Small, dainty and delicate, these climbing roses are made using two five-petal rose cutter shapes. The first is wrapped around a cone in a more classic spiral, but the second is attached with no rules for the placement of the individual petals, so you don’t have to worry about the flower having a perfect, symmetrical shape. In fact, the more irregular the better! They are adorable clustered together in small branches as shown, but you can also use them in small bunches or as single filler flowers too.
1. Roll a 3⁄8in (8mm) ball of pale pink paste into a chunky cone shape, and secure it to a 26g hooked wire (see Getting Started). Let it dry completely.
2. Roll soft pink paste thinly to 1⁄16in (2mm) and cut out a single 13⁄8in (3.5cm) five-petal shape.
3. On a foam pad, thin the edges with a ball tool and stretch the centers of the petals outwards to modify their shape slightly.
4. Vein the petals quickly using the JEM veining tool. If they stick to each other at the sides, gently cut them apart at the base with scissors.
5. Turn the five-petal shape over and apply sugar glue to all of the petals. Referring to the petals as 1–5 (as shown), attach to the bud center in the order given in steps 6–8.
6. Wrap petal 1 around the cone tightly, covering the tip. Continue to step 7.
7. Next wrap petal 3 around the cone tightly.
8. Wrap the remaining petals around the cone, starting with petal 5, then 2, then 4.
9. Smooth the base of the bud with your fingers to make it rounded.
10. Roll green paste over the medium (3⁄16in/4mm) hole of a groove board and cut a 7⁄8in (2.3cm) calyx shape.
11. Thin the calyx edges and lengthen the sections with a ball tool on a foam pad.
12. Make small snips into the calyx edges with scissors. Turn the calyx over then cup each section with a ball tool.
13. Apply a small amount of sugar glue in the middle of the calyx and on each of the sections. Attach to the base of the bud, smoothing a few sections to the bud and letting a few be more open. Allow to dry completely.
14. Roll a small 3⁄8in (8mm) ball of pale pink paste into a narrow cone and secure to a 26g hooked wire. The size of the cone should be a bit shorter than the length of one of the 13⁄8in (3.5cm) flower cutter petals. Let it dry completely.
15. Roll paste thinly to 1⁄16in (2mm) and cut two 13⁄8in (3.5cm) flowers.
16. Thin the edges and stretch the center of the petals using a ball tool on a foam pad.
17. Vein the petals quickly with the JEM veining tool. Separate the edges with scissors if they stick together. Referring to the petals as 1–5 (as shown), attach the petals to the center cone as described in steps 18–20.
18. Apply glue to petals 1, 3 and 5. Wrap petal 1 completely around the cone in a tight spiral, covering the tip.
19. Attach petals 3 and 5 in a tight spiral.
20. Apply glue to the right sides of petals 2 and 4. Attach them in a spiral leaving the left edges open, as shown.
21. Working with the second flower shape, thin the edges and stretch the centers of the petals with a ball tool. Vein with a JEM veining tool.
22. Apply a small amount of sugar glue to the lower half of each petal, and attach them to the center randomly around the flower, letting some overlap. Continue to step 23.
23. Allow some of the petals to be more open.
24. Make and attach a calyx in the same way as for the rose bud.
Remember, these roses are meant to be relaxed and a bit messy. Have fun attaching the second layer of petals how you think they look pretty!
25. Roll a small 3⁄8in (8mm) ball of pale pink paste into a narrow cone and secure to a 26g hooked wire. The size of the cone should be a bit shorter than the length of one of the 11⁄2in (4cm) flower cutter petals. Let it dry completely.
26. Roll paste to 1⁄16in (2mm) and cut two 11⁄2in (4cm) flowers for the medium rose or one 11⁄2in (4cm) and one 2in (5cm) flower for the large rose. Refer to the petals as 1–5 (as shown).
27. Stretch and vein the petals of the 11⁄2in (4cm) flower in the same way as with the small rose. Apply sugar glue to petals 1 and 3 and wrap them tightly around the cone in a spiral. Apply glue around the right side of petals 2, 4 and 5 and attach them in a loose, open spiral by smoothing down the right sides of the petals and leaving the left sides open as shown.
28. Prepare the second flower shape in the same way, but use the needle tool (or a mini Celpin or toothpick) to curl the edges of the petals forwards and back randomly. There should be a variety between all the petals.
29. Apply sugar glue to the lower half of each petal and attach to the flower in two layers. Attach petals 1 and 3 opposite each other, and then petals 2, 4 and 5 spaced randomly around the flower. Allow the flower to be a bit misshapen, avoiding a symmetrical shape. Allow one or more of the petals to be very open from the flower to add to the whimsical shape.
30. Dry the medium and large flowers with the most open petal hanging down from the flower. Sticking them into the side of a styrofoam dummy is a great way to allow the open petals to hold their shape while drying.
31. Make a calyx in the same way as for the bud and small flowers, and attach it to the base of the rose. Allow it to dry.
32. Dust cosmos pink all over the rose buds, and a medium shade of pink in the centers of the buds where the petals come together.
33. Dust cosmos pink on all of the petal edges. Add a bit of a medium shade of pink to the rose centers to highlight where the petals come together.
34. Dust kiwi green on the calyxes and a bit onto the underside of the flowers and buds. Gently steam to set the colors (see Getting Started) and let the roses dry before using.
35. Using half-width floral tape (see Getting Started), gather several buds at varying heights and tape them together leaving long stems.
36. Wrap the tape down the wires and attach a couple of small roses, taping over the wire 1⁄4in (5mm) from their bases. Attach a small leaf or two (see Additional Leaves), taping over the wire at their base.
37. Wrap the tape farther down the wires and attach a couple of larger roses (as shown). Continue as desired.