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anastasiavJust to update folks after this post, have continued with the sugar art stuff, but I won't have anything ready to display at Mudthaw.
If it weren't K&Q's I'd probably be ok. But I just don't feel like taking a half-done, half-assed project to that particular event. It doesn't seem right, somehow. Basically, if I spent every single available hour working on this between now and Friday morning I could get something ready to show, but I'm just not that ... dedicated. I prefer spending time to play trucks with my son, if I want to.
I've been working on larger scale dishes, with mixed results: Some pictures -
Small Bowl
I formed it over a small glass bowl and I'm very happy with the overall shape of it, as well as how thin I was able to get the paste. However, as you can see clearly in the photo, I wasn't able to fully smooth it over the bowl-form, so it has wrinkles and folds around the edge. I know there is a way to get it to form more smoothly over the form (because they do it with cakes) I just haven't gotten the technique down yet. Its very sold, though, and gets more solid as it dries. Two more photos:
My original idea with the small bowl was to use it as the bottom for a sort of compote:
But the top of the compote broke when I was sanding the edge, so I'm going to use it as a test piece for putting on gilding instead. (Its just sitting on there for the photo rather than being carefully fastened down, which is why its all crooked.)
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kuzu_no_ha had pointed me last week to Hirst Arts Fantasy Architecture, a company that makes silicone molds that are designed for use with concrete to make tabletop gaming settings. I ordered the Roman Temple mold from them, and it arrived at the end of the week.
Here's the mold, with a bonus baby spoon for scale:
Overall, it works pretty well. I broke down and bought some pottery tools (including an ultra thin scraper) that are making working with this mold easier, but the one issue with it is that you need to cast this mold at least 13 times to make the roman temple pictured, and while casting it with plaster of paris or concrete (as its designed for) you can do about a cast an hour and so get a full set of blocks in a day or two, with the sugar paste I find that I need to let it set at least two hours, and ideally more like 4-6, in order to get the tiny bits out while preserving the detail of the mold. I did two on Saturday and two on Sunday, but its going to be one per night from here on out, which means I'd need ten or so days to finish the casting, and then probably another full open day (like a Saturday) to sand and build. So, its a promising way to go, but time consuming.
Here are some of the pieces I cast from this mold:
I'm considering buying some impression mats in cobblestone or brick texture to try and create larger items (like the big castles shown in the wedding feast illustration, but that's more playing yet.
I did one sugar plate pour yesterday but it continued to foam up and crystallize too fast (it actually crystallized and hardened in the pot as I was pouring it) so that's also a "work in progress".
In other news, I made Mr E an "angry PB&J" for lunch on Saturday and he was amused by it:
If it weren't K&Q's I'd probably be ok. But I just don't feel like taking a half-done, half-assed project to that particular event. It doesn't seem right, somehow. Basically, if I spent every single available hour working on this between now and Friday morning I could get something ready to show, but I'm just not that ... dedicated. I prefer spending time to play trucks with my son, if I want to.
I've been working on larger scale dishes, with mixed results: Some pictures -
Small Bowl
I formed it over a small glass bowl and I'm very happy with the overall shape of it, as well as how thin I was able to get the paste. However, as you can see clearly in the photo, I wasn't able to fully smooth it over the bowl-form, so it has wrinkles and folds around the edge. I know there is a way to get it to form more smoothly over the form (because they do it with cakes) I just haven't gotten the technique down yet. Its very sold, though, and gets more solid as it dries. Two more photos:
My original idea with the small bowl was to use it as the bottom for a sort of compote:
But the top of the compote broke when I was sanding the edge, so I'm going to use it as a test piece for putting on gilding instead. (Its just sitting on there for the photo rather than being carefully fastened down, which is why its all crooked.)
kuzu_no_ha had pointed me last week to Hirst Arts Fantasy Architecture, a company that makes silicone molds that are designed for use with concrete to make tabletop gaming settings. I ordered the Roman Temple mold from them, and it arrived at the end of the week. Here's the mold, with a bonus baby spoon for scale:
Overall, it works pretty well. I broke down and bought some pottery tools (including an ultra thin scraper) that are making working with this mold easier, but the one issue with it is that you need to cast this mold at least 13 times to make the roman temple pictured, and while casting it with plaster of paris or concrete (as its designed for) you can do about a cast an hour and so get a full set of blocks in a day or two, with the sugar paste I find that I need to let it set at least two hours, and ideally more like 4-6, in order to get the tiny bits out while preserving the detail of the mold. I did two on Saturday and two on Sunday, but its going to be one per night from here on out, which means I'd need ten or so days to finish the casting, and then probably another full open day (like a Saturday) to sand and build. So, its a promising way to go, but time consuming.
