Hello everyone,
This blog is predominantly for you, Wallis Veiner regular users, and new buyers. Daffodil, Pom Pom Dahlia, and Ranunculus veiner sets are going on sale in my shop today. I want to share some information that would hopefully, help you decide if you need these veiners or how to get the most out of them when making sugar or clay flowers. Some information here is generic to all flower veiners, of course. Bear in mind though, while some of the things I mention might help with making your flowers, this blog is not a tutorial.
DAFFODIL FLOWER VEINER SET ( some pics at the end of the write up)
I found Daffodil to be a surprisingly tricky flower to make or at least the middle of it is. By the time I’d discounted for various reasons, about 6 middles and a good few petals, I didn’t have it in me, to cut out the middle frill nicely, so excuse the slightly unnatural outline of it.
- THE MIDDLE: Very fiddly, not for faint-hearted, but, arguably, worth it, you will get a very nice, natural-looking flower if you persevere.
- Roll out quite thick
- Cut out initially using my template ( in my shop’s ‘FREEbie’ section shortly ) or making your own, it should look a bit like an A-line skirt. No template is perfect, there will be overlaps and places to ‘patch up’ / blend in. With Cold Porcelain Clay you can ‘stretch’ the bottom of your template cut out, sideways, which helps. With gum paste which is not first out of the pack ( too sticky for the D’s middle ), you are risking treacherous tears just when you think you got away with it!
- I leave my clay roll out ( if using Thai Green, very soft and sticky branded clay ) for about 10 minutes
- Don’t leave sugar paste to ‘season’ use straight away but make sure it’s NOT very fresh
- Once your seam is joined, place your middle on your finger and refresh the texture with the upper part of the middle veiner, or just with the side of the veiner over the seam
- THE PETALS are very easy to both, vein and apply. With my design of the middle, I don’t recommend wiring even if working with sugar but do add egg white in your paste for extra strength ( thanks for the tip Tara Gan )
- The cutters are a touch on a small side for this one, one way around it is rolling thicker and then stretching a bit, which works for CP and sugar. One advantage of smaller cutters is quick and easy edge thinning, you’ll have enough room.
TOP TIP: Don’t use Modena Clay by itself for the brown signature part of Daffodil’s ‘neck’, – being that thin in the need of reshaping, it will most definitely tear
POM POM DAHLIA VEINER SET ( some pics at the end of the write up)
Not to say that it definitely doesn’t exist, but I’m not aware of another Pom-Pom Dahlia Veiner / veiner set sold in the UK, much like Chrysanthemum leaf and a few other veiners which I’m rather proud to have designed with a little help from my friend (mother nature).
I think this veiner set is quite easy to use. The main issue with Dahlia Family Veiners, is that that they cut through paste quite easily. For this reason, just like with my other Dahlia Set, I will be using softer silicone ( generally darker blue in case of my veiners, the light blue on the picture is the master copy, I like to keep it apart ).
In the case of Pom Pom, because the grooves are less deep, the unwanted paste cutting is less likely to occur. ROLL quite THICK. It mimics the original ‘fleshy’ petals and really helps with shaping the edges if you decide to do it. Don’t try to shape the edges if your clay is very fresh, you may not get a smooth finish that way. If using sugar, please comment on the edges’ curling, as I’d not done it using gum paste for ages.
I have also started to trim down the hairline protuberances on some of my veiners ( including Pom Pom ) where I think they do more cutting than helping the texture.
TOP TIP: make best of the veiner by shaping your petal before taking it out ( see the pic )
RANUNCULUS VEINER SET ( some pics at the end of the write up)
This set is, arguably, the easiest of the 3 sets to use. At a first glance at least. It’s straightforward, the cutters fit very well and you won’t cut through it if you tried. However, there is a ‘but’. unfortunately. Ranunculus petals’ definition is very gentle at the best of times and in the case of this Ranunculus, it’s not the highest you can get. You need to keep your paste as fresh as possible without sticking. The reason I have decided to keep it is that unlike the species of Ranunculus, where the definition is a bit stronger, these petals are both large and cupped, rounded. The Ranunculus I have managed to find with the strong petal texture was either flat or flattish or cupped but very small. Ranunculus veiners I’d managed to find out there ( not many ) before making my own pretty much support my finding.
Personally, I find it easier to make Ranunculus with cupped petals, they ‘direct the shape’ in a sense. Cupping any petal against its wish is not great because of creases or the time it takes to avoid them while smudging the texture with your fingers in the process.
That said, when I do get hold of Ranunculus flower with flatter petals but stronger definition, I will be making them into veiners too.
TOP TIP: If using Cold Porcelain and needing to cup flat petals, do it when it’s a touch dry, NOT fresh. You can also ‘stretch’ the shape in.
Finally before I go, a couple of words on ANEMONE…
Anemone is one of the easiest flowers to make as long as you are prepared to sit and make stamens ’till you’re blue in the face, but still, a decent veiner helps tons.
The reason I’m delaying mine is that I’m still holding out for the ‘lucky’ flower. I love the right bottom veiner, see the pic, but so far I found that the larger, outer row of petals in Anemone, never seems to be as nice and clearly defined. Someone who also makes veiners told me that it could take a good few years ‘to find what you looking for ‘ ( her philosophical statement lends itself really well to many an interesting discussion, but I will resist the temptation to go there, naturally 😁)
Another reason is that I’m working on the Anemone middle’s mold. It’s so cute.
TOP TIP: Keep your Anemone middle smaller and you’ll cut the no of stamens you require from well over 100 to about 50-60. Or don’t bother. Use thread, wire, something else only you can think of. There’s no right or wrong way in arts, dance to your own tune, that’s what great about it!
