Welcome to Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #47! There are many people who have a cookie business - or would like to have a cookie business - so, in the spirit of cookie entrepreneurship, this next challenge is all about creating the perfect customer order! The "event" will be a wedding, and it will include packaging as part of the overall presentation.
But before I mention the details of this challenge, let's talk about our AMAZING PRIZE! One lucky entrant will be chosen at random from among all of the challenge entrants to receive a $100 gift certificate to BRP Box Shop, donated by @Julia M. Usher!
BRP Box Shop is the go-to source for many cookiers who recognize the important role that packaging plays in the overall presentation of their clients' cookie orders. Thank you, Julia, for such an excellent and well-suited challenge prize!
And now, let's talk about the details of your "order" . . .
For this challenge. you will be working on a fictitious order for a wedding reception. The happy couple has planned a summer wedding, and would like to have cookie favors made for each of their guests. The favors will be placed at each table setting, and will be part of the overall table presentation. For this reason, it is important that the cookies be decorated and packaged thoughtfully and to the best of your abilities. The couple has provided a photo of the table setting, as well as other photos for reference and inspiration. The order details are listed below the photos . . .
Photo by Agung Pandit Wiguna from Pexels
Photo by Secret Garden from Pexels
Photo by Lindsey Savage from Unsplash
Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels
Remember, these photos are for inspiration, so try to pick a few different elements (color, texture, etc.) to guide the design of your cookie favor.
ORDER DETAILS:
- the shape of a cake;
- the shape of a heart; or
- any geometric shape (e.g., hexagon, circle, square, etc.).
You can use a cookie cutter, or you can hand-cut your cookie shape. Your cookie should be about 3 to 5 inches in size.
- the words "Mr. & Mrs." or the date of the wedding "08•25•21";
- floral elements; and
colors and designs that coordinate with the inspirational images above.
3. The design of your cookie should reflect a mid-range price point. I am purposefully not including a dollar amount, since pricing (and what people are willing to pay) varies widely across the world. Please interpret "mid-range" according to what that price point looks like in your area and for your business.
4. Include packaging for your cookie favor. The packaging should have decorative elements that coordinate with the overall theme and design of the wedding.
5. For all other details, you will have complete creative freedom.
If you would like to ask further questions about the challenge, the wedding couple's desires, or their wedding, you can do so in the comments section below this post. Anyone can use this additional information to guide their decorating and packaging, however, only the information contained in the rules will be required for this challenge.
Think outside of the box when decorating your cookie favor. Experiment with both traditional and non-traditional designs, techniques, and media. Consider cookies that are contoured or have dimension. Remember, the goal of these challenges is for YOU to challenge YOURSELF. So experiment, be creative, and don't be afraid to try something new!
RULES:
PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY. I would hate to disqualify an entry because someone failed to read ALL of the rules.
1. Create one large cookie favor based on the Order Details mentioned above. The cookies and their decorations must be 100% edible.
2. Include a packaging element to your entry. You do not have to purchase packaging for your cookie. You can make it by hand if you prefer; however, all packaging must be food-safe.
3. Post a photo in the MAIN CLIPS section that shows your cookie WITHOUT packaging. In the comments section, under your clip, post a photo of your cookie inside its packaging.
4. Your design MUST BE ORIGINAL and NOT a copy of any other artist's design.
5. As always, we ask that you make a brand new cookie design for this challenge.
6. And because Cookie Connection is all about learning and sharing, I would love for you to share in the comments section under your entry the media and techniques you used to create your cookie favor and packaging, where you drew inspiration, and what you learned along the way.
TO ENTER:
- Please post an image of your cookie favor to the site under the Practice Bakes Perfect clip set no later than August 22 at 5 pm central.
- Because these challenges are ongoing, we ask that you put "Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #47" in your photo caption AND in a tag, so that we can tell the challenges apart from month to month. Please use the main title field to uniquely name your cookies as you normally would.
- Please also assign other relevant clip sets and tags to your images, as you normally would (meaning don't just use the Practice Bakes Perfect clip set and leave it at that, or your photos won't easily be found with keyword searches).
- You can enter more than once, but please post only one clip of each distinct entry. Multiple clips of the same entry are not allowed unless added in a comment beneath the one primary clip.
The prize is given entirely at random. This means that everyone who participates in the challenge has an opportunity to be rewarded with this month's terrific prize!
After the challenge has closed on August 22, we will announce the random winner in the Saturday Spotlight on August 28. The next challenge will be announced about a week after that Spotlight.
And, remember, these challenges are NOT a competition. They are intended to inspire and motivate you to step outside of your comfort zone, to experiment and be creative, and to try something new. The goal is for you to challenge yourself artistically and technically, and to develop your skills so that you may reach your full potential as a cookie artist. And, of course, the goal is for you to have fun along the way.
I can't wait to see what you create. If you have any questions about this challenge, or if you are looking for ideas, technical advice, or creative help - or if you just want to talk cookies - I would love to chat. You can leave me a comment below, or you can send me a private Cookie Connection message.
Christine Dutcher's journey as a cookier began in early 2013 when an online search led her to the amazing world of cookie decorating. After spending countless hours learning all that she could, Christine decorated her first set of cookies in October 2013. In 2016, she decided that she would begin to focus on perfecting her skills, challenging herself each time to create more detailed and progressively complex pieces of cookie art. In 2019, Christine became one of the very first sugar artists from around the world to be named as an "Honourary PME Five Star Sugar Artist" by Knightsbridge PME. You can learn more about Christine's work here on Cookie Connection, and by following her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Photo credit: Christine Dutcher
Note: Practice Bakes Perfect is a bimonthly Cookie Connection blog feature written by Christine Dutcher that poses inspiration or challenges to get you to stretch as a cookie artist - for practice, for prizes, and for fun! Its content expresses the views of the author and not necessarily those of this site, its owners, its administrators, or its employees. Catch up on all of Christine's past Cookie Connection posts here.
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