Happy Birthday Cookies!

Happy 16th Birthday!

 So my friend asked me a couple of weeks ago if I would make her non-cake eating son, cookies for his birthday.  I said of course (he is a fan, and we need to keep them well fed), but I asked her to wait until after Spring Fling for Cookiers in case I learned something really cool.  A few days before I left, I spotted a birthday bag leaving Stienmart and told my sister I liked those pennants on that bag.

I spotted this bag a few weeks back and knew pennants would make a cute tray of cookies.

Spring Fling was great fun, and I learned how to do brush embroidery, really the only new technique, but it energized me to adapt better.  So based on the talk by Callye I learned to think outside the box, and I went back and bought that bag and used it as inspiration for these cookies.  I have always used Karen's method of the bullets inside the disposable decorating bags.  I was pretty surprised how many women weren't doing this.  Clean up is a cinch, and all my bags hang with my aprons.

I dry my bags here since I use the magic bullets in them!

I thought about what Mary Ann said about varying sizes and colors to make a platter.  Now mine are not overflowing like hers do, I only had 2 dozen, but I needed those pennants to lay out for the message.  I think it worked out fine.  Then, I took some photos for my blog and thought about Glory and her wise words of open shade.  And they aren't too awful either.  I have a lot to learn with my camera for sure!

So I must say it was fun to get back into decorating mode after Louisville.  I also took a few photos of my work space.  There has been a little discussion about clean vs. neat.  I am pretty neat.

I sketched and planned a little more than usual.

Tips, couplers and color...

That W means it is watered down.

I also shot my box of Americolor gels, and you can see a few have a W written on the color dot on the lid.  This lets me know I couldn't squeeze out another drop, so I added water to use up all that liquid gold.  Another blogger had this on her site this week, and I sort of kicked myself, as I have been doing this for years! The first time I rinsed out one of those bottle to toss in recycling I watched all that color go down the drain and thought, "Hey, wait a sec here!"

So Happy 16th Mckenzie...and here's to the non-cake eaters out there!  Sugar cookiers rejoice!  So, what are you waiting for?  Get in there and bake!