Rose Leaf

 Materials/Equipment

Flower paste                                                                         Vegetable fat (Trex)

Corn flour in a muslin bag                                                       Edible glue plus brush

Rolling out board                                                                   Cel stick

Floristry tape                                                                         Rose leaf cutters

Rose leaf veiner (Great Impressions)                                      Floristry scissors

Dusting brushes                                                                     Petal Dusts         

Confectioners glaze (1/4 strength)                                          28g/26g covered wires white

It is important that the flower paste is brought to working consistency before commencing any work – knead a small piece of flower paste with a tiny smear of vegetable fat in the centre of your hand till it stretches like bubble gum.

 Roll a small piece of flower paste into a ball, then in to a long cone. Place the cone on a lightly greased rolling out board (you should not be able to see the grease on the rolling out board). Using a lightly greased cel stick, roll from the centre out (on both sides) leaving a tapered ridge in the middle.

Cut out one rose leaf. Ensure the ridge is running centrally up the rose leaf before cutting.

NB Normally three sizes of leaves are required to make a stem.

 Take a 28g covered wire white (1/4 length) for the small and medium rose leaf and a 26g covered wire white (1/3 length) for the large rose leaf. Dip the wire into the edible glue (no more than ¼ inch) remove the excess glue. Hold the leaf gently between index finger and thumb. Insert the wire into the flower paste leaf.

 Lightly dust the viener with corn flour, place the leaf on top of the veiner. Cover with the other half of the viener and firmly press. 

Use index finger and thumb and pinch (emphasize) the vein centrally down the middle of the leaf. Hang the leaf upside down to dry (24 hours).

Dust the leaf all over with spring green coloured petal dust

Dust the base/centre of the leaf with foliage green petal dust.

Catch the edges of the leaf with burgundy petal dust.

Pass the leaf through the steam from a kettle (to set the petal dusts i.e. stops the dust marking your fingers/cakes). Leave the leaf to dry.

Dip the leaf in ¼ strength confections glaze (to create a permanent sheen). Leave to dry.

For best effect leaves should always be taped into a stem before adding to a floral spray. Attach 1/3 width florist tape to the large rose leaf. Tape down approx. ½ inch and tape in a medium rose leaf, wrap the tape around the stem once and add the second medium rose leaf. Tape down a further (approx.) ½ inch and tape in a small rose leaf, wrap the tape around the stem once and add the second small rose leaf. Tape down the wire

Copyright © 2010

By Christine Flinn the author of the above work