Daisy Tutorial by Shaile Socher

You will need:

30g white wire
22g white wire
Crisco
Cornstarch
Egg white
Celboard
Celpad
Plastic sheet
Rolling pin
Pallet knife
Dresden tool
Medium celstick
Pointed tweezers
Sharp scissors
Jem daisy centers
Tinker Tech ruscus leaf cutter
Great Impressions Lily veiner or similar
6 petal flower cutter
Spoons to dry petals
Petal Dust colors Violet, deep magenta, African violet, Deep purple, lavender, yellow
Vodka to paint
Flat brushes
Nile green floral tape

Making the center
1. Roll a small well kneaded ball of gumpaste into a tear drop. Insert a hooked wire dipped in egg white into the pointed end molding around the base keeping it short. Press it into the daisy center firmly. Note: This is to get the shape and size, the gumpaste shouldn’t push out past the mold, trim away excess before removing.

2. Using pointed tweezers pinch while pulling up tiny bits of gumpaste around the whole center. Allow it to dry completely.

3. Dust the center with a deep dark purple petal dust. Mix yellow with Vodka and with a thin brush paint tiny dots around the outer edge. If they dry too light, paint over them one more time.

Making the petals:
4 .Roll out gumpaste on grooved board, remove flipping the gumpaste over. Cut 10-15 petals depending on how full you want the daisy. Insert 30g wire dipped in egg white about ½ way up then mold around the base.

5. Place the petal in a double sided lily veiner pressing firmly.

6. You can shape the petals differently for an open flower or a closed flower. (Left side) more for a closed flower. Bend the petal up at the very base for a slight curve up. (Right side) more for an open flower. Bend the petal up then back for the S shape curving the top of the petal slightly back. Note: While shaping the petals hold it at bottom to avoid snapping it off.

7. Lay the petals on spoons which helps keep the shapes while drying.

8. To dust the top edges of the petals only dip the brush in the lavender tapping most off. Place the brush flat at the top brushing down adding a hint of color. Petal dusting a solid color load the brush heavy with purple or violet covering the entire petal. To make it two tone add the dark deep purple on the tips of the already dusted petals blending the colors together.

Wiring the flower:
9. Bend the petals back at base of wire. Place 1 or 2 petals around the center taping with ½ width floral tape. Continue adding a couples petals at a time placing them close to each other taping completely around. Once a top layer is on start placing them just below for a full daisy. Note: You can tape down the wire after each wrap to secure the previous petals or continue taping around the top adding more petals.

Calyx (if using one)
10. Roll a small piece of gumpaste into a pointed cone pressing the pointed end into the smallest hole in the celpad. Flatten it, roll it out then remove it turning over and cut out the daisy shape.

11. With fine scissors cut V snips doubling the amount of petals. Elongate each with a small celstick or paint brush handle then pinch the tips to a point. Hollow it out with a celstick.

12. Cup with the Dresden tool, pinch the tips, add egg white to the base then thread it up the wire molding around the base.
Note: don’t attach the calyx to the flower if you want to be able to move the petals around. Pull them back just slightly so they aren’t touching.