Did you notice? Two darling hedgehogs have been kissing at the top of our site for the last few days with nary a proper introduction from me. So . . . without further ado, let me introduce these cookies and their very talented creator, our February 2025 site artist, to you! She's none other than serial* site artist @Di Art Sweets (aka Dora Lyubenova)! You can see closer versions of her fabulous cookies below and also here and here in the posts she originally made to this site. Thank you, Dora, for your many incredible contributions to Cookie Connection over the years! Of course, we must also thank Site Art Stylist @Icingsugarkeks (aka Gabi) for the added kissing animation!
* As you may recall, Dora is no newcomer to the site artist honor; she's earned it twice before, as recently as October 2023. Her colorful, often very whimsical, and always expertly executed work is her trademark, immediately recognizable whenever she shares on this site! Thank you and congrats again, Dora!
Since we caught up with Dora in a Cookier Close-up not all that long ago, I'll refer you to that wonderful interview to help you get to know her better. I also encourage you to explore her Cookie Connection portfolio, and to review her updated bio below! She's recently taken on a very exciting venture that I think you'll all be interested to learn more about.
Dora Lyubenova, also known as Di Art Sweets to her cookie friends, is from Vidin, Bulgaria and has been making cookies for eight years. She is a chemical engineer by training, and a mother of two children - a 29-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl. Dora's interests include all aspects of art, but especially painting, sculpture, and photography. She loves embroidery, knitting, and travel as well. Dora started cookie decorating when she had to make cookies for her own birthday! Soon after, she started to make cookies for her friends and relatives, and cookie decorating quickly became her new passion. In the beginning, she worked with fondant, but now she only works with royal icing. Dora has attended royal icing courses in Belgrade, and enjoys doing experiments and gaining any and all experience she can in cookie decorating. She loves the whole process of cookie work - from the dough to the photos! In 2023, Dora spent a lot of time thinking about what else she could do with her baking and decorating expertise, which ultimately led to the creation of her bakery, Di Art Bakery and Coffee, where she offers decorated cookies, homemade pastries, healthy gluten-free desserts, and various drinks. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Ooh, Dora's bakery looks so inviting. I wish I could beam myself up and over to Bulgaria right now! ~JMU]
To learn more about Di Art Sweets and her cookie work, please visit her Instagram and Facebook pages (including her bakery page) and her Cookie Connection member profile.
All cookies and photos by Di Art Sweets.
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 all of 2025, thanks to @Icingsugarkeks, but she is currently at work on material for 2026. So don't hesitate to submit your cookies at any time. Please also remember that Icingsugarkeks is available to help you get your photos in the right format, so feel free 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.
