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Do you ever get so stressed out?

post #1 of 13
6/11/12 at 10:05pm
Thread Starter 
I am so stressed right now. I am making a 50th anniv. cake in a month. Have alot coming up and so started to make some gumpaste hibiscus today. They flopped. I have a veiner on the way. I could not get the petal to ruffle. I have never been able to do it. I need to get these done soon. It is a hawaiian theme. I have searched tons of pictures and am still unsettled about the design. I have a stomach ache over this tonight. I want this cake to be so nice and
I do not think this is going to be one I am happy with. Any advice?
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post #2 of 13
6/12/12 at 12:45am
Sounds just like what I put myself through.
Months and months of planning and researching. I'm like a gambling addict...the next pic I see might give me better inspiration.
Narrow down to 3 fav pics/sketches then choose one.
Jeez, wish I would use my own advice. Wouldn't be unusual for me to decide the final design details at last minute. I do like to have a plan A & B just in case! Plan B was useful on my last cake - the fancy cake separator didn't look right so I ditched it last minute....after much pulling and twisting to get it out of the holder I had secured to the base inside the cake!
Have faith, you do great cakes.
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post #3 of 13
6/12/12 at 8:39am
I'm a programmer by trade, not a baker, but yes, this job also has plenty of sources of stress. At least we're not air traffic controllers or brain surgeons.

And the fact that you are getting stressed out is proof that you sincerely care about what you're doing. If you didn't give a damn, you wouldn't get stressed out when things were going less than completely smoothly.
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
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James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
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post #4 of 13
6/12/12 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bostonterrierlady

I am so stressed right now. I am making a 50th anniv. cake in a month. Have alot coming up and so started to make some gumpaste hibiscus today. They flopped. I have a veiner on the way. I could not get the petal to ruffle. I have never been able to do it. I need to get these done soon. It is a hawaiian theme. I have searched tons of pictures and am still unsettled about the design. I have a stomach ache over this tonight. I want this cake to be so nice and
I do not think this is going to be one I am happy with. Any advice?



What are you trying to ruffle on?
What type of ball tool are you using?
What type of gum paste, etc., are you using?

I've done them using modeling chocolate with the large 5 petal cutter and they were pretty quick & easy--not botanically correct, but everyone knew they were hibiscus.

Image

LMK
Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #5 of 13
6/12/12 at 1:45pm
I just want to say that with every single cake I make, I am convinced at one point (smetimes several points) that it's going ot be a complete and utter disaster. It never is. I've learned to remind myself of that when I start feeling stressed.

So, take a deep breath. Remind yourself that you're good at this. You'll figure out the flowers. The cake will be lovely.
~Elcee~
http://www.facebook.com/IcedandDazzle
http://www.icedanddazzle.com
http://beautifullyembellishedcakes.blogspot.com/

Check out Colorado's premier sugar art show on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/SweetTimesintheRockies
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~Elcee~
http://www.facebook.com/IcedandDazzle
http://www.icedanddazzle.com
http://beautifullyembellishedcakes.blogspot.com/

Check out Colorado's premier sugar art show on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/SweetTimesintheRockies
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post #6 of 13
6/12/12 at 2:03pm
Every time! My family knows when to scram, lol! There's a tutorial here at CC on hibiscus flowers. Good luck.
Lyndi M.
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Lyndi M.
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post #7 of 13
6/12/12 at 8:47pm
I too stress when doing my cakes. My poor husband tries to be supportive but has learnt to just get out the way LOL

I am getting better. I just take a big breath & remind myself that I can do it.

Wish I could help with your flowers. What are you using? Gumpaste, Modelling choc?

Tina
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post #8 of 13
6/13/12 at 12:16am
I used this video as a guide four years ago when I needed to make flowers for my mother's retirement cake. I bought a bouquet of artificial hibiscus flowers at Michael's took one apart and used the petals as a pattern. A pizza cutter works great to cut out the petals. Make sure you thin the petal edges with a ball tool. The rest of the flowers work great as a flower former just like she shows you in the video. I tried the cotton but found small pieces of paper towel worked best as the cotton would stick to the gumpaste. I also used tylose and water for the glue instead of the vodka. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTyHClJ48RA My mother loved the flowers she actually kept them and has them displayed in her Curio.
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post #9 of 13
6/13/12 at 6:08pm
Thread Starter 
Rae,
Where did you get the hawaiian leaves on the yellow cake? Love to get that pattern.
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post #10 of 13
6/13/12 at 6:27pm
After you thin the edges, you take a round toothpick and roll it back and forth at several points perpendicular to the edge. That's how you get those realistic hibiscus petal ruffles.
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post #11 of 13
6/13/12 at 6:34pm
That was just some scrapbooking paper covered with contact paper that I picked up at either Michael's or Joann, but it was 2 years ago and they change patterns so often.

This is the pattern--it was 2 sided paper--can't tell about the colors online, but I'm betting it's the same:
http://www.tropicalscrapbooking.com/CI-P156/retro-tropical-tiki-double-sided-paper-by-creative-imaginations.html

These are some other pretty options:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yellow-Hawaiian-Flowers-12x12-Scrapbook-Paper-Karen-Foster-Design-Vacation-/261029547434?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc692cdaa

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Hawaiian-Flowers-12x12-Scrapbook-Paper-Karen-Foster-Design-Vacation-Island-/370615873673?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564a6d7089

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Hawaiian-Flowers-12x12-Scrapbook-Paper-Karen-Foster-Design-Vacation-Island-/370615873424?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564a6d6f90

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DESIGNS-BY-REMINISCE-scrapbook-paper-HAWAIIAN-SHIRT-2pc-/300451808363?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f452c46b

http://store.scrapbook.com/theme/hawaii.html?gclid=CM2YmoXJzLACFSWFQAodLGbSXg

http://www.hulatreasures.com/servlet/the-1145/Gift-Wrap-Wrapping-Paper/Detail

http://www.tropicalscrapbooking.com/RM-P31/blue-hawaii-tropical-fusion-paper-by-reminisce.html

Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #12 of 13
6/13/12 at 7:12pm
First of all, you've got some time. It's much better to freak out now than 3 days before the cake is due (that's what I did.......).

Here are photos of my very first gum paste flowers which happened to be hibiscus. Just like you, I tried lots of different things and these were the first ones that worked, so that's what I went with. The leaves and filler flowers are pretty "newbie-ish", but by then, I didn't give a rat's pa-tootie. I figured the flowers were good enough!

http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/340#339
http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/340
http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/340#338
http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/340#337

(If you scroll down to the bottom of each picture, you'll find the description.)
--------------
If these look anything like the hibiscus you want to have for your cake, then please send me a PM or respond on this thread. I have prep photos and can tell you EXACTLY what I used and how to do it.
LL
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post #13 of 13
6/13/12 at 9:29pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you so much. This is a help.
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