Underwater Ephemera Collage Cookie Using Julia's "Underwater" Background Stencil

So why am I making this underwater cookie scene in the middle of one of the coldest winters on record?! Good question! It’s because I just went on a cookie cruise to Cozumel for a week, where the organizer told me I had to teach a “steampunk under the sea”-themed cookie, and, well, this is my take on that cookie!
Admittedly, it’s more of an underwater ephemera cookie with lots of little sea-themed edibles (that won’t last long around anyone with even a mild penchant for sweets)! But there’s a clear nod to steampunk in the metallic cookie gears on top!
In addition to molding and spraying cookie gears, I hit on many techniques with this cookie, which is what makes it such a good teaching tool. In this video, you’ll learn about airbrushing, stenciling, dusting, stamping, fondant appliqués, royal icing transfers, and isomalt, as we make everything from sea glass and mermaids to sea urchins and sea anemone! I also talk about 3-D layering methods for assembling this collage-style cookie.
RELATED VIDEOS:
My Stencil Line Playlist (with more how-to videos using stencils from my line):
How to Make Molded Cookies: • How to Make Embossed (...
How to Make Royal Icing (with Consistency Adjustments): tinyurl.com/nx7xhmq
How to Make 2-D Royal Icing Transfers: • 2-D Royal Icing Transf...
My 3-D Oven Video: • 3-D Retro Oven Cookie (Isomalt instructions begin at about 23:31)
RELATED TOOLS:
4-Inch Corner Plaque Cookie Cutter: tinyurl.com/yxup8pjq
My Stencil of the Month Club: tinyurl.com/y7cq7huc
My “Underwater” Prettier Plaques™ Background Stencil: tinyurl.com/y9b992fw
My Entire Stencil Line (which is continually expanding):
confectioncouturestencils.com...
Stencil Genie (aka stencil frame): tinyurl.com/ya7qd5c6
Airbrush Colorings: tinyurl.com/ydy36m7r
Satin Ice Fondant: tinyurl.com/y9dgrbya
Uninked Foam Stamp Pad: tinyurl.com/ycc6nzdr
Mermaid Rubber Stamps: tinyurl.com/y9t5d9t9 (oldislandstamps/Etsy); tinyurl.com/yahplocq (Stampendous/Amazon)
Petal Crafts Compressed Petal Dust: tinyurl.com/y7mkgo6o
Silicone Gear Molds: tinyurl.com/y6v5bvul (big gears; Mod Podge “Industrial” Mold/Amazon, not food-grade per se); tinyurl.com/y7zmosw4 (tiny gear; ChelosSweetShop/Etsy)
PME Gold Luster Spray: tinyurl.com/yajy9zyt
PME Bronze Luster Spray: tinyurl.com/yb2brggc (for copper color)
Food-Safe Acetate: tinyurl.com/ybrslhm9
Dual-Chamber Pastry Bag and Coupler: tinyurl.com/y8x3t9as
Isomalt: tinyurl.com/ybfltsvw (Country Kitchen Sweet Art, but many other sources)
Gold-Covered Chocolate “Rocks”: nuts.com/chocolatessweets/cho...
TO PURCHASE MY 4-HOUR VIDEO COOKIE DECORATING COURSE, MY BOOKS, OR APP:
www.juliausher.com/store
TO JOIN COOKIE CONNECTION, MY ONLINE COOKIE DECORATING COMMUNITY:
cookieconnection.juliausher.co...
TO HANG OUT WITH ME ON THE WEB:
My site/blog: www.juliausher.com
Facebook: tinyurl.com/j6nm6te
Twitter: / juliamusher
Pinterest: / juliamusher
Google+: tinyurl.com/ha4huw9
CREDITS:
Music by: Kevin MacLeod, www.incompetech.com
Videography/Editing by: Joe Baran, Workingman's Film, www.workingmansfilm.com

[@auntiescakery]

You really went all out on these fantastic cookies! Everything you touch turns to gold, per say. Thank you as always!

[@samveigh7497]

I love these creations and all the rest of your work is simply amazing! Hope you have a great time sailing!

[@ChristineHMcConnell]

These are so beautiful and original! You're hands down the pastry artist I look up to most... no one has more patience and imaginative ideas :))

[@SeareanMoon]

I really adore your videos. Bringing such beauty to us! thank you for all your hard work and beautiful decorating!!

[@Soulkreed]

This appears really great! Cannot simply wait to view similar to this. Great job.

