Marbling techniques

  Today, we're going to talk about marbling techniques...I'm sure some of the other cookiers have done tutorials on this, and even videos, which are definately better.  But you get pictures on my blog, because I'm still a newbie too, and I don't do videos...yet! :)  (give me time)  As you can see here, my cookie is flooded with icing, and while it's still wet, you make lines with a different color, or 2 or 3,...and they don't even need to be really straight.  So, don't stress about them.
                                                                            

You can see my 2nd set of colors here

and the pink added here.  Still just drawing lines...I even play around with the thicknesses of frosting

Now, take your toothpick, or whatever you want to use, and start on side, and draw the pick thru the lines of icing, staying close to the outside edge.  Bring it around thru the white, still along the edge, and swing on down to the bottom of the cookie and go thru the lines again.  This time, you notice the icing is pulled the other direction.  Keep right on going, following the shape of the cookie, and as you come to the top where you started, drop down a little and go thru the lines again.

 You can't see it on this one very well, but in the process of my drawing, then stopping to take pictures, the icing started to form it's crust, and so the lines became jagged as the pick went thru the icing.

So my hubby snapped pics as I drew thru another one...these may be a little hard to see, but I'v made the first loop, and am coming back around for the 2nd go-round.

You can see it a little better here.

Still moving the toothpick...it doesn't come up out of the icing until you're done.

See, it really doesn't matter if your lines are straight because, you mess 'em up anyway. :)

 And when you are done, you can embellish with dots, or lines, or whatever... that's the fun of it.

Ok, here's a round one.  Flood, draw circles, and grab your toothpick!

 There's any number of ways you can go thru the lines...I feel like a flower, so let's start at the center and pull the pic out toward the edge...then, just as you get close, swing around and come back to the center.  Keep on going, right thru the center to the other side , and then back to the center. Do this as many times as you want to get the effect you want.

And this is what you end up with.

One more... a circle with lines...wet icing...this is called a wet-on-wet technique, by the way. It's the only way this marbling works.

Ok, here goes the toothpick...this one's really easy to see.

 See my toothpick stuck there, so I can stop and take a pic...I know, kinda weird, but hey! It got the job done.

 If you follow the swirls in the icing, you can tell where the pic went thru.

And here's your finished cookie.  You see why I do these so much...they are a great way to do an awesome cookie in a short amount of time.  And our customers just eat 'em up...literally! :)  I know this was kinda long, but I hope it helps someone.  Now that I've done it, I'll probably stumble across several GOOD tutorials that are much easier to follow.    But for now, enjoy...and play with it.
                                                                         Sharon