Hi, Lucy! Welcome! First, congrats again on both your Cookiers' Choice Award nomination and your recent Milestone Award win! I am hoping your trophy has made it to you by now - and in one piece! I am really looking forward to chatting with you more today, as I am sure everyone else is!

Hi Julia, thank you! It's really exciting to be here, I'm looking forward to chatting with everyone. Yes, my amazing Milestone Award trophy has arrived, in one, beautiful piece! I've published a couple of photographs of it catching the sun in my garden, but it's now safe from the cats on the shelf by my workdesk.

So glad to hear it arrived in one piece!

And hello to everyone else here today! Thanks for participating and making these chats such a productive forum. They wouldn't be without all of your great questions, so please be fearless about jumping in!

Before we jump into Q&A, just a few housekeeping notes for newbies to our chats: questions are answered in the order received, but they will not post to the public/viewable area of the chat until Lucy reads and answers them. We'll work through questions that were logged in advance first; then start working on questions asked live during the chat. That said, please be patient and do not re-post the same question. It may take some time to answer your question, depending on where it sits in the queue. But I will personally make sure every question gets answered before we're through!

Please also ask just one question at a time - it's easier for our guests to keep track of questions and for others to follow the dialogue this way. So, let's get started!

I'm starting with questions that were asked in advance, but Danelis and others, if you have anything to add, please jump in and I will post your questions as soon as possible!

Hello, Lucy! Hello ladies! Your work is extraordinary and inspiring. I know something about you from CC and from your blog. Learning about your artistic background was no surprise at all, having the images of your cookies in my mind. As I have watched your videos, for which I have only compliments, the thing I have noticed and that amazes me is the control you have on your piping bag, and that you always use one hand even when you pipe an outline, like the bag was a paintbrush or a pencil. Is it a skill you have acquired with long experience, or is it a natural talent you have as an artist? If you don't use the other hand to guide your piping, I wonder if you use it at least to support your arm?

Hi, Manu. Thank you! Yes, I do hold my piping bag a little oddly, fairly upright in my right hand, with my right forearm resting on my left. Without the left hand, I wouldn't have much control, like you do with a pen or pencil (though I've noticed my hands are definitely slightly more shaky than when I was younger!). But it does make for awkward camera angles in the videos!

Could you tell us more about your cookier name "Honeycat Cookies"?

Yes, dying to know the answer to this one too. Can't believe I hadn't asked you before!

Explaining "Honeycat Cookies" isn't exactly straightforward! "Honeycat" is a literal translation of "Gattamelata", who was a 16th century Italian Duke and warrior, made famous by Donatello's statue of him on a horse. Make sense yet? No? Ok, well, many years ago, I was studying the Renaissance and Gattamelata came up. At the time I was starting to use the internet, and needed usernames for forums. So I started using Gattemelata, which was always available. So that's who I became! That was me. Horseback internet warrior! But when I needed a cookie name, I had to be Gattemelata, but I knew no one would be able to find me (especially as I also spell it wrong), so I translated it as it sounded sweeter. And I have cats. Bet you wish you'd never asked!

LOL - who would have guessed at the origins?!

Welcome, Mary. Please chime in with any questions!

I like your tutorials on CC. The cookies you present are always brilliant in their design, like little pieces of art. The tutorials are clear, easy to follow, and so well explained, and there are always good tips. So much to learn, always. And back to your wonderful videos - they are mesmerizing and relaxing. I don't think I am the only one who could watch them for hours. How did you get started (making tutorials and videos)? Have you been asked to do it, or is it something you, like many self-taught cookiers, do because this was one of the ways you have learned to decorate? Do you also give classes?

Hi, Bakerloo!

Hi Mary and Christine!

Ok, lots of question in Manu's last post, so Honeycat has answered each separately!

Manu - I made my first video on a whim really, just to see if I could. It took hours and hours to work out how to edit, as I had to google every single thing, but once I started, I just had to keep going!

Manu, cont. - Whilst I do have a blog, I tend to use that for writing about all manner of things, such as my inspiration or descriptions of how I've approached a project, rather than explicitly for tutorials (though there are some as well). It was Julia who approached me to start making tutorials for CC, and until then, I'd been quite nervous of "putting myself out there", turning down some potential opportunities, then regretting it. I had just made up my mind to say "yes" to the next opportunity, when Julia's email popped up!

So glad you said "yes". Your tutorials add so much to CC!

Manu, cont. - I do like to create free tutorials, partly because it's a way of showing what's involved (showing off!), but mainly because, yes, that's the way I learned my entire craft. There are so many wonderful tutorials out there, created by generous cookiers who just want to encourage others, and it's really good to be able to contribute too.

