Make your own Sunflowers!

• gum paste-approx. 300 g (10 oz)
• paste food colours: buttercup, chocolate brown, moss green
• powder colours: black, brown, lemon, moss green
• semolina (cornmeal)
• gum glue (1 tsp. gum arabic to 3 tsps. water)
• 24 g. green wire
• green florist tape
• aluminum foil
• non-stick rolling pin and board
• firm foam former pad
• ball tool
• sunflower cutters
• leaf veiner
• leaf templates (trace pattern from flyer) - cut 2 of the large leaf, 1 of the small leaf
• sunflower template (trace pattern from flyer) cut one
• small pointed scissors

Method
1 and 2...
Colour 60 g of gumpaste with chocolate brown. Form brown gum paste disc - approx. 13/4"x1/2" and indent top with ball tool. Snip 3 rows of v-shaped cuts all around edges. Brush gum glue on front of disc and sprinkle on mixture of semolina and black and brown dusting powder. Press in gently and tap off excess. Dust outer edge with lemon powder. Tape 3 x 6" length of 24g. wire together with green floral tape. Make a hook at end of wire and bend it horizontally. Dip in gum glue and insert into back of disc. Leave to dry.
3 and 4...
Colour 120 g of gumpaste with buttercup. Roll out yellow gum paste to approx. 1/16" thick and cut out shapes with large sunflower cutter (2 shapes for each flower).
5...
Place on firm foam former pad and using ball tool, roll petals from center to edges to soften.
6...
Join 2 flower shapes together with gum glue. Make hole for wire in center. Rest on nest of aluminum foil.

7...
Place on open (Mason) jar and insert brown disc into hole in center of flower head. Gently insert tissue between layers to keep petals separate. Let dry thoroughly. Dust with lemon powder. Repeat with small sunflower cutter, downsizing brown disc proportionately.
8 and 9...
Colour 100 g of gumpaste with moss green. Roll out moss green gumpaste and using templates, cut out leaves. Make ridge from base of leaf to center. Tape 2 x 24g. wires together and hook one end. Insert into base of leaf and vein with leaf veiner. Ruffle edges with ball tool. Place on crumpled foil to dry. Dust with moss green powder.
11...
Assemble by taping one large and one small leaf to each large sunflower. Tape one small leaf to each small sunflower.
12...
Reference books:
Garden Flowers in Sugar by Tony Warren
Wedding Flower Sprays by Clare Webb

Additional Supplies
Additional supplies needed for filler flowers and leaves used on this featured sunflower cake:

• cornflower blue dusting powder
• small rose leaf cutter
• small rose leaf veiner
• 18g. and 28g. green wire