Blossoming Window | Manu

Hi! Here's the list of the techniques

Melted clear mints: the window glasses (the idea of this cookie starts here)

Modeling chocolate: the window; the trunks of the Wisteria

SugarVeil: the curtains, but of course they are "inside" the house. They could be noticed behind the clear mint glass

RI transfers: the pots at the window, leaves included; the Calla Lily pot; the pot down on the left corner, next to the Calla, leaves included; the Wisteria flowers; the yellow part of the Calla flower; the golden key next to the window

Gumpaste: the white part of the Calla Lily and the roses (handmade); the little flowers in the pots at the window and in the one down on the left  (made with mold); the bird cage

Stencil: the orange bricks around the window (first attempt ever... and with a homemade stencil)

Wafer paper: all the leaves (Wisteria, Calla Lily, Roses)

Painted elements: the wafer paper leaves (gel food colors); the RI piped ribbon on top of the window, the key, the Wisteria trunks and the Roses (gold extend dust); the bird cage silver/gold extend dust)

Mini pearls: some of the Wisteria flowers are decorated with mini pearls; there are mini pearls in the center of the flowers at the window

Hand-drawn elements: the stems and leaves of the Wisteria; the note "Gone for the day" on the bird cage

Credits:

-The cookie is iced with a thick layer of pale yellow RI. I spread the RI rather than flooding or top coating to give the idea of a rustic wall. I was inspired by reading the April showers-themed tutorial of Pamoda (Sugar Pearls). Pamoda spread a thin layer, though... I faced my huge lack of experience when later I tried to stencil the bricks and piping the ribbon on that surface. Not to mention the RI transfers. A nice watering can was supposed to sit between the cage and the Calla. I gave up after breaking four of them.

-Evelindecora's pots in the 3D bathroom inspired me to use the wafer paper leaves for the Calla

-SugarVeil curtains... I thought I had a brilliant idea, but before posting the cookie I searched in the site for "Sugarveil curtains" and saw that SugarVeil was there already... of course she was…

I know... long post... sorry

Manuela

Superb

Great cookie!

You should get a frame for it

Wonderful - so many techniques working so harmoniously together!

Wow, this must have taken a long time. It's beautiful and there's so much detail. It looks like the wisteria is on a lattice as well. Definitely too pretty to eat.

Beautiful, wonderful detail!

Valerie J posted:

Superb

Thank you, you are too kind.

Laegwen posted:

Great cookie!

You should get a frame for it

Thank you, so kind of you. Same for your two entries! I loved them.

Although I think the cookie is going to have a short life...  ;-))

Julia M. Usher posted:

Wonderful - so many techniques working so harmoniously together!

Thank you Julia, your comment is so rewarding. Your tutorials and your site are inspiring. 

Joanie posted:

Wow, this must have taken a long time. It's beautiful and there's so much detail. It looks like the wisteria is on a lattice as well. Definitely too pretty to eat.

Thank you.

What took a long time was trying to realize the bird cage with royal icing (like the bells realized by  Anikò Vargaáné Orbán http://cookieconnection.juliau...ip/candles-and-bells )... then I faced my limits and went for the gumpaste. 

Yes, it is a lattice. I had to find a way to "glue" the modeling choko trunks at the wall, but I was scared to ruine the wall while positioning the trunks, or to overload the cookie with too many color, that's why I choose the same color of the wall. 

Carol-Anne posted:

Beautiful, wonderful detail!

Thank you Carol-Anne.

manu   you did an outstanding job   clapping for you  and a big bravoooo    happy you entered the challenge!   bravoooo   looking at details with a big smile  !

donaharrisburg posted:

manu   you did an outstanding job   clapping for you  and a big bravoooo    happy you entered the challenge!   bravoooo   looking at details with a big smile  !

ill be back to re-read your details and all comments   again   bravo

top ten!   bravoooooo

donaharrisburg posted:

donaharrisburg posted:

manu   you did an outstanding job   clapping for you  and a big bravoooo    happy you entered the challenge!   bravoooo   looking at details with a big smile  !

ill be back to re-read your details and all comments   again   bravo

Thank you Dona, so kind of you.

