The Elephant in Far-Far-East Goes to Zara-land by Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.

This is the collaboration by Zara of @carouselselsel and Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.  When we combine our cookies, techniques and ideas, that outcome will be better than only one can think and make.  

1.  When Zara and Ryoko thought about the collaboration, Zara came up to the idea and gave it to Ryoko, which is "love" and "kissing"
2. Based on Zara's "Love", Ryoko gave an idea of a pair and a child but we reached the conclusion that making people was rather hard, we started thinking something else
3. Ryoko gave a basic idea of combined 6 cookies.  Zara's ideas were "watering" and "heart" so Ryoko revised the design and made them colorful and cute that both Zara and Ryoko liked.  Each makes 4 cookies and when 2 of them 3, 4 and all of them are combined together, each set  looks one cookie and has a story.  

(designed given to Zara by Ryoko~Cookie Ave.)

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The Elephant in far-far-east goes to Zara-land

Do you know there is an elephant  that loves watering?  The story begins like this:  There is an elephant in far-far-east.  He loves watering.  He walks and waters every day.  When he waters, birds start singing and monkeys start showering.   

One day very beautiful-colored bird flies to the other bird perching on the elephant head. The flying bird brings multicolored fruits to the other bird.  The elephant asks what they are and the bird says, "There is a tree in Zara-land.  The tree carries 7 colors of flowers and each flower has a different scent.  And the flowers are going to be fruits.   If you eat the fruits, you are going to be very colorful like us.  In Zara-land everything is colorful."  

The elephant does not like his pale gray skin, he wants to be colorful like birds and asks the bird to show him the way to the tree in Zara-land.

The elephant is really happy to see the magical tree and he eats fruits but his skin remains pale gray.  The elephant gets really disappointed.  But the fruits are really delicious and the elephant eats them all.  To have more fruits, the elephant starts watering tree.   Soon the tree gets flowers again. 

When he waters, the color of water changes to 7 colors and 7 different colors of flowers grow in front of the elephant. 

Now the tree has more fruits and the monkeys eat the red one.  The color of monkey's bottom changed to red.  And Every time the elephant eats fruits, the color of water changes.

If you see seven colored bow in the sky, you know the elephant eats the fruits from the magical tree in Zara-land and starts watering.  (a story by Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.)

My idea came from what I learned about Zara of @carouselselsel who has 2 children and likes colorful things.  I went all through her photos of cakes and cookies that she had made and tried to understand her more.  I reached the conclusion, “the cookie set should be heart-warming, colorful and children would like”. 

The elephant in far-far-east which is Japan goes to Zara-land where there is a magical tree.  This cookie set connects Japan where I am and Bulgaria where Zara lives and connects two cookiers.  The set definitely represents “Complete me”, without Zara the idea did not come out, without her this sent was not completed. 

Because of the time differences and distance between us, it took days to decide which idea we should take. Because of the different kinds of colors (materials) we use and the way how to take photos, it was difficult to make the exactly same colors but still the cookies we made look one set.  Zara understood the story of this elephant in far-far-east and expressed how she thought and felt by using fondant to decorate her cookies.   Since the colors of fondant are very vivid, I tried to make clear colors and made the design puffed with royal icing to balance hers and mine.  

I had two projects, one with @Manu biscotti decorati and the other with Zara of Carouselselsel.  “The Elephant in far-far-east” story would never come down to Manu and me and “Walking into autumn” would never be applied to me and Zara.  While I was making “Walking into autumn” I could smell autumn, could hear the sounds when we walk on fallen leaves and could feel warmness of home.  While I was making “The Elephant in far-far-east goes to Zara-land” I felt I was actually moving toward the magical tree in Zara-land.     

 I would like to thank Zara for not giving up and I appreciate she has made the cookies when she was very busy with her family.  

Ryoko ~Cookie Ave. posted:

My idea came from what I learned about Zara of @carouselselsel who has 2 children and likes colorful things.  I went all through her photos of cakes and cookies that she had made and tried to understand her more.  I reached the conclusion, “the cookie set should be heart-warming, colorful and children would like”. 

The elephant in far-far-east which is Japan goes to Zara-land where there is a magical tree.  This cookie set connects Japan where I am and Bulgaria where Zara lives and connects two cookiers.  The set definitely represents “Complete me”, without Zara the idea did not come out, without her this sent was not completed. 

Because of the time differences and distance between us, it took days to decide which idea we should take. Because of the different kinds of colors (materials) we use and the way how to take photos, it was difficult to make the exactly same colors but still the cookies we made look one set.  Zara understood the story of this elephant in far-far-east and expressed how she thought and felt by using fondant to decorate her cookies.   Since the colors of fondant are very vivid, I tried to make clear colors and made the design puffed with royal icing to balance hers and mine. 

 

I had two projects, one with @Manu biscotti decorati and the other with Zara of Carouselselsel.  “The Elephant in far-far-east” story would never come down to Manu and me and “Walking into autumn” would never be applied to me and Zara.  While I was making “Walking into autumn” I could smell autumn, could hear the sounds when we walk on fallen leaves and could feel warmness of home.  While I was making “The Elephant in far-far-east goes to Zara-land” I felt I was actually moving toward the magical tree in Zara-land.     

 I would like to thank Zara for not giving up and I appreciate she has made the cookies when she was very busy with her family.  

Oh, Ryoko!!! You melt my heart, thank you for being always so nice...always there for me like a true friend...Lots of xxxx It came out a cute entry as you said...Cute is what we wanted, right

Oh and did I forget to mention how much I like your 'complete me' part...Your cookies are amazing and I'm in love with that chamelion!

carouselselsel posted:

Oh and did I forget to mention how much I like your 'complete me' part...Your cookies are amazing and I'm in love with that chamelion!

