done today for the cake sampling on Thursday, so they would have time to dry. Also for me to get the colours down as well. I have 2 different greens and I also have 2 different reds, but it took both reds to make the colour I was looking for. I hope it's the colour she is looking for too!

Instead of just doing straight Gum Paste Flowers I did a mix of Gum Paste and Fondant. This way they won't be as brittle as straight gum paste and I'll be able to play with them a bit more.

Here is the process (Thank you to my little sister for all the help she gave me today, and being a great photographer getting everything she could!)

Get all your colours made, wrapping them in saran wrap to make sure they don't dry out.

Roll out white. Using cutters make a medium circle. Then cut in half.

Roll each half into this shape (pointed at one end, large at the other), making sure it's roughly the width of one petal. Stick the large end onto wire, or use DRY spaghetti like I have. 

Roll out one of the greens to start making leaves. (likely won't need all of them, but mine are for samples.)

Once you have all your leaves cut, remove the excess gum paste/fondant. Begin texturing the leaves, then form them in the shape you want. I have mine (4th picture), in a rounded sheet. 

Do the same with the other Green you have (or if not, just skip this!)

Now on to the flowers. Roll out your flower colour, in my case red. Cut out as many flowers as you can. Placing them on a Gum Paste board (I had 2 layers full).

Once ready to use, bring out each flower, one at a time. Cut the flower down where each petal meets, not too far, about a centimeter if you can without cutting all the way. Roll the edges with a ball tool, ruffling them. Grab your centers (which you made earlier with white on spaghetti), stick the spaghetti through the center of the flower form, and start layering as follows.

Use as many flower forms, or as little. The small one (rose buds) take 2-3 flower forms, where as the large roses can take anywhere from 5-8. My large ones have 7 flower forms on them. 

I did taste a little of the leftover Gum Paste/Fondant mix and for some reason the flowers had a funny taste to them compared to the rolled mix. I'm wondering if it's maybe the Gum Paste Board I used, or whether it was maybe the colouring. I'll have to try it out tomorrow. Manda, if you see this you were warned! haha! I will get it fixed don't you worry! I am hoping this is around the right colour red that she is looking for!

I am working on some sketches of ideas I have for the cake, so hopefully one will work! We'll get it all sorted out! I'm super excited, and it's just the distraction I needed today!

Just remember, these flowers need to sit to dry for at least 2 days. Since I used Gum Paste/Fondant mixed together mine won't fully harden like just straight Gum Paste.