I know... it will take a while to read all... :-)

 Great entry, Manuela, you're really talenTed and clever! Congrats

Magadiuz posted:

 Great entry, Manuela, you're really talenTed and clever! Congrats

Grazie cara, troppo buona!

Wow! It is full on thiny details! Wow!

Very, very pretty. I'm actually working on a cookie that has a bit of similarity to this cookie!! It's not quite finished but I hope it's something that turns out as well as this cookie! Love the design

Manu! This is such a FABULOUS take on the challenge!  I am so impressed with the sheer number and variety of the techniques and media used to create this beautiful piece.  Those window curtains behind the windows?  Brilliant. Those little wafer paper leaves are so tiny - are they attached to something?  What are the stems made of? And finally, THANK YOU for all of your attributions/credits!  It is so refreshing and instructive to see where an artist pulls all of their inspiration. It helps the rest of us learn from your journey.  Well done, you!

Mily posted:

Wow! It is full on thiny details! Wow!

Thank you Mily, details came out as I was working on the cookie, as I told Joanie in the comment about the lattice under the Wisteria. Then by accident I made a sign on the window (made of modelling chocolate) and decided to do more signs with a knife to make it look like wood. Or the RI Calla pot that looks 3D, because I broke it after I glued the wp leaves, so I put another layer of RI... and then smered it by accident, so another layer. At the end the other terracotta pots looked so flat compared to it. They would have look nicer on the window sill if they were a little bit fatty... next time.

Cookies Fantistique by Carol posted:

Very, very pretty. I'm actually working on a cookie that has a bit of similarity to this cookie!! It's not quite finished but I hope it's something that turns out as well as this cookie! Love the design

Thank you Carol. I wish I could pipe leaves and flowers like you do. Can't wait to see your cookie.

Bakerloo Station posted:

Manu! This is such a FABULOUS take on the challenge!  I am so impressed with the sheer number and variety of the techniques and media used to create this beautiful piece.  Those window curtains behind the windows?  Brilliant. Those little wafer paper leaves are so tiny - are they attached to something?  What are the stems made of? And finally, THANK YOU for all of your attributions/credits!  It is so refreshing and instructive to see where an artist pulls all of their inspiration. It helps the rest of us learn from your journey.  Well done, you!

Thank you Christine.
Each of the branches is a whole little piece of wp, schetched with an edible marker. I then cut it at my best, painted the leaves and traced again stem/leaves with the edible marker (I only had black). Some white wp left between the stem and the leaves can still be noticed in the picture. However can't be noticed holding the cookie in your hands. :-)

I am so honored for all the positive comments, they are so rewarding. Thank you.
The credits/attributions are a must but also a tribute to people who shared their work here. I hope I did it the right way. Glad I "found" Julia and her contributors, and joined this community.

manu posted:

Julia M. Usher posted:

Wonderful - so many techniques working so harmoniously together!

Thank you Julia, your comment is so rewarding. Your tutorials and your site are inspiring. 

Hi Julia,
I just sign in last month and I have been spending lot of time on the site ever since, looking at all the beautiful cookies. Tonight scrolling the "All blog posts" and reading here and there I started to look at Saturdays Spotlight... until I found (bumped to!) a cookie from Belleissimo Cookie "The First Leaf of Autumn" (http://cookieconnection.juliau...f-autumn-cookiescape) wich not only was Top Ten Cookie of the week last May but also Top 10 Cookie of the Month in June.
Mine is like that one: the thick wall, the bricks, even the curtains at the window, the window on the right! I was speechless...
I posted the two the pictures I got inspired from (just google: balconi fioriti or balconi italiani) in "Stuff I love" in my profile page. Doing a balcony was an issue, so for the moment I opted for the window. Honestly I wouldn't have posted mine (balcony or window) if I I had the chance to see Belleissimo 's cookie before. I am surprised nobody noticed... I wonder what Belleissimo Cookie might have thoutgh...

manu posted:

manu posted:

Julia M. Usher posted:

Wonderful - so many techniques working so harmoniously together!

