This year we decided to do something keeping more with the season, that is whimsical and eye catching, thus, the "Day After Christmas."
Putting stuff in it's place! Dancing Elves and Rudolf...DJ still nowhere in sight...
Almost done with the hot tub here. I did add "bubbles" around Mr. and Mrs., I'm now seeing the many pics I didn't take and need to go back and do (sorry Laura).
It's done! And time to take it to Gia's in Logan!
These are in the display location, however it was 9:30 pm when I turned it in, so my flash dominated, washing out color and detail. I'm going to go back over during the day this weekend and get some better shots, when I realized what the flash was doing I sort of gave up!
Last year I used gum paste and this year I used marshmallow fondant to sculpt my figures. Pros and Cons for each, but I lean more toward the fondant, for several reasons: it stays soft longer so it's easier to take your time when working with it (...downside, it stays soft longer so you have to be careful where you put thinks or you will end up with flat sides where you lay your sculpture down), the color stays true where gum paste the color tends to fade a little, and marshmallow fondant is way cheaper to make then gum paste. In other respects they seem to sculpt fairly similar. Because Fondant is so soft, we discovered (yes, Laura was there if this part) that if we used this paint pallet with rounded wells the heads stayed round too, and we didn't have the issue of it getting a 'flat head.'
This is my DJ elf, which ended up being one of my favorite sculpts this year...
This elf is a good example of a 'learning curve.' I discovered that certain colors make the fondant loose some of it's elasticity, causing it to crack. Black and red especially did this. Keeping the fondant coated with Crisco and wrapped in cellophane while storing between use keeps it nice and playable.
Marshmallow Fondant
16 oz white mini marshmallows 2-5 TB water 2 lbs powdered sugar 1/2 c. Crisco
Melt marshmallows and 2 TB water in a microwave. Put it in for 30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds, stir, repeat until melted. It usually takes 2 1/2 minutes total. Place 3/4 cups of the sugar on top of the melted marshmallows. Grease yours hands with Crisco GENEROUSLY (meaning every nook and cranny of your hands. Seriously.) Then HEAVILY grease the counter you will be using . Dump the marshmallows on the greased counter top. Start kneading and kneading. Keep adding in the powdered sugar and knead some more until all the sugar is worked in. Re-grease your hands and counter as necessary to keep the fondant from sticking. If the fondant tears easily, it is too dry. Add water 1/2 TB at a time and knead it in until the fondant is more elastic. It takes about 8 minutes to get a firm, elastic ball that will stretch without tearing. Let it sit double wrapped overnight on the kitchen counter (double wrapped means: grease it with Crisco. Wrap it in cellophane and then put that in a Ziploc bag, squeeze out the air). You can store it in the fridge for weeks, just soften it overnight before you use it. If you're using it on a cake, use a 1/4" layer of butter cream frosting under it.
These are in the display location, however it was 9:30 pm when I turned it in, so my flash dominated, washing out color and detail. I'm going to go back over during the day this weekend and get some better shots, when I realized what the flash was doing I sort of gave up!
