Here's a slide show on how I made my gumpaste Gerbera Daisy. I'm not an expert on GP flowers so I don't have any specialized cutters or tools, just the basic flower tools that come with the Wilton set. So if I can make these then anyone can. Thy aren't the most realistic flowers but they turned out a pretty and that's all I was hoping for anyways. Happy Flower Making!
Oh Oh Oh I have been wanting to try this for sometime now but between all my cake orders and 4 kids that apparently have to at least 3 times a day I haven't had the time to mess around lately.
So when I got the chance to do a Coraline cake I had to use this method.
Was I sure it would work, no, did that stop me from trying ,no, did it turn out better then I could have hoped for...yes!
Ok so basically it's nothing more then painting, but instead of using water colors or acrylics which I have much experience with (been painting my entire life) I used Royal Icing, thinned down to the consistency of poster paints, or acrylic craft paints.
For this go I did the tunnel that Coraline crawls through and the moon and night sky.
So the design was pretty basic, for my next attempt I'd like to try something a little grander but we will have to wait and see.
Here are some pics of the cake and the inspiration behind it.
The tree topper is a bamboo skewer wrapped in floral wire and covered in royal icing, I was on a Royal icing kick that week..lol
Ok so after 2 failed attempts to purchase this particular book on Half.com, a city wide search of all bookstores new and used and a stubbornness that just wouldn't allow me to spend 10$ on shipping... I finally found the book I've been looking for at Micheal's.
It is Annie Lang's Polymer Clay Characters by Stacey Morgan.
Super cute little critters with easy step-by-step instructions.
I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn figure building.
Polymer clay is very similar to fondant so many books/tools on polymer clay can be used for fondant.
I use polymer clay tools ,cutters and molds,lot of times they are cheaper then the "speciality" cake gadgets.
I couldn't wait to play around with some fondant so I stayed up until 4am working on this little baby,awww isn't he cute!
I changed the design a bit but still kept it's Annie Lang cuteness.
1. Roll 2 balls of fondant, one slightly larger then the other (the exact size doesn't matter, you can make the monkey big or small)
2. Using circle cutters cut 2 circles from some light brown fondant, one for the face and one for the tummy.
3. Attache circles with some fondant glue, use a toothpick to add a belly button.
4. Cut some ears from fondant that is rolled to about 1/4" thick, it needs to be somewhat thick so it will stand up.
5. Add the pink centers and using a circle cutter cut off a small piece. This will allow the ear to sit flush on the round head. Let dry while you work on the other pieces.
6. Add the nose, mouth and eyes. I used fondant but you can use a edible marker or food color. Put 2 toothpicks in the side of the head, these will support the ears while they dry and be removed later. The head is the larger of the 2 balls.
7.Attache the ears using a little dab of fondant glue. The ears will rest on top of the toothpicks.
8. Make the tail and hair from fondant, let dry hard.
9. Roll a sausage shape and taper at one end for the legs and arms. Make 2 legs and 2 arms, the arms will be slightly smaller then the legs.
10. Make small indention's where the toes will go, this will help them stay in place while the glue dries and not roll off.
11. Roll 12 tiny balls of fondant and attached for toes using fondant glue.
12. Sit body upright and stick a toothpick into it. Make sure the toothpick won't stick out of the top of the head, you might need to trim it down depending on the size of the monkey.
13. Attache head to body by sticking it on the toothpick, you can also use a little bit of glue.
14. Glue arms and legs on the sides, pressing gently and shaping them to the body.
15. Let the monkey dry on his back, supporting his arms,legs and ears, this will eliminate the fat squished look. Once he is dry you can sit him upright and he won't sqoosh down.
Attache the hair and tail once they are dry and he is ready for your cake!
Here's my version of the Wilton Monkey . I made this guy for my Jungle Babies cake but he can be used for any monkey/jungle themed cake.
I used mmf with some tylose powder added.
It drys hard like gumpaste but not as fast so it allows you time to work with it and shape it .
I also used fondant glue which is water and tylose powder mixed together. I keep it in a old baby food jar.
I don't have an extcact recipe for making it I just add tylose powder (1/2 tsp?) to some hot water (1/3 cup?), microwave it , stir it and let it sit until it thickens and the lumps disappear.
This tutorial is for a lady bug smash cake but the cake can be made any size. The steps will still be the same, just use bigger cakes. She's really easy to make, basically half a ball. I do have the Wilton ball pan but I don't like how it bakes, the outsides are always really dark and hard and the inside is raw so I carve my own. This tutorial could also be used for a turtle, of course it would be green and have legs but the shape it the same.
Yippee I made it thru the weekend, whew I didn't think I would.
I have a new found appreciation for sleep, apparently you do need it!
Ok so I promised a couple of tutorials and I am here to deliver.
The first is a slide show on who to make a Gum Paste Bow.
I know they have been done a million times but I have received quite a few request on how I did mine.
I had never watched or read anything on how to make them until after I had already came up with my own method, turns out I don't make them that much different then everyone else.
But any who here's the slide show, I'm trying to figure out how to add some nice elevator music to the clip so bare with me.
And sorry again for the quality of the pictures, seems that even if you save your money and invest in a nice camera you still have to actually know how to use it, which I obviously do not ;)
I have a couple of tutorials I'm working on right now, Fondant Bows and the Jungle Babies from my "Jungle Babies " Cake.
I might also squeeze in a 3-D Lady Bug cake if I don't run out of time.
Whats sad is I had an awesome tutorial planned on how to make a fondant motorcycle but at about 4am I ran out of steam and forgot to take the rest of my pics.
So I have pics on how to start a fondant motorcycle but not actually finish one :(
>>>>That's the finished motorcycle and rockin navy dude riding it!
I might post the few pics I have though and just write the rest of the instructions.
I also have some pics on how to make gum paste character plaques but alas they are stuck on my cameras memory and not on the card so I don't know how to get them off.
Apparently I need to use some sort of magic "cord" that came with the blasted thing but seriously who saves all that electronic stuff that comes with everything?
OK that's it for now, I have a ton of work to do this week but I will do my best to sneak in a tutorial by this weekend.
1. Roll 2 balls of fondant, one slightly larger then the other (the exact size doesn't matter, you can make the monkey big or small)
2. Using circle cutters cut 2 circles from some light brown fondant, one for the face and one for the tummy.
4. Cut some ears from fondant that is rolled to about 1/4" thick, it needs to be somewhat thick so it will stand up.
6. Add the nose, mouth and eyes. I used fondant but you can use a edible marker or food color. Put 2 toothpicks in the side of the head, these will support the ears while they dry and be removed later. The head is the larger of the 2 balls.
10. Make small indention's where the toes will go, this will help them stay in place while the glue dries and not roll off.
14. Glue arms and legs on the sides, pressing gently and shaping them to the body.
Attache the hair and tail once they are dry and he is ready for your cake!
