[EDITOR'S NOTE: My apologies for another delayed Spotlight - two weeks in a row. The fault is entirely mine, and, this time, my excuse is recovery from an all-day video shoot on Saturday on top of a world class cold. Waaa! 
Onward to more pleasant things! ~ JMU]
Another outstanding showing from everyone for the Practice Bakes Perfect 3-D cookie challenge! We were so excited to see how people just went for it, inventing new techniques and making cookie dough do amazing things! Brava!!
As promised, our prize is an awesome grab bag of things from Julia's cookie making supplies - I'm guessing Julia's cookie space in her house is a little bigger than yours or mine! Or at least I hope so - I know I have cookie things in every nook and cranny! Thank you Julia for your generosity!
Here's what came together:
- 1 geometric background stencil from Artfully Designed Creations
- 2, 16-ounce bags soft blue sanding sugar from CK Products
- 2, 3 1/2–ounce containers large sugar beads (red and green) from CK Products
- 2, 15-foot rolls ribbon from The Ribbon Boutique
- 1 “O Christmas Tree” rubber stamp from Red Lead Paperworks
- 1, 0.2-ounce container baby pink disco dust from Sunflower Sugar Art
- 1 Santa Claus cutter from ASM Cutters & Things
- 1 woodland fondant/gumpaste mold (with ferns, butterflies, borders) from Wilton
- 1 silver Sugar Sheet!™ From Wilton
Wowza!!!! I've got my eye on that woodland mold for sure! And quite a few other things there! [EDITOR'S NOTE: Pardon the early spring cleaning! There's more where this came from, which speaks not to the size of my space, but to the state of mass accumulation - aka disarray - in it. 
]
But I'm not the lucky winner - that honor goes to:
Hanukkah Cookie Dreidel by Noaa
Congrats, Noaa!!! We loved your cookie submission - very well put together and a super clever idea. The kids can play until snack time, and then eat the cookies. Julia will be in touch with you to collect your prizes.
And on to the selections that the Cookie Connection contributors team just felt had to get a special nod. As always, there were so many amazing pieces, it was hard to whittle down the list to just ten!
3-D Cookie Lantern by Nisha Fernando of Sweet Delights Cakery
Amazing, unusual, mesmerizing!!! The design idea is great; the black and gold create a very realistic effect; the poinsettia is the perfect accent; and everyone wanted to know more about the "glass" - so fabulous! Nisha has provided a tutorial, so be sure to check it out; there is even a hidden sweets compartment.
Santa Layers by El rincÓn de glass
This cookie really made us happy with all of its layers - more than we expected - so we appreciated the side views. It has lots of movement, and the shading is superb. Santa's painted expression is so sweet!!
Oh My, Cats! by Lulu's Edible Art
First of all - the cats are fabulous. So funny!! The amount of work represented in all of these gingerbread houses is staggering! So many colors, lots of techniques, and it's her first gingerbread project - impressive!!!
"Honey" Christmas Tree by AnikÓ VargÁnÉ OrbÁn
Oh, this delicate string work is so precious and beautiful! And the tree built from vertical elements is a nice twist as well! Unique and elegant.
Gingerbread Tea Light Candle Holders by Rocking Horse Sugar Decor
We are taking Rocking Horse's word that these awesome candle stands are made from cookies. I mean, they are so tall and delicate, and look at that finish!!! Be sure to check out her link - she explains it all in the comments. Very cool!!
Autumn Wreath by Fernwood Cookie
Fernwood Cookie is on a challenge roll! This is only one of her two entries for this challenge - both are fabulous, detailed, and beautifully executed. This wreath won us over with the colors and the detailed execution of each piece. It's a cookie wreath we definitely would want hanging on our door!
Jumping Gingerbread by mrshugs
Clever, original, and they actually work too!!! So fun! Really adventurous to incorporate engineering and moving parts into the project. And kudos for such a cute end result!
Crazy Quilt Gingerbread House by Sugar Pearls Cakes and Bakes
Sigh . . . So many lovely details in every angle of this sweet little gingerbread house. We liked the unique combination of quilt theme with the house, and appreciated the attention to detail in each layer.
3-D Nativity Scene by Crumbles by Nicole
Simple, evocative, and very nicely executed. So great what a simple grouping of cookies can convey. I'm partial to the star on a stick in the background - effective and whimsical, and probably the only piece I'd dare eat! That sweet baby Jesus should just be set up on the mantel every year!!
Christmas Ornaments by mintlemonade
There is just so much detail on these cookies! We loved the choice of colors, and the mini tree and heart cookies for the extensions. Nicely done!
Thank you again to everyone who participated!! You guys are amazing, and we loved seeing each and every submission. Stay tuned next week for my next challenge! I think I've got something you guys will really be able to have fun with. Hope you all had a fabulous holiday and Happy New Year! Welcome to all the cookies of 2015!!
Rebecca Weld came to cookie decorating from gingerbread house making. As a "real" architect, busy business owner, and mother of two small children, Rebecca discovered that gingerbread houses had a way of getting out of hand, and that cookie baking offered her a more manageable artistic outlet. Always eager to be a part of the cookie conversation, Rebecca maintains an active Facebook page as The Cookie Architect, as well as Pinterest and Instagram presences. She makes cookies to inspire herself and others, to feed those needs that art fills in all artists: expression, sharing, stretching yourself.
Photo credit: Rebecca Weld
Note: Practice Bakes Perfect is a bimonthly Cookie Connection blog feature written by Rebecca Weld 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 Rebecca's past Cookie Connection posts here.
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