An Open Studio Tour at Monroe Center

Monroe Center added me to the poster advertising this event- I was so honored!

I love the sound of an “Open Studio Tour”… It just sounds so artsy! That’s exactly what the goings on were at the Monroe Center for the Arts in Hoboken this past Sunday. The building opened its doors to welcome in the visiting public and each studio or suite had the option to open up their places and participate.

Never one to "travel lightly" here I am admiring the art and waiting for the elevator

The lower level gallery was decorated with beautiful “action” photos of many of the studio owners. What a fabulous way to show off the talented members of Monroe!

"Creativity At Work" is on display in the lower lever photo gallery at Monroe Center

Coming off our successful Valentine Cookie Workshop at Urban Arts, I was honored to be asked to participate in the Open Studio Tour and hang out for the day.

Just a few of the amazing student projects on display at Urban Arts

I set up a little pop up shop where I sold my decorative cookies and also “tested” my new “line” of cookies I have been calling “Just add milk”! (So far so good- More about this later)

Sweet Dani B Frog Princes, Crowns, Owls, Lemon Lovies...

I also set up an “Ice with Me” demo where people were welcomed to join me in icing a cookie!

Come Ice with Me! A few of my favorite shapes set up with my Expert Icing Bottles

This little sweetie watched carefully before icing his heart half

Another fan of pink royal icing... this adorable expert icer caught on quick!

These sisters complimented their hearts with their fabulous outfits!

Whoooo said sisters?! These expert icers did a beautiful job with their owls!

Later on, I took a stroll down the hall and could not have been more elated that the Puppet Heap was open! In my next life, I want to come back as a puppet maker…

I could have stayed in The Puppet Heap for hours- their work is incredible! They also sell a few of their puppet designs- some are sweet like the puppy and others are scary cool like the squid- what an amazing gift item! I'll be back!

I also was happy to pop in and visit my new friends at Botanical Design. I have been looking for a floral vendor to recommend and these guys are amazing! They have just the right taste level and they are warm and welcoming. I love their studio space which is a combination of a showcase of their work and a working studio.

I loved that they were selling Spring Bulbs as well as welcoming guests into their studio- Sweet!

How fun is this? A Tango workshop!

A piece I loved on display at Janet Greene Jewelry Design studio

After my walking tour, I stumbled upon “Rosie’s Weenie Wagon”, which was set up in the perfect spot- between the elevator and the live music! While loading up an order of nachos for me (yum), Rosie mentioned she is available for party bookings: how fun would it be to have her wheel her cart into your yard this summer?

Rosie working her magic on an order of loaded nachos- mmmm!

Monroe hosts Open Studio Tours about twice a year but the building is always bustling and open to the public. It’s a wonderful place to visit and is a fast growing cultural center. I had a great time on Sunday and am looking forward to returning for our Spring Cookie Workshops March 31st and April 1st! Check out our Workshop Schedule and come join in the fun!   Xo Dani

 

Oscar Owls… A “Wise” Solution!

“I’d like to thank the Academy for taking all the fun out of my Ocsar party dessert buffet.”  -Dani 

No autographs please!

Well, maybe not all the fun… I was surprised to find out this year that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences banned and really cracked down on any reproduction of its trademarked materials. I discovered this fact when I wanted to make an Oscar statue cookie cupcake topper, and it was impossible to find a cookie cutter. It took a bit of time for me to come up with a “wise solution” but eventually it dawned on me! Instead of stiff statue cookies I turned to the fun and fabulous Sweet Dani B Owl! After icing, I topped them with gold coarse sanding sugar, gold candy bead feet and filled in their signature curious eyes with brown royal icing. Voilà! Here’s a cute and delicious cookie that is red carpet ready for Sunday!

For your consideration, the Sweet Dani B Oscar Owl Cookie! (roaring applause)

I always set up movie parties in a pretty casual way, so I love the idea of placing these guys placed on parchment paper and writing in Oscar questions around them. If you are having a sit down dinner, here’s a cute idea for a place setting…

You can easily write each person's name down the side here or add a cute place card tent to the plate

Take that! Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences! In my opinion, its a little over the top to ban Oscar cookie cutters, but I ended up appreciating the challenge… My Oscar Owls feel like winners already!

Happy Oscars! Go Uggie!  Xo Dani

PS. I’ll be selling my Oscar Owls, my Sweet Dani B Expert Icing Kit and many other delicious items this Sunday, February 26th from 1:00 to 4 p.m. at Urban Arts, Suite E206 in Monroe Center in Hoboken! Stop by and see us!

Spreading the Love… A Valentine Cookie Workshop

Several years ago I had a very (very) small studio space in the Monroe Center of the Arts, located on Monroe Street in Hoboken, NJ. The Monroe Center is a city block sized warehouse style building that for years has been home to art related businesses. When the cookie portion of my business took off, I had to find a studio with a kitchen and the Monroe Center was not an option. I was sad to leave because I especially loved the community feeling of working amongst other artists at the Monroe Center.