[@hollitahagelsieb1]

Wow......amaizing beautiful work, love it! Thank you!

[@amym7825]

Gorgeous! You continue to amaze.

[@ellaconner9452]

Beautifully done! I love them💖🧜🏻‍♀️

[@jeannettemessoria1553]

so gorgeous!

[@onetier]

These are amazing as always. Love all the techniques you show us. I will definitely be using the technique of letting the fondant dry before cutting it in the future! Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge.

[@creativecookier8832]

How the heck am I just seeing this! What a great look back it gave me to our cruise! Thank you as always for your amazing contribution both to the cruise AND to the cookie community at large!

[@nancy9704]

This is so cool and detailed. I don't do cookie decorating but I LOVE LOVE watching those of you who do. You're amazing at your art, Julie M. Usher. I'm glad I found your channel. It's truly mesmerizing watching your cookies take on life. TFS :)

[@vintagegal7376]

Beautiful!

[@vartinegarabet2527]

Amazing love the techniques thank you

[@krimanassif6468]

Wow! Great tutorial as usual!

[@rebeccasewing]

So beautiful, Julia!

[@shuggaraecreation2009]

Love 💕 the tutorial... wheels are turning in my head 🙂

[@MsMichaela999]

Out of this world! You're getting better and better, I did not even know that was possible in your case as you're absolutely amazing and so gifted!!

[@samueljohn932]

Julia!! You are absolutely my #1 cookie decorating icon! I played with cookie decorating a bit before I went vegan but have always been very much devoted to cake decorating. Now that I am getting my cake business started and have more of a background in vegan conversions I hope to become a cookie master like yourself! I have to thank you immensely for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us here on KZbin, it really means so much

[@emiliamartucci8291]

Redid this project on a 5 inch cookie and it came out pretty. Used PMS spray to do the color gradation on the edges. Not as beautiful as yours but still lovely and a joy to the person that received it. Thank you Julia! I enjoyed making this project.

[@mariafer1979]

Increíble!! I love it!! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@bcraftoholic2285]

This is rediculously good

[@kellyw.1779]

Hey Julia! These cookies are gorgeous! Love the details...too pretty to eat! Lol You have such amazing talent! Love your work and video's. Have a great time on your cruise! Hugs from Texas!

[@katywuste9054]

I loved watching this. Enjoy the cruise and see you soon

[@katywuste9054]

Julia M Usher oooh sorry to hear that, hope you feel your bubbly self soon

[@1boossEchick]

AMAZING 😍😍😍

[@monicacoqui]

You are my new favorite person. Amazing work. My goal is to reach your decorating level.

[@rimotivri]

diving topics are awsome. Cool.

[@jsullinger2801]

Enjoy your cruise. I loved mine. The cookie is most “dreamy” as you described. Absolutely gorgeous! Bon Voyage😎

[@jsullinger2801]

Just realized the cruise already happened. Sorry about the illness. Get well! Your Missouri Fan.

[@farzank8183]

Hi julia.I enjoy watching your art..your works are very beautiful and amazing..l cant make them but enjoy watchig them..thanks very much

[@inaben]

Amazing

[@TeerthaSwaraMardolkar2012]

Hello Madam; thank you soooooo much... I love all your tutorials.....

[@nancy9704]

Oh, and have a great trip!!

[@vesper302]

Absolutely in love with your „marine” idea ! I love when all these little pieces become one! :)

[@vesper302]

Julia M Usher I wish I was your student, too :)

[@vesper302]

Julia M Usher Oh, me too ❤️❤️❤️

[@victoriamurphy3771]

Love this and all of your cookie designs. I have learned a lot from watching your videos. Would you be able to provide information on the week long cookie cruise you mentioned in this video? I’ve looked online but haven’t had much luck. Thanks and God bless you.

