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Extra, Extra! Our Chat Transcript with Ryoko ~Cookie Ave. Has Posted!

 

As so many of you know, @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave., aka Ryoko Hayashi, has been a longstanding member of Cookie Connection, a fearless and faithful contributor to our Practice Bakes Perfect challenges, and an artist who consistently delights us with her cookie "storytelling" abilities. Her cookie sets are undeniably lovely, but they always go further than surface beauty. Whether they teach us lessons about Japan (Ryoko's home country), expand our skills by showing us techniques, or simply capture a whimsical scene from everyday life, each and every one is a heartfelt expression of Ryoko's passion for cookie art.

As you probably also know, we had the good fortune of chatting with Ryoko over the month of February in a unique non-live format! This format allowed us not to lose any sleep because of the 15-hour time difference between Japan and the US, and for Ryoko to take her time translating from English to Japanese and back! I sincerely hope you enjoy the chat transcript, as much as I enjoyed developing it with Ryoko and getting to know her better over the last month.

I would like to take a moment to publicly thank Ryoko for answering her many chat questions so thoughtfully and thoroughly, and for interspersing her terrific sense of humor along the way! I also want to applaud Ryoko for being so fearless in all she does. She tackles each and every Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge with verve and vigor, even if it's one that pushes her out of her comfort zone. And she took on the challenge of this chat just the same way, translating every word in English to Japanese, writing her responses, and then translating everything back to English just so I and everyone else here could read what she wrote. I am so grateful and completely impressed. And, of course, Ryoko's cookie work is a true delight, always guaranteed to bring a smile to my face! THANK YOU, RYOKO!

Now, before you dive into the chat transcript, here's a small sampling of Ryoko's work that shows you what I mean about her storytelling abilities . . .

DSC07698

zentai

And here's some brief background about Ryoko's cookie journey to date . . .

ryokoRyoko Hayashi, aka @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave., lives with her husband in Fukuoka, Japan, about 1,100 kilometers (690 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Four years ago, after an early retirement from her own overseas trading and retail company, Ryoko began exploring things she had always wanted to try, including knitting, crocheting, sewing, making bags with paper tape, making beaded accessories and clothes, swimming, and decorating cookies, of course. 

Having finally overcome her needle phobia, Ryoko can now sew a button without sweating! She also does the crawl stroke, back stroke, breast stroke, and butterfly quite competently. And, having consistently pushed herself in Cookie Connection’s Practice Bakes Perfect challenges, she enjoys regularly decorating cookies for her family and friends. One of her biggest cookie milestones was having a set of her cookies printed in a cookie book about how to make icing.

Looking forward, Ryoko wants to learn how to draw and paint, handle drawing apps with her iPad, do basic embroidery, and make stained glass accessories. She would also like to one day publish children’s story books illustrated with her cookies. As her cookies are distinguished by their attention to detail and often playful storytelling, the latter goal seems well within Ryoko’s reach!

Photo credits: Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.

NOW, GO AND READ RYOKO'S CHAT TRANSCRIPT HERE. YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!

**** P.S. A CHAT TRANSCRIPT CORRECTION ****

Unfortunately, I made a posting error in the chat, which I cannot edit within the chat itself now that it has posted and closed. So I am making it here. At the point in the chat where Ryoko posts a link to her first cookie set . . .

First Again

I inserted the first photo in that link for all to see. (I was scratching my head as to how this could be a first set, as it is so darn good, but I was moving too fast and did not fully read the link . . .) As it turns out, this photo was a re-do of Ryoko's first set posted further down that link. (Of course, I should have remembered this, because this is a previous Practice Bakes Perfect challenge entry . . .) Here's the actual first set, so you can see Ryoko's progression:

First

So sorry for making this error, Ryoko, and for any confusion it may create for readers!

Attachments

Images (3)
  • Banner for Ryoko's Non-Live Chat: Cookies and Photo by Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.; Graphic Design by Julia M Usher
  • Chat Excerpt Needing Correction: Cookies and Photo by Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.
  • Ryoko's First Cookie Set: Cookies and Photo by Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.

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Comments (16)

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Manu posted:

Ryoko! I liked your chat very much, and I found myself smiling, I like your sense of humor, and I found out more about you! I also liked this non-live chat format.

