Hi, Monica, I've been missing you since I last saw you on Creative Cookiers' Cookie Cruise in January, so I'm thrilled to have you here today! For people who don't know Monica: not only is she a great cookier (with a painting specialty), but she's also one of the warmest cookie spirits I know! Welcome, Monica!

Before we get started, just a few housekeeping notes for newbies to our chats: questions are answered in the order received, but they will not post to the public/viewable area of the chat until Monica reads and answers them. We'll work through questions that were logged in advance first; then start working on questions asked live during the chat. That said, please be patient and do not re-post the same question. It may take some time to answer your question, depending on where it sits in the queue. But I will personally make sure every question gets answered before we're through!

Please also ask just one question at a time - it's easier for our guests to keep track of questions and for others to follow the dialogue this way. So, let's get started!

I have a question for you while we wait for others. While you have an obvious knack for handpainting, you also work with a lot of other techniques. How do you go about choosing when you will handpaint vs. pipe, or use some other technique? Do you prefer any one technique more than the others, and why? (Oops - I broke my own rule! That was two questions!)

Thank you so much Julia. I am so excited to be here and to be a part of CookieCon this year is just a dream come true (although I will admit I’m still pretty nervous). To answer your question, I usually base how I do my cookies on time. I usually only work on cookies at night after my son goes to bed so the amount of time I have to work on an order can have a big impact on how I do it. When someone comes to me and asks me for something like a whole cast of character cookies, I know that I can either spend 3 hours mixing 20 different colors… or I can just paint them and have them done much quicker. I think that comes with time and how comfortable I am with a paintbrush. Most of those character cookies only take me 10-15 minutes each to decorate so I can knock them out pretty quick. I honestly love it when I can do most everything in icing. There is a level of patience and skill required to do everything in icing that is still a challenge to me. I started my cookie decorating journey watching blogs like Sweet Sugarbelle and Bearfoot Baker and I was in awe of how clean and simple and amazing they could make a cookie look with just icing. I love how transformative it can be... smooth and lovely, lacy and delicate, or even rough and textured. There really are no set rules on how to decorate a cookie, and that's part of what makes it so fun

Hi, Winn! It's an intimate chat today.

Winn, Do you have any questions for Monica?

Hi, Kelly! Welcome! We've got a very personal chat today. Please chime in with your questions.

Hi Monica! Like Julia I have been missing you since I saw you on the Cookie Cruise and I absolutely agree with you Julia-Truly one of the wamest cookie spirits!! Does being in Texas make you even warmer?  Looking forward to chatting with you!

If there are no cookie questions for Monica, we will reschedule the chat so Monica can take advantage of the lovely weekend.

Thanks Winn I'm glad you guys made it safe to my fair state, we will chat soon.

Kelly and Winn - you're the only ones on the chat besides me and Monica, so the ball is in your court!

One second-was reading the first response-that was my first question-riming on cookies!

i am still having a hard time painting on cookies without it messing the icing underneath but from a painting background myself I really want to do that more and tips or thoughts on what i might be doing wrong?

Thanks, Winn!

Hi, Creative Cookier (Ginny!)

We've got a cozy chat today, so I'm relying on you and Kelly and Winn to come up with some good questions for Monica!

Without knowing what you are doing to the icing underneath I'd say the big thing is to take it slow. I had major problems when I first started too and had to adjust my icing recipe so it would hold up to paining. Make sure you are using corn syrup in your icing and allow layers to dry between painting so you don't overwork the surface.

Hi Ginny!

Any tips on making RI here in Texas? It took me a long time to get the right consistency in NE weather and am wondering how it will affect my recipe in this new climate!

i think you sort of answered that already-sorry! You have a recipe you can recommend-I have never used corn syrup in my RI but willing to give it a shot!

I'm not sure she did - I'm curious as to why she thinks corn syrup is critical to have in the icing for painting. So maybe you can address that too, Monica!

Hi everyone!  I am so glad to get a chance to peek in and get a look at Monica's chat!

Winn, I almost always do frankenfrosting now but I haven't seen that I've had a problem with anything not setting properly or taking too long to dry... Sugar belle's icing recipe is a great one to try, or just use your normal recipe and add 2-4 T corn syrup

Does the corn syrup just make the surface slicker so the paint goes on more smoothly? What's its function for painting?

