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ROSE

Roses (Rosa) are the most requested flowers for bridal work and for cake decorators, too! There are several methods for creating roses—the method described here is the style that I prefer and use most often.

Materials

• 18-, 26-, 28-, and 30-gauge white wires

• Nile green floral tape

• White, pale vine green, and holly/ivy gum paste

• 1 medium egg white

• Daffodil, sunflower, edelweiss (white), plum, forest, foliage, vine, moss, and eggplant petal dusts

• Cornstarch

• Half-glaze or edible glaze spray (PME)

Equipment

• Needle-nose pliers

• Rolling pin

• Large rose petal cutters (Tinkertech Two 549, 550, 551)

• Foam pad

• Metal ball tool

• Very large rose petal veiner (SK-GI)

• Dusting brushes

• Toothpick, optional

• Paper towels

• Rose calyx cutter (FMM), optional

• Curved scissors

• Rose leaf cutters (Jem), set of three

• Extra-large rose leaf cutter (Jem)

• CelStick

• Large briar rose leaf veiner (SK-GI)

Rose cone center

1. Tape over a half to threequarter length of 18-gauge white wire with half-width Nile green floral tape. Bend a large open hook in the end using needle-nose pliers. Form a ball of well-kneaded white gum paste into a cone shape to measure about two-thirds the length of the smallest rose petal cutter you are planning to use. Moisten the hook with egg white and insert it into the rounded base of the cone. Push the hook into most of the length of the cone. Pinch the base of the paste onto the wire to secure the two together. Reshape the point of the cone if required—I tend to form a sharp point with a more rounded base. Allow it to dry for as long as possible.

2. Color a large amount of gum paste to the required color; here I have used pale green petal dust to give a soft offwhite base color. I usually color the paste paler than I want the finished rose to be.

First and second layers

3. Roll out some of the colored paste fairly thinly. Cut out four petals using the smaller of the two rose petal cutters you are planning to use. Place the petals on a foam pad and soften the edges using a metal ball tool—work half on the edge of the petal and half on the pad using a rolling action with the tool. Try not to frill the edges at this stage as you are only taking away the raw cut edge of the petal. Vein each of the petals in turn using the double-sided rose petal veiner—dust with a little cornstarch if needed to prevent sticking—especially if your veiner is being used for the first time. For smaller roses it is not always essential to vein the petals, but the larger flowers benefit from it greatly.

4. Place the first petal against the dried cone using a little egg white to help stick it in place. The petal needs to be positioned quite high against the cone so that you have enough of it to curl tightly to form a spiral effect around the cone. It is important that this cone is not visible from the overview of the finished rose. Do not worry about covering the cone near the base—there are plenty more petals to follow that will do that job. I tend to curl the petal in from the left-hand side. Leave the right-hand edge of the petal slightly open so the next petal can be tucked underneath it.

5. Moisten the remaining three petals and start the second layer by tucking a petal underneath the first petal on the cone. Stick down the edge of the first petal over the new petal. Place the next petal over the join created and then turn the rose to add the third petal. I tend to keep these petals open to start with so that I can get the positioning correct before tightening them around the cone to form a spiral shape. Leave one of the petals slightly open to take the first petal of the next layer. Some roses have slightly pinched petals—this can be done as you add each layer by pinching the top edge to create a slight point. This number of petals can be used to make small rosebuds but the cone base should be made slightly smaller so that the petals cover the whole of it.

Third, fourth, and fifth layers

6. Roll out some more colored gum paste and cut out nine petals using the same size cutter as earlier. Soften the edges and vein the petals as before. Cover the petals with a plastic bag to stop them from drying out—otherwise it is a case of cutting out and working on only three petals at a time. Tuck the first petal underneath the open petal from the previous layer of the rosebud and continue to add the other petals as described above, attaching them in layers of three petals at a time. It is important to keep positioning petals over joins in the previous layer and not to line up petals directly behind each other. Gradually start to loosen the petals slightly as you work on the fourth and fifth layers. Pinch and curl the edges slightly more as you attach the fifth layer.

Sixth layer

7. Roll out more colored gum paste and cut out three petals using the slightly larger rose petal cutter. Soften and vein as before. This time start to hollow out the center of each petal using a large metal ball tool or by simply rubbing the petal with your thumb.

8. Moisten the base of each petal creating a “V” shape. Attach to the rose as before, trying to place each petal over a join in the previous layer. Pinch either side of the petal at the base as you attach them so that it remains the cupped shape and allows the rose to breathe. Curl back the edges using a toothpick or just your fingers to create more movement in the petal edges. I tend to curl either edge of the petal, creating a more pointed petal shape. At this stage you have made what is termed a “half-rose.”

