Variegated ivy

 

 

 

Materials/equipment

Gum paste                                                                             Vegetable shortening

Cornstarch in a muslin bag                                                     Edible glue

Rolling out board                                                                   Celstick

Floristry tape – pale brown                                                    Rolling pin

Ivy leaf cutters                                                                       Artist pallet knife

Tweezers                                                                               Small piece of sponge

Ivy leaf viener                                                                        leaf cutter           

Paste food colors                                                                   28g covered wires white

  

  

Soften gum paste in the normal fashion.

Create at least three shades of green gum paste. Roll the colored gum paste into sausages.

  

  

Twist the sausages of gum paste together. Continue to fold/twist till the required mix is achieved. 

 

 Lightly grease the rolling out board/rolling pin. Roll out the partially mixed gum paste till approx 1/16^th inch in thickness. Cut out various leaves.

 

Roll a small piece of cream colored gum paste into a ball, then in to a long cone. Place the cone on a lightly greased rolling out board (you should not be able to see the grease on the rolling out board). Using a lightly greased cel stick, roll from the centre out (on both sides) leaving a ridge in the middle.

  

Place a variegated leaf over the ridge in the cream colored gum paste. Continue to roll the piece of gum paste (as before).

 

Cut out one ivy leaf. Ensure the ridge is running centrally up the ivy leaf before cutting. N.B. Normally three sizes of leaves are required to make a stem.

Take a 28g covered wire white (1/4 length). Dip the wire into the edible glue (no more than ¼ inch) remove the excess glue. Hold the leaf gently between index finger and thumb. Insert the wire into the gum paste leaf.

Lightly dust the viener with cornstarch place the leaf on top of the viener. Cover the leaf with a small piece of sponge (if single sided veiner) and press. 

  

Use index finger and thumb and pinch (emphasize) the vein centrally down the middle of the leaf. Hang the leaf upside down to dry (24 hours).

 

Tape the stems (white wire) with pale brown florist tape (1/3^rd width)

For best effect leaves should always be taped into a stem before adding to a floral spray. Attach 1/3^rd width florist tape to the smallest ivy leaf. Tape down approx. 1inch and tape in a small/medium leaf. Tape down a further 1 inch and tape in another leaf. Continue till the desired length is achieved, adding a small stem of ivy leaves instead of an ivy leaf at various intervals.

  

Use tweezers to bring the stem of ivy leaves to life – bend the wire stem at a 90 deg angle at the base of the ivy leaf. Position the leaves approx ½ inch above the main stem. Don’t forget to put a few twists in the base stem.