I try REALLY hard to creating something original when it comes to cookies. Usually I find inspiration in magazines, greeting cards, kids clothing, craft stores…aw heck, just about anywhere something catches my eye. Yes, I am continually influenced by others techniques and dabble with them on occasion, but when I do, I try to do it with a Melissa Joy twist {like how to do this wood grain from SweetAmbs!}.
Whether conscious or not, I keep myself aware of my surroundings for ideas . Some call it cookie think or cookie brain, but I am sure all types of artists do this. When I was immersed in dance long ago, I remember seeing people on the sidewalk go though space as if on stage. The way they passed between one another and their gestures became a beautiful dance; phrases of movement that flowed together right in front of me as the audience. Now my medium has changed to flour, butter and sugar. I see cookies in everything!
Once and a while the mojo disappears and leaves me hanging. I freak out. I compare my work to other amazing cookie decorators in cyberspace. I swear I will hang up my pastry bags and throw in the old apron, never to make another fancy sugar cookie again.
Eventually I realize I have to stop myself from being so dumb, thinking that I’m not good enough. Good enough for who?! That comparison thing is an evil creativity killer. Soon I find a spark that gets me itching to make those labor intensive baked goods. Certain new ideas I will obsess about until I can make them, deciding how to execute the process while I’m waiting in line at the bank or when I should be paying attention in conversations. Whoops.
So these croquet cookies were one of those ideas. I saw a photo of a set in a magazine, thinking it was fun and summery, and doubled that with LilaLoa’s monthly challenge to “add something extra” to a cookie. I decided to try fondant, after a little tutorial from a new friend who makes cakes. Thanks Laura! Using it on half of the croquet balls was an easy way to add a clean texture. What wasn’t clean was my hands after kneading red food dye into the white fondant. It looked rather frightening. Fondant is super fun to work with though, like being a kid messing around with playdough.
Makes you want to bust out that cobweb strewn croquet set from the back of the garage, doesn’t it? Or make you crave something sweet to eat. Either way, it should motivate you to embrace these last weeks of summer.
Game on!
Melissa Joy Cookies 
wonderful cookies and great post! it’s nice to know that i’m not the only one out there feeling this way. i actually took a break from cookies because i felt i lost my “cookie mojo” and was constantly comparing myself to all the other awesome cookiers out there who have way more talent than I ever will. but i can feel that little spark trying to ignite again…thank you for your honest post.
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”-theodore roosevelt.
I love that quote because it is so dead on. I hope your get your mojo back! You are an amazing cookier and I love what you create! We need to stop being so silly!!! We are awesome. 🙂
Totally cute set! Love that you used fondant.
And not to worry – we all have a tendency to compare our work to others. It’s hard not to. There are so many awesome, mind blowing, how did they do that?!? cookiers out there! But in the end, we don’t make cookies for comparison, right? We do it for ourselves. And for the love of the cookie!! 🙂
It must be human nature to compare…and yes, we DO do it for ourselves and for others to enjoy by eating them up! That’s all that matters in the end. For the love of the cookie! Huzzah! 🙂
These are just wonderful! I am a huge fan of your work, Huge! I think that we all struggle a bit here and there, especially with the explosion in the last few years in the world of cookie decorating. It is easy to compare, but if you ever get down, try to take a step back and look at your portfolio through different eyes. You will see it as unique and wonderful as I do.
How come you are so wonderful?! You made me get a bit choked up with your sweet words. Thanks so much for posting and understanding. Cookie people are lovely people!
These are incredible! The wood grain is so realistic. And I am impressed that you worked with fondant too! I totally hear you on the “idea in the brain” thing. As a paper crafter, I do the exact same thing until it can be executed! Beautiful cookies!
I figured you did that too! 🙂
That wood grain is spectacular! And fondant is fun AND delicious, in my opinion, and totally perfect for capturing the texture of croquet balls- love it! And, just saying, there are a lot of people out there looking at YOUR beautiful cookies and wondering how YOU do it. You are an inspiration to me, for one.
I decided I don’t really like the taste of fondant, but it is super fun to work with. And now I have a huge blob of it left to try it again someday. Wish you lived closer so we could create together! Thanks for your sweet words, Rebecca. You’re making me blush. 😉
These are utterly fantastic!
Thanks Sue!
Beautiful set of cookies! I love the wood grain and how you used fondant to get that perfect texture of the croquet balls! And I totally understand the dreaded, bad habit of cookie comparing. Why do we do that to ourselves? Ugh!
I would never imagine you, of all people, would compare yourself to anyone! You are a cookie genius!!! 🙂