[@JuliaMUsher]

Thanks! The cruise happened a few years ago. The video is not a recent one. :)

[@sharonparker7697]

Hi Julia I was so happy to see this video, have missed watching you. For some reason I have not been notified when you released this one, I’m subscribed and the bell is pressed

[@sharonparker7697]

Julia M Usher I’m a cake baker/decorator - you have inspired me to try my hand with decorating biscuits. Thank you

[@janetlisqum7815]

I love your videos, your work is phenomenal. One thing I would love to see though are time lapse videos of the decorating - and I'm probably not the only one ;) - anyway love everything you've done, never stop

[@janetlisqum7815]

I will definitely have to check those out asap, and I totally agree that time-lapse videos aren't a way to learn. you do such a wonderful job explaining everything and giving ideas/suggestions as to other things you can do or change to make it easier for the people watching. The only reason I absolutely love time-lapse videos is because I actually watch cake, cookie, pancake, and other decorating videos (sometimes DIY crafts even) to fall asleep at night because they're so satisfying to watch and I have trouble getting to sleep a lot of the time, but haven't since I started watching videos. You're work is just so great I was hoping to add you to my sleep list, but I guess you'll just have to stay in my 'Decorating Tutorials playist

[@janetlisqum7815]

personally I love watching anything to do with piping icing, be it cakes or cookies or any other desert, it's one of my favorite things to watch at night

[@victoriamurphy3771]

Thanks for getting back to me! Too bad the cruise is not one that happens yearly. It sounds like it would have been great fun!

[@JuliaMUsher]

It had been yearly, but no one was (or still is) too keen on cruising with COVID. Cruises are notorious for spreading illness.

[@marciarodrigues9967]

Você é maravilhosa! Porque não aprendi inglês qdo era mais jovem! Não entendo nada, mas amo seus vídeos!

[@marciarodrigues9967]

É uma honra receber um comentário seu. Fico muito feliz! Que Deus continue te dando muita saúde e alegria no coração para podermos desfrutar dos seus ensinamentos. Obrigada!

[@sharontaylor6441]

As always, beautiful work. Where do you get the color palette?

[@sharontaylor6441]

Thank you for the info.

[@labvlog26]

Wow this simply amazing! I'd like to learn it on how to do. Im watching it until the end.. beautiful hand creation.. new friend here..godbless..

[@JuliaMUsher]

Thank you! So glad you are here!

[@tiitusaalto5816]

Hi Julia! Really love everything you have created and you've given me lots of ideas. I wanted to ask about the isomalt. Does the isomalt turn cloudy if you don't boil it to certain temperature? I had problems with cristmas ornament cookies, where the other half of sphere had a window made from isomalt. Even when I had really dry and flat piece of fondant that I stamped and let it dry again and attached to the half spere isomalt window (being very careful that no royal icing would go between the empty space of dry fondant picture and the isomalt window), it went cloudy after 24 hours. And the idea of seeing the image inside the sphere behind the isomalt window was ruined... I really want to know what went wrong? Since some of my christmas ornament cookies with isomalt window didn't get cloudy and were absolutely perfect! Maybe you'll figure it out. So dry thing fondant with a stamped picture on it and put it behind thin half sphere isomalt "window". Why does the window become cloudy inside? Thank you :)

[@pilarschwarz3052]

Hello! Nice day! Where do I get the color palette to paint figures from fondant?

[@alial9weel694]

فنانة روووعة

[@barbaraaidefahmerembao7050]

Belllos,bellos,bellos.......

[@maryannecross2379]

WOW 👏👏👏❤️

[@lailachemmaoui1884]

wawa 😍😍😍

[@mamabearcher2685]

OMGGGGGG ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS WOWWWWWWWE!!!!!! STUNNING!!!!!!!! Sat is our Cake auction I'm making a 3 tiered Mousse GALAXY Mirror glaze cake with Glitter & French Macarons & a Chocolate Pavlova Cake with Whipped Chocolate Cream & Strawberries & maybe raspberries LOLLLLL!!!!!!! HOPE YOU HAD AN AMAZING TIME ON YOUR COOKIE CRUISE!!!!! SOUNDS AWESOME HUNNY!!!! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TOO!!!!! BIG HUGS & SAFE TRAVELS ALWAYS!!!!!!🦋💜🦋💛🦋💚🦋💙🦋❤🦋💜🦋💛🦋💚🦋💙🦋❤🦋🍀🦋🍀🦋🍀🦋🍀🦋🍀🦋

[@fladimadi4519]

Where do you get your colors? are they also available in europe? great channel, love your ideas!

[@fladimadi4519]

Thank you :)

[@foxygirl9892]

Amazing work! Beautiful! I was wondering where did you get your containers from?

[@foxygirl9892]

Julia M Usher Ah the clear square containers that was used to hold all the small pieces, such as the gears, sea glass, etc

[@foxygirl9892]

Yes ma'am it does! Thank you very much

[@editesousa9581]

Hi Julia. Have you any ideas for party favour olive and leaves theme cookies????

