Ombre Ruffle Rose 80th Birthday Cake

Hi, I feel a little rusty as have not had a chance to blog for a while but here goes!
I was asked a while ago to make a pretty 80th birthday cake using a colour palette of lilac
and pink and here's what I came up with...

 

The ruffles are really easy to make (and quite addictive too!). I simply cut lengths of sugar paste then used a ball tool to ruffle the edges. I then stuck them to the cake sides from top to bottom using a little water as adhesive. To create the depth of ruffle, I concertinaed the strips as I stuck them on.

 

 

To create the ombre effect, I used a graduation of colours from top to bottom.

To get the colours right, I found it much easier to create a range of coloured sugar paste balls first and lie them next to each other on my worktop. Start light then darken to suit until you get the perfect colour mix.

 

 

I created the roses by making a cone of sugar paste for the centre, then wrapping cut circles

of thin sugar paste around it, tweaking the petals as you go to achieve a natural shape.
The roses were left to dry on greaseproof paper in a Yorkshire pudding tin, then dusted with
edible pearl lustre for a pretty sheen.

 

The 80 was made but pressing a Papermania 8 and 0 clear backed stamp into a thick section of rolled sugar paste, which I then cut out, left to dry, added the sheen and mini flowers.

 

 

I made the mini flowers using a metal cutter and molded them to a 3D shape and

used these to decorate the 80 and fill in any gaps!

 

 

Thank you for looking!

 

I would like to enter this cake into the Craft Blogging Central August challenge (I know it is not specifically craft but it is sugar craft so it may count!)

 

Jill x

 

 

 

Sugar paste bear TUTORIAL

My finished bear!

I was recently handed the challenge of making a 3D bear from sugar paste to go onto my Grandma's birthday cake - here’s how I did it (with help from a couple of enthusiastic

little girls of course!)...

 

My little helpers!

 

You will need;
Sugar paste & icing sugar (or cornflour)
Cream, dark brown and pink colouring
Mini rolling pin
Sugar paste round ended tool
Cocktail stick, spaghetti and paintbrush

How to;

My bear was about 8cm tall, however, the same technique could be used for any sized bear.

1. Roll a ball of cream sugar paste for the body. Stick a length of spaghetti into the middle – this will act as a support for the head.

2. Roll a ball for the head and slightly flatten to create an oval. Stick onto the spaghetti.

3. To make the ears, roll a small ball and flatten with your thumb, cut in half, stick to the side of the bear’s head using cool, boiled water.

4. Make another small ball for the nose section and flatten, stick to the front of the bear’s face. Add a small dark brown nose to the top half.

5. To make the arms, create two cylinders of paste and roll one end gently between your fingers to create a tapered end. Mold them to the side of the bear, using cool boiled water as adhesive. 

 

 

6. Repeat for the legs with slightly larger cylinders. Flatten the large ends to create feet.

7. Add small half circles of pale pink paste to the inside of each ear and flat circles of pale pink to the feet. Use the rounded end of a sugar paste tool to create the pad indents. Add two small brown eyes and paint on a mouth.

 

9.The ribbon (optional). Roll a thin length of dark pink sugar paste and wrap it around the bear’s neck.

Roll and cut out two short lengths of dark pink paste, cut the end of each so that it is on the diagonal and stick these onto the front of the bear to create the ribbon ends.

To create the ribbon loops, roll out and cut two rectangles from the same colour paste. Create the loops by joining the ends of each together leaving a gap between the two layers. Stick these onto the bear’s neck.

To finish, cut a short rectangle and wrap it around the ribbon joins to create the finished bow.

10. Add texture to your finished bear and ribbon using the end of a cocktail stick!

My girls loved doing this - here are their finished bears (with pink dresses of course!)

 

 

If you have made any 3D characters, flowers or whatever with sugar paste, leave me a comment and paste in a link -

I would love to see them!

 

Jill x