When I first started my icing was like sandstone when I painted, it would just absorb in. I sent a desperate email to Arty who told me the corn syrup trick and it's worked every time. I think it allows a "surface" to the icing that helps keep the water from the paint on top so it doesn't absorb... does that make sense?

Kelly - your question is up next!

Yeah, I'm wondering if you could get the same effect with just dehydrating. The surface stays really slick that way too.

Julia, you'll have to let me know... I don't have a dehydrator yet

It seems to work fine for me, though I do limited painting and I also don't use meringue powder-based icing, which I think tends to be more porous than that with real whites. Ahh, the nuances of cookie decorating!

Kelly, someone once described piping to me like toothpaste and that's always stuck in my head. In the years I've been doing this I've started to not mix my icing too much and I stop at the point of soft peaks. I generally don't dilute my icing when I pipe now.

Monica- I love your animated drawings that bring your cookies to life. Where/when did you begin to create this style and how long did it take you to perfect it?

That is my issue-it absorbs in and in a day or two coimpletely changes the cookie-cannot preserve them the same!! The owl cookie from your night owl class kept perfectly-well, until my ninja cookie lover daughter took it and ate it!!

Welcome, Bakerloo, Geanina, Paulina, and Tina! Send your questions for Monica! She's working on the one above from Creative Cookier now!

LOL Ginny... I'm not sure I have it perfected yet Sometimes the thing to remember with characters is that simple is better. I have an illustration degree and I've illustrated at least two children's books... so I have a little practice but looking for the simple shapes helps a lot

Trying to get my cup of tea made so I can think clearly first! 

A question from me: So after painting, what's your next favorite technique and why?

Ginny, there are a lot of references on Google if you look up comic or manga style eyes, mouths, ears, etc... study those and how just a little line can express everything you need if in the right place

Hi ladies, I am so glad I am actually here today to be with you girls. What a joy!

Glad to have you, Tina!

Julia, I love wet on wet... I love how quick it is and how you can manipulate it around and then throw some stuff on top and totally change the look... People are always amazed at dragging and it's such a simple thing that looks amazing no matter how you do it.

Monica, do you have many corporate clients, and if so, how do you go about generating that type of business?

Haha Bakerloo-I just got my cup of coffee made so I can think better too!!  Hi Tina! You two ladies are my inspirations like Monica too! Such artistry and talent among you ladies!!

And is corporate business really good business? Are they more or less demanding than other customers? Willing to pay more, I'd guess, but maybe that is fiction too.

Thanks, Winn! One of the things I love about this cookie community is that we are always drawing inspiration from each other.

Posting another couple of comments . . .

Ooh, any link to those children's book! I am so curious now!

Exactly, Julia.

Hi guys Okay, I don't have too many "corporate" businesses... I have done some really fun stuff for EA where I got to do Star Wars cookies totally legally and that was a blast, and I've done a bunch of charity events for companies.

I do not advertise anywhere other than Facebook so everything I do is word of mouth. I love corporate clients when I get them because they don't argue price and the pay on time

So, another question from me. For those starting out with painting, what are your top three tips apart from the corn syrup-in-the-icing trick?

Sorry Winn, no links to the books. They were done for a previous job and they are not available for public sale outside of their projects.

I like the sound of that - "they don't argue price and they pay on time!"

Hi, Sweet Scene! Welcome. Feel free to post questions for Monica in the area at the bottom of the chat.

Corn syrup in the icing trick? What did I miss?

Painting tips... hmmm... Okay, 1) Use brushes designed to work with water, watercolor brushes work great and I've seen a few people use nail art brushes for details. 2) Use a brush that works for the size of your project. You wouldn't paint a wall with a one inch brush so don't think you can paint the background of a cookie with a liner. 3) Practice!!! It takes a while to get used to it, don't give up.

Tina, just scroll back to the top of the chat and read the comments. The corn syrup addition is explained above.

Bummer Sounds like they were fun for you to do though-such an inspiring cookier!!

i have not taken any corporate orders as the sheerr volume makes me nervous...with four little ones time is crucial! Any tips on managing or handling a big order? The company my husband works for wants to sign me on monthly and I am not sure whether to take that venture on or not!

Tina, if you find that your icing isn't accepting paint and it absorbing the liquid too much you can add corn syrup to your icing to help crate a more suitable painting surface.

Thanks, Monica!

