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Happy 1st Birthday Giveaway!

It's hard to pinpoint the exact birthday of this (my beloved) site. It launched "softly" into cyberspace in Spring 2013 with different people getting introduced to it at various stages of development.

 

About a month before I announced its birth on Facebook, a small cadre* of members were already testing the site's various features and functionality while I was furiously adding content so it wouldn't be naked upon official arrival. (Naked might be normal for most babies, but it wasn't acceptable for this one!) A month or so before that, the lovely Jaci Baynes Harper of Ali's Sweet Tooth was the one who gave me the idea and encouragement to start this community. It took some coaxing, but she eventually convinced me!  She looked at early versions of the site, provided input on possible names, and also joined the team doing the early testing. Around this same time, Elizabeth Watt of Pretty Sweet Designs stepped in to offer advice on my color and font choices and to work on banners, backgrounds, and other necessary graphics. I am deeply indebted to all of these people; for without them, Cookie Connection would have never come into being.

 

While the history is a little fuzzy, I do know this: it was a quick gestation period (no more than two months). Testing on the site was still underway at the end of May and into early June 2013, and one of my first official welcome posts on the site was dated June 7. 

 

That said, I'm splitting the difference and declaring June 1, 2013 as Cookie Connection's official birthday! I hope you'll celebrate with me by taking part in this giveaway!

 

Birthday-Giveaway-Banner-800x400

 

(Another great graphic by Pretty Sweet Designs, BTW!)

 

In one short year, we've grown to over 3,700 members (from nearly 50 countries)! We've brought on six (now five) incredible contributors, and we're experiencing an average of about 1.4 million views per month. What's more, some amazing sponsors, including Designer Stencils, Fancy Flours, BRP Box Shop, The Classic Cookie Cutter, and Craftsy, have consistently supported us along the way.

 

But more important than any of these numbers are the warmth, energy, and wonderful artistry that members of this community share so generously with one another each day. It's been immensely gratifying to see the world of cookie decorating come closer together and to get to know many of you through your cookies and comments on this site. Thank you, everyone, for making this year one of the most rewarding ones that my sieve-like brain can remember!  I look forward to many more years of cookie fun together!

 

Enough waxing poetic about the site's birthday . . . about that giveaway!

 

What's Up For Grabs

 

We've got three great prizes, all for one winner:

 

1. First, a Kalorik volumetric kitchen scale (retail value: $50), a never-used gift to me from sponsors of the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show. It automatically converts various things from grams/ounces to cups to take the guesswork out of your royal icing mixing!

2. Second, another lovely custom-embroidered Cookie Connection apron straight off the plane from Italy, this time in blue (retail value: $40).

 

GiveawayPrize1and2

 

 3. And, last but certainly not least, this set of nine gorgeous and super well-crafted (I know, I'm lucky to have some!) Tiffany blue cookie cutters from Tracy Hicks, owner of Whisked Away Cutters (retail value: $65). PLEASE NOTE: The cutters can only be shipped in the domestic US. But should there be a non-US winner, the other prizes will be shipped anywhere.

 

Giveaway_Julia_Larger Text_3

 

Yeah, I just did the math - that's a combined $155 in cookie value! Ka-ching!  

 

How to Enter

 

Just tell me what you'd most like to see happen on Cookie Connection in its second year in the comments area below. All comments must be received no later than June 15, 2014, 5 pm central, when the giveaway closes.

 

Other Giveaway Details:

  • Only one comment per person is permitted. Duplicates will be deleted.
  • Remember, you must be a Cookie Connection member to comment on this site. To join, just click on "Join Community" in the upper left of our home page and follow the sign-up prompts.
  • The winner will be determined by random number generator at the close of the giveaway. The person whose comment position matches the number drawn by the random number generator will win!
  • The winner will be announced on this site and also contacted directly via email shortly after the close of the giveaway.

I think that's it. Please email with any questions. And, again, my sincerest thanks to all of you and to . . .

 

*The Cookie Connection Start-Up Team

Jaci Baynes Harper (Ali's Sweet Tooth), Elizabeth Watt (Pretty Sweet Designs), Liz Adams (Arty McGoo), Glory Albin (Glorious Treats), Penny Knapik (Lucky Penny), Marian Poirier (Sweetopia), Michele Shoup (Bakeskool), Kip Simpson and the BRP team, Pam Sneed (CookieCrazie), Amber Spiegel (SweetAmbs), and Mike and Karen Summers (Karen's Cookies).

 

***** AND WE HAVE A WINNER! *****

 

The random number generator has spoken!

 

Random Number

This means that comment #181 (or lttlemad) is our lucky winner. Stay tuned, lttlemad, I'll be contacting you shortly about how to redeem your prizes. Congrats!

181Winner

 

Thanks to everyone for participating, especially for sharing your thoughtful feedback! Read all about how we're acting on your advice here. And a super special thanks to Whisked Away Cutters for her generous donation of the nine-piece cutter set shown above. If you weren't lucky enough to win it, there are plenty more in her Etsy store.

Attachments

Images (5)
  • Cookie Connection Birthday Giveaway Banner: Graphic Design by Pretty Sweet Designs
  • Giveaway Prizes 1 and 2!: Photo Courtesy of Julia M Usher
  • Giveaway Prize from Whisked Away Cutters: Photo and Cutters by Tracy Hicks
  • Random Number Generator Results: Courtesy of Julia M Usher
  • The Winner - lttlemad!: Courtesy of Julia M Usher

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Comments (300)

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Happy 1st birthday Cookie Connection.

 

I'd love to see chat forums where you can post questions on a particular cookie dilemma (a sort of cookie clinic) and have a panel of experts give their thoughts as well as the rest of us diving in with our 2 cents

 

I love the blog posts, finding out more about my cookie heroes

and love seeing the tutorials.

 

Just more!more!more! of the same goodstuff please.

Congratulations on making it to your first year, what an accomplishment. I love this site for many reasons, such an inspiration. For me, I'd love to see video tutorials and include some on airbrushing. I would also love to meet up with local cookiers (can't always get to the out-of-state places) so maybe a map or something showing where people are at so it's easy to find them. It's amazing to me how many cookiers there are!!

Happy Birthday Cookie Connection!  This site has been such an inspiration to me!  For the upcoming year, I would love to see something in the monochromatic realm- like maybe a challenge or a clipset.  Sometimes I get so bogged down in multiple colors that it would be nice to be inspired by a few shades of the same color.

I have over 2400 email "clips" from this site alone!

 

I'd like bigger images in each email "clip" (instead of having to open up each one.)

 

Happy Birthday Cookie Connection!

 

Hi, I might be able to solve this one for you already. One option is to view the clips in slide show mode on the site; they will reveal in very large size that way without having to open up each one. There's a link the upper left of the Clips page to view in this mode. ~JMU

Last edited by Julia M. Usher

I would love to see more tutorials. I would also like to see "my favorite tips or secrets" done by well known or expert decorators. There is always something new to add to one's repertoire! 

Happy Birthday!!

I would love a tab for vendor contacts.  A place for members to quickly click on links when needing to make a purchase. Plus members could comment if they have experienced great (or not so great) customer service. 

Happy Birthday Cookie Connection!

I am a newbie here and to the cookie decorating world. I am fast becoming a cookie cutter addict. I would like to see (with pictures) creative ways to use cutters. Also, problem solving....is the cookie I just ruined salvageable? Tips & secrets! Also, maybe an actual "connection" page where members can see where other members live (city) and can get together if they find someone near them.

Love the site Julia, congratulations on it's success.

Last edited by JackieLynn

Happy Birthday!!!!!

 

As I am seeing more unique cookie decorating techniques, I think there needs to be a lot more video tutorials on how to do various techniques to create various looks.  A tab/section for just video tutorials on decorating cookie techniques would be awesome as "the place to go to" for all cookie decorators. 

 

Hi, just so you know: there is already a tab/section just for video tutorials. It's under Clips/then Videos. There are currently 47 videos in it: http://cookieconnection.juliau...clipsTab=false-VIDEO. The issue is: right now I am pretty much the only one adding video content (I post about one a week), but any member can! I encourage others to add their video content at any time! ~JMU

Last edited by Julia M. Usher
Congratulations and thank you for your continued inspiration.  I'd like to see more project ideas which can be finished and presented in a shorter time frame.  I L O V E your design ideas, but realistically, unless I have 3-4 uninterrupted days without kids, they are not feasible. AMAZING -Just not do-able.

Happy Birthday, Cookie Connection! I am so glad I found this site. I love the ideas posted already. I'd like to see myself participate more and take advantage of all the knowledge housed here. There's so many talented people to meet!

Hi!  I love this site! 

I would like to see, if possible, information regarding Cottage Food Laws by state, and guidelines for people who run businesses out of their homes. I find that some people abide by the laws, but others don't and I'm sure it's mostly out of ignorance of the laws. 

Additionally, any helpful information/consolidation on pricing by location.  I find some of my competitors are woefully undercharging for their product, which actually hurts everyone.

Thanks so much!

Happy Birthday Cookie Connection!! I love this site. It's my first stop in the mornings when I sit down at the computer with my cup of tea. I love to see what everyone has been working on.
I would also love to see more tutorials. And challenges such as the practice bakes perfect challenge. Also some sort of virtual workshop would be neat.

 

I cannot adequately convey how much this site means to me. With only a few months of cookie decorating under my belt, I value its resources and inspiration each and every day. 

 

In the future, I'd like to see more blog posts having to do with the business side of things: tips on packaging and shipping, licensing and laws, streamlining costs. I'd also love a section for local meetups. It would be great to meet my fellow cookiers in person.

 

Thanks again!

First off, a big thank you and congratulations to those who have made this website possible.  I am very grateful to be a member of this site and freely enjoy the labor of so many.  I would like to see more tips on starting a business, pricing items and cookie packaging ideas.  I also enjoy tutorials of all kinds. This is a wonderful site!

 

 

 

I would love to see more instructions on the needlepoint icing...AND... As long as I'm being asked.....

I'd love to see MY name picked as the winner of these fantastic prizes!!  

Thanks

Ansa

congrats on one year!! while I love the tutorials (and the ones on youtube!) It would be cool to see more of these from other people too. And to know of more shows happening out and about. I'm in Toronto, Canada so dont hear of any events around here but would love to know of other people that are interested in exchanging ideas/tips and where to purchase items locally.

 

More tutorials please!!!

Also I was wondering if for each clip posting there could be more pictures loaded just to that clip, because I'd love to see all the details from different angles!

Also can we find a way to the more people on chat?

 

Happy 1st birthday!

Happy birthday cookie connection!!

 

i would love to see more video tutorials especially in areas where more detailed piping work is involved.

 

I'm excited about the giveaway and I hope to win. I've never won any giveaway before. Hah!

Happy 1st birthday Cookie Connection I too would love to see more demo videos and  tutorials. There are many places to go on the Internet for basic RI tutorials, but I would love to see some more challenging subject matter. Maybe the top "liked" cookie of the week could be invited to be a guest "How'd you do that?" contributor.

I would also like to see a "What's new in the world of cookies" section that showcases new products, websites, techniques, etc.

Last edited by Sandra Garvey
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