I like to think that my judges are honored to be part of the Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ team, but, let’s be frank: judging is a lot of hard work that requires an incredible commitment to excellence, thoroughness, and careful review. Judging is also very quiet work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure a bias-free process that’s fair and even-handed for all. That said, my competition judges often skirt under the radar, not getting all of the recognition that they truly deserve.
Well, today, I’m here to correct the latter – and to let my judges know how deeply honored I am to have them on my team! Four of the five judges – Sandie Beltran (@You Can Call Me Sweetie), Laura Saporiti (@Laura Saporiti), Beatriz Muller (@Gingerneers), and Stephanie Kappel (@Stephanie Kappel) - have returned and are bringing with them multiple years of judging experience. I am also thrilled to welcome a new judge, Anna Oliinyk (@Anna_Sunday_Cookers), whose stellar reputation as a cookie artist precedes this introduction. Not only is she a two-time winner of my competition, but she was also a finalist in the 2024 American Cake Awards and has been recognized on Food Network and as an instructor across the country. Together, my judges bring well over 50 years of decorating experience to the table and have distinguished themselves in nearly every aspect of cookie decorating, from painting and piping to dimensional sculpting and 3-D construction. In other words, they are nothing short of amazing!
These judges are also the reason why my competition is such a wonderful learning experience, as they are the ones who contribute to the epic feedback that entrants receive (when feedback is requested). Remember: You must email me (sweetlife@juliausher.com) to request feedback prior to the entry deadline on May 31, 2025. Since each individual feedback form can take a couple of hours to write, we only process detailed feedback for those who request it.
Anywho, back to the judges! Please join me in giving them a huge round of applause! 👏🏻 (And, please ignore my mug in the context of the next photo. As I explain further below, I don't actually evaluate any of the entries; I am merely an overseer and organizer of the judging process.)
You can also hear directly from three of the 2025 judges in the video below. Though created back in 2021, the video and its messages are still relevant to this year's competition. In it, Sandie, Stephanie, and Laura share more info about their own cookie journeys, as well as tips about the things that make competition entries truly stand out. (If you're entering, this video is very much worth the eight to nine minutes that it takes to review.)
And, of course, I encourage you to learn more about these incredibly talented cookiers by reading their bios below.
Sandie Beltran is the founder of You Can Call Me Sweetie and Sweetie Academy, a custom cookie boutique and cookie decorating school located in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Sandie began her love of cookie decorating in October 2012 when she started making sets for her family and friends. The popularity of her sugar art grew so rapidly that she decided to launch a side business and thus You Can Call Me Sweetie was born. In the very beginning, Sandie was juggling a full-time job as an office manager by day with part-time cookie artist on nights and weekends. But by January 2015, she was able to make the leap and finally take her passion for cookie decorating to full time. Sandie has since become an award-winning cookie artist, winning Cookie Connection's 2014 Cookier of the Year Award as well as being a finalist for both Cake Masters Magazine's 2015 Cookie Award and D'licious Magazine’s 2022 Cookie Artist of the Year Award. Sandie specializes in custom made-to-order sugar cookies as well as group and private cookie decorating classes. In Sandie’s words, "I truly strive for perfection and enjoy working with intricate and innovative designs to give the wow factor to any event. I love sharing my cookie journey with my students and helping them achieve their full potential in this wonderful world of cookie decorating."
Stephanie Kappel, the owner and cookie artist at The Hungry Hippopotamus, believes that cookies are the perfect marriage of technical skill, artistic expression, and visible affection. Her work has been featured on ABC Action News and in American Cake Decorating, Edible Artists Network, and Southern Living magazines. She has been interviewed on Cookie Connection and the Power of a Cookie Podcast, and featured as a Superhero of Sweets by Ann Clark Cookie Cutters. Her clients include Disney and Williams-Sonoma, and she most recently competed in the finale of Holiday Gingerbread Showdown on Food Network. Stephanie is a Craftsy instructor, contributing educator for SugarEd Productions Sugar Art School, and proud baker for Icing Smiles.
Beatriz Muller is a Certified Master Sugar Artist and a gingerbread architect and engineer. From her workshop in Ontario, Canada, she has been running Cakes by Beatriz and Gingerneers for almost 20 years. During the holiday season, Beatriz and her staff called "gingerneers" are dedicated to creating custom-order cookie art and intricate gingerbread buildings and structures. Beatriz's style is very clean and precise, with delicate and intricate embroidery and royal icing details. It is inspired by the visual arts, architecture, and beautiful ornamental designs that are created around the world. Her work has won multiple awards including first, second, and third at the National Gingerbread House Competition in North Carolina. She is also a winner of Food Network’s Holiday Gingerbread Showdown and The Big Bake. In 2021, Beatriz won first place in the first virtual edition of Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ and, in 2020, she was nominated as a Cookie Artist of the Year finalist in the American Cake Awards. Her work has been featured in multiple blogs and magazines, and she has had many appearances on TV networks throughout the years. In 2022, Beatriz’s work debuted on the big screen when she was commissioned by Discovery+ to make six gingerbread pieces for the movie "A Gingerbread Christmas."
