About five years ago, we planted a California Black Oak tree in our front yard. We affectionately named it “Twiggy” because it was little more than a vertical branch sticking out of the ground. I can’t wait for the day when...
Congrats to all who entered Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™! The call for entries closed about a week ago on October 15 (5 pm CDT), and I'm pleased to report that we have more entries (and our entrants are more geographically diverse) than ever before! This just goes to show that...
Hi, everyone! My apologies for taking so long to interview our August site artist Zeena Mohammad! I’ve been dying to get to know her better myself, so I’m quite relieved that my schedule has calmed enough to allow me to get her interview questions drafted and posted. As you may recall...
The judges and I are getting SO excited to see all of your cookie creations! But don’t forget: both 2-D and 3-D entries to Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ are due in about one week, on October 15 at 5 pm CDT, to be exact...
Guess what, everyone?! The Bake Fest is back, and so am I! I am beyond excited, because I will be teaching another...
Our site algorithms have spoken again! They've factored in all of our visitors' comments, views, and reactions to come up with the trending rankings that determine our weekly Saturday Spotlight roundup...
You may have caught this awesome news already in my September stencil release post, but, if not, let me break it to you first, here and now...
I'm a sucker for stunning place settings, and particularly ones with an element of surprise. That's why I'm especially excited about this month's release, which will allow you to make a plethora of Thanksgiving place cards! The surprise for guests is that...
I have been so looking forward to autumn and its colors that this month you will get more colorful leaves! They are...
Hello, competitors and soon-to-be competitors! In case you missed last week's announcement on my Facebook page, here’s the recording of my final competition live Q&A on Saturday, September 25 with the wonderful Ginny Levack...
Years ago, my husband and I decided to bring in a sofa that we’d been storing in our garage. After lugging in the unwieldy piece of furniture, we plopped down on it in triumph. I turned to look at my husband, and my smile melted into horror. Perched on his neck was a...
I'm back - at least for this weekend, that is . . . my multi-week 3-D cookie course is going well, but it's been nonstop teaching, cleaning up, and resetting for the last two weeks, with a few more weeks yet to go. I am...
Hi, competitors! This week, I introduce you to the illustrious judges of Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ - three out of four of them at least! In the following video, judges Sandie Beltran, Stephanie Kappel, and Laura Saporiti tell you a bit about their competition and judging experience, as well as...
This week, we hear from last year’s first-place winner in the 3-D cookie category and one of this year’s judges, Laura Saporiti! Here, Laura shares with you lessons learned from her many years of competing - specifically what she most values...
If you're anything like me – and countless other cookiers - you probably have at least ten or twenty (dozen) cookie cutters in your collection. And with all of those cookie cutters to keep track of, there's bound to be one or two that will have you asking...