Thank you Julia, your comment is so rewarding. Your tutorials and your site are inspiring. 

Hi Julia,
I just sign in last month and I have been spending lot of time on the site ever since, looking at all the beautiful cookies. Tonight scrolling the "All blog posts" and reading here and there I started to look at Saturdays Spotlight... until I found (bumped to!) a cookie from Belleissimo Cookie "The First Leaf of Autumn" (http://cookieconnection.juliau...f-autumn-cookiescape) wich not only was Top Ten Cookie of the week last May but also Top 10 Cookie of the Month in June.
Mine is like that one: the thick wall, the bricks, even the curtains at the window, the window on the right! I was speechless...
I posted the two the pictures I got inspired from (just google: balconi fioriti or balconi italiani) in "Stuff I love" in my profile page. Doing a balcony was an issue, so for the moment I opted for the window. Honestly I wouldn't have posted mine (balcony or window) if I I had the chance to see Belleissimo 's cookie before. I am surprised nobody noticed... I wonder what Belleissimo Cookie might have thoutgh...

http://cookieconnection.juliau...f-autumn-cookiescape

manu posted:

manu posted:

manu posted:

Julia M. Usher posted:

Wonderful - so many techniques working so harmoniously together!

Thank you Julia, your comment is so rewarding. Your tutorials and your site are inspiring. 

Hi Julia,
I just sign in last month and I have been spending lot of time on the site ever since, looking at all the beautiful cookies. Tonight scrolling the "All blog posts" and reading here and there I started to look at Saturdays Spotlight... until I found (bumped to!) a cookie from Belleissimo Cookie "The First Leaf of Autumn" (http://cookieconnection.juliau...f-autumn-cookiescape) wich not only was Top Ten Cookie of the week last May but also Top 10 Cookie of the Month in June.
Mine is like that one: the thick wall, the bricks, even the curtains at the window, the window on the right! I was speechless...
I posted the two the pictures I got inspired from (just google: balconi fioriti or balconi italiani) in "Stuff I love" in my profile page. Doing a balcony was an issue, so for the moment I opted for the window. Honestly I wouldn't have posted mine (balcony or window) if I I had the chance to see Belleissimo 's cookie before. I am surprised nobody noticed... I wonder what Belleissimo Cookie might have thoutgh...

http://cookieconnection.juliau...f-autumn-cookiescape

Hi, Glad to have you on the site. I noticed it was similar to that cookie as well, but there are enough differences that I didn't think twice about it. It's not uncommon for people to be inspired by similar things, and windows are often a source of inspiration. But, if you're worried about it, you might contact Belleissimo and explain how your cookie came about. I imagine she'd understand! 

For the future, you might consider linking to your sources of inspiration in a comment directly under your photo. In fact, our site guidelines require this when cookies are copies of other art. But even if they aren't, this is a nice thing to do - and it will also make the origins of your ideas clear to any viewers.

manu you did a splendid piece    staring at the details    bravooooooooooo       did you buy the clear mints from canada?

donaharrisburg posted:

manu you did a splendid piece    staring at the details    bravooooooooooo       did you buy the clear mints from canada?

Thank you Dona. Actually it was the first time I tried to do a window. I bought the clear mints here in Italy, I am Italian. Then I crashed them to power, filled the holes and baked together with the cookie. Lucky enough it kept a perfect window shape, and the glass turn out very thin. Next time I would try isomalt.

Complimenti Manu, carinissimo! 

Sweets_by_me posted:

Complimenti Manu, carinissimo! 

Grazie! :-)

This is just breathtaking, Manu. So complex. Superb .

wonderful and enchanting artwork Manu!!!! Love it! ❤️