I've been reading and reading about gumpaste and love playing with it, however I keep reading about using coloured chalk to do some of the colouring etc. Surely this can't be regular old chalk??? I've seen duting powders but not in the beautiful pastel colours, they are far more vibrant. Can someone explain this chalk to me? Thanks
I believe people just use plain old Crayola non-toxic children's chalk. Use a small grater or microplane and grate it fine and use a small paintbrush to brush on your gumpaste flowers. I'm sure Crayola (or any other brand) does not intend for their product to be eaten, but it IS safe for kids who are always sticking things in their mouths. For this type of use, I think it's fine. No one eats these flowers, right?
Well actually my group (and they are grown) can't keep theirs hands off the gumpaste things I've made!!! They must be sugar deprived I guess hahaha
I searched the web and couldn't find anything about "decorating chalk" everything kept coming up as normal chalk....but I am suprised that it is as simple as a child's chalk.
Thanks
Earlene Moore carries some on her website www.earlenescakes.com
Personally I prefer using Petal dusts--the colors are more vibrant.
Taigen, the chalk on earlene's website is a set of 24 colors which is non-toxic and acid free. I found the same exact chalk at Michaels. It appears to be a different brand but I tell you I would bet that it is the same exact thing. I got it for about 6.00 using the coupon.
I've actually looked and asked at our Michaels for a decorating chalk and they had no idea what I was talking about. They directed me to the powders. I did buy the set of luster powders (gold, silver and pearl) but I have been searching for this "chalk" that you brush on lightly for added colour. Now I know hahaha. I did see the set on Earlene's site and have been very tempted to order it. The price isn't bad till you convert to Canadian dollars and add on shipping...then quite probably will get hit with "duty" from our side of the border. That's happened quite a few times to me
Really appreciate the info.....oh and by the way....I DID get the Gum Tragacanth (tylose?) FINALLY!!! I spoke with our pharamcist and he was able to get me some....so now I should (haha) be able to make a true white gumpaste for special flowers etc. I will continue using the gumtex for any that will be coloured.
You guys are so great and such a wealth of information Thank you
When I did my first gumpaste orchid cake, I spent hours trying to dust the inside of those orchids with grated Crayola chalk. DUH ~ that was the wrong thing!! Don't waste your time or effort.
You want the "soft pastel" chalks that are available at Michael's and Hobby Lobby, and even Wal-Mart. They look like this. No need to order them!
those are safe to eat???? I've heard that if you want a softer color to use the petal dusts and mix in some cornstarch and basically you can get a softer color if that's what you desire....I've never tried it myself.
I tell my friends, family, and clients that the gumpaste flowers are keepsakes and they are not to be eaten (more of them are wired into arrangements, so people know not to eat them).
I've never heard of adults eating crunchy gumpaste flowers. LOL
I tell you what.........I have to agree with Taigen.......everytime I make anything with gumpaste....especially flowers it's always the adults that dive in first.....they get such a kick out of something so beautiful and realistic looking being edible and they can't wait to try them...and most of them enjoy them as well.....go figure.
I've no problem with people eating my magnificent cake works of art (LOL) but I would think it awfully strange if adults started munching on the flowers. I'd probably go after them with a fork or something. Hahaha
haha.....my guys really won't stay out of the gumpaste. 18yr old wants me to make a gumpaste guitar cake??? I can't figure it out...but then this family is always a little strange LOL Even the oldest "health nut" (only eats extra lean anything, chicken and pasta, reads all labels before eating etc.) just took the container of extras and started munching on them like they were chips or something haha
(((thanks))) so much for the pastels....I would never have thought of those...DUH!!!
crisseyann is correct. all of the gumpaste books that i have used state to use the non-toxic chalk. i went to an art supply store and purchased a box then i found out i could have just used the one that they sell at walmart...... as long as it says non-toxic then it should be okay. i thought that gumpaste dries so hard that it would be very brittle if you tried to eat it.
Just to add my two cents...I just got done taken a 5 day gumpaste flowers class with Nicholas Lodge, and we used dusting powders for everything. And it's true - if you want a softer shade of a color -just add some cornstarch - it works beautifully! The flowers looked absolutley perfect and natural! Now saying that - I've never tried the chalks so I have no idea - but the petal dusts are already ground up and easy to use and not terribly expensive (they last a long time), so I'll probably stick with them. But who knows - maybe once I've tried the chalks I'll change my mind - but after seeing the results of the petal dust - it'd be hard to find something I like better.
does the powdered food coloring work in the same way???? Could you use that for gumpaste flowers??? My cake decorating store only sells those and luster dusts.....they don't sell regular petal dusts...and I hate to pay online shipping costs if I don't have to.
I used non toxic chalk this past weekend to colour the very pastel shades of green/yellow on a cala lily. I was really pleased with how it worked. I didn't even bother to grind the chalk, I just used it like a pencil and then blended with a brush. Your very lucky to be able to take gumpaste classes...they must be awesome!!
I've been reading and reading about gumpaste and love playing with it, however I keep reading about using coloured chalk to do some of the colouring etc. Surely this can't be regular old chalk??? I've seen duting powders but not in the beautiful pastel colours, they are far more vibrant. Can someone explain this chalk to me? Thanks
Funny you should ask this. I just spent all day at the office grinding pastels I bought from Michaels. It sure beats working!!!!!! LOL
I got 48 non-toxic chalk pastels and i used a sink strainer from the dollar store to grind them into dust. I went to the photo lab and asked them for film canisters the clear ones and I store the dust in those canisters.
cake princess....oh your arms must be sore from all that!!! I just found that lightly using them like a pencil and taking a deer foot brush to blend them worked great. I'm sure with some flowers etc. it wouldn't be possible to use it this way. I "chalked" the lily on both sides before I molded it into shape. With some flowers/things that wouldn't be possible and I will definetly keep your idea of a strainer in mind when I do have to grind them. Thanks for the tip
I love using chalks for shading. I found two beautiful sets that give me a wide range of colors...among the scrapbooking supplies.
I grate them on one of those little hinged tea strainers...the kind you fill with tea and then place in a cup of hot water. It's got a really fine mesh.
I just took 8 days of classes with Colette Peters and she taught us to grind up non-toxic chalk to color our gumpaste flowers.
We had the large set of chalk pastels from Michael's (I think it has at least 48 colors in it) and with all of us (23) in the class, flowers came out in every color and range of vibrance. You can really get unlimited colors by mixing them and you can lighten the more electric colors by adding white or cornstarch. You can also mix the chalk with lemon extract and paint with it from consistencies ranging from water to tempra paint. We used small, fine strainers to grate the chalk, but I'm going to try a microplane grater because I think it might be quicker & easier. I'm going to grate & store all of mine at once, too!
Other "class" info is that if the flowers are on wires, toothpicks, or contain wired stamens, they are "technically" classified as non-edible (you know, liability and risk factors involving the wire), but if put on dry spaghetti or lollipop sticks, they're edible. She equated petal dust with grated chalk and finds no appreciable differences.
Rae
Grating soft pastels is not necessary, really. Simply rub it across a rough paper (construction paper is great!) and it will dust all over!
DKY there is another thread on here somewhere on how to make a certain flower and colour it....I think (from memory) it is quite similar to the flowers you posted....which are awesome!! The person was wondering how to make them and do the colouring for them as they had a reddish stripe down the outside edge. Maybe you could help her out with how to do it.
I'll try and find the thread. Here it is;
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-23395.html
Your flowers are just beautiful, I hope one day mine will look as good!!!
Thanks everyone for all the info about the chalk....I am really looking forward to making lots of flowers!!
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