Contributors
Lisa Foss, also known by her Cookie Connection screen name LisaF, has worked in corporate communications, freelance writing, and the nonprofit sector at various soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and prison reentry programs. Lisa's cookie journey started in 2011, and though she enjoys crafting cookies for family and friends, her main focus is making and donating cookies to local charities. (Many here on Cookie Connection think she's a cookie angel!). Lisa also generously donates her time to this site by writing our Saturday Spotlight feature every other week. For Lisa's latest Spotlights, visit our blog and, for more information about Lisa and her cookies, please check out her Facebook and Instagram pages. Photo credit: Shutterstock.
Icingsugarkeks, designedbygabi, and Gabi are all synonyms for our Cookie Connection Site Art Stylist. Gabi, who harks from Thüringen, Germany, is a talented hobbyist decorator who has awesome graphic design skills acquired through years working as a media and graphic designer in image processing, film cutting, television programming, print media, and website design and programming. Gabi never thought that she would love HTML and CSS one day! But she does, and she's now happily applying those skills to help Cookie Connection members turn their cookie photos into art for our site's banner and backdrop. To learn more about Gabi, please visit her Instagram page. And to get her help with your site art submission, please send her a private message via her Cookie Connection profile page. Cookie and photo credit: Icingsugarkeks.
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.
Samantha Yacovetta is the author of Every Little Detail with Aproned Artist, a monthly Cookie Connection blog feature that focuses on the special little details that make big statements in cookie design. Samantha began cookie decorating in 2013. While working at a local bakery, she became captivated by cookie art when a customer requested princess-themed cookies. Attracted initially to the precision of cookie decorating, Samantha soon found that the limitless design opportunities turned it into her artistic passion. Samantha began regularly stocking the bakery case with decorated cookies and for several years sold cookies through her own company, Aproned Artist, a cottage food operation. Having retired from the business life, Samantha now enjoys making cookies just for fun from her home in San Jose, California, USA. She is known for her love of miniature 3-D cookie scenes and innovative sculpted royal icing techniques. In 2023, Samantha won the American Cake Awards Cookie Award. To learn more about Samantha, please check out her Cookie Connection portfolio, her Facebook page, and her past Every Little Detail tutorials on this site. Photo credit: Samantha Yacovetta.
I am constantly striving to take the site's content to the next level with more tutorials, posts about the business of baking, and other thought-provoking content. If you have a unique decorating angle or story to tell and would be interested in becoming a site contributor, please contact me at sweetlife@juliausher.com to discuss the possibility! And don't forget to check out the quick links to the right to some of our contributors' latest content!
Live sweetly,