Next to be your magical tree, it needed to be something colorful and cute, because it is in Zara-land side.   Peacock, mandrill, chameleon.... I tried mandrill but too difficult and there are monkeys and birds in our cookie already, I chose chameleon.  I could give you my cookies to you if we were near.   Do you think your children like the story? 

Very cute!

So lovelyyyy! Truly inspiring!♡♡♡♡

Sil Quiroga *Homemade Cookies by Sil* posted:

So lovelyyyy! Truly inspiring!♡♡♡♡

Econlady posted:

Very cute!

Thank you!    I am really happy.  

What a delightful story!  I love all of the colors, and you  and Zara did a fabulous job creating a consistency of colors across your two sets, despite the distance between you.  I bet that these cookie tiles could be arranged and re-arranged in all sorts of slightly different ways.  And that chameleon is fabulous!  Well done on this SECOND entry from you, Ryoko.  You are the collaboration queen!

So fun to look at!!

So well done Ryoko and Zara! Amazing idea, amazing story and amazing colorful cookies and collaboration. I love every single combination the cookies complete, and the two sets together! It is like reading an illustrated story book. Most of all I like the "power of collaboration" and see the different outcomes, which are so inspiring. I really hope to see many other entries during this last week of the challenge. Brave!

Bakerloo Station posted:

What a delightful story!  I love all of the colors, and you  and Zara did a fabulous job creating a consistency of colors across your two sets, despite the distance between you.  I bet that these cookie tiles could be arranged and re-arranged in all sorts of slightly different ways.  And that chameleon is fabulous!  Well done on this SECOND entry from you, Ryoko.  You are the collaboration queen!

Christine, you're making me blush, that queen part.     I know other queens are making cookies now.  We are going to have many more queens. 

Zara's day time is occupied by many things.   She could send me message 2 am her time.    I am glad she could have some time to decorate cookies for this challenge. 

Cookie Me This ~ Heidi posted:

So fun to look at!!

Hi, Heidi     Thank you.

Manu posted:

So well done Ryoko and Zara! Amazing idea, amazing story and amazing colorful cookies and collaboration. I love every single combination the cookies complete, and the two sets together! It is like reading an illustrated story book. Most of all I like the "power of collaboration" and see the different outcomes, which are so inspiring. I really hope to see many other entries during this last week of the challenge. Brave!

Grazie mille, Manu.    Finally, finally!   

Wow - another great collaboration entry from you, Ryoko! I especially love what you said about how your two collaborations were so distinct, born of different experiences with very different cookie artists. How wonderful!

What an awesome set!!! I just love the bright colors and the large elephant cookie is adorable Beautiful work, as always!

Cookies Fantastique by Carol posted:

What an awesome set!!! I just love the bright colors and the large elephant cookie is adorable Beautiful work, as always!

Thank you, Carol.  It was fun to make this colorful set. 

Julia M. Usher posted:

Wow - another great collaboration entry from you, Ryoko! I especially love what you said about how your two collaborations were so distinct, born of different experiences with very different cookie artists. How wonderful!

Thank you, Julia.  It  is scary to know many people read what I wrote in English so I was waiting for you.  Thank you for the editing.  

There are a lot of stories behind these collaboration works.  We need much endurance, confidence, trust, respect and imagination because we speak different languages, live in different time zones, we have never met each other and we could not see what others were doing.  

Thanks to Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge, I could try something new again, I had a very good time with Zara of @carouselselsel and @Manu biscotti decorati and we could make something very precious.  

Ryoko ~Cookie Ave. posted:

Julia M. Usher posted:

Wow - another great collaboration entry from you, Ryoko! I especially love what you said about how your two collaborations were so distinct, born of different experiences with very different cookie artists. How wonderful!

Thank you, Julia.  It  is scary to know many people read what I wrote in English so I was waiting for you.  Thank you for the editing.  

There are a lot of stories behind these collaboration works.  We need much endurance, confidence, trust, respect and imagination because we speak different languages, live in different time zones, we have never met each other and we could not see what others were doing.  

Thanks to Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge, I could try something new again, I had a very good time with Zara of @carouselselsel and @Manu biscotti decorati and we could make something very precious.  

I just added a few tags and deleted big spaces in your text. I usually review all challenge post tags just to make sure that they will be infinitely searchable - I have not singled you out.

I am in awe!!! Wonderful ❤️❤️❤️

Evelindecora posted:

I am in awe!!! Wonderful ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you.  

So sweet! Would be awesome on the wall of a nursery! Great collaboration as always, Ryoko !

swissophie posted:

So sweet! Would be awesome on the wall of a nursery! Great collaboration as always, Ryoko !

Thank you, Sonja, no knitting again, though.  Oh, congratulations to you (Cookie Award Finalist) Great!!!

Lovely!

Carol-Anne posted:

Lovely!

Thank you, Carol.

Beautiful set! So much work went in to this and such a great partnership!

Kim Damon posted:

Beautiful set! So much work went in to this and such a great partnership!

Thank you

A big round of applause for both of you! Love the colors, the idea and everything behind that cookies. Most of all, love the friendship that Cookie Connection creates ♥♥♥

Cookieland by ZorniZZa posted:

A big round of applause for both of you! Love the colors, the idea and everything behind that cookies. Most of all, love the friendship that Cookie Connection creates ♥♥♥

Thank you and Cookie Connection is a surely wonderful place.