Today, we’re going to talk about coloring your gumpaste butterflies using coloring dusts. For some reason, these little pots of color make me really happy. Not just because they are so awesome to use, but even just looking at these pictures gives me a thrill. I guess I’m a sucker for shimmer. Put it on dessert? Even better. I ordered several little pots of lustre and petal dust in shades of pink and green so that I would have some variety for the butterflies. The declared colors for Olivia’s party are pink and green, and only pink and green.
I found the dusts so much easier to use than I anticipated. Here’s how:
Mix about 1/4 teaspoon of lustre dust or petal dust with a few drops of clear liquid extract (peppermint, lemon, clear vanilla, clear liquor). Do not use water; the coloring dust will not blend in. (I mixed the paint in cleaned applesauce containers. I like to keep a few on hand to hold regular paint or water for the girls. They were perfect for this project, too.) If you get too much liquid, just wait a few minutes; some of the liquid will evaporate out and you’ll be good to go.
Mix about 1/4 teaspoon of lustre dust or petal dust with a few drops of clear liquid extract (peppermint, lemon, clear vanilla, clear liquor). Do not use water; the coloring dust will not blend in. (I mixed the paint in cleaned applesauce containers. I like to keep a few on hand to hold regular paint or water for the girls. They were perfect for this project, too.) If you get too much liquid, just wait a few minutes; some of the liquid will evaporate out and you’ll be good to go.
Dip a brush into the mixture and then just brush it over the butterfly. (I used a kid’s paint brush (new and clean), but I expect that a small little makeup brush would be the perfect tool.) If you’ve mixed the right proportions of powder and liquid, the paint goes on silky and provides beautiful coverage. It’s not runny, but it also easily fills the grooves and crevices, like in the detailed butterfly wings. The extract evaporates quickly, leaving behind saturated color and shine. I did a couple coats on each butterfly. For the two-toned butterflies, I painted one color first and allowed it to dry, then filled in the other color without the colors blending into each other.
I am still working on the perfect body to connect the wings. For these cupcakes, I ran a bead of royal icing, then placed the wings in the icing and allowed it to dry . It held well on some of the butterflies and not as well on others. I’m still experimenting with the best technique.
This concludes the gumpaste butterfly lesson for now. You’ll see more in a few weeks when I do the “real deal.”
I got the lustre and petal dust here: www.sugarcraft.com
eta: Lustre dust colors used on butterflies here include: Rose Pink, Orchid Pink, Olive Green, Avocado
And…I think I finally have some furniture project pictures worth showing and a super satisfying clothing refashion project, so stop in again soon!
Comments & Reviews
Lanie says
I love those little pots of shiny paint powder. It’s like going into Bare Essentuals and seeing all the shimmering eye shadows laid out. Those butterflies are unreal!
Still waiting on the bunk bed update! xo
jackanne says
hi,i was thinking for the body of the butterflies use your royal icing and pipe in 3 blobs “rather than a long body” push your wings into it and this should make them stay! x
projectdowhatyoulove says
Still loving it all! and yes the little pots of color or just lovely!
Natalie
http://www.projectdowhatyoulove.wordpress.com
Tammy says
That looks like so much fun!
Sandy says
Oh my girl! You should start a catering,bakery shop.
Just beautiful! They seem to come alive on my screen.
I am going to keep this one in mind for a birthday or two?
Loving it!
Anonymous says
Please send or post the names of the colors of Lustre and Pearl dusts you used to paint the butterflies. I’ve ordered the mold and will order the dusts and gumpaste at the same time.
Anonymous says
If you don’t want to flavor/scent your gumpaste with extracts, you can use vodka or another neutral spirit to mix the colored dusts. It is the alcohol in the extract that allows for the mixing. A high proof is needed so that it evaporates quickly.