Patti and Justine, founders of Urban Arts at Monroe Center

It’s funny how life circles you back sometimes… Early this year I was so happy to be introduced to two local artists, Patti Morale and Justine Uva, who own a beautiful studio space in the Monroe Center called “Urban Arts“. Patti and Justine were looking for ways to expand their students’ horizons in art and thought my cookie workshops might be a good fit. When Justine said “We do what we love and we love what we do” I knew I had found the perfect place!

Sweet Dani B's "Sweets for My Sweet" Cookie Icing Students hard at work

Our first workshop “Sweets for My Sweet” was held this past Sunday, in two sessions. Classes filled up quickly and it was a wonderful balance of Urban Arts students mixed in with some amazing Sweet Dani B “friends ‘n’ fans” (thank you!)- a few, who I was so touched and flattered to find out, drove from Boston and Rhode Island to attend (Wow! Thank you!). This eclectic mix of excited cookie icers ran the gamut from “Mommies and Me” (girls and boys, and all ages of Moms and their kids), to groups of girlfriends, to 11 year old B.F.F’s, to a sweetheart Valentine date, to a family day out… I truly loved seeing everyone come together to share a few hours with us doing what we love…

Daughter and Mom Expert Icers, Diaz and Kelly sketch out their cookie ideas before icing

Our Valentine Candy Bar ready to go

Agastya and Devika working on their heart cookie

"Art BFFs" (and Urban Arts students) Maxine & Caroline did an amazing job icing their cookies

Showing off one of my favorite "moves" the cookie cookie shake

LOVE + BUG!

This little sweetie was all business when icing her cookies! She did a great job! (Love her shirt!)

(More adorable style!) Isabella and her Mom had a great time bringing Isabella's amazing cookie sketches to life

Not only are these cookies adorable, I am sure they were delicious covered in Valentine candy!

This expert icer had a great time icing cookies with her family who all attended together- sweet!

Speaking of sweet, these "sweethearts" came to our workshop as their Valentine date- now that's my kind of outing!

Amazingly iced cookies packed up and heading to Providence, RI...

...along with Expert Icers Dana, Alli, and Helene! What a SWEET visit!

Nine batches of icing and sixty cookies later, we called it a day on “Sweets for my Sweet”. It was a wonderful day “doing what I love and loving what I do” and sharing that with all the Expert Icers who attended. Thanks to Justine & Patti for welcoming me back to the Monroe Center… I can hardly wait for our next cookie workshop (March 31st and April 1st)!  Hope you can join us- details coming soon!

Xoxo Dani

We "HEART" cookie icing!

For more photos from our cookie workshop, check out Dani’s Flickr page! Email us with your photos from the event at info@sweetdanib.net  to add to this album! SWEET!

Happy Birthday Owl Cake Topper

My friend, Amanda, inspired my owl love years ago when she gifted me this amazing necklace from a shop in Rhode Island.

My Owl Necklace from Amanda- just the beginning!

On her birthday this year, I decided to send some owl love back her way and volunteered to make her birthday cake topper. I baked a giant owl sugar cookie from my collection of oversized “vintage” Martha by Mail cutters. Since the cookie is so big, I baked it with 2 skewers to steady it.

Before icing I made sure I had all adornments ready to go. This is a big surface area and I didn’t want the icing to dry before I could ice the feathers and add everything on…

Baked Giant Owl waiting to be decorated

I used this crazy cool “satellite” candy I found in the grocery store for the eye orbs…

I LOVE the vintage looking packaging!

Look what's inside! So festive!

Next I mixed up the Amanda color palette: Orange, deep pink, brown and yellow…

A few of Amanda's favorite colors!

I snipped my bottle tip to allow icing flow more quickly and iced the entire surface area in orange.

The icing comes out much faster this way

I especially LOVE this XL candy heart. My friends at coppergifts.com sent me these and I’ve been hoarding them! This was the perfect occasion to break one out! I let the body dry overnight.

Goodnite Mr. Owl!

In the morning I added the owl wings. At first I tried a similar pattern in opposite colors but it looked too busy so I scraped it and settled on bright pink wings covered in sanding sugar.

Look at how pretty my scraped icing blob was!

Last touch was to pipe on the eye balls using brown royal icing. I let the cookie dry for 8 hours and gathered my “cake topper kit”.

This Owl is ready to party!

Little did I know I wouldn’t have room for all these items… The cake was smaller than I was picturing but Amanda’s Owl looked extra majestic as a result!

the Giant Owl makes his entrance...

Amanda and Birthday Owl became fast friends and even though her dinner guests really wanted a taste… She just couldn’t eat him!

Whoooo wants cake?

Here’s to another SWEET friendship! Xoxo