Well, I finished my gumpaste tulips. Here is a couple pics. I had a really hard time handling the florist wire and florist tape! Can someone tell me if there is a trick to handling this stuff, or maybe a better type of florist wire and tape to use? I used the plain green florist tape that is sold at Michaels and it would not stick to itself at all! I kept coming unraveled and all the fussing caused the royal icing in the tulip centers to come loose from the wires! Also, it seemed like the gumpaste when dries was really brittle. Especially on my leaves, I broke quite a few. Is there a way to make it more durable and stronger?

Even though I had so much trouble everyone loved the tulips and I even had my aunt inquire about using them for wedding center pieces. What would you guys charge for something like that? No cake, just gumpaste tulip boquets.

Thanks in advance for all of the great advice I am sure I will get from you great group of decorators!

Hi Euphoria!

The tulips are gorgeous, sorry I can't help with your questions, I haven't tried gum paste yet, I just wanted to comment on them!

just bumping, I could really use some help on these!

I love your tulips euphoria! Beautiful! I'm hoping to hear an answer too! I made gp lilies this week for the first time and I felt like i needed three hands! LOL I think the florist tape has to be pulled tightly? It's a little stretchy. I broke quite a few leaves also!

beachcakes-

Are the lilies the ones on your communion cake? They came out awesome! Great job!

The florists tape will not stick to itself well unless it is stretched a little bit. It takes a little bit of trial and error, but here is what I do. Wrap the floral tape around the wire at the top. Squeeze it together really well. Then, with the wire in one hand and the tape in the other, roll the wire slowly while feeding the tape between thumb and first finger on other hand. As you feed the tape, pull gently. Then, make sure you are wrapping it tightly, and it should stick.

I know I just made it sound really hard, but it isn't. Try it with a wire with no flower on it a couple of time to get the feel.


Emily

[quote="mom4kidsnm"]The florists tape will not stick to itself well unless it is stretched a little bit. It takes a little bit of trial and error, but here is what I do. Wrap the floral tape around the wire at the top. Squeeze it together really well. Then, with the wire in one hand and the tape in the other, roll the wire slowly while feeding the tape between thumb and first finger on other hand. As you feed the tape, pull gently. Then, make sure you are wrapping it tightly, and it should stick.

I make my tulips differently from you --no royal icing centers, for example--but I agree with mom4kidsnm's technique for wrapping with florist'stape. I'm not sure what to charge. I've seen gumpaste sprays online anywhere from $12.00 and up.

I make my tulips differently from you --no royal icing centers, for example--but I agree with mom4kidsnm's technique for wrapping with florist'stape. I'm not sure what to charge. I've seen gumpaste sprays online anywhere from $12.00 and up.[/quote]

How do you make yours? I tried to use gumpaste centers, but couldn't get the wires to hold sturdy, so I switched to royal icing, which acted like a glue more than the gumpaste. I am still trying to figure out the best way to do tulips and would appreciate any help I can get. Is there any way you could post your directions, or PM me with them?

Yep - thanks Euphoria - did you use the Wilton set for the tulips? They're my favorite flower - I'll have to try it next!!

Of course. I'll PM the directions, along with a photo.

beachcakes-

Yes I used the Wilton set and the directions from the Wilton book. The flower itself was pretty easy, it was just the whole wire process I had issues with!

sweetsucess- Thank You so much!!!! I looked at your pics and the flowers you had their were amazing! You are very talented!

I haven't made tulips yet, so can't respond to those specific issues, but regarding the fragility of gumpaste...get yourself some Tylose and use Nicholas Lodge's recipe (from his website). It is a dream to work with, and dries much harder and stronger than other gumpaste. Plus, it's whiter, too.

I am not sure what you use the royal icing for as I've never made a gumpaste tulip. But if theprocess is anything like roses where you make a base bulb for the petals to adhere to then what you do is make a hook in the end of the wire anddip it into a bit of egg white. Push the wire into the bulb and then leave it to dry overnight. Alternatively if you're in a hurry and the flowers aren't too large and heavy, heat the wire until it red hot. Wait a sencond or 2 until the glowing red has just faded and push the wire into the base bulb. make sure you are pushing the wire down into the gumpaste and not upwards. The carmelised sugar is what causes the wire to stick and if you push the wire upwards into the base some of the molten sugar might dribbleout of the hole that is formed and it won't stick. Hope I'm making sense.

WOW...those are great! I was just jumping on CC to do a Tulip tutorial search and hear was this thread, right at the top! Can anyone PM me directions?

sweet_honesty-
Unfortunately tulips are not made with a base like a rose because they have so few petals and the inside is so open. Most directions actually have you assembling the tulip petals and punching a very small hole in the bottom while still soft. Then letting the petals dry. Once dry you pipe a royal icing star in the bottom and insert the wire, which has been wrapped with florist tape on the very top about an inch, through the premade hole so that the wrapped part of the wire becomes the pistol. You then wrap the bottom portion of the wire with tape. But I didn't have good luck with this process, ended up with wobbly flowers. This is why I was hoping for some better directions. Sweet_success sent me some great directions for an open tulip, I am going to try to adapt them to a more closed tulip, hopefully I will have better luck!

Thanks for everyones advice!

Getting ready to attempt tulips. Did you use the tulip cutter with the three petal together or a cutter that cuts individual petals? The cutter I'm using come in the WIltons flower kit.

gumpaste is fragile especially if dropped because you roll it so thin but then that is what makes it lifelike.... It will break even easier especially off the wires if you are trying to rush it before it is completely dry.

Where can you get Tylose? I just used the CK mix that you mix with water, all I could find around here. Is there somewhere online that you can order the ingredients you need at a decent price and quantitiy?[/quote]

Most supply houses carry Tylose now, as does my local cake decorating supplier. I just sing its praises all over the place. I think it's wonderful. I make up leaves ahead of time, since I think gumpaste leaves are nicer than piped ones. I just throw them in a plastic bag and toss it in a drawer. No babying of the final product. Same thing with some dogwoods and daisies I made up. It's just a LOT more durable than typical gumpaste. I still keep my roses and larger flowers on styrofoam sheets, but there's not that "OMG" feeling when you accidentally bump one of them.

So far, I've just seen it in 55 gram jars. That is enough to do one 2-pound recipe, with some left over for a partial recipe. I think I'm going to email Nicholas Lodge about his getting it put up in larger jars, as he pushes its use a lot, too.

Thanks so much Crimsicle! I will keep an eye out for Tylose and maybe look for it online as well. Can you post Nicholas Lodges website?