Here are some of the pieces I cast from this mold:
I'm considering buying some impression mats in cobblestone or brick texture to try and create larger items (like the big castles shown in the wedding feast illustration, but that's more playing yet.
I did one sugar plate pour yesterday but it continued to foam up and crystallize too fast (it actually crystallized and hardened in the pot as I was pouring it) so that's also a "work in progress".
In other news, I made Mr E an "angry PB&J" for lunch on Saturday and he was amused by it:
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 03:56 pm (UTC)I wish you would bring some of this stuff to display anyway-- I'd like to get my apprentice Izzy interested in this, because she loves modern cake decorating-- you're one of only 3 people in the East I know that have experimented with this, and I think one is in Canada and doesn't have a car....
I'm selfish and want to see these in person, too. Even if you just put candied ginger in the small bowl and displayed it, it would be lovely.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 03:59 pm (UTC)I may toss a bunch of stuff in a box and bring it down. We'll see.
Mudthaw
Date: 2009-03-23 04:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 04:17 pm (UTC)Wait...deformable terrain...no storage issues...
Hm... you might be on to something there.
As for drying time, one thing you do with the plaster is after the bits are out of the mold you use a food deyhdrator to dry things out faster. It might work while still in the mold.
Could always get copies of the same mold
no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 04:25 pm (UTC)I don't have a dehydrator, but that's a really interesting idea. I could totally buy more molds, but not quite yet. The boys were drooling over the website, though.....
no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 05:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 05:53 pm (UTC)Are you stirring after the sugar is initially dissolved? That could definitely cause it to crystalize. It sounds as if your heat may also be a little bit too high. Is your pot nice and heavy, so it heats evenly?
no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 06:26 pm (UTC)Curye on Inglysch, Book V: Goud Kokery, #13, "To make suger plate."
"To make sugar plate. Take a lb,of fayr clarefyde suger and put it in a panne and sette it on a furneys & gar it sethe. And asay thi suger between thi fyngers and thi thombe, and if it parte from thi fynger and thi thombe than it is inow sothen, if it be potte suger. And if it be fyner suger, it will have a litell lower decoccioun. And sete it than fro the fyr on a stole, & than stere it evermore with a spature till it tourne owte of hys browne colour into a yelow colour, and than sette it on the fyre ageyn the mountynance of a Ave Maria, whill evermore sterying wyth the spatur, and sette it of ageyne, but lat it noght wax over styfe for cause of powrynge. And loke thou have redy beforne a fair litel marbill stone and a litell flour of ryse in a bagge, shakying over the marbill stone till it be overhilled, and than powre thi suger theron as thin as it may renne, for the thinner the palten the fairer it is. If thou willt, put therin any diverse lfours, that is to say roses leves, iolet leves, gilofre leves, or any other flour leves, kut them small and put them in whan the suger comes first fro the fyre. And if thou wilt make fyne suger plate, put therto att the first sethying ii unces of rose water, and if ye will make rede plate, put therto i unce of fyne tournesole clene waschen at the fyrst sethyinge."
What's so frustrating is that it worked perfectly the very first time I tried it, and then it hasn't worked anywhere near correctly since.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 06:35 pm (UTC)Hmmm, did you by any chance use a different brand of sugar? Some are pure cane, other brands may come from beets. I remember finding that out the hard way, when a recipe didn't come out quite the same.
Another quick thought...
Date: 2009-03-23 06:10 pm (UTC)Re: Another quick thought...
Date: 2009-03-23 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 06:19 pm (UTC)I have some clay and dental tools (some metal and some wood) that I use to smooth seams before they dry. Dipping your fingertips in water might help smooth, too.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-23 06:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-25 01:24 am (UTC)http://gwacie.livejournal.com/351508.html
(She's working on entries for Midrealm A&S Pentathalon in her region this weekend but I'm guessing she'd be willing to chat after.)