Thank you Julia!

Last part of the answer to Manu's question, coming up . . .

Manu, cont. - I have so far only given one class, which was to a friend (though the first time we'd met face to face). It was enormous fun, but made me realise what a hugely steep learning curve it will be. I'm not ruling out more for the future, but I'm not pushing very hard in that direction at the moment.

OK, I've asked a load of advance questions, but I'd prefer to hear from those on the chat first. So I'm turning to new questions now. I'll come back to mine if we run out of new ones. So here's the first live question from Mary!

Hi Lucy! I absolutely admire your work. Your style is very unique and so beautiful . Where do you get your inspiration from?

Hi Roni!

Good morning, Roni! Thanks for joining us!

Mary (Emma's Sweets), I get my inspiration from all over the place, patterns, designs and so on. But I find the strongest come from the natural world, often as interpreted by other artists. There are a few, such as Mr Finch (worth looking him up on Facebook), and Jackie Morris (book illustrator) who use the natural world to create beautiful art, and that's what I aspire to.

A related inspiration question from Bakerloo . . .

I know you sometimes find inspiration for vintage, non-copyrighted artworks and book illustrations. How do you go about finding these works of art?

Welcome, carouselelsel and thecakequeen. Please let us know if you have questions for Lucy. We're just getting started!

In the UK, the marjority of works are out of copyright 70 years after the death of the author/artist/creator. (A noticeable exception is the play Peter Pan). I have a lot of old illustrated books, by Arthur Rackham or Edmund Dulac, for example. Whilst I still consider it good etiquette and ethically right to attribute those sources, they are legally free to use!

I respect how thoughtful you are about copyrights and attribution - thanks for setting a standard there!

Ok, back to some of my questions . . .

For those interested in writing tutorials of their own, what do you think are the three or four most important things to do to ensure a great tutorial?

I try to, but I have made mistakes in the past, through ignorance. A very early set of cookies I made was a direct copy of someone elses and I didn't attribute them at all. I took the photos down once I started thinking and discussing these issues.

BTW, for those who don't know, Lucy write the series "What's New, Honeycat?" for this site. She has contributed many great tutorials over the last couple of years!

Julia - For me, (1) the most important thing for a cookie tutorial is great pictures. The writing should add detail, hints, and tips, but the pictures need to be good enough to show clearly what you need to do, as well as being visually enticing enough to make you want to actually do it! (2) Then the writing needs to be clear and straightforward. You need to be really clear in your mind how you did something, and how to explain that to someone else. There are certain conventions, and styles that work best, and that's something I'm still learning writing for CC. I never knew, though it now seems obvious, that equipment/ingredient lists should be in the order you use them for example. I see areas where Julia has edited what I've written and seen how it adds clarity, and I'm trying to retain those elements for future writing. (3) Finally, though it's not essential for a good tutorial, is being able to convey something of yourself, to bring the tutorial to life. Lilaloa's tutorials are a great example of this, with her humour and snippets of home life mixed in. I find this the hardest bit, being naturally British and reticent! But I do try to add something authentic from me, to give it a "voice".

I'll give you all some time to read that answer before I post the next new question!

Thanks for the kind words in point 2. A lot of my tutorial writing tips come from writing recipes for so long.

"The Recipe Writer's Handbook" is the source for many of the conventions applied on the site. And various style guides.

I know you have a background in fine art. How has that helped you in your cookie art, and do you think that those of us without any art background would benefit from taking at least a few classes, maybe in illustration?

That's very useful to know - I shall look that book up Julia!

I think your tutorials are loaded with Honeycat personality, Lucy!

Thank you Christine!

I agree on the personality part too!

Hi, Cindy C and Sweet Prodigy! Thanks for joining! Please send along questions! We've got a rare opportunity to learn from an award-winning cookier today who is great at many things - cookie-ing, written tutorials, videos . . .

Christine (Bakerloo) - My formal background in art only consists of one year in art college, where I confess I didn't learn very much! But I have a lifetime, and a long childhood of sketching, pouring over illustrations and enjoying the Birmingham art gallery. For me, the most important thing is just doing it, as much as possible! Look at things as closely as possible, reallly SEE the detail, and keep sketching and sketching. I've never had formal teaching in actual drawing/illustration (that college course wasn't very helpful!) but I expect it would definitely help in learning what direction to take to get more useful experience.

Interesting - you have a natural ability for drawing, clearly!

I am attempting to write a book also. It is a challenge to explain details, BUT I am trying. The book is just for my family and friends. i am now retired from baking.

