INSTRUCTIONS FOR CROWN by Sharon
 1)Make a paper template in the design and size you want the crown to be.
 2)Find a can the diamter you want the can to be. (I used the Wilton gumpaste can to make this crown,
 which sat on top of a 6 in round cake). Use your knife to cut off the metal lip on one end of the can.
 3)Cover the can with parchment paper and tape to hold it together in the back. Make sure the end of can
 with the metal lip is at the bottom.
 4)Tape some waxed paper down and grease it with Crisco. Then roll out your gumpaste onto it.
 5)Lay your template on the gumpaste and cut it out.

 6)Then grease the top side of the cut out crown with Crisco. ( This will allow it to stick to the can and not
 flop over.)

 7)Take your exacto knife and cut out the wax paper all around the crown; cut it close to the crown but
 leave enough that you can handle it.
 

 8)Then take the can and lay it on top of the greased crown. Roll the can over the crown, it will attach to the
 parchment on the can because of the Crisco.. then stand the whole can up.
 9)Peel the wax paper off the crown. Now you have the crown on the parchment covered can. Allow this dry
 about 24 hours or until it is firm enough to hold its own shape.
 10)Now that the crown is dry enough to hold its own shape, slip the whole pice of parchment with the
 craown still stuck on it off the top of the can.

 11)then gently peel the parchment off the inside of the crown, leaving the crown freestanding.

 Allow this to completely dry; I give it a few days if possible.
 12)Spray the totally dry crown with silver luster dust mixed with vodka using an airbrush. Allow this to dry for
 a few hours.
 13)Apply plastic craft jewels in place with royal icing.

 there you have the completed crown! - Sharon

Frost your cake and smooth with wax paper as soon as the icing has crusted slightly. You can transfer a design/picture to
the cake using a projector, airbrush or by using a pattern made by poking holes in paper placed over styrofoam with a
corsage pin. Use a tip 1, 2, 3 or 4 to outline the design on the cake. The larger tips are easier to draw with, but with the
smaller ones you can make a more detailed design. As soon as the outline is dry enough so you can touch it without it
sticking, lightly flatten it with your finger. This prevents the glaze or gel from leaking under the outline when you fill it
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You can fill it in right away but it is easier to work with if you wait 2 hours or longer. It will also prevent colors from bleeding
together if the outline is dry before filling it in.

I use a glaze made from 2 lbs. powdered sugar, 1 T clear vanilla, 1/2 t. almond flavoring, 1/4 t salt and 3/4 c water. The
amount of water can vary. Mix it to a consistency that works best for you. A good guideline is when a small amount of the
glaze is dropped back into the bowl, it takes 3-6 seconds for it to disappear. The thinner glaze is easier to pipe into the
design, but a thicker glaze is needed if you are using it on a cupcake with a surface that's not level. If your glaze is thin you
need to be careful filling in the design or it will overflow the outlines. It crusts quickly, so complete one area at a time,
working from the outside to the center of each section.

 The glaze can be put in a disposable decorating bag with a small hole cut in the end or piped from a parchment cone. I use
disposable bags with a hole the size of a # 1 tip.  Close the top of the bag tightly with a rubber band. The glaze can be kept
refrigerated for several weeks or frozen for several months. Parchment is more economical if you only use this method
occasionally. If the glaze is saved it will separate in the bags. Pinch the open end of the bag and knead the bag to re mix it. A
small piece of tape can be placed over the end when storing the bags to prevent the glaze from leaking.

Petal or luster dusts can be mixed with lemon extract and painted onto the glazed areas after they are dry. It takes 2-8 hours
for it to dry enough to be painted on. Smaller areas dry quickly. Larger areas take longer. If you attempt to paint on them
before they are dry the glaze will dent.

Make sure you use good support under your cake when  using the glaze. If the cake board bends the glaze surface will
crack.