Simply Sweet Stencils Giveaway

*Giveaway is now closed, thank you to all who entered*

Congratulations, Marci, You are the winner!

I am finally getting back into decoration cookies.  If you have followed me in my cookie journey, you know I love simple cookies.  I find it a personal challenge to create beautiful cookies, simple.

One of my recent favorite ways to do that is using stencils on my cookies.  Thankfully, I have found a wonderful source for stencils.

Simply Sweet Stencils is the Etsy shop created by Melissa of Simply Sweets by Honeybee.  The shop is full wonderfully created stencils that help me create simple yet beautiful cookies.

According to the shop:

My Stencils are made from a food grade plastic that is washable & reusable.  I've designed the stencils with cookies in mind but they can be used for your craft projects as well.  Stencils measure 5.5" x 5.5".  Designs are based on an average cookies size of 3".

Just look at a few of the fun designs offered by Simply Sweet Stencils!

I was able to use the Fancy Scroll Heart Stencil for Valentine's Day cookies, and love how easy they were to use and how I was able to make BEAUTIFUL cookies, simply!

Aren't they beautiful?  Well, you can try these stencils for yourself!  Melissa has generously offered one lucky reader four Stencils, of their choice!

That is right, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me the last good movie you saw. Make sure you leave an email address so we can contact the winner! The giveaway is open until Monday February 23rd at 7 am CST.  One entry per person. US residents only

*This is sponsored by Simply Sweet Stencils.  I received nothing for hosting it, they are just products that I love and use.*

KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway

I think that a KitchenAid mixer is a staple that every kitchen should have!  I am so excited to have been able to team up with a fabulous group of bloggers, to give one lucky winner a 5-Quart Kitchen Aid Stand mixer

Welcome to the KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway event!  We're giving away a truly awesome prize today - a KitchenAid 5 Qt. Artisan Series with Pouring Shield!  What's not to love about that?



 

Giveaway organized by Juggling Act Mama

ABOUT THE PRIZE: KitchenAid 5 Qt. Artisan Series with Pouring Shield

• Winner chooses color - Empire Red, Ice (blue), Contour Silver or White on White
• Multipurpose attachment hub, over 15 optional attachments
• 5-quart stainless steel bowl, dishwasher safe
• Tilt-head design
• Includes coated flat beater, coated dough hook, wire whip and 1-piece pouring shield, 1-year warranty
• 2-piece pouring shield with large chute for adding ingredients
• 325-watt mixer with 10 speeds; 5-quart stainless steel bowl

Enter the KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.  Some entries, such as tweeting can be done daily so be sure to check back. RULES: Open to US/CAN Residents only. 1 winner will be chosen. Prize must be claimed within 48 hours of announcement or a new winner will be drawn. Prize is valued at $300 USD. Winner may choose a $300 USD Amazon gift card in lieu of prize if desired. All entries will be verified. This giveaway is in no way associated with KitchenAid, Amazon, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

My Favorite Cookie Tools...and Winner Announced

I thought I would share

with you a few of my

favorite, must have

cookie tools.

 

Nothing mind blowing..

 

or new to veteran decorators

 

 

just a few tools that

 

I can not live without.

 

 

 

1. Wilton Decorating Bag-  I love these bags...they are thick and sturdy.  I have tried other bags

       and always come back to Wilton ones.  I am a glaze only gal, and glaze is pretty "heavy",

       so having a nice sturdy bag, is a must.  The other bags I have tried have ended in many

       "blow outs" and ruin cookies.

 

2. Large Fondant Roller-  I roll my cookie dough using a large Fondant Roller. When I started

     decorating cookies, Collin, my son, was taking a shop class at school, for one of his projects,

     he made me a custom dough board.  Using that dough board, and my fondant roller, I can

     roll out an entire batch of dough to a perfect 3/8 thickness in no time.

 

3 Ateco Decorating Tips - OMG!  I LOVE THESE TIPS!  Let me tell you about my sad

   life before these tips.  I live pretty much in the middle of no where, no baking supply shops

   near me, and the only tips I could get locally was Wilton tips.  Wilton tips are fine if you are

   a wash as you go type of decorator...me...not so much..I am a tip soaker.  Well, in case you did

   not know, Wilton tips will rust/tarnish/discolor when soaked.  I tossed so many tips.  Then one day

   I ask about tips on my Facebook page...and everyone raved about Ateco Tips, then I ask where was

   the best place to get them.  Well...because she is such a sweetie, Melissa from Simply Sweets by Honeybee, offered to get some at her local shop, and ship them to me....CHANGED MY WORLD.

  Since then, she has sent me many more, and I love them....you can soak all you want, they are

  much better then the tips I had been using.  So, I am now in the process of replacing all my

  tips with Ateco tips.

 

4. White-White Icing Color -  White icing color is a MUST for Glaze only decorators, at least

     in my mind.  Glaze will have an opaque look to it, if white coloring is not added.  Normally,

    I only use Americolor Gel Coloring, but as with the tips, Wilton is the only coloring available to

    me locally, so this is what I use.  Thankfully, I have a Hobby Lobby and Michael's within a

   block of my office, so I stock up all the time using those 40% coupons, so it is pretty cheap, which

   is good, because I use a lot of it.