Winn... planning is key. I've gotten to baking one day and then planning out "tasks" that I can do through out the week. I had a huge order of icons and they took me all week but by planning each step out I wasn't up all night rushing to finish them.

Monica has at least one little one, too, right? So she should have time management strategies down pat.

great tips on the painting Monica! Are there and brand brushes you find you like or work better than others for you!

I could not find corn syrup when I lived in the UK, so I substituted glucose syrup, Tina.

Winn, brushes are such a personal thing that it's hard. I tend to find random ones here and there, some I've had for years. I'd say just start with a few and play because what works for me may not be what works for you.

Also, what brushes do you typically use for what tasks? So a liner, for instance, is used for what? What would you use to paint a background? etc.

OOO Bakerloo... have you ever tried HONEY?? I had to do that the other day because I was out of corn syrup and they were soooooo tasty!! (just a thought)

I was scrolling to find it and losing the conversation. I find that drying the surface in my air oven gives it a good surface to work on. I also just ordered nail brushes on ebay last night since I like finer work. Just learning now. Yep, Gluose syrup is the same.

Yes, I've also found that using my royal in the dehydrator (even not) give a nice smooth painting surface.

give=gives

Honey!  That is brilliant!

Anyone trying to do fine line work, something to practice... twist your brush as you drag through the color. It will help pull the color into your brush and keep a nice point at the tip

Monica - Did you see this question from me: Also, what brushes do you typically use for what tasks? So a liner, for instance, is used for what? What would you use to paint a background? etc.

I am always nervous taking that long to make cookies will dry them out though-do you find that to be true or do you have tricks/tips to help? I really prefer a soft cookie but I do know many like more with a little bite to them!

Winn - are you asking me about the dehydrator? Or Tina about the oven? If me, I only leave them in long enough to quick set the surface - a few minutes at 95F doesn't change the texture of the cookie in any discernible way.

Honey-Brilliant!!

Sorry Julia... I typically use one of three brushes. I have a liner for anything that needs details (eyes, mouths, stripes, squiggles, etc.) Then I have a 1 round brush and a 6 round brush I use for everything else. The bigger brushes work best for background and filling in larger areas of color with little going back over your strokes.

Great brush tips. Thanks! Onto others' questions now.

Do you freehand or use transfers or Kopykake?

I love my smaller rounds for things like cheeks, hair, pushing in a shadow somewhere, it's just a good all around filler brush that I can't live without.

Tina, I typically either freehand or Kopykake. I will almost always trace my cutter into my sketchbook, design my cookie, and then use that sketch in my Kopykake as a guide for time and consistency.

I also just switched from Wilton to CK meringue powder, and I get a much smoother, shinier surface wit the CK, so maybe changing your meringue powder would help with painting too.

Bakerloo I think that is a good point. I've tried a couple different ones and they can make a big difference.

Or don't use meringue powder - real or pasteurized whites never leave a porous finish like some I've seen with some meringue powders. (Or at least "never" in my experience.)

I love a soft cookie too Winn but I also learned to leave the cookie on paper towels over night turned upside down to get rid of any butter and this also helps the surface dry perfectly.

Next question coming now . . .

What made you decide to start your own website, and have you found it beneficial to your business?

Julia, can I tell you that I'm a big chicken about using egg whites... my goal is going to be to try it before CookieCon so I can see if there is a difference

Thanks for the tip on the MP I have heard similar but have yet to try CK MP - someone just have me Ateco so I am trying that next!

I've used some royal icing mixes that have been quite good though too.

Okay Winn... so when you do cookies over a few days, store them in an airtight container and only work on what you can pull out and put away at a time. I typically work over a few days and I've never noticed that they get any harder as I go.

Bakerloo.. I started my website because my family is lame and didn't have Facebook. When I started I thought I was going to make a million dollars doing cookies and I could quit my job and bake all the time... not exactly what happened. My website is generally used as a portfolio of my work. I haven't really seen a ton of orders from it, I get way more from Facebook so that is usually what I will update first.

That lady bug set you did was so precious and sweet and I would have adored a set like this for my daughter last month for her birthday (ladybug was the theme originally)! Your brushing tips on the cheeks reminded me of that set and i was wondering how you got that warm skin tone?

While Monica is answering Winn's question, I'll answer one from Bakerloo directed to me.

Julia, how do you buy your egg whites?  Whole pasteurized eggs?  container of liquid whites?

