You will need:

Edibles:

Equipment:

• white and green flowerpaste (A Piece of Cake)
• petal dusts lemon, red (Sugarflair)
• vine green, holly/ivy (SqK)
• mimosa and black Sugartex (Sugarflair)
• sugar glue
• eggwhite
• white vegetable fat
• bag of cornflour
• confectioners glaze
• isopropyl alcohol or Fabilo spray varnish

• Holland tulip veiner and cutter set (Sunflower Sugarart)
• tulip leaf cutters (Fine Cut)
• tulip leaf veiners (SqKGI) or use corn husk veiners
• large Christmas bell (PME)
• plain cutting wheel (PME)
• florist wires white 18g, 24g, 26g, 33g
• florist tape Nile green
• a variety of paintbrushes to include flat brushes

1

For the pistil: Take an 18g wire. Mould a small ball of green paste and form it into a teardrop. Insert the wire into the narrow end of the teardrop. It should measure around 2cm (3/4in).

2

With cranked tweezers divide the bulbous part into three equal sections. With your finger and thumb flatten each lobe.

3

Dust the stigma with vine green. Add a little eggwhite to the lobes and press them into the lemon pollen.

4

For the stamens: Divide a 33g wire into five or six parts. Form a tiny ball of white paste and roll it onto the wire. With your plain cutting wheel mark a line down one side and slightly twist the paste.

5

Add a little eggwhite to the stamen and dip it into the black pollen. Six stamens will be needed.

6

Attach the stamens around the pistil. They should sit just below the stigma and bind them together with third width tape. Tip: the stigma and stamens come in a variety of colours. Either look at the internet or books or a fresh sample.

7

For the petals: roll out some white paste leaving a centre ridge around two thirds up the paste to take a 26g wire.

8

Cut out a petal and insert the wire. Press down to ensure that the wire is firmly embedded in the paste.

9

Place the petal onto a soft mat. Soften the edges with your ball tool.

10

Place the petal into the silicone mould. Press down on the mould to pick up all the veining.

11

Place the petal onto your former. Tip: if you do not want to buy the mould you could use a lily veiner although you get a much better result with the double sided silicone mould.

12

Make two more petals and let them slightly harden so that they will keep their shape.

13

The three outer petals do not need to be wired. Vein as the inner petals and place into a mould.

14

To colour: take lemon dust and dust the bottom third (nearest the wire) with lemon dust both in and out.

15

Use a fine paintbrush and dust the centre vein with vine green dust both in and out.

16

Dust the upper two thirds, both in and out, with red petal dust. Dust from the edges in towards the centre. That way you will pick up all the veining.

17

To assemble: Take your prepared centre. With half width tape bind the three inner petals around the centre in even distances.

18

Add a little sugar glue to the base and a little way up the sides on the outer petals and attach behind and in between the inner petals.

21

Place the flower into the large Christmas bell and hang upside down until the petals will hold their shape.

22

For the bud: You will not need a stamen centre. Take an 18g hooked wire and form quite a large ball of paste and attach the wire firmly into the paste and secure.

23

Make the three inner petals as before. Add a little glue to the base of each petal and attach them to the ball, thereby achieving a nicely rounded shape.

24

For the outer petals either leave them unwired but I feel it is easier to wire them. Use your hands to encourage them to close at the tips. Place them into the bell and hang them upside down.

24

For the leaves: Roll out some green paste and leave a centre ridge to take a wire.

24

Insert the wire, the strength of wire is totally dependent on the size of leaf you are making and cut it out with the tulip leaf cutter.

24

Place the leaf into the tulip veiner and leave to set.

24

Dust the leaf with holly/ivy petal dust and over dust with a little vine green. Leave to dry.

24

Either spray with Fabilo spray or dip into half strength confectioners’ glaze.