Hi, everyone! Time to take over the Saturday Spotlight with the recap of Watch-Learn-Create Challenge #53, where my featured guest @Laura Saporiti showcased her personal "watercolor veiling“ technique. Laura shared all of the tools, techniques, and tips needed to paint watercolor florals on fondant (fondant recipe included)! She did all of this in a video that was meant to be a demo but ended up a true online class, just like what happened in the past two challenges with Julia M. Usher and Evelindecora! I am here once again, extremely grateful for all of the knowledge shared by Laura.
Many thanks to each one of you who accepted the challenge and participated, and for your efforts and tips shared. I am sure it was a rich learning experience that helped to stretch your skills.
Though the challenge is now closed, anyone can still watch Laura’s demo and give her veiling technique a try, or practice it again and again with the video as a guide. I also encourage everyone to read the comments at the end of the challenge blog post where you'll find even more tips shared by Laura, @Julia M. Usher, and the challenge participants.
Laura was not only generous in sharing this demo with us, but also in donating this challenge's prize. She is giving away one of her prerecorded online classes to one lucky entrant as recognition of the considerable effort put into creating an entry. (Thank you again, Laura!) You can see the class poster in the picture below and read more about the content of Laura’s online class here, or by visiting Laura Saporiti Pastry and Cake Art Online School.
And the randomly drawn winner is, 🥁🥁🥁 . . .
🥁🥁🥁. . . @Sandy_S! Many congrats, Sandy! Please make sure you check out your private messages here on Cookie Connection where I will put you in contact with Laura who will explain how you can redeem your prize. Now for a look at Sandy's entry . . .
Watercolor Hibiscus by Sandy_S
This gorgeous hibiscus is painted over homemade fondant that @Sandy_S prepared following the recipe provided by Laura. Despite some initial difficulties, probably due to working in an extremely dry home, Sandy didn’t give up. She embraced the challenge spirit, and shared the notes and photos from her first attempt at painting a gorgeous tulip in this comment under the challenge blog post, thus allowing all members and site visitors to benefit from her experience. Thank you, Sandy!
And now let’s have a look at the rest of the spotlighted entries!
Easter Iris by Katarzyna
This stunning iris was painted by @Katarzyna. She says she was “a little bit scared of painting on fondant but with Laura’s instructions it was easy going”. Thank you for participating in the challenge, Katarzyna, and welcome to Cookie Connection. We can’t wait to see more of your beautiful posts! (This entry is also Katarzyna’s first post ever on the site.)
A Flower For You! By EAC
For this entry's design, @EAC took inspiration from a real-life example of hands holding a flower cookie in this post by @Peg Redman. This entry marked the first time that EAC prepared and worked with fondant made from scratch, and also her first attempt at watercolor painting. EAC jumped headfirst into the challenge, sharing her methods, lessons learned, and some photos of these first attempts in this comment under the challenge blog post.
Painted Daffodils by Zeena
These gorgeous daffodils painted by @Zeena fit this fondant-covered egg cookie so well. Perfect for Easter or spring! The three royal icing dots in each flower center add nice dimension as well. This entry is one of three that Zeena submitted to this challenge! Thanks for going the extra mile, Zeena!
Flowery Easter by Heather Bruce Sosa
@Heather Bruce Sosa’s entry is another one that's perfect for Easter and spring in general! Heather says that she “learned a lot, but needs soooo much practice! Nevertheless, [I] didn’t want to miss the opportunity of giving it a try." And, Heather, we are so glad that you participated with this cheerful entry!
Orchid Flower Painting by Zeena
Another entry from @Zeena, these beautiful painted orchids were also enhanced with a dimensional sugarpaste center. What a great added touch, Zeena!
Watercolor Roses by Zeena
This entry was @Zeena’s first submission to the challenge and it represented a number of firsts for her! Zeena wrote, “I have never done any watercolor painting on cookies. This was also the first time I have ever drawn a rose that was [this] complex." Thank you again, Zeena, for engaging so fully in the challenge and participating with multiple beautiful entries.
Watercolor Daisies by TeeAdri
Last but not least, here are @TeeAdri’s delicate daisies painted on fondant. TeeAdri says she loved Laura’s approach to painting on fondant but she needs more practice. She learned a lot about powder colors and how to apply them on fondant. Next time she will increase the size of the cookie so she has more space to apply the veiling technique, as it was difficult on such a small area. Thanks for the helpful advice, TeeAdri! We can’t wait to see your future posts using Laura’s technique!
And as I usually do, I leave you with a video that captures, from start to finish, the entire Watch-Learn-Create Challenge #53 experience with Laura. You’ll see some timelapsed highlights from Laura’s demo and a slideshow of all of the entries, including some work-in-process pictures. You will also see Laura’s handpainted pansies coming to life in a few seconds. But, as our challenge participants experienced, nothing is fast and simple, and behind any technique there is a load of work, practice, and time.
Ciao, Manu
[EDITOR'S NOTE: My sincerest thank-you to both @Manu biscotti decorati and @Laura Saporiti for putting so much of themselves into this challenge. They did an extraordinary job! Thanks also to all who participated and put so much passion into their projects! It showed! Manu will be in touch soon with an update on the next challenge. ~JMU]
Manuela Pezzopane, affectionately called Manu by her friends and family, is the author of the blog feature Made by Manu, where each month she shares the method behind a magical cookie of her own making. In March 2022, Manu also assumed the role of host of our rebranded and reformatted Cookie Connection Challenges: Watch-Learn-Create Series, which debuted in a virtual video format in July 2022. A fan of everything handmade, Manu professes to have tried every possible hobby. However, it wasn’t until the end of 2014, when an American friend invited her to a Christmas cookie exchange, that she first discovered decorated cookies. In 2015, after watching Julia M. Usher's videos and signing up on Cookie Connection, Manu finally attempted her own designs. Since then, cookie decorating has become Manu’s passion, and her mesmerizing video shorts have earned her a large and loyal following throughout the global cookie community. Manu harks from Rome, Italy, where she currently resides. You can email Manu at manubiscottidecorati@gmail.com, follow her on Facebook and Instagram, or explore her past challenges and large library of Made by Manu tutorials here on Cookie Connection.
Photo credit: Manuela Pezzopane
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