Cookies for Silvia | Manu

I made these cookies for my longlife friend Silvia on her B-day. I made cookies for her also last year, hand-cut letters and roses, but I didn't mail them as I wasn't confident enough because, being at the beginning of my cookie journey, making that set had been already a challenge!!! They were ment to be a virtual birthday card and in fact she has used it as profile photo for whatsapp for the whole year.

This year I baked and decorated again cookie flowers (cookies are ephemeral as flowers) and I hand cut the letters.

The font is "Just Another Hand" as I found it to be just perfect to cookie-fy her name. So far this font is still free for personal and commercial use, as of June 2017, the date of this post. (I am telling you this, because I've just found out that terms and conditions of the font I use as my watermark, which is "Jenna Sue", changed recently, so I paid an "una tantum" small fee to continue to use it and to make cookies in that shape.)
I traced the letter templates in the size needed on parchment paper, with the help of camera lucida. For best result remember always to cut well chilled dough with a sharp sugarcraft knife.

I used the pic of the set and pink paperboard to make a custom birthday greeting card. Cookies are always a nice theme for any card and this way I could also show her how I imagined the set displayed, as I couldn't hand the cookies to her in person. And pics last longer than cookies for sure!
I was also lucky enough to find a spool of pink string which had wooden flowers in the exact shape of my cookie flowers. I can actually say that the inspiration to remake and adapt the previous "Hello Spring" set struck from the idea of the packaging that matched the cookies.

I don't sell my cookies, I just bake sometimes on some occasions, or for friends, nor I am used to mail cookies at all, but only to present them on a plate or tray, displayed in a certain way.
I divided the cookies in few clear plastic bags (food safe) in a way they looked nice, even if they were not displayed as they would in a cookie platter. Then I put them in a sturdy gift box, hot pink like the flowers, between layers of cardboard and tissue paper, green like the leaves.

I shaked well the gift box once I closed it and as I couldn't hear any noise I assumed the cookies were not moving at all inside. This is what Silvia was supposed to find once she opened the parcel:

A day later, I had feedback that the cookies made their way to Rome safe and sound from Milan and in time for her Birthday.

Thanks for the wonderful explanation - so pretty!

Manu, I think I am going to change my name to "Silvia"  once a year. 

Whole set including the card, box, wrapping materials are just great!!  needless to say your cookies are just perfectly done. 

Such a beautiful and special gift!! Love your hand cut letters...

What a great gift to receive.

Manu, you're the best. Your creativity knows no bounds. 

Julia M. Usher posted:

Thanks for the wonderful explanation - so pretty!

Thank you, Julia. I had so much fun doing everything, that I just wanted to share.

Ryoko ~Cookie Ave. posted:

Manu, I think I am going to change my name to "Silvia"  once a year. 

Whole set including the card, box, wrapping materials are just great!!  needless to say your cookies are just perfectly done. 

Thank you, Ryoko! That shape of flower is my favourite!

Cookies Fantastique by Carol posted:

Such a beautiful and special gift!! Love your hand cut letters...

Thank you, Carol! Silvia loved them.

Kimberlie posted:

What a great gift to receive.

Thank you Kimberlie!

pip posted:

Manu, you're the best. Your creativity knows no bounds. 

Thank you, Linda, it has been so much fun! You are always so kind!

How nice, Manu!

Lovely idea and beautifully executed 

carouselselsel posted:

How nice, Manu!

Thank you, Zara!

Little-Fancies posted:

Lovely idea and beautifully executed 

Thank you, Lisa. 

You are amazing Manu! Every post of yours is a pleasant surprise; Silvia has received the most original bday present ever and we all thank you to have shared with us a way to make our cookies more and more special! I love your style so much! ❤️

Lovely set (well, no surprise, coming from you ), and thanks a lot for the extensive explanation.

I also had a lot of fears when I first shipped cookies. But now that I've done it a few times and they all arrived in one piece, I am more confident about it. Though I chose less intricate designs for that purpose (hardly any slender, breakable lines in RY, etc.). But I admit, I would have worried a lot about those letters, they are very thin. Congrats on having packed them well enough

Evelindecora posted:

You are amazing Manu! Every post of yours is a pleasant surprise; Silvia has received the most original bday present ever and we all thank you to have shared with us a way to make our cookies more and more special! I love your style so much! ❤️

Thank you, Evelin, my friend was very happy... as you know it is not yet so usual to receive decorated cookies in Italy... and especially by mail I took advantage of this to surprise her

Laegwen posted:

Lovely set (well, no surprise, coming from you ), and thanks a lot for the extensive explanation.

I also had a lot of fears when I first shipped cookies. But now that I've done it a few times and they all arrived in one piece, I am more confident about it. Though I chose less intricate designs for that purpose (hardly any slender, breakable lines in RY, etc.). But I admit, I would have worried a lot about those letters, they are very thin. Congrats on having packed them well enough

Thank you, Leoni, I wasn't sure to post this clip, as it is again flowers and hand cut letters (though a different font !).

But I really had fun packing the cookies and especially making the card. Probably because they had to be a special present. If I was a professional cookier who prepares and bags hundreds of cookies a week I am sure it wouldn't have been so much fun!

Last year I didn't even think about that, I felt that mailing cookies was too "advanced"! Every year a little step forward!

Such a wonderful set, Manu. You always do the prettiest colours! ❤️

What a wonderful set, Manu! Your love shines through all of it. Silvia is very lucky to have you as friend.

Sweet Prodigy - Christine posted:

Such a wonderful set, Manu. You always do the prettiest colours! ❤️

Thank you, Christine! "Colors" are my nemesis, though this combination of green, pink and hot pink seems to work out well, and white seems to tie all togheter...

Blu and its shades are my favourite.

swissophie posted:

What a wonderful set, Manu! Your love shines through all of it. Silvia is very lucky to have you as friend.

Thank you, Sonja! She texted me that she had a smile printed on her face for hours after I told her I would have sent her cookies. I know how she felt... I had that same smile when you told me you were going to send me your "I am a cookie"!!! And I keep smiling everytime I look at it!

The amazing style of MANU! ♥

Cookieland by ZorniZZa posted:

The amazing style of MANU! ♥

 Thank you, dear!

Fantastic work! <3

Incantata posted:

Fantastic work! <3

Thank you!

You are amazing Manu! Your work are fantastic!!! I love them <3 

Piernikowe Serca posted:

You are amazing Manu! Your work are fantastic!!! I love them <3 

Thank you so much!

Beautiful.  

Tina at Sugar Wishes posted:

Beautiful.  

Thank you!