Anna Oliinyk is the owner of Sunday Cookers and an award-winning cookie artist, instructor, and decorator originally from Ukraine, and now based in Portland, Oregon. She has gained international recognition for her intricate, handpiped designs and innovative approach to cookie artistry. Anna’s cookie journey began in 2015, and she has since become a sought-after instructor, teaching at major industry events across the United States, including SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo, That Takes the Cake Show, Sweet Art Master Show, and CookieCon, where she was an add-on instructor and won first place with a Sugar Show entry in the advanced/professional category (2024). Her numerous other awards include Gold Medal and Kerry Vincent Best in Show Award in Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ (2023, Austin); Silver Medal and Kerry Vincent Best in Show Award in Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ (2022, online); Silver Medal at Sweet Art Master Show (2024, New York City); and finalist for Cookie Artist of the Year at the American Cake Awards (2024, Miami). Anna’s work has also been featured in American Cake Decorating Magazine, and she competed in Food Network’s Holiday Wars (Season 5).
Laura Saporiti, owner of Laura Saporiti Pastry and Cake Art, is a pastry chef and cake and cookie artist based in Italy. She worked in the past as an art historian, but currently loves to travel the world, teaching her passion of sugar art and furthering her mission of raising the professional stature of decorating. Laura has had the honor of being published in several international magazines, such as Pasticceria Internazionale (Italy), Cake Central (USA), Cake Masters Magazine (UK), Sugar Magazine (India), and Café & Gateaux (China). Laura has likewise received many awards for her work, including first prize at Cake Design Italian Festival (2013), special prize for aesthetics at Italian Cup of Cake Design (2014), gold medal at Britain’s Cake International (2014), and Rising Star Award (2017) at the Golden Tiers Awards organized by American Cake Decorating magazine and the New York Cake Show. She has also won the title of Best Italian Painting Artist two times in a row, in both 2015 and 2016, and she proudly wears the badge of first-place winner in the 3-D Cookie category of Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ (2020). Her impressive international reputation has earned her invitations to judge several competitions, such as Italian Cake Festival (2015/2016), I’m Chef Bakery Master Championship (China, 2015), Istanbul Cake Show (2016/2017), New York Cake Show (2016), and Cakeology Fest (India, 2019).
As I noted earlier, I will not be scoring entries since I will see every entry as it is submitted online. (Entries are scored blind, without knowing who entered them, to maintain the ultimate objectivity). Instead, I will be serving in "head judge" capacity, which is just a fancy way of saying I will be organizing everything and keeping my judging team (and myself!) on track. I will also be available to answer any questions entrants might have as they go through the process. In the event that you're interested in knowing more about my background, here's my bio too 
. . .
Julia M. Usher is a world-renowned sugar artist most recognized for her pioneering work in 3-D cookies. She is also the author of two books, 13 e-books, and an app, all about cookie decorating. When not spreading her love for cookie art in classes across the globe or online, Julia produces videos for her popular YouTube channel and website; oversees Cookie Connection™, the world’s largest online cookie decorating community; designs cookie stencils and cutters under her JULIA brand; and manages Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™, which was filmed in 2019 for a Food Network documentary. Julia is Past President of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and has received multiple food writing, decorating, and video awards, including James Beard Food Writing Award finalist (2008), Cordon d’ Or Food Writing Award winner (2009), the first-ever Cake Masters Magazine Cookie Award (2013), Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show (OSSAS) Medal of Honor (2014), both Edible Artists Global Academy Association (EAGAA) US and International Sugar Artist of the Year Awards (2016), Cake Masters Magazine Cookie Icon (2017), TASTE Breakout Foodie of the Year (2019), and Best Online Cookie Decorating Classes from The Spruce Eats (2020). She has also been a two-time Global Sugar Hero finalist in the Australian Cake Artists & Decorators Association (ACADA) annual Cake Oscar Awards (2021/2022), a Sugar Hero finalist in the 2023 American Cake Awards (ACA), and a D'licious Magazine Cookie Artist of the Year finalist (2025). In 2024, she took home ACADA's Global Sugar Hero award (the third time's a charm!) and ACA's most coveted award, Industry Icon. In addition to managing her own annual cookie art competition, Julia has judged both the Cake Masters Magazine and American Cake Awards since their inception. Julia’s favorite mantra is “live sweetly”, which she urges everyone to do every day!
Again, a huge shout-out to my judges for the remarkable effort that they will be putting into judging your entries. 
Speaking of which . . . if you haven’t yet read the competition rules and started your entry, no worries! You have plenty of time. Registration only recently opened (on February 28), and entries aren't due until May 31. Before you get started, be sure to check out the Competition Overview, which contains the rules, theme, and registration link, among other things. The link is also below, along with other key competition resources.
As always, if you have any competition questions, please don't hesitate to ask in the comments below or email me.
COMPETITION QUICK LINKS
- Competition Overview (with rules and registration link)
- Sponsor Offering
- 3-D Cookie Resources (a new guide with useful tips for entrants new to 3-D cookies)
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