

Step 3

Buds Pinch off portions of gumpaste and roll into small balls (about the size of a pea or use hole #4 on the CelCakes Size Guide as a reference). Bend end of white floral wire according to directions for stems (above). Dip crimped end of floral wire into gum glue and insert into ball. Pinch gumpaste so that it closes over the floral wire. With two hands, roll gumpaste over wire so that it forms a cone shape. Indent an "x" on the top of each "bud" with PME Knife with Ribbon Insertion Tool or a spatula. Allow to dry overnight. Dust with Royal Blue and Royal Purple Petal Dust by GSA.

Step 4

Leaves Prepare gelatin mixture according to Hydrangea Petal instructions above. Tint with Forest Green Air Brush Color. Cut three inch lengths of 26 gauge white floral wire and lay these along the center of the large leaves on the Rose Leaf Gelatin Veining Sheet by GSA. Brush on two coats of green gelatin right over the wire and allow to dry overnight. When dry, cut out the gelatin leaves using a pair of scalloped craft scissors to make a fluted edge. Tint gumpaste dark green. Roll out and cut with Crystal Flowers Rose Leaf Cutters by GSA. Lay the leaves on the Rose Leaf Gelatin Veining sheet and press on the back with fondant shaping foam to emboss the veins into the petal. Dust with Rose Leaf Petal Dust by GSA. Thin the edges with a medium CelPin on a foam pad. Turn the leaf over and brush the bottom half with water. Attach to the gelatin leaf and allow to dry thoroughly.

Step 5

Butterfly Wings Prepare Sugar Dress or Cake Lace according to package directions. Note: Both products are easier to use and stronger if you make them one day ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Add a few drops of water the next day to bring it to a piping consistency. Tape a lightly greased piece of Parchment Paper over the butterfly patterns and pipe the outline using PME Tip ST-1 for the smallest butterfly and PME Tip ST-1.5 for the largest. Note: Due to the fragile nature of the wings, it is advisable to make extra wings in case of breakage. Dry overnight then remove the wings from the parchment. If you are not ready to proceed to the next step, store them in an airtight container to keep them flexible. Prepare a batch of gelatin according to Hydrangea Petal instructions above, omitting the air brush color. Brush a layer of the clear gelatin on a smooth flat plastic gelatin sheet. Dry one minute and recoat. Immediately place the dried butterfly wings on the gelatin being sure they are about 3/8 inch (1 cm) apart. Allow to dry overnight and then lift off the plastic sheet and cut the butterfly out of the gelatin sheet. Note: Be sure to keep a one half inch band of gelatin connecting the two wings together. You will glue the body to this later on.





Step 6

Butterfly Assembly Roll out gumpaste to form a small sausage; this will form the body of the butterfly. Roll out a small round ball of gumpaste for the head. Insert two short pieces of Sunrise Floral Wire - 33 Gauge - White for antennae. Dust white butterflies with Super Pearl Dust. Dust one of the larger butterflies with Marine Blue and Elf Green dusts and the other with Elf Green and Elanna Rose dusts. While the paste is soft, insert a 26 gauge wire into the bottom portion of the body just below the head. Remove the wire and attach the body to the wings by lightly brushing with a waterbrush. Lay the butterfly in the Wave Flower Former Set by Wilton to dry. Once the entire butterfly has dried, dip the wire into gum glue and re-insert back into the body of only the two large butterflies. Dry thoroughly.





Step 7

Stenciling Note: Stenciling is easiest if the fondant has been allowed to dry overnight. Prepare Royal Icing Mix, whipping to soft peak consistency; this will prevent icing from bleeding. Hold the Scroll Flourish Stencil by GSA in place on the side of the ten inch cake with straight pins with plastic heads. Apply a thin layer of royal icing, holding Icing Spreader by Ateco at a forty-five degree angle. Gently scrape the icing horizontally toward the other end of the stencil. Take care not to apply too much pressure when applying the icing to the stencil. Avoid scraping over the same spot numerous times. Make sure to remove straight pins as you move down the stencil. Once a thin coat of royal icing has been applied, slowly and gently peel stencil away from the cake. Allow to dry and repeat the process until the entire tier is done. For the top tier, repeat, using only the inner part of the stencil. Stencil the outer edge of the cake board as well. When the stenciling has dried, over-pipe the small scrolls and seeds using royal icing and PME Tip ST-1.5. Allow to dry. Mix a small amount of Super Pearl Dust and clear spirits and brush the piped areas with a very small round brush to highlight them. Stack the fourteen and ten inch tiers on the cake board.







Step 8

Pillar and Ball Tint fondant pale green using the Elf Green Sterling Pearl Dust. Cut the base off a three inch styrofoam ball so that it sits flat. Apply a light coating of clear Piping Gel to the ball and a 6 x 3 inch foam cylinder. Cover both immediately with tinted fondant. Use a pair of long needle nose pliers to insert a variety of hydrangea blossoms and buds all over the cylinder. Layer them to give depth and interest (to keep petal dust from staining the cake you may cover your cake with paper towels cut to fit the curve of the tiers). Place the covered cylinder on the ten inch tier and drive a dowel all the way through to support the top tier.

Glue the seven inch drum to the top of the foam cylinder. When dry, attach the six inch cake. Attach the covered three inch ball to the top tier with small dowels so it cannot spin. Pipe a plain border with PME Tip ST-1.5 around the base of all cakes using royal icing.

Step 9

Optic Cable Make three holes in the side of the bottom foam core board using a small Celpin. Cut fiber optic cable into three foot lengths and insert one end into the bottom board. Wrap cable 1/3 way around the cake and insert the other end into the foam ball on the top of the cake. Attach hydrangea blossoms and buds into the three inch foam ball to completely cover it.



Gather the completed blossoms, leaves and buds into small arrangements and tape the stems together with White Floral Tape. Cut the stems to fit in Flower Spikes by Wilton. Use a medium CelPin to make six holes in the sides of the fourteen inch cake. Insert the flower spikes with the hydrangea arrangements.

