Our June Site Artist is a Cookie Connection Regular!

Hi, everyone! You should all know our June site artist well, as it's none other than @Manu biscotti decorati, our longtime Made by Manu tutorial writer and our soon-to-be new challenge host! In fact, Manu will be saying more about the new challenges in a blog post later this month prior to the challenge launch in July. That being said, I am going to skip my normal Close-up interview with her and instead urge you all to get to know her better by reading her bio below, following her tutorials if you aren't already, and immersing yourselves in her first challenge (hint, hint)! (A preview of this challenge appears directly below.)

While on the subject of Close-ups, let me briefly fill you in on those currently in the works. That for @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave., our March 2022 site artist, is well underway. I should have Ryoko's answers back this week, and I hope to post her interview sometime the following week. After that, I'll begin the interview questions for @Bożena Aleksandrow, our wonderful April 2022 artist. So stay tuned - these Close-ups are sure to be very interesting and informative given the sheer cookie talent that these two cookiers possess.

Also, thanks as always to @Icingsugarkeks (aka Gabi) for putting her special spin on the two variations of Manu's 3-D rose basket project, which were combined into this month's site art. You can see Manu's banner and backdrop directly below, and, of course, on the site throughout the entire month of June. I've been a fan of this project ever since Manu first posted her tutorial about it, so it's wonderful to see it splashed all over our site! Thank you, Manu!

Again, to learn more about Manu, please read her bio below, check out her tutorials, and be sure to meet her in the live video that will launch the start of her challenges in July (date coming soon!).

Manuela Pezzopane, affectionately called Manu by her friends and family, is a fan of everything handmade, and 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. Since then, cookie decorating has become Manu’s passion. You can follow Manu on Facebook and Instagram, or email her at manubiscottidecorati@gmail.com.

All banner and background cookies and photos by: Manuela Pezzopane

Last but not least, for those of you who are wondering how to get featured, it's easy! Simply read these posts here and here. Remember: Site artists not only get their work featured prominently for a full month, but they also get profiled in a forum post like this one and in an in-depth Cookier Close-up interview. All considered, it's a lot of great free PR in exchange for photo sharing! When preparing your site art, please bear in mind that I already have artwork through September 2022, so I am specifically looking for art for October 2022 and beyond. Please also remember that @Icingsugarkeks, our Site Art Stylist, is available to help you get your photos in the right format, so do not hesitate to contact her if you need assistance! You can send her a PM right here on Cookie Connection by clicking on her name (in pink) above.