Oh La La! Paris!!

Every year the Lafayette House here in Joplin hosts a charity auction and fashion show and every year (except last year....I was 2 weeks late and expecting labor any minute) I have donated art cookies for it.

The last time I donated cookies there was a project runway contestant that was a guest speaker.  So I made designer dresses that were super fun.  I mean serious cuteness.

Well this year the theme was Paris.....and I didn't exactly feel like doing fashion again (not that I don't love doing fashion cookies...I would do them all day long!!)  Something about Paris was speaking to me.... the romance of it.  The history, decadence and beauty of old Europe....and ya know...all the girly stuff I could get away with.

So this years auction had these:

Down Knockturn Alley

So I was thinking of doing some kinda Harry Potter set for Halloween....

But then I realized that I have kids and a house to clean and all that so I had to downsize that project...

So I started to think about the creepiness of Harry Potter....you know, the dark magic... and that scene where he says "diagonally" in the flue instead of Diagon Alley.....and he ends up in Knockturn Alley...and that creepy shop.....

Sorry, my nerd is showing.  I'll cover that up.....

Anyways I was imagining what the shop signs down Knockturn Alley would look like....and I ended up with this:

TUTORIAL: One Stroke Flowers

I made these cookies for my MIL last year.  I was feeling inventive....and my MIL is a super awesome woman and I love her.  So I wanted to do something pretty for her.  But I didn't have a lot of time.  So I had to cut a corner...my usual corner cut is to not mix colors.  I will make white cookies (because I don't have to color the icing to do that) and then airbrush....  or paint.

Now I know I have stated before that I am not the best at painting at cookies....Mostly because it's like painting with watercolors and that's just not my thing....but I still know a few painting techniques.

I remember in art class being taught this really easy way to paint two toned flowers.  It's called a one stroke technique.  Because you can apply 2 colors in one stroke and make a beautiful petal.

My Post Cookie Con Hand Painting Attempt

Also known as, my week trying to be as cool as Arty.

Well, I'm back from Cookie Con, and still not even kind of caught up on all the excitement.  I'm reeling.  It was AWESOME....with a capital AWE.

I'll do a Cookie Con recap later this week (or next), but for now I wanted to talk about something particular.

So Arty McGoo was there teaching in our little troupe that weekend.  And she did her all famous hand painting.  Really, if you enjoy damp dark places and have decided to live under a rock, and don't know who I'm talking about.... CLICK HERE.

Anyway, she did her demo on hand painting and somewhere during her presentation I said (aloud...why did I say it aloud?) "I think I can do that".

Then after Liz and I chatted, and she told me how fast and easy it was to paint on cookies.  I'm all for fast and easy....

And I came home.....and had a deadline to meet...and thought....quick and easy....ok... let's do this!

And after a WEEK this is what I came up with

Tutorial: Hand Painting - The Basics

So a couple days ago I posted these:

And I instantly got questions about these:

Notes From A Kitchen - Bonus TUTORIAL

I was trying to thin of some clever, cute, witty way to start this post, but I'm blanking.  So let's just jump to the good stuff.  Save the witty banter for later. 

  

Tutorial: Blue Butterflies

I received an email from a family friend last week with an interesting story:

After the tornado, I was following the Humane Society adopt-a-thon on Facebook.  There was a senior dog with health issues that kept getting passed by.  The Humane Society posted his picture and a large group of people were following the picture to see if someone would adopt him.  Finally, a woman named Wendy posted "I'm on my way".  Everyone went insane and was so excited.  The Executive Director of the Humane Society met Wendy at the gate and Wendy and her husband Rick adopted Max.  They in turn set up a Facebook page called Max's Miracles Page and a core group of people followed Max and donated to his care and upkeep.  Unfortunately, Max passed away in August.  A group of seven women that followed Max, Wendy and Rick got together and gave Wendy and Rick gifts from ashes I was able to get from Max's Vet.  We called ourselves Max's Aunties.  Shortly after Max passed, Wendy and Rick had an even more horrible tragedy ... Wendy's 23 year old son died in his sleep.  The group of aunties supported Wendy and Rick and have been there for them trying to help them through this horrible period.

The Aunties are from all over:  Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kansas City, North Carolina, Louisiana and three from Joplin.  Most of us have not met.  Next Sunday, this group will all be together for the first time here at my house.

I just thought this was so touching I just HAD to make cookies for her.