Both ways. Though when I'm baking just for me, I use regular raw farm-fresh eggs. One thing with whole pasteurized eggs in the shell . . .

Winn her cheeks were actually wet on wet icing. If I have the time to mix colors I prefer to do them in icing because they stay much more consistent and my little girls don't look like they got into their mommies makeup when I'm done I take the fleshtone and pull out just a tiny bit and add a touch of dusty rose... done

. . . they are much harder to separate and you may find you need to separate more to get the same weight as fewer non-pasteurized eggs.

Christine, your gift of meringue powder was a game changer for me and I will be forever in your debt!

I am always worried about freshness from the 1st to the last cookie.

What meringue powder did she send you, Tina? Squires Kitchen?

Julia-I remember a while back someone in one f the chats recommending airtight containers-so you happen to remember that?

Winn - I possibly remember that. I think most people do store in airtight containers once the cookies are cool and the icing is completely dry. But if the icing isn't completely dry, it can sometimes never set and bleed if stored that way. But did you have some other question about containers??

Yes, I also find that with the pasteurized whole eggs, the whites do not seem to whip up as well (volume-wise).

Heat-treated anything - eggs, cream - don't whip as well as the fresh. The heating process denatures some of the protein and that is the result . . .

I sent Wilton, to Tina because I had hand-carried it from Chicago to London, and then put it in the post (intra-EU) mail.

No, when she moved from England she could not take it to the states so somehow she thought of me- It was Wilton. I learned from Evelin about Squires Kitchen and just got some now.

The other problem with using whole eggs for RI, is I think some cottage food laws do not allow it in some states - but I would need to double-check that.

The issue isn't with whole eggs; if whole eggs are pasteurized, the salmonella risk is eliminated. The issue is with unpasteurized eggs.

Thanks for the tips on the cheeks! I actually meant what color did you use to make the fleshtone-yours is the warmest softest looking tone and I want to try using it on a set coming up if you are willing to share!

Yes, sorry, by "whole" I meant unpasteurized.

Yeah, ironically, I could not bring back into the US meringue powder that was originally bought in the US!

OK, sorry for going off track on meringue powder . . . back to questions for Monica in the 7 minutes remaining! There's one new one from Winn two comments above.

Winn. I usually mix Copper, Ivory and a drop of Dusty Rose to make my flesh... small amounts of all, a little goes a very long way.

Do you find IG bring your more traffic than FB? Again, time with for kids is critical and I do not have alot of time for social media so am interested in what helps get my creations out there but does not suck up too much time!

Winn, I do IG because Nicole from Life's a Batch bullied me into it. I think it's really fun and I love to watch it for my own personal joy but I don't think I've gotten any real money out of it. I also do not ship. So I say that knowing that I can only take local orders. I usually turn away more orders than I can accept. If you are focusing on time, I'd stick with Facebook, but that's just me. Taking your stuff around locally can help a lot too

OMG I have my husband tapping his foot waiting for me- we have a 7pm appointment. I can not thank you enough Julia for organizing these chats and Monica thank you for your time and good advice. Love you girls!

Thanks Tina

Thanks for all the great contributions, Tina! Glad to have you here this week!

OK, having just finished the last PBP Challenge, I have to ask Monica how she did that Disney surprise set.  How did you get your design to line up so perfectly across all of those cookies?

I just extended the chat a few minutes to allow us to get through the remaining questions in the queue. Hope that's OK with everyone.

ALL scial media is a time suck lol.

Except for Cookie Connection, of course!

Bakerloo, my Kopykake saved the day on that one. I sketched out the entire design and then broke it down into sticks. I think the thing that sold it was that I was able to pull some of the design around the edges a little so it didn't just "stop". I did the main detailing of each cookie one at a time and then would pull up it's neighbor(s) to adjust alignments.

Back to container questions . . .

I guess I was wondering what container was mentioned that people likes most - I believe someone posted something about ones you could both store/dry them in and then transport them? Good tip on the not putting them in the containers until dry - I have a fan but perhaps need to try a dehydrator

I don't recall specific mention of these containers. We talked about covered speed racks, and also the cupcake caddies that I use for transport. But don't recall anything else. MONICA, what containers do you use for storage and transport?

Of course.

I store my un-iced cookies stacked in the Wilton 12-cupcake carrier (with the cupcake holder insert removed).