Lucy, I have to run (I am at work!) -- But I just wanted to pop in and say hello and thank you for sharing your talent with all of us! You are a true artist

Thank you Mary, bye!

Cool, thecakequeen! What's the subject of your book?

Yes, clearly, you are a natural, Lucy!

The Cake Queen – that sounds fascinating! I’d love to know more, is it a cookie/recipe book?

While thecakequeen answers, onto more questions from me . . . I told you I had a lot!

Have you explored video distribution on platforms other than YouTube - like Facebook, Facebook Live, or Periscope? If so, do you tailor your videos to each platform? And how do these platforms differ in terms of video performance?

Everyone, Lucy also has some wonderful YouTube tutorials, which is what the above question is in reference to. I'll find the link in a sec and post.

Julia - At the moment I share my videos predominantly on my YouTube channel, but also embed them from there into Pinterest, and share them on Facebook. I've started creating smaller versions for my Instagram account, which I've noticed (like many of us have) is growing much faster than Facebook, and my video "shorts" get many more views there. I've occasionally edited a mid-length version for Facebook, but it's a lot more work for very little more attention there these days, so I mostly just share from YouTube. I found Periscope awkward due to time differences, and I much prefer the control of editing and uploading only when perfectly ready, rather than doing things live - and I hope to forever avoid having to speak on camera!

Try your shorts on Facebook too - they get a fair bit of action for me and also for other cookiers. Facebook is also monetizing video now, which will hopefully impact all of us smaller players sometime soon.

What portion of your "cookie time" is spent on social media and tutorials versus making cookies for actual orders? And, do you feel like you social media presence helps to generate actual orders. AND - which platforms - Cookie Connection, Facebook, Instagram do you find generate the most business for you?

I didn't know that about Facebook, thanks for the tips Julia.

I am trying to write about decorating holiday cookies. I have a dear friend who has written cake decorating books. He said to write as you talk and to keep your personality in your writing. I have written and rewritten over and over.

Under 50 seconds is recommended on Facebook (and square rendering), but mine are usually 1-2 minutes there.

Very interesting... about FB monetizing videos.

Christine (Bakerloo). It can easily be 50/50 split between social media and actual work! I do enjoy it though - anything which allows me to sit on the sofa is a good thing! My orders are almost all generated via social media, I have very few local orders at all. Up until recently, it's been Facebook that's generated the most orders, but I've noticed a steep drop off in both Facebook attention AND orders in the last few months, and can't help thinking that's connected. My Instagram is growing much faster though and I'm starting to get enquiries that way, so I want to push it further.

Best of luck, thecakequeen. If I were to write another book, I would probably self-publish, which it sounds like you are doing.

Julia, I get the impression that people like to see the essence of something and make a quick decision about whether they're interested, so making the short version makes sense.

Interesting about Facebook - it's too bad what they've done with their algorithms there. The only thing that gets action on my channel now are videos.

Do you have beginner tutorials? I'm a super beginner. I got as far as making a good cookie but was overwhelmed when it came to royal icing. I didn't realize I needed so many different consistencies. I was actually hoping to find an actual class in Atlanta where I could get my hands wet, but haven't been able to find anything.

The Cake Queen, that sounds lovely. I wish we could all read it when you're done!

I am self publishing. I am so new to all of this.

Let me know when it comes out, thecakequeen. Perhaps you'd like to use the Cookie Connection platform to market it more broadly. We have spots in the forums for that, and I'm hoping to expand our Resources area soon with books (in my massive amount of spare time )!

I have noticed a similar drop-off in Facebook traffic. It really happened, I think a couple of months ago, when Facebook got rid of out pages newsfeeds.

Cindy C, I have done a few beginner tutorials, but on Cookie Connection there was a call for more intermediate and advanced. However, I have a few simpler videos on my channel, and want to expand this. (I've got a few cookies baked and waiting!). I haven't really included information like consistencies and basic technique into my videos yet.

It's true, lots of interest in intermediate and advanced stuff here, but maybe I also need to reevaluate that need. It's been a while since I asked people what they wanted in tutorials.

When talking about self-publishing, Julia and thecakequeen, are you taking about self-publishing through, say, Amazon?

I tried paying to boost a Facebook post recently (not a lot of money though), and it made almost no difference :-(

Amazon (previously CreateSpace) is just one vehicle for the actual self-publishing/fulfillment aspect.

A friend had created a book (nice hardback cover, lovely printed pages) of her family's year in photos, scanned drawings and so on, through one of those online photo sites. It was a really nice quality thing, and it struck me that it could be done for cookies. Though expensive, and then you have to work out how you're going to sell them on at a profit!

