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Cookie Swap - It's Pretty Sweet Cookie Book Cover Buy it! Cookie Book Cover Buy it!

"This really is the ULTIMATE cookie book. Whimsical, elegant, colorful, and creative!! What more could you ask for? You will not be disappointed.”

Colette Peters

Celebrity Cake Decorator; Owner, Colette's Cakes

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“Time to rise and shine! Video shoot starts in 2 hours - icings to be adjusted, cookies to be plated, and makeup to be done, all before then!”

Jul 17, 2018 6:40am

Julia Usher baking in her home kitchen
Noshes and Notions

March 2018 Stencil Release :: Designed by Me with Confection Couture


Spring Cookie Stencil Roundup:
Many Layered Lovelies from Which to Choose!

As you may or may not know, I’ve been designing cookie stencils for about a year and a half now with the help of my design and manufacturing partner, Confection Couture Stencils, formerly Stencil Ease. In addition to my Prettier Plaques stencil series, which was my first line at launch, I’ve now got a second line called Dynamic Duos. Both lines involve multi-stencil sets that allow cookiers to create luscious layered looks, but they’re different in some key ways. Each Prettier Plaques set consists of five elements (stencils and masking pieces) that basically allow you to create one layered - and gorgeous - message cookie design. By contrast, each Duos monthly release consists of two coordinated multi-stencil sets (one with background stencils and the other with messages and frames) that, taken together, allow you to create myriad layered designs with multiple messages and backgrounds. My goal with this new line was to give my customers as much design flexibility as possible, all in two small packages each month! And, I dare say, I think I’ve done that!

Anywho, I’ve been releasing lots of Duos sets lately, and wanted to share those designs with you, just in case you missed them when first announced. What follows is a quick pictorial overview of recent releases, all of which have a definite spring-y flair . . .

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The New JULIA System :: Designed by Me with Badger Air-Brush Co.


The New JULIA Airbrush System Is Here!:
Thank You to My Partner Badger Air-Brush Co.!

The last several months leading up to this release have been a lot like the road trip my family took each summer to get to our vacation spot in Maine. Every few minutes, a chorus of kids would ring out from the back seat, asking my Dad, “Are we there yet?!” When he shook his head “no”, we’d sound off in unison with the predictable refrain, “How much longer?!” It was a 9-hour drive from Connecticut to Maine, and, for my sibs and me, that was an interminable amount of time to be penned up in the car with each other, especially when we were bursting with excitement about the vacation that lay ahead.

And so it was with this release. It was extremely difficult for me to keep a lid on my new airbrush system for as long as I did. Soon after Ken Schlotfeldt, CEO of Badger Air-Brush Co., asked if I’d be interested in partnering with him, which was over a year ago, the initial design began to take shape. And, ever since then, I’ve been bursting with excitement too. You see, I knew early on that certain features of this system were going to revolutionize airbrushing for many of you.

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Like Mother Like Daughter :: Cheryl Cronin


Mother Deserves Best:
Or How a Garden (Party) Grows

The topic of mothers has been on my mind lately, and not just because Mothers’ Day is right around the corner. After a year of non-stop work on my next book Ultimate Cookies, I finally submitted the manuscript a couple of weeks ago. While many people supported the book along the way, the real driving force behind it was my mom. You see, if she hadn’t made cookie decorating such a festivity in our house, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be as crazy about the craft as I am today!

Each Christmas my sibs and I donned her frilly June Cleaver-esque aprons and tried our darnedest to outdo one another with the cleverest cookie design. Even when disfigured cutouts or errant icing blobs foiled our plans, we earned Mom’s unswerving praise.

So this got me thinking . . .

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Chat with Julia News From Julia's Kitchen
  • Check out Julia’s new stencil line, designed in partnership with the amazing Confection Couture Stencils (formerly Stencil Ease)! Julia M Usher, Recipes for a Sweet Life, new stencil line
  • See Julia’s exciting lineup of 2018 cookie classes - Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Patagonia, Switzerland, and more!
  • Woo hoo! In late 2016, Julia was named both Artist of the Year USA and International Artist of the Year by EAGA (Edible Artists Global Awards)! She also received Cake Masters Magazine‘s “Cookie Icon” distinction in their July 2018 issue. Read that interview here. Julia M Usher, Recipes for a Sweet Life, sugar art awards, EAGA, 2016 Edible Artists Global Awards
  • Explore the world of cookie decorating! Join Cookie Connection, Julia’s free cookie community. Then grab a badge! Julia M Usher, Cookie Connection, online cookie decorating community