[Sca-cooks] Marzipan question

[Cat .]

Greetings the list,
I thought I had seen this discussed recently, but searching the archive did not find the discussion.  

I purchased a tin of almond paste from NutsOnline (thank you it arrived slow but in good shape) and last night mom and I went to turn some of it into marzipan.  It very quickly turned oily in my hands.  I was adding powdered sugar and a little rosewater.  I was only kneading it by hand, not using any machinery, and I dont think my hands were that hot, though I do run warm.
 
So question, I assume it is still usable, but how do I keep it from doing it in the future.  Also, what is my best way to 'paint' or color my finished pieces?  I made marzipan kartoffeln for my folks, but those are so very late period (or not at all, as you prefer) and besides the cocoa powder does tend to get all over anything else in the box, so I think fruit would be better.

In Curiosity and Almond-yumminess
Gwen Cat