I use tupperware containers usually. They typically only hold uniced cookies. I don't store iced ones unless I know that are really dry and then I put parchment paper between them. I will bag them and stack them upright for transport so there isn't any pressure on them to brake.

I only use my cupcake caddies for transport with the inserts inverted so the cookies lie flat. They are small enough to fit under airplane seats, so they are convenient in that way.

But the caddies are generally too small for my usual production storage. I store in cardboard bakery boxes that fit full sheet trays, and then wrap the boxes in garbage bags. This is also how I stored in my bakery.

Related to the above question, Winn also wants to know . . .

. . . in reference to the cheek colors you mentioned before . . .

Are those Americolor colors Monica? Thanks for sharing your opinion on SM! I cannot wait to get to know Texas locally and I cannot wait to see you again! xx

oh I had two of those Bakerloo and I got rid of them in to move!

Hi Paulina I generally only use Americolor for painting because I can squeeze them out onto a watercolor palette. I'm not a fan of having to mix powder colors but I haven't played with it a whole lot.

Yeah, but she was talking about her speed rack specifically - she has a cloaked speed rack. Then she went on to talk about how she wrapped cookies for mailing - not much about the actual container in the mailing discussion as I recall. But, Winn, you might check that transcript for more container details.

Yes Winn, those were all Americolor

That Disney set was brilliantly done-and you game of thrones set-WOW! Have you ever made cookies for a fellow cookier to purchase cause I SOOO would buy a set like that for my husband!! Oh, and I so would have that cookie from the ladybug set with girl in the frilly dress made into a dress for my daughter! Super cute!

I will thanks Julia and Kelly!

I have done painting with the TruColors and like them.

LOL Winn. I don't think I've ever "sold" cookies to a cookier... traded, swapped, gifted, yes... sold, not so much

We have one last question in the queue, which I'll post in a sec. Any other last questions? We can take one more maybe in the 8 minutes remaining.

I just started playing with my TruColors and so far I like them

Do you paint with airbrush colors or gels, Monica?  And what do you dilute with?

Bakerloo, I've only used gels so far. I dilute with water because I think it gives me more working time to play with the paint. I found when I tried alcohol that it dries too quickly for me and I don't get the effect I want.

I have not sold to any cookiers just gifted or swapped like you! Just figured it did not hurt to ask!

Winn, when you make it down to Austin we will swap some cookies

How long do you allow your painted cookies to dry before bagging?  (And do you put them in the dehydrator to get the paint to dry?)

Cookie Barn entered one question just now, which will be our last since we're almost out of time. I'm posting it now, while you answer Bakerloo's question.

How did you get the denim look on your "denim and diamond" set. I love them!!

Oh, I look forward to it Monica! xx Have a wonderful weekend ladies!!

Well, I have to get back to unpacking-hopefully will get my cookie stuff unpacked today...Thank you as always Julia for this forum and all the wonderful things you do with CC! Thank you Monica for taking the time to chat with us-I learned a bunch and that is one of my favorite parts of cookieing and knowing other cookiers!!

Bakerloo. I typically finish an order the night before and bag in the morning, so 4 hours max between finished a bagging, sometimes less. If they paint is tacky there is two things I can do... I will either throw them in my oven with just the light on to help "set" the paint a little more, or an Arty trick is to brush flour on them to help absorb some of the stickiness.

Thanks for all your great questions, Winn. Have a great weekend.

Cookie Barn, I used Americolor White and a wide brush. Dip the brush into the color and wipe almost all of it away and then very lightly brush over the cookie in a crosshatch fashion.

That flour tip is terrific.  Thanks!

Thank you.

I need to get going.  Thank you, Monica and Julia.  It's been fun having my tea and chatting with you all this morning. 

Thanks Bakerloo... have a great day

Well, since we are out of questions and comments and past our time limit, I'll be calling this chat to a close in a sec. I just wanted to thank Monica first - it's incredible to have had such an expert with us today and I am very grateful that she took the time to chat with us!

Thanks you to all of you who jumped in with great questions! Much appreciated.

Thanks everyone, I had a blast hanging out with y'all

Stay tuned for our in-depth interview (Cookier Close-up) with Monica coming later in June! And, of course, don't miss her at CookieCon!

Thank you Monica and Julia.  You ladies rock!

Happy weekend! I'm off to shoot cookie photos while I have good light!