 

5. Plastic Artist Palette Knife -  I am not an artist, but I love these things.  I use them instead of

   an off-set spatula to spread and smooth my glaze on cookies.  They are super cheap, I get them for

   99 cents at Michael's, they are light weight, and have a nice point to them.

 

6. Fondant Smoother-  I have never used fondant on my cookies, but every cookie I decorate

   has been touched with a fondant smoother.  I don't have trouble with spreading with my

   cookies, but they do "puff" a bit during baking, so as soon as the cookies come out of the

   oven, I  go over them with a fondant smoother, and it gives me a smooth, even surface

  for decorating.

 

 

So there you go..6 of my Favorite Cookie Decorating Tools.  Do you have favorite tools?

Would you like to see more of my favorites? Speak up...I would love to here about them.

 

Now...for the giveaway...the winner is..

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats Rebecca , I will be sending you an email about the cutters.

Problems.....Solutions...Giveaway

I love decorating cookies!

 

Surprise Surprise!

 

 

But...

 

I struggle.

 

When I get a request for a cookie,

I stress unless it is a design I have done before.

 

Ya'll....I spend HOURS,

I mean SEVERAL HOURS,

researching and planning each and every cookie.

 

I am not the most creative or artistic

apple in the bushel.

 

I don't have a talent for drawing.

 

Heck, even my stick figures look a bit "off"

 

So...I got a KopyKake,

and I thought all my problems were over.

 

WRONG!

 

You see...even with a KopyKake,

finding an image that matches the cutter I have,

is a constant problem for me.

 

If I were a betting woman, I bet I am not alone in

this struggle.

 

You have a cutter, say in the shape of a

chicken...and you have an image, but

how do you get them to match up?

 

Let me tell you about a recent order I did,

the solution I found, and the very happy customer.

 

So, Jen contacted me, and wanted

Dump Truck cookie.

 

Great..Cute...Wonderful...I can do that.

 

Then...panic set in!

 

OMG...I have never done a dump truck cookie!

 

So...off to Google Search I went.

 

I found lots of images, cute ones,

but, the customer wanted the cookie

in the shape of a dump truck, not a square cookie

with dump truck on it.  I totally understand her desire, while a dump
truck on a square cookie would be cute, some cookies
and occasions, just call for a cookie that is shaped like the object.

 

Then it hit me.

 

I have seen a cute dump truck cookie before!

 

 

 

My dear friend, Cristin, from Cristin's Cookies, has made

dump truck cookies before!

 

Aren't they cute?

 

I knew they would be PERFECT for the

customers request!

 

Great..I found the cookie I wanted to make!

 

Now, to find the cutter.

 

No problem,

 

Cristin makes cutters!

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see all her wonderful cutters at her

Etsy Shop

 

She does amazing work, so creative, so well made.

 

I am in LOVE with her cutters, they offer a clean crisp cut, they are a

great size, and if you need a different size, Cristin is willing to

make a different size for you.  Do any other cutter shops offer that service?

 

Me thinks not.

 

Cristin works hard to create cutters that are

not available elsewhere, truly original designs, and

designs that people want.

 

She will even make a custom cutter for you,

but I know she has quite a waiting list, of people wanting

custom cutters, so if you are needing one, make sure you

get on the list.

 

OK

 

You want to know my FAVORITE thing about

Cristin's Cutters?

 

Cristin offers the best service I have ever known.

 

She offers a totally unique service, that no other company offers.

 

One that she GIVES away, like for free, because she is one

of the sweetest people I know.

 

Ready?

 

Ok....CHECK THIS OUT!

 

 

You see that image?

 

THAT IMAGE WILL HELP YOU MAKE WONDERFUL COOKIES!

 

Cristin, makes available an image, that you can

print off, pop in your KopyKake, and create cookies, no

hours of searching the Internet for the perfect image.

No more resizing an image to fit the cutter.

No more trying to figure out where to put each line.

 

SHE DOES IT FOR YOU......FOR FREE

let's recap

Cristin, designs a cookie

Makes a cutter

AND

 offers a image to help you make cookies!

 

With Cristin, I was able to make

Dump truck cookies!

 

 

 

 

These were the "practice "cookies I made to show the

customer.  In the end, she decided that she would like

 to have an all yellow cookie.

So that is what I made her.

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say, these cookies were way out

of my comfort zone, but I am very

please with how they turned out.

They might even be one of my favorite

cookie I have made.

 

 

Ok...now...it is

GIVEAWAY TIME!

 

 

Because I love Cristin, and her cutter so much

and Cristin is such a sweetie, we have

teamed up to give away

2 of her pretty pink cutters!

 

That is right,

 

2 CRISTIN'S COOKIES CUTTERS!

 

Open to US Residents only.

 

One winner will be chosen randomly and will be contacted via email.

If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

 

 

 

 

 

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway