Huge Announcement - Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ Goes Virtual!

Wow Julia! That's amazing!! Would like to participate ❤️❤️

Waiting for news!!

Congratulations!!! Not only for the event, which is awesome, but for your courage and open mind to tackle new adventures! This is so wonderful to hear!👏👏👏♥️♥️

So exciting Julia!  Looking forward to hearing more!

Great news!

@Heather Bruce Sosa posted:

Congratulations!!! Not only for the event, which is awesome, but for your courage and open mind to tackle new adventures! This is so wonderful to hear!👏👏👏♥️♥️

Thanks. It's been a challenging year as far as new adventures. I had a big one fail (airbrush food coloring line) recently, while still in the stages of product development (the colorings from the company were just not working as they should after multiple tests). And I also have an overhaul of my personal site and a JV with another company all in the works. I am hoping the latter two projects are more successful than the first. The competition will largely be run on new database software on Cookie Connection, which is quite powerful and should make the entry receipt and judging pretty darn automated and relatively easy. I upgraded Cookie Connection about a month ago to get this feature enhancement, but it really won't be visible to members 'til the competition launches.

@MANUELA CANTÙ posted:

Wow Julia! That's amazing!! Would like to participate ❤️❤️

That's one great thing about doing the competition virtually. Anyone anywhere can enter.

@Julia M. Usher posted:

Thanks. It's been a challenging year as far as new adventures. I had a big one fail (airbrush food coloring line) recently, while still in the stages of product development (the colorings from the company were just not working as they should after multiple tests). And I also have an overhaul of my personal site and a JV with another company all in the works. I am hoping the latter two projects are more successful than the first. The competition will largely be run on new database software on Cookie Connection, which is quite powerful and should make the entry receipt and judging pretty darn automated and relatively easy. I upgraded Cookie Connection about a month ago to get this feature enhancement, but it really won't be visible to members 'til the competition launches.

I’m so sorry to hear about the fails and setbacks, dear Julia, which have only resulted in your continuous desire and will to pull through! You are so inspiring! Thanks so much♥️♥️

Fabulous!!

Great news! I especially like that anyone from anywhere in the world has an opportunity to enter.

Wow!! That sounds very tempting! A very good idea dear Julia!

This is so exciting Julia. What a great win for the entire cookie community.

What a wonderful way to continue on with such a fabulous event Julia!! I love your continuing nimble approach to working in a changed world due to covid. Your ingenuity is appreciated by so many and gives an opportunity to countless cookiers who would not be able to travel to a physical event. I anticipate a HUGE success in 2021!! Congratulations ❤️

Amazing! I am waiting more details about subjects!

@Goloven Olga posted:

Amazing! I am waiting more details about subjects!

Great! I'm targeting an opening (with announcement of themes and rules) in mid- to late-June! I have some technical details to sort out first!

Great news!

Skvělá zpráva 👏👏👏jak se těším na další informace...jak ráda bych se zúčastnila 😍

Hello Julia...I'm just a hobby cookie artist. I saw challenge #47 for a wedding party favor. Is there a list of various challenge's? Could someone like me enter your contest or do you have to be an experienced cookie artist that actually sells her cookies. I only make them for all my family members and for all occasions. I follow some famous cookie artists but I have created some of my own as well. It's ok if I don't quality but I think this is a wonderful idea. Looking forward to seeing the various entrees.

@Eva Stacey posted:

Hello Julia...I'm just a hobby cookie artist. I saw challenge #47 for a wedding party favor. Is there a list of various challenge's? Could someone like me enter your contest or do you have to be an experienced cookie artist that actually sells her cookies. I only make them for all my family members and for all occasions. I follow some famous cookie artists but I have created some of my own as well. It's ok if I don't quality but I think this is a wonderful idea. Looking forward to seeing the various entrees.

So, our Cookie Connection challenges are different than my namesake competition. The challenges run bimonthly and generally have only modest prizes and focus on skills development. My namesake contest with $13,000 in prizes runs once a year, and, while the primary goal is to stretch people’s skills as well, the potential for financial upside is much higher and the rules are more precise. It’s also judged more systematically across preestablished criteria. But anyone of any skill level can enter either, as, again, the real objective is for entrants to stretch their own skills. The Julia M. Usher Cookie Art Competition™ category in the blog contains info about my annual competition, whereas the Practice Bakes Perfect section of the blog contains info about the current challenge and past ones. I hope you’ll consider entering either or both.