Practicing More Sugar Peonies

OK...it's true...I just can't get enough of making sugar peonies. I am completely obsessed with photos of these gorgeous flowers, and find myself repeatedly drawn to any magazine or book featuring them. Along with the photo obsession comes this never ending infatuation with recreating any and all peonies in sugar! And it's not just me...the peony is one of the most requested sugar flowers for lessons and classes!

So...I've been busy. Practicing and practicing some more. It goes something like this:

1. Study photos of peonies
2. Swoon (a lot!)
3. Figure out how the flower is constructed
4. Cut petals (lots of them!)
5. Shape them to resemble petals in previously mentioned photos
6. Let dry (impatiently)
7. Tape all the petals together to form a (hopefully) beautiful peony
8. Dust and color to make it pretty
9. Repeat

Here is a peony with an open center I made just a few days ago. I'm using some of the tips and techniques I learned in a class taught by the always fabulous Ron Ben Israel. If you haven't had a chance to take a class with him...I'd highly recommend it. Not only for the learning factor...but for the fun factor too! He is truly an amazing artist and inspiration!

A close-up photo of the over-sized peony:



Mixed with hydrangea, filler flowers, freesia buds and leaves:



And the completed cake design...just a simple and single tier, but made fabulous with the addition of a handful of flowers:



Thanks for stopping by!

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Practicing More Sugar Peonies