Wood Grain Gum-Paste "Fence"

Dip a toothpick into gel paste and swipe through gum paste, starting with 2 swipes of brown and 1 swipe of black. (Use a fresh toothpick to add more color.) Knead until color is even, adding more gel paste as desired.

Lightly dust a work surface with confectioners' sugar. Roll gum paste into a rectangle, 1/8 inch thick. Cover with a wood-grain impression mat and firmly press with a rolling pin to create pattern.

Using a pizza cutter or chef's knife, cut gum paste rectangle into vertical strips, each 1/3 inch wide. Separate strips and cut crosswise into slats and posts: 12 posts, each 2 3/4 inches long; 12 short slats (for garden entrances), each 3 1/2 inches long, leaving one end squared and cutting the other on the bias; and 18 longer slats (for sides of cake), each 5 inches long, both ends trimmed on the bias.

Transfer cut pieces to parchment-lined baking sheets and let stand until firm and dry, about 8 hours or overnight. Dried fence pieces can be stored on baking sheets, covered with parchment, at room temperature up to 3 days.