Others can print and package the book for you, and you can still distribute it on Amazon. Or you can/could contract with CreateSpace (once affiliated with Amazon, but I think that recently changed) to do the packaging AND distribution on Amazon.

I am self publishing the book. i have no idea what I am doing, BUT I am trying. I decorate all my cookies with buttercream and use royal icing for certain details.

I look forward to seeing some more beginner tutorials, and hopefully someone will come to the Atlanta area to do some live classes

Cindy I shall definitely bear that in mind!

Cindy C - I was in Atlanta at Nicholas Lodge's school two years ago! Nice place, but the venues for travel-teaching are MUCH more limited in the US than elsewhere in the world.

I love your videos, Lucy, and especially your groovy background music. Where do you get the music you use in your videos?

That is so kind of you Julie. I need to look at all possibilities there are available for self publishing. I have a long way to go.

Christine (Bakerloo), thank you! I use the Free Music Archive, and make sure to set the filter to commercial use. It has a huge mix, from the beautiful to the bizarre! I'll get a link if I can...

Thecakequeen - there are SO many ways to get published these days, and more control than ever is now in the hands of content creators when it comes to book publishing. The bureaucracy of working with a publishing house hasn't proved to be worth the hassle for me.

Here's the link to the Free Music Archive: http://freemusicarchive.org/

I think this question was partially addressed before, but maybe Lucy has more to add . . .

Lucy, have you taught any live classes? And if so, is that something you are interested in doing more of?

I would love the link for the Free Music Archive. Thank you! Maybe one day I will actually try making a video myself!

Done, Bakerloo! See above!

Thanks for the info Julie.

Christine (Bakerloo) I did a one to one class with a facebook friend. Loved it, but I have a lot to learn about timing, preparation and so on. It feels like a huge new thing, so I'm not currently pushing myself in that direction, but I'm not going to say no to any requests if they come along.

Thecakequeen, of course, filter what I say. I recently had a deal for publication of my book in Spanish fall through, so I am very jaded when it comes to dealing with publishers. But lots of cookie books ARE getting published that way too right now.

'morning Lucy & Julia!

Good afternoon Barb! :-)

Hi, Barb/BAKRGAL! I see we have a question from you . . .

I had a question about the biz side of Lucy's business. I know that your clients give you a lot of artistic flexibility. How much planning do you do with them to come up with a set for a given project?

That's interesting Julia, I think I read somewhere that " youcancallmesweetie" is going to be in Atlanta teaching a beginner class but not until June 2017. I was hoping for something sooner but I will wait if I have to.

CindyC - Keep checking our event calendar on Cookie Connection, as events are always added. Right now, though, I don't think any are listed in the US.

Thank you Lucy, I look forward to it.

As promised a while ago, a link to Lucy's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channe...6uong1oixe3s4xA7ap2g

Barb, for the most part, I tend to get a lot of flexibility (which is why I wrote a sort of disclaimer in my terms and conditions, about not being able to complain on an artistic basis, if I've been left to it!). In terms of planning, I do a lot in my head, often while lying in bed. I will sketch stuff out, and I will often create a Pinterest board with collections of images and colours that inspire me. And I sketch a bit, but not that much. My second 'cookiesaw', the Scottish Autumn one, I essentially created two 'thumbnail' sized sketches and that was it!

I can't imagine anyone complaining about you exercising your artistic freedom!

I've not had complaints yet, but I always get anxious when there's a silence after I've posted a set!

More questions from me, while we wait for others . . .

What's your most frustrating part of cookie decorating and how do you deal with it?

Julia - My main cookie frustration is an artistic one. Whilst I do plan sets, and mull over ideas in my head, I'm not good at planning out every single aspect on paper. I "wing it" a lot with final designs and often find things turn out differently from how I see them in my head. There's usually a really scary stage when I hate what I've done so far, and convince myself I will have to apologise for their grotesqueness and refund the client (once, only once, for a corporate logo, which btw the client loved anyway!). The corollary is that when they turn out great, it's the best feeling!

LOL - again, how could your cookies ever be gross? Though I get the anxiety part - I think we cookie perfectionists tend to struggle with it more than some others.

Do you have a lot of repeat customers, who are familiar with your work style and design sense?

Barb, I do get quite a few repeat customers, yes. And they're often facebook friends or regular followers of my page, so they tend to know what I create and are happy to leave me to it.

How do you "find" clients who are willing to give you so much artistic freedom?

I guess I'm asking if people often come to you with the essence of what they want, for you to interpret?

Sorry, just posted two questions in a row by mistake.

I've not gone looking for them, but it seems to have happened naturally, really. But yes, they nearly (but not quite) always know a rough theme, or overall style (something pretty, something 'dark' and so on).

