Tutorial Tuesday - Lavender flower spray

Tutorial Tuesday is all about lavender today, with Lisa from The Whole Cake & Caboodle. This pretty flower makes a lovely addition to any garden or floral themed cake and is quick & easy to make.

Roll a ball of fondant or gumpaste about the size of a large marble. If using plain fondant with no stiffener it can be done but will be very soft and difficult to handle

Make a long skinny sausage shape

Using #18 or 20 wire for thickness screw the sausage onto the wire all the way through. If you push it on you will cause it to change shape screw & twist as you push the wire in at least two thirds if not all the way. The thickness of the wire is only to simulate the stem, you can use thinner.

Using a small pair of scissors (embroidery or other) cut two notches in the top of the sausage like a cross

like so

the notches should only go a small way down - like above

Using the scissors cut notches starting near the top, randomly, don’t line the cuts up with the top layer

Working down the sausage 

This is the approx angle you should be holding your scissors 

Right to the end. You can now use the lavender if you want as they are

OR you can dust it for added depth. I used a mix of 2/3 rainbow dust plum, and 1/3 rainbow dust simple bright navy. Then as I didn't like the darkness I added a little cornflour/cornstarch to soften the colour. If you have mixed a 1/2 tsp approx of dust then add about the same again of cornflour/starch. Play with the mix to get a tone you are happy with. Using a soft paintbrush brush liberally using a plain piece of copy paper underneath. Any excess can then be funnelled back into a spare jar for another time

You can see the difference here. The top four have been dusted and the bottom three haven't. Again you can now use the lavender as they are

OR you can add a small flower spire from the top. Using a calyx cutter of around 1 - 1.5 cm in size cut a shape from thinly rolled icing.

Cut three petals from the calyx like so (the rest isn't needed)

Squish/roll the petals into each other to look like so

Poke a hole in the top of the lavender in the centre of the cut cross 

Use a touch of glue or water in the hole and then using a tool or toothpick poke the petals into the top. It doesn’t have to be even or overly symmetrical

Use as needed on a cake or as a display