Hi Manu, it was so hard for me to answer so seriously.   Thank you for reading the chat. 

If you do a children's book, I hope there will be an English version! I will (for sure) buy one for my daycare children to enjoy!!! I love reading your history and art and health endeavors! You are even cooler than I knew (and I thought you were extraordinarily cool already)!

Kim Damon posted:

If you do a children's book, I hope there will be an English version! I will (for sure) buy one for my daycare children to enjoy!!! I love reading your history and art and health endeavors! You are even cooler than I knew (and I thought you were extraordinarily cool already)!

Hi Kim!  Thank you for having asked me questions and read the chat.   That's really cool, I got an order already before I make anything.  (thank you for your purchase )

Now I am going to catch up with PBPC!   You've made already 2 entries, Kim.  And you know we are expecting more from you.   See you at PBPC! 

GinkgoWerkstatt posted:

Ryoko... but you are a star now! A cookie star for all of us! 😘

And I think this pre-recorded chat is a good way to get to know more about artists, that aren't fluent with english. Or when it gets too complicated because of time zones.
Thank you both for doing this! ♥

Totally hear you with the consuptiom of powdered sugar! We totally should get a discount, hahaha!

Hi Anne, thank you for reading the chat.   I am really glad it was not a LIVE one.  If it were, I couldn't have breathe properly or couldn't have blink.   That's not really good for us Japanese who are health conscious people.  

The amount of powdered sugar!  Can you imagine total amount of it that we, cookiers here consume?  

I really enjoyed chatting with you this way too. I'm so glad we tried it, because I think it's a model that could work well with others who live far away or when we need translation. Thanks for being game to try it!

P.S. @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave., I posted the chat correction that you pointed out to me above, as it's the only place where I can easily make it now. So sorry once again! I love seeing your progression!

Your cookies are truly amazing, Ryoko. I always feel transported into the scenes you create. I really enjoyed this chat format, too. It’s a little easier to follow than the live chats, and I think it allows the guest to be a little more thoughtful in their responses since it’s not timed.

Julia M. Usher posted:

I really enjoyed chatting with you this way too. I'm so glad we tried it, because I think it's a model that could work well with others who live far away or when we need translation. Thanks for being game to try it!

Julia M. Usher posted:

P.S. @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave., I posted the chat correction that you pointed out to me above, as it's the only place where I can easily make it now. So sorry once again! I love seeing your progression!

Thank you, Julia for posting that memorable cookie set   (What a sweet girl I was!)   

It is much less scary for non-English speakers to join this type of chat.   We have enough time to think, prepare and write in advance.   We have 2 choices, non-live chat and live chat, that's great. 

Aproned Artist posted:

Your cookies are truly amazing, Ryoko. I always feel transported into the scenes you create. I really enjoyed this chat format, too. It’s a little easier to follow than the live chats, and I think it allows the guest to be a little more thoughtful in their responses since it’s not timed.

Hi Samantha, thank you so much and I really like each one of your creations.  They are so beautiful.   

It was still a lot of work for me because I had never been asked so many questions.  But I could have enough time to think and know many things.  

Mary Williams @marebearcookies posted:

Awesome chat!  Ryoko... your work is a story book and I can wait to buy your actual cookie story book when you publish it!!!!!

Thank you, Mary for having left me a question and read the chat, oh and a pre-order (giggle).  

Ryoko, many thanks for answering my questions and overall am very grateful of how you shared the way you get inspired and sketch your work. This gives me loads of inspiration and faith lol Also you made me laugh. Thanks so much! And tahnks Julia as always for organising these fabulous chats. I love them way too much! 😍

Sil

Sil Quiroga *Ricas Cookies* posted:

Ryoko, many thanks for answering my questions and overall am very grateful of how you shared the way you get inspired and sketch your work. This gives me loads of inspiration and faith lol Also you made me laugh. Thanks so much! And tahnks Julia as always for organising these fabulous chats. I love them way too much! 😍

Sil

Hi @Sil Quiroga *Ricas Cookies* , thank YOU so much for asking me questions.   I did not expect that many questions and you really relived me since I was afraid I did not get enough questions, you know.  

Sil, are you working with somebody to make cookies?  I am now!!!   Aren't you curious?   LOL 

And see you at PBPC (round cookies)   I do not like piping round parts, though. 

Last edited by Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.
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