AThis is my first time making hydrangeas. It's my first time doing anything with wires And first time using petal dust. I know the centers are a little too big. I followed the instructions That came with the Wilton gumpaste cutter set. Please let me know how I can make these better. Thank you! [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/2968351/width/200/height/400[/IMG] [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/2968354/width/200/height/400[/IMG]
I have that same Wilton set. I don't recall it having any tool for the centers. You are right, those are a bit too large. I would pinch them in half to make them smaller. Great shading on the ones where the dust hits the veins. That's how real hydrangeas do.
For your first time, these are truly awesome. I used to hate hydrangeas. Not sure why, but I did. Now, I really like them. I even have one in my back yard. The Wilton book doesn't suggest this, but I use the ball tool to frill them just a bit on the edge. Real hydrangeas have a bit more curl to them. They aren't frilled like roses, but they too are delicate. Hope that made sense.
AThose look beautiful! CONGRATS on having success the first go around. The centers are a little bit big, but other than that great job! Maybe to make them more life-like you can have some sculpting tools like the petal thinner and ball tool to apply texture to each individual petal.
AI made the commitment and purchased a hydrangea cutter and mold. They make creating hydrangeas much easier. I make the centers by taking stamens and taping them to wire. Sometimes I use the lifelike ones and sometimes I just use pearl ones. I then place small balls of gum paste with a bit of gum glue on a rolled out piece of gum paste and then flip it over so that there are little lumps far enough apart that when you use the cutter they do not impinge on one another. Once you have your flowers cut out, place them under plastic and then take one at a time and press it into the two piece mold. Once they have the shape then carefully thread your wired stamens into the pressed flower. This is where that extra ball of gum paste comes into play, it enables you to have a little extra gum paste to help form and secure the hydrangea flower onto the wire.
It usually takes about 35 individual hydrangea flowers to create a full hydrangea stem. I dust the separate flowers so that they are harmonious but each a little different and then wire them all together by taping them with floral tape. I have attached a picture of a cake with some hydrangeas on top that I made in this manner.[ATTACHMENT=608]wedding 14.JPG (1,169k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT]
Good job. Making flowers can be very rewarding. I have 2 suggestions that might help for in the future. It you run your ball tool around the edge of the petals (half on, half off) it will thin and soften the edge of your petals and give them some more movement so they look a bit less stiff. The other suggestions is to try and get you petals into a tighter ball. It can be hard because the petals stick out and occasionally you will break a petal off but it is worth the perseverance.
AThank you for the advice and kind words! I was a bit disappointed that the wilton impression tool didn't give the petals more detail. I will def use the ball tool on the edges next time and maybe do a bit of veining too. I didn't like the way the wires showed so much. I will work on getting the cluster tighter. It is a challenge with the dried gum paste.
Here is a fantastic three-part tutorial that can help:
http://petalsweet.blogspot.com/2010/01/hydrangea-tutorial-part-one-by.html
AHere's the final result! 60th anniversary Cake for a church
[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/2986440/width/200/height/400[/IMG] [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/2986441/width/200/height/400[/IMG]
Thanks for all your advice!
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