You will need:-
450g (1lb) of grey sugarpaste. Colour with black paste colour
or dust colour.
25g (1oz) of sugarpaste pink or blue for a boy or girl elephant.
Gum tragacanth, or Tylo powder; a drinking straw; Daisy Chain
Set; and bee from the Butterflies and Bee Set (Patchwork
Cutters).
25g (1oz) white Mexican paste; isopropyl alcohol (Sugar Flair).
Dust colours – black, frosted leaf, yellow gold, white
satin, magnolia pearl (Edable
Art).
Bone tool; frilling stick; Dresden tool (Jem).
Small round cutter or pen top. Cel size guide (Cel
Cakes); Sugar glue made from Tylo powder, use to attach
pieces together.
Knead 1 x 5ml teaspoon of gum tragacanth or Tylo powder into
the grey sugarpaste and a pinch of gum tragacanth into the pink.
Knead well. Place into a sealed plastic bag and leave at room
temperature for 6 hours. Knead well until pliable.
Body
Mould 175g (6oz) of grey paste into a smooth ball and shape
into a cone 7.5cm (3in) high. Insert a drinking straw into the
cone leaving 3cm (1¼in) protruding (fig.1) Leave to dry overnight.
Figure 1. |
Click on any of the thumbnails to see an enlarged
image |
Legs
Using a size guide measure a size 16 piece of paste, the paste
should sit halfway through the stated size (fig.2). Roll into
a smooth ball then into a sausage 6.5cm (2½in) long. Turn
one end up to form a foot (fig.3). Pinch the opposite end to
taper (fig.4) and attach onto the body (fig.5). Repeat for second
leg.
Figure 2. |
Figure 3. |
Figure 4. |
Figure 5. |
Arms
Measure two size 12 pieces of paste. Knead together to make
one ball. Roll into a sausage 4cm (1½in); cut the end to taper
(fig.6) and attach onto the body (fig.7). Repeat for second
arm.
Figure 6. |
Figure 7. |
Head
Weigh 75g (3oz) of paste. Mould into a smooth ball. Roll the
edge of the ball to ease out a trunk (fig.8). Do not make this
too thick. Mark creases across the base of the trunk. Mark eye
sockets (fig.9) using a frilling stick. Moisten with glue and
attach over the drinking straw onto the body. Insert the curved
end of a frilling stick into the end of the trunk and pull down
to open (fig.10). Insert the same under the trunk to form a
mouth (fig.11). Use the flat end of a Dresden tool to shape
and widen the mouth.
Figure 8. |
Figure 9. |
Figure 10. |
Figure 11. |
Ears
Measure a size 10 piece of paste. Roll into a ball then into
an oval 4cm (1½in). Flatten by placing the oval onto the
palm of one hand and pressing with the pad at the base of the
thumb of the other hand (fig.12). This will have the effect
of thinning the edge leaving the bulk of paste in the middle.
Measure a size 7 piece of pink paste. Cut in half. Roll one
piece into a ball then into a sausage slightly shorter than
the grey piece. Flatten as before, moisten and attach onto the
grey ear. Smooth the pink edge onto the grey. Fold over one
end of the ear and pinch (fig.13). Moisten and attach onto the
head.
Figure 12. |
Figure 13. |
Hair
Roll a size 5 ball of paste into a cone. Use scissors to cut
the wide end into six (fig.14). Pinch and flatten each section
(fig.15). Cut each section in half and widen using the frilling
stick, rolling against the forefinger (fig.16). Cut away surplus
paste from the back. Moisten and place onto the head.
Figure 14. |
Figure 15. |
Figure 16. |
Eyes
Place a small ball of white sugarpaste into each socket. They
should not protrude. Place a smaller piece of black on top of
the white. Mix isopropyl alcohol and white satin and paint a
highlight onto the black. Paint eyelashes (fig.17).
Eyebrows can be either painted or small pieces of black sugarpaste
can be attached.
Paint pink into the mouth and trunk.
Figure 17. |
Pads
Roll a size 8 piece of pink paste into a smooth ball. Flatten
between palm and thumb pad. Attach onto the foot. Repeat for
the second leg and both arms. Roll out a small piece of pink
paste and using a small circular cutter or pen top cut out 6
circles (fig.18). Cut each in half and attach above the pads
to form nails (fig.19).
Brush over pink parts with a little magnolia pearl dust (optional).
Use blue paste as an alternative to pink if the elephant is
for a boy.
Make a thin tail snip one end to form a tassle before attaching
onto the elephant (fig.20).
Figure 18. |
Figure 19. |
Figure 20. |
Cut out a bee, daisies and stems using white Mexican paste.
Instructions in each pack. Dust the daisy with white satin and
paint the centre yellow gold. Paint stems using frosted leaf.
The bee is painted using alcohol and black, and yellow gold.
IDEA
The elephant could be holding a blanket, baby’s bottle,
dummy or teddy. This would be suitable for a christening or
birthday cake. They also make a lovely bride & groom –
entwine or touch the trunks together.
The Completed Baby Elephant |
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