Blog: Vertical

Need one of Julia’s foolproof recipes? Some stunning cookie decorating ideas? Or a quick fix on Julia’s latest news and events? Well then, you’re in the right place! Here, you can stay up-to-the-minute current on everything that’s happening in Julia’s kitchen and studio – and in that always-churning mind of hers! IMPORTANT: Julia is still formatting blog entries prior to 2021 to conform to the new site layout. Please don’t be surprised if some back entries look a little wacky, and please be patient as she edits them over time.
Julia M. Usher

On Message

This 2-D stocking cookie is clearly on message with its always-appropriate greeting of “PEACE”. Not only that, but the message is “on cookie” as opposed to being airbrushed and stenciled on a separate fondant appliqué. One of the beauties of

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Julia M. Usher

Coffin Break

Yes, you’ll want to take a long coffin break (pun intended!) just to admire these 3-D coffin cookies, a few of the many cookie projects possible with Julia’s September 2022 Kitchen Club project kit. Make these coffins as individual party

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Julia M. Usher

Coffin Break, Closer

Let’s creep a bit closer to Julia’s 3-D coffins so you can ooh and aah over the expert airbrushing and stenciling on top. Made with Julia’s Halloween Coffin and Skeleton kit from her Kitchen Club Collection, these cookies look spookily

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Julia M. Usher

Graveyard Shift

Look closely, and you’ll see that a precisely airbrushed and stenciled skeleton cookie is keeping watch on this graveyard shift. In addition to containing all of the tools to make 3-D coffin cookies, Julia’s Halloween Coffin and Skeleton kit also

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Julia M. Usher

To Die For

What’s perhaps most wonderful about Julia’s Dynamic Duosâ„¢ stencil designs is that the pieces in them can be mixed and matched ad infinitum, allowing so many different cookies to come from the same two stencil sets. Take this 3-D coffin

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Julia M. Usher

No Bones About It

Make no bones about it – Julia’s Halloween Coffin and Skeleton kit, the debut kit in her Kitchen Club, is incredibly versatile. In addition to containing stencils and cutters to make wooden coffins, it’s got a skeleton stencil sized perfectly

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Julia M. Usher

Scared Stiff?

No reason to be! Julia’s Halloween Coffin and Skeleton kit, the debut kit in her Kitchen Club, is very easy to use, especially if you purchase the kit bundle that contains the companion instructional video. In that video, Julia starts

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Julia M. Usher

Bone-afide Beauties

Is it possible to be creepy and alluring at the same time? These bone-afide beauties (pun intended!) definitely prove so. Made with the skeleton cutter and stencil in Julia’s Halloween Coffin and Skeleton kit, her Kitchen Club debut kit, these

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Julia M. Usher

A-Tisket, A-Tasket

Two spooky 2-D caskets! While Julia’s full-blown Halloween Coffin and Skeleton kit provides all of the tools and video instruction to make fully 3-D coffins with skeletons inside, you can also purchase the starter kit and get your feet wet

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Julia M. Usher

Tempting Treats

Made with Julia’s starter 2-D Halloween Coffin and Skeleton kit, these two coffin cookies are every bit as tempting as her 3-D versions shown elsewhere in this gallery. Plus, they’re the perfect project for those just beginning with airbrushing and

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Julia M. Usher

A Study in Stenciling

Made for Julia’s 2022 icing fundamentals course at the International Cake Show Australia (ICSA), this double-decker cookie is a study in stenciling. The large ivory heart was stenciled with royal icing using a masked-off cake stencil, whereas the small white

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Julia M. Usher

Everything’s Just Rosy

Here’s a side view of Julia’s double-decker heart cookie made for her 2022 appearance at the International Cake Show Australia (ICSA). Notice the delicacy of her piped royal icing roses?! It’s achieved by using a very thick icing and a

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Julia M. Usher

Birds and Butterflies

The detail on these cookies belies their ease. Because they rely heavily on the relatively quick rubber-stamping technique, they are actually a lot simpler than they look. Just stamp the cookies and a few fondant sheets, dust them with compressed

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Julia M. Usher

Flying Solo

Here’s that beautiful rubber-stamped and dusted bird cookie all by itself and a wee bit closer. Rubber-stamping without missing spots or smearing the coloring can be a little tricky. Fortunately, Julia has a sure-fire method to avoid these pitfalls that

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Julia M. Usher

Flying Solo Redux

Another stamped bird cookie, but on a gilded plate with different props. Isn’t it amazing how a simple change to the photo-styling can create a very different feeling? Julia often tries out multiple props (many gathered from her days as

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Julia M. Usher

Bevy of Butterflies

Of course, the same stamped fondant pieces can be arranged in so many different ways, leading to almost limitless designs. To create this look, Julia dispensed with the bird you saw elsewhere in the gallery and added a bevy of

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I’m constantly adding new events, tutorials, and other goodies to this site. If you want to get first dibs on my special sales, product releases, or early bird class savings, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. 

Schedule willing, I release a newsletter each month, roughly mid-month. In September, I’ll have sales running on two events (The Bake Fest and Cookie-A-Thon) as well as two stencil sales – one featuring Halloween items, and the other taking us further into fall. I look forward to connecting with you more personally!

Live sweetly, Julia