[@concepcionmartinez3070]

Hello Julia It's beautiful! I have many ideas to do God blees you

[@kyststudio-epicartadventure]

Art terms: transfer=something that moves color or an image from one surface to another. Appliqué=a piece of something attached on top of something else, in generally the same plane (often the under piece is the main body of the work.) Your work is very beautiful. The terms will help the communication be a bit less confusing.

[@kyststudio-epicartadventure]

Yes, you are transferring elements, but you can transfer (move) anything. Your elements are appliqués because they are objects rather than images.

[@FireflyBakerySweets]

Stunning!!! What is your airbrush machine???

[@FireflyBakerySweets]

@@JuliaMUsher Oh my gosh! Thank you for relplying!! I've been watching your videos for a few years! Im obsessed. Your so talented! What kind of airbrush system would you suggest then? Any plans on you releasing another set?

[@JuliaMUsher]

I am not really in a position to recommend, unfortunately, as I like my system better than any I've used for cookie decorating. If I were to say any brand, it's probably one I wouldn't use. No immediate plans for another system either.

[@rebeccasewing]

I'm well, thank you. Praying it stays that way. Hubby has the flu. Haven't seen him this sick in a looooong time. I'm assuming your cruise was a great success.I'm sure it was a ton of work not only in the teaching but all the prep work. Did you get some down time and what do you think of Cozumel?

[@rebeccasewing]

I can certainly sympathize.. I've never before seen Joe this sick. He jokingly says, "Aren't you gonna kiss me?" I tell him not now and not anytime soon. We've actually been sleeping in separate beds. That's how bad it is. I'm glad you had some fun on the cruise. A shame so many became ill. Get well soon!

[@rebeccasewing]

I guess he's braver than me. Although, I have a feeling your husband works really hard. Maybe he's looking for some time off. hahaha

[@sarahleonard7309]

How long would the stamped elements need to dry if they were made out of modeling chocolate instead of fondant? Would it be possible to intentionally incorporate a non-flat shape into them (like you did with the wrinkled corner of the throw rug in the Christmas tree scene) and have it keep that shape when it dried? Thank you!

[@sarahleonard7309]

Julia M Usher thank you! Luckily, the items I'm making this time are rectangular, so the trimming is simple.

[@CINDY050873]

I always love your beautiful cookies and I’m a big fan ,,, but I just started and sometimes is hard to get all this . I will like you make some things a little bit simple for people like me who just started.

[@libiabaez9959]

Muy bellos tus trabajos!. Como hago para suscribirme?. Me interesa tus tutoriales.

[@SusanneRamselaar]

Can I get you stencils in Europe or the UK?

[@SusanneRamselaar]

I have bought several of your Stencils but when they arrived in Holland I had to pay a large amount for customs. That is why I ask and I will inquire with you partner. Thanks.

[@shirleybreiter2594]

julie do you ever use air pens

[@jamiebettis527]

How would you price a cookie like this for Sale? Not sure if this is something I would offer all my customers, But might be fun to do for a very special occasion. Amazing details.

[@JuliaMUsher]

Thanks for the kind words. You'd build up your labor costs (by timing how long it takes YOU to make it and applying YOUR desired labor rate); then you'd add materials costs; and then you'd mark up to cover YOUR overhead and to allow for profit margin. You might also want to check this calculated price against what your market will bear for similar cookies. So there's not a magic numerical answer I can provide; pricing is unique to each individual business' cost structure and really should be worked up (according to the method I just described) by those running the business.

[@jamiebettis527]

@@JuliaMUsher Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Your advice is greatly appreciated. I look forward to apply these techniques in my upcoming work.

[@salahabirtebessa1705]

سلام عليكم انتي فنانة وراءعة عمل متقن

[@alinaliss2375]

👏👏👏💐👍🏻🌹🌹🌹😊

[@emiliamartucci8291]

Dear Julia, help. I just made all the elements needed for this charming cookie. However, shouldn't this be at least a 5" or a 6"cookie? There is no way that your seaweed stencil (which comes on a 6" piece of acrylic) and the mermaid and the fish and the seafloor transfers will all fit on a 4 inch cookie. I measured out a 4" inch cookie before cutting the circular corners. I then rounded out the corners and baked it. It is too small. So did you mean 4" sides after cutting out the rounded corners? Thank you for your reply so I can figure out what I did wrong.

[@rita7977]

to much work ... very good , real art from excellent artist.

[@sosueme3778]

Beautiful !