All though I teach cake decorating classes in sugar modelling, sugar wired flowers and Fondant skills such as cake covering.

I treat myself to other sugarcraft classes every year, I am a firm believer of always upgrading your sugar art skills. You can never stop learning. I always give myself a yearly 1’000 budget, but this year I blew it… Massively! Ahhh who cares. I got to go to Italy for a week and learn sugar modelling with the fabulous I Pasticci di Molly Coppini.

Honestly, no amount of filter would rescue me in this picture Haha! It was three full-on days of sugar modelling, I was exhausted! Obviously, it had nothing to do with the beautiful bottle of wine I drank the night before. When in Rome do as they do! All work and no play makes Christina very unhappy.

Erm, Ok, where was I?! Ahhhhh…..Yes! Look what I made :)

I am pretty chuffed with the outcome, it was just so nice to be a student again!

These sugar figurines are mostly made with modelling paste and Isomalt for the purple hair and the hoop. I use Saracino for all my sugar models so I found creating that part easier, But the Isomalt I had never used and was completely different.

Meet Anabella.. She is made with 100% Isomalt!

I’m a very Honest person, I’ll tell you when something looks easy and is hard, or when it looks hard and its really easy. And this, well this looks hard, and guess what?! your right, It is, It’s ridiculously hard hahaha.

Putting you off is not my intention, this stuff, I personally think is amazing for adding detail or accessories to your fondant sugar models. It is like anything, Practise, Practise, Practise.

 The Gist Of How to use Isomalt!

You’ll need a Blow torch, thermal gloves and plastic tight gloves, as well as a non-stick baking matt.

It’s best to buy the clear Isomalt and colour it your self. You’ll find instructions on the pack of how to cook it, it’s very easy and you can add your own colour to it. She just used dusting colours. 

Once it firms up you can pull pieces away, cut them with scissors and start moulding it within your hands. This is very hot still if you mould the shape you want you have to keep moving it in your hands keeping that shape for about 5 minutes if you put it down it will go flat on the table because it hasn’t cooled enough. 

When you work with little pieces, such as her long curly hair, you’ll have way less time to get the shape you want before it goes rock hard on you.

The trick is not to panic, which for me was easier said than done! lol

To add pieces together, you use a blow torch and then blend in the heated area with your fingers or a rubber tool.

The face was done using a mould. First, you’ll need to create a face out of modelling paste and leave it to dry out. Once it is rock hard, you can make a silicone mould. Poor the Isomalt into the mould. This is how you have your beautiful flawless face.

“Note: You will only get one or two faces out of each mould before it is ruined”

 The verdict for me is, loved making her, but probably never again. For little details, 100%. But I just know I will struggle with isomalt. Everyone has their thing they are good at so, please give it a try. It was great to learn something new!

Best Holiday I have had in ages;  Sugar art, Fantastic food and wine, culture, sun and most importantly great company. Big thank you to my student and now dear friend Sue for coming along with me!

Thanks for reading.

Christina x

P.S, Of course, this is how I look usually ;) Hehe!

Keep a look out Facebook for new upcoming sugar modelling classes, with me in Waltham Abbey, Essex/North London border. To view some of the cake decorating classes I have on at the moment, please click here.