Marina Sousa has been repeatedly recognized as one of this country's greatest sugar and cake artists. As a recurring competitor on the Food Network's wildly popular "Cake Challenge" she has won numerous contests competing against the best cake decorators in the United States. So much so she was invited to appear on Oprah's very own cake off competition and true to form she triumphed over her rivals and was crowned by Oprah Winfrey as the winner and reigning champion of cake artistry.

During one competition on Food Network, Marina designed a birthday cake for Miley Cyrus that incorporated strings of sugar beads hung from the cake in a chandelier style. Not only did Marina win the competition she also started a trend in cake decorating circles now known as "Chandelier Cakes." For the competition, Marina made her own molds with Silicone Plastique which caught the attention of the creator of Silicone Plastique, Chef Dominic Palazzolo.The molds below are a collaborative effort between Marina Sousa and Chef Palazzolo where Marina's original mold design has been re-engineered into a high-tech sugar molding system that anyone can use to create the stunning "Chandelier" effect on their own cakes

Classic Price: $38.00	Baroque Price: $58.00	Harlequin Price: $58.00

How to Use Your Sugar Bead Mold

Step 1	Step 2
Once Isomalt has been cooked to the proper temperature, it should be removed from the stove and allowed to cool to 300 degrees F. Using paste, gel or powdered food color, apply desired amount of color on top of the Isomalt.	Stir so the food color remains on top of the Isomalt. It will bubble profusely which indicates that any moisture in the food color is evaporating. Keep stirring color on top of Isomalt until the bubbling stops and all moisture has been cooked off.
Step 3	Step 4
Shallow stirring shown in step 2 helps to prevent water from being reintroduced into the Isomalt. Once this step is completed, it is safe to stir the food coloring and incorporate it throughout the entire Isomalt mixture.	Materials needed to make sugar beads are: Nylon Beading Thread, ClearCut Isomalt, and a Flush Cutting Tool. Note: Do not use beading thread that is made of plastic, since it could melt when in contact with hot Isomalt.
Step 5	Step 6
Cut a length of beading thread a couple inches longer than the bead mold. Pull bead thread taught and slide it down the center slit and into the bead mold. The thread will stop when it is passing exactly through the centerline of each bead cavity.	The bead mold is slit down each side so that the beading thread can be wrapped down and under the bead mold. This maintains the threads tension and keeps it in place when the mold is being filled with hot Isomalt.
Step 7	Step 8
Pour Isomalt into the trough located on top of the bead mold. It is not necessary to try to pour Isomalt down each individual hole located at the bottom of the trough. Simply pour Isomalt into the trough from one end to the other without stopping. It is highly recommended that Isomalt be between 295 – 310 degrees F. Cooler temperatures may not fill the bead cavities, while hotter temperatures may result in irregular shaped beads that are not perfectly round.	Filling the sugar trough on the top of the bead mold at least ¾ full is essential for proper mold performance. Allow the Isomalt and mold to cool to room temperature before unmolding.
Step 9	Step 10
To begin the unmolding process, grab and pull the tabs that line the sugar trough on the top of the mold. This helps to loosen the sugar beads which are tightly held on all sides by the silicone mold.	Turn the bead mold up side down so that the sugar trough lies flat on a level work surface. Grab one end of the bead mold and open it from the bottom while pulling the mold up and back to reveal the sugar beads. Pouring the sugar trough at least ¾ full insures that it does not break during this step.
Step 11	Step 12
Another view from the side which shows how the mold segments open and bends backwards to free the beads which are mounted to the bead trough.	Once the mold has been removed, the sugar beads are shown here threaded perfectly through their centers with bead thread. Each bead is attached to the sugar trough by a post that is formed during the Isomalt pouring process
Step 13	Step 14
Using a flush cutting tool, cut the beads precisely where the bead meets the post that holds the sugar bead above the sugar trough. The trough can be stored and remelted to make more sugar beads in the future.	Here is the completed string of sugar beads that came from the mold – ready to adorn any sugar masterpiece.