Final layer

9. I prefer to wire the petals individually for the final layer of the rose. This gives more movement and also a much stronger finished flower. Roll out some colored gum paste, leaving a subtle ridge down the center. Cut out the petal using the same size cutter as for the previous layer. Hook and moisten the end of a 26-gauge white wire. Insert it into the very base of the ridge. Soften the edges and vein as described previously. You will need to dust cornstarch onto either the petal or the veiner at this stage to prevent them sticking together. Press the veiner firmly to create stronger veins. Remove from the veiner and hollow out the center using your thumb and also start to curl back the edges. Allow the petal to dry slightly in a paper towel ring former. Repeat to make about eight to ten petals. The number varies with each rose I make. As the petals are beginning to firm up you can keep going back to add extra curls to the edges if required.

Assembly and coloring

10. I tape the individually wired petal around the half-rose and then dust the rose as a whole—I find I balance the color better this way. You might prefer to dust and then tape. It is best if the petals are not quite dry at this stage so that you can reshape and manipulate them to form a more pleasing rose shape. Tape the first wired petal over a join in the petals of the half-rose using half-width Nile green tape. The next petal is placed onto the opposite side of the rose. Continue adding the petals to cover gaps and joins in the previous layer. Remember not to place petals in line with petals of the layer underneath.

11. Mix together edelweiss, vine green, daffodil, and sunflower petal dusts. Probe the flower with a brush loaded with this mix to add a “glow” at the base of each petal on the back and front. I tend to be heavier with this color on the back of the petals. Next, decide which colors you are using to color the bulk of the rose. The rose pictured has been dusted lightly with a very light mixture of vine, moss, and white petal dusts.

Calyx

12. Since the outer petals of the rose have been individually wired, I find it is best to wire each sepal of the calyx, too. This not only gives a stronger finish but also allows the flower maker to represent a calyx with very long, slender sepals. A quicker calyx may be added using a rose calyx cutter if time won’t allow a wired calyx. Cut five lengths of 28-gauge white wire. Work a ball of dark green colored gum paste onto the wire, creating a long, tapered carrot shape. Place the shape against the board and flatten using the flat side of one of the double-sided veiners. If the shape looks distorted, trim into shape with scissors.

13. Place the flattened shape onto a foam pad or the palm of your hand, and soften and hollow out the length using the metal ball tool. Pinch the sepal from the base to the tip. Cut fine “hairs” into the edge of the sepal using a pair of curved scissors. Repeat to make five sepals. I tend to leave one sepal without hairs—although some varieties have no hairs to their calyxes at all.

14. Dust each sepal on the outer surface with a mixture of foliage and forest green. Add tinges of eggplant mixed with plum or ruby petal dust. Use the same brush used for the green mixture and dust lightly on the inner surface of each sepal with white petal dust. Lightly glaze the back of each sepal with edible glaze spray.

15. Tape the five sepals to the base of the rose, positioning a sepal over a join. Add a ball of paste for the ovary and pinch and squeeze it into a neat shape. Dust and glaze to match the sepals.

Leaves

16. I don’t often use rose leaves as foliage in bridal bouquets; however, they are essential for arrangements. Rose leaves on commercial florists’ roses tend to grow in sets of three or five. I make one large, two medium, and two small for each set. Roll out some dark green gum paste, leaving a thick ridge for the wire—a grooved board can speed up this process. Cut out the leaves using the rose leaf cutters. The black rose leaf set does not allow for very thick leaves—these tend to stick in the cutter. Insert a moistened 26-, 28-, or 30-gauge white wire, depending on its size, about halfway into the ridge of the leaf.

17. Soften the edge of the leaf and vein using the large briar rose leaf veiner. Pinch from behind the leaf to accentuate the central vein and give more movement to the leaf. Repeat to make leaves of various sizes. Tape over a little of each wire stem with quarter-width Nile green floral tape. Tape the leaves into sets of three or five, starting with the largest leaf and two medium-sized leaves, one on either side. Finally, add the two smaller leaves at the base.

18. Dust the edges with eggplant and plum or ruby mixed together. Use this color on the upper stems, too. Dust the upper surface of the leaf in light layers with forest green and heavier with foliage and vine green. Dust the backs with white petal dust using the brush used for the greens. Spray with edible glaze spray.