Читать книгу Alan Dunn's Sugarcraft Flower Arranging - Alan Dunn - Страница 7

For me, floral arrangements and sprays are an essential part of designing and decorating a cake for a special celebration or a wedding. I find that many of the people I teach are happy to make sugar flowers but find choosing what flowers and foliage to use, and figuring out color combinations, difficult, thus making the art of flower arranging a challenge. I actually enjoy the process of coloring and arranging more than making the sugar flowers—it is the process that drives my passion for creating floral displays for cakes and exhibitions, as well as for my books.

When I first started cake decorating and making sugar flowers—more than 20-odd years ago now—I was taught by Margaret Morland and Tombi Peck not only how to make sugar flowers, but also how to assemble them into sprays. The crescent-shaped spray and posy that they taught me have been invaluable—they have been the basis of many of the sprays I have used on cakes over the years. After my initial introduction to wiring sprays of sugar flowers, I then went on to buy as many floristry and flower-arranging books as I could. Following many of the guidelines in these books, which were often aimed at commercial florists, I have been able to gradually create a style of my own. I have gone through many trends and phases over the years, often using masses and masses of flowers and foliage to create large displays. I now prefer to use fewer elements in my designs as the process of creating elaborate designs can prove to be too time-consuming to reproduce regularly, and the finished result is often way out of the price range of a paying customer.

I am still very inspired by the work of florists and flower arrangers, and still get great pleasure from buying floristry books, visiting florists, and seeing the odd fresh flower demonstration, not to mention buying fresh flowers to replicate in both sugar and cold porcelain. However, it is important to remember that sugar and cold porcelain flowers have their own appeal, and they have to work well as part of a cake design.

In this book, I have presented a variety of designs to guide both the novice and the more experienced flower maker to create interesting sprays, bouquets, and arrangements. I hope that my work will inspire you to create and develop a unique and individual style. Many of the floristry guidelines that I have picked up along the way are used in these designs, but remember they are only guidelines! Essentially, you are just trying to create a balanced design that pleases the eye. You must remember that sugar flowers often will just not bend and fit into many of the more regimental fresh floral designs, so it is best to allow your creative juices to flow and react to your gut instinct when creating floral designs for cakes.