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Julia's February Stencil Release - Song of Spring!

 

My husband and I planted nearly 400 tulip and daffodil bulbs last fall, and, with temperatures in the fifties for the last few days, the first of them are beginning to emerge! (Proof below.)

Bulbs

I'm so excited for spring to arrive, I could almost sing about it! On second thought . . . I'm embarrassed to even hum in my own shower (I'm pretty much tone-deaf), so how about we let this month's stencils do the singing instead?!

As it just so happens, this month's Dynamic Duos release is aptly called "Song of Spring". It features just a few simple elements - birds, flowering branches, and birdcages - making it ideally suited to those who are relatively new to layered stencil sets. (Oftentimes, the fewer stencil elements, the easier it is to come up with cookie designs.) Anywho, here's what these sets and the other stencils in this month's release look like . . .

New February 2020 Stencils

And here's where you can locate all of these lovelies online, on my partner Confection Couture Stencils' site:

Of course, you could wait for my stencils to release every month and buy as you go, or you could sign up for my Stencil of the Month Club, and automatically get specially curated stencils at great discounts each month. For instance, in February, club members will receive the following in the mail:

SOM_FEB_2020

This bird-filled bundle is worth $22.99, but Club members get it for only $14.99! And that's not all there is to twitter about! Members also get 15% off anything else on the Confection Couture site, every day of every week, as long as they stay in the club! If you're interested in learning more about the club or signing up, just click here.

Now, let's explore the Song of Spring background set, and how to use its various elements . . .

Song of Spring Dynamic DuosTM Background Set (10 pieces!)SJU0306_package_contents_pixelBORDER BACK

Yes, you read that right - it's got a whopping 10 pieces, not the usual 5 to 7. But that's primarily because it's got 5 mini bird masks and stencils that can be layered on the flowering branch background!

As always, elements can be airbrushed directly on the cookie or on separate fondant pieces (aka appliqués) for added dimension. For example, the birdcages on the right blue cookie are both appliqués, whereas the one on the white cookie to its immediate left is on the icing . . .

IMG_9717HOR NO MESSBRIGHTER

Here's a closer view of that white cookie, where all elements - background, bird, and birdcage - are airbrushed directly on the cookie, creating a smooth, streamlined look . . .

NO MESS CLOSE DIFF PLATE MORE CONTEXT NICE1BRIGHTER

And, now, a closer view of the cookie with the two raised fondant birdcages. Can you see how they hover over the cookie a bit? The use of fondant appliqués also makes it extraordinarily easy to overlap design elements, as you can see here.

ALL CAGES MORE CONTEXT OVER NICEBRIGHTER

In addition to mixing-and-matching and rearranging stencil elements, you can also lend variation and interest to a set by doing something as simple as changing the icing background color. The pale blue cookie to the right (see photo below) has the exact same design elements, in the exact same positions, as the white cookie two photos up. But it takes on a noticeably softer, subtler effect because there is less contrast between the background icing and the airbrushed elements on top.

Blue bird cage more contextBRIGHTER

You'll also notice a cookie with a message just barely peeking out from beneath the blue cookie, which makes a great segue into the next section about the message and frame set. Before we go there, however, just a quick note about the colorings used throughout this post. (After all, you may want to replicate these cookies, and that could be tough without any coloring roadmap!) I used Spectrum Flow Sky Blue (which is softer/lighter than either AmeriMist or Chefmaster Sky Blue right out of the container) for the flowers and birds; a combo of AmerMist Electric Green and Avocado for the branches; Chefmaster Harvest Brown for the birdcages, messages, and frames; and a custom mix of AmeriMist Violet and Deep Pink for the purple ribbon and other accents.

With the colorings now clear, let's jump on that complementary message and frame set. Here's what it includes:

Song of Spring Dynamic DuosTM Message and Frame Set (6 pieces)
SJU0307_package_contents_pixelREDOBORDER

Four sweet spring-themed messages, many of which fit multiple frames! Woo hoo! In the image below, you'll see "Then Sings My Soul" airbrushed right onto the icing, whereas "Home Tweet Home" and "Song of Spring" are fondant appliqués. Both approaches look equally great, in my opinion, just different.

IMG_9730ALL MESS NICEHOR TIGHTER BRIGHTER CROP

Here's a closer view of the cookie with the directly applied message . . .

MESS BRIGHTER MORE CONTEXT NICE

And just one last design for this post (of course, there are countless more that I could have made, but there are only so many hours in the day) . . . this cookie underscores how great these stencils can also look when dressed up with other decorative elements. Here, I've topped off the "Then Sings My Soul" plaque with a modeling chocolate bow "bound" with a royal icing bead. (The latter is a royal icing transfer that was sprayed with PME pearl luster before applying it to the cookie.)

IMG_9792nice one with bow horNICEEVENBRIGHTERBRIGHTER USE

A closer look at that bow . . .

THEN SINGS WITH BOW LEST CONTEXT NICE

And, on that note, I leave you with one last photo of my favorite cookie and a recap of key stencil links. I hope these stencils made you sing! Here's to a (hopefully) early spring!

IMG_9779NICE CLOE HOR NO MESS - OPENER OR CLOSE BRIGHTER

Key Links:
  • To purchase my Dynamic Duos sets, click here.
  • To join my Stencil of the Month Club, click here.
  • To see my entire stencil line, including my Prettier Plaques sets, click here.
  • To view my videos that show how to create layered looks with my stencil sets, click here.

If you have any technical questions about these stencils, just email me at sweetlife@juliausher.com or leave a comment below. Please, however, direct all ordering and Club questions to my stencil partner, Confection Couture Stencils, at service@confectioncouturestencils.com. Thank you!

Attachments

Images (15)
  • A Bird's Eye View of Julia's February 2020 Stencil Release: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Bulbs: Photo by Julia M Usher
  • New February 2020 Stencils: Cookies and Photos by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Julia's February 2020 Stencil of the Month Club Offering: Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils; Graphic by Confection Couture Stencils
  • Song of Spring Dynamic Duos™ Background Set Contents: Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils; Graphic by Confection Couture Stencils
  • Background Set in Use: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • All Background Elements Airbrushed Directly on Cookie: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Birdcages as Fondant Appliqués: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • What a Difference Background Icing Color Can Make: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Song of Spring Dynamic Duos™ Message and Frame Set Contents: Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils; Graphic by Confection Couture Stencils
  • Message and Frame Set Now in Use!: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • All Elements Airbrushed Directly on Cookies, Including Messages and Frames: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Additional Decorative Elements Jazz Up Fondant Message Plaque: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • A Closer Look at Fondant Plaque and Modeling Chocolate Bow: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils
  • One Last Cookie Photo to Make You Sing!: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia with Confection Couture Stencils

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Comments (7)

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Heather Bruce Sosa posted:

They are so beautiful! I am amazed at the amount of bulbs you planted!!!👏👏💪❤️

Thanks - we have heavy clay soil too, so it was quite a workout of planting that spanned two or three weekends. Hopefully, we'll be rewarded with a profusion of tulips and daffodils, that is, if the pesky squirrels did not get to them first!

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