The corollary to my last question . . .

What's been the best part about cookie decorating for you over the last year, and why?

I think the best single moment was winning the Cake Masters Cookie Award in November, when I was in Venice - being in such a wonderful place with my husband and seeing on Facebook that I'd won, and then meeting up with Marta Torres and her husband for lots of prosecco and cookie gossip!

It must have been wonderful! I was thrilled for you too!

How much of your time, say hours per week, are you typically spending working on projects for clients?

Barb, my time on cookies is very variable, and especially so at the moment, as orders have suddenly become quite thin on the ground! I wouldn't normally do more than 4 hours a day, over three to four days, for one 'set', unless it's a particularly big order, or I've left things to the last minute. I would get really tired and fed up of it if I had to work proper full time cookies!

I asked a related question earlier, which I am going to post now with the answer.

Are you decorating and selling cookies full-time right now and are cookie sales generating a sustainable income for you (if I can be so nosy as to ask!)?

Julia - I'm happy to talk finances, seeing as I can admit straight off, cookies don't make much money here! I think it's the same the world over; they don't command the same prices as, say, wedding cakes do, though they take just as much time and skill. I can't make a living from just bespoke orders. Only on really large orders (e.g., weddings) can I get a reasonable hourly income. I only work part-time, as I'm also a homemaker and mother, and right now, I'm just not getting that many orders coming in. I'm actually going to go back to nursing for two days a week, to guarantee a small income, that will allow me to work as a cookie slave the other three!

Yeah, you are right on cookies not being the most lucrative baking item. Even with teaching (instead of selling) as I do, I am constantly scrabbling to find additional sources of revenue. I wish you well with the nursing transition.

I must admit, I've gone to YouTube and watched your entire library of videos, end to end, more than once. And I've thought it would be a great education to follow each, and try all of your techniques. I have a mental bookmark to do that, at some point!!

Thanks Julia!

If I can be brutally frank, It is more than just a tad depressing that someone of your cookie talent cannot even make a financial go of it making cookies.

That's some dedication Barb!

Bakerloo, I just think that's the reality - most people can't afford luxuries like art, and then consumable art - the consumable part is a whole other hurdle to overcome. Why pay a lot for something that's just going to disappear?

Yes Christine, it is! I think it's the difficult cross over between art and food. It's ephemeral, which is part of its charm, but that means it's gone very soon, and people want value for money beyond the experience and the memory, I guess! There's still 'it's just a biscuit!' to get over!

I, of course, would! But I think that's the prevailing mentality - I encountered the same even when doing wedding cakes 10 years ago. Not much has changed.

Julia I try to liken it to theatre when I get the opportunity (usually when people ask how you can bear it to be eaten). They seem to get that theatre is a one off experience, with just memories and perhaps a brochure to show for it, and that's accepted.

I agree.

I think you need to take out adverts on the sides of London buses and sell to some more folks in the city, Lucy! (only half-joking!)

Being in the suburbs of Birmingham probably doesn't help! :-)

Any more questions, anyone? We have about 5 more minutes in the chat to tap into Lucy's amazing expertise!

Well, I hope you're not down about it! Your work has received international acclaim, and change is good and invigorating!

Hopefully there is some satisfaction in knowing you are providing great instructional info to your peers, who TRULY value what you do.

What if you included a framed photographic print of the cookies with each order... Could you then charge a premium?

Yes, YOU are one of my greatest cookie inspirations, Lucy.

HA, HA, Christine -- love that idea!!

There really is huge satisfaction in that Barb, yes! Also, in simply creating something from scratch that I'm pleased with. That's the best feeling for me!

Christine that's an excellent idea - I have in the past sent high res photos through dropbox. I've also considered charging a premium for guaranteeing not to reproduce the designs again, so they're exclusive to that customer.

Christine thank you!

Or throw yourself into videos - I do think there is money there! And yours are great! Feel free to ignore all of this unsolicited advice.

Only *true artists* are under-appreciated, financially, in their own lifetime.

Julia I'm really enthusiastic about the videos at the moment, so definitely that's the way forward for me right now!

Good!

Well, as things seem to be winding down, I wanted to say thanks to Lucy for spending time with us today. She is wonderful in so many ways!

Christine, that brings to mind "The Death of Chatterton", underappreciated Victorian poet who committed suicide, a painting in our art gallery LOL

Thanks to all of you who participated today as well!

Oh no!

Thank you Lucy!!!

Yes, thank you, Lucy! This was such a nice chat.

Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone!

Wonderful chat. Thank you!

Thank you so much Julia, and everyone who's joined us today. It's been really good fun!