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HEART’S DESIRE ORCHID

I first saw these pretty orchids during a visit to an early-morning flower market in São Paulo, Brazil. At the time I was not sure what type of orchid it was, and it was only after consulting several of my orchid books that I found that they are actually part of the Laelia orchid family, which is native to South America.

Materials

• White and green gum paste

• 22-, 24-, 26-, and 28-gauge white wires

• Plum, edelweiss (white), African violet, eggplant, daffodil, foliage, forest, and vine petal dusts

• Cyclamen liquid color (SK-GI)

• White and Nile green floral tape

• Edible glaze spray (PME)

Equipment

• Wire cutters

• CelStick

• Rolling pin

• Nonstick board

• Heart’s desire orchid cutters (Aldaval) or see templates here

• Sharp scalpel

• Metal ball tool

• Stargazer B petal veiner (SK-GI)

• Fine tweezers

• Small metal ball tool

• Dresden tool (Jem)

• Dusting brushes

• Grooved board

• Plain-edge cutting wheel (PME)

• Large tulip leaf veiner (SK-GI)

Column

1. Form a small ball of wellkneaded white gum paste into a cone shape. Cut a short length of 26-gauge white wire, moisten, and insert it into the fine end of the cone so that it supports most of the length. Line up the wired cone against the rounded end of a CelStick so that it is slightly higher than the tip. Press the paste against the tool to hollow out the underside of the column. Thin out the side edges slightly, too. Let dry overnight if time allows.

Lip/Labellum

2. Roll out some white paste, leaving a fine central ridge—this is not to be wired but gives extra support to the shape. Cut out the lip/labellum shape using either the cutter or the template here and a sharp scalpel. Soften the edge of the petal with the metal ball tool.

3. Vein using the double-sided stargazer B petal veiner. Use fine tweezers to pinch two small ridges at the base of the petal. Use a small metal ball tool to hollow out the two side sections of the petal.

4. Moisten the base and two bottom side edges of the column and position the hollowed side down against the lip/labellum. Carefully press the two side sections of the petal onto the column. Flick back the edges of these side sections and curl the tip of the lip, too. You should have a gap between the lip petal and the underside of the column—if this is not the case, then simply open up the center using the broad end of the Dresden tool. Allow it to firm up slightly before coloring.

5. Dust very gently with a light mixture of African violet, plum, and edelweiss petal dusts. Increase the plum coloring at the tip of the lip. Add a dark patch of eggplant into the throat. Add a slight yellow tinge beyond the eggplant deep into the throat with a little daffodil petal dust. Paint a series of five lines over the dark dusted area using cyclamen liquid color and a fine paintbrush.

Lateral petals

6. Roll out some white paste leaving a fine ridge for the wire (you can use a grooved board for this). Cut out the petal shape using the widest of the three outer petal shapes. Insert a short length of moistened 28-gauge white wire into the thick ridge of the petal to support about half the length.

7. Soften the edge of the petal and then texture with the stargazer B petal veiner. Pinch the petal from the base to the tip to create a very gentle central vein and curve to the petal. Repeat to make two matching petals.

Dorsal and lateral sepals

8. Repeat the process described in steps 6 and 7 to create the dorsal sepal using the longer of the two narrow cutters, and two lateral sepals using the shorter of the cutters or use the templates here and a sharp scalpel.

Coloring and assembly

9. Gently dust the petals and outer sepals back and front, from both the base and the tip, with the light mixture of African violet, edelweiss, and plum used earlier on the lip.

10. Using quarter-width white floral tape, attach the two lateral petals onto either side of the lip/labellum. Next, position the dorsal sepal behind, covering the gap between the two petals. Tuck the two lateral sepals into the underside of the orchid and tape over the stem to create a neat finish. It helps at this stage if the petals/sepals are still pliable so that you can create a more realistic, relaxed flower shape.

11. Attach a ball of well-kneaded white paste onto the stem behind the flower and work it into a fine neck shape. Blend the join between the ball of paste and the petals using the broad end of the Dresden tool. Curve the stem slightly and dust with the flower color plus a tinge of vine green and white from the base of the neck.

Buds

12. Cut lengths of 26-gauge white wire into thirds. Form a ball of well-kneaded white paste into a cone shape and insert the wire into the broad end of the cone. Work the paste down the stem to create the long neck shape of the flower.

13. Gently squeeze the tip of the bud between two fingers and your thumb to create a three-sided angular shape. Divide each side with the plain-edge cutting wheel—this represents the three outer sepals of the flower. Curve the neck gently. Repeat to make several buds in graduating sizes. Dust as for the flower.

Leaves

14. Roll out some green paste, leaving a long, thick ridge for the wire. Cut out the long, narrow strap-like leaf using the plain-edge cutting wheel. Insert a 22- or 24-gauge wire into the thick ridge to support at least half the length of the leaf.

15. Texture using the large tulip leaf veiner. Remove from the veiner and pinch from the base to the tip to accentuate the central vein and give it a graceful curve. Allow to firm up a little before dusting.

16. Dust in layers with forest, foliage, and vine green. Add a tinge of eggplant to the tip and the base. Let dry and then spray lightly with edible glaze spray or dip into a half-glaze.

Assembly and pseudo-bulb

17. Tape a group of buds onto the end of a 22-gauge wire using Nile green floral tape. Introduce one or two flowers and tape tightly.

18. The leaves and flowers of the plant grow from a pseudobulb. This is not essential to make but can be quite fun to incorporate. Tape one or two leaves at the base of the flower stem and then add a ball of green paste. Blend the ball into a slight point at both ends and pinch and flatten the sides.

19. Use the plain-edge cutting wheel to draw a series of lines over the surface of the bulb. Dust as for the leaves, and varnish or glaze.