I'm pleased to introduce you to my friend, Jill. We meet a couple of years ago when Jill inquired about my Cookies With A Mission ministry. She has been a generous supporter of CWAM and we've become fast friends with lots of things in common. I'm excited to share Jill and her wonderful online decorating shop, Sweet Art Factory, with you.

Where did your love for cookie decorating begin and do you still love to decorate cookies now that you have a full time cookie decorating business?

I started as a cake decorator. I was trained under an amazing decorator, Starr Kinsey, in Los Angeles. I never had a passion for decorating cookies until I started SweetArtFactory.com. I started carrying cookie cutters in my store and started seeing the obsession of cookie decorating and what an art form it is. This is when I got hooked. I wish I had more time to decorate cookies and would love to do it more. My inspirations come from people like Pam and others who are far better and more talented than I. Their attention to detail is amazing!

Tell us how Sweet Art Factory came about.

I developed a cake decorating technique, called “The Write Way” to decorating. I have book called “Creative Cakes Anyone Can Make” that has sold all over the world. In 1997 I started a website, WriteWayCakes.com to connect people with new ideas for decorating. I had many people ask me where to find decorating products. At that same time, I was ending a 16 year marriage and needed to find another income stream to support me and my two boys. That is how SweetArtFactory.com came about. It started as a way to provide people with hard to find decorating tools and help my family at the same time. It has been a blessing to learn the online business along with serving fantastic customers. 

 

Among the products you offer, what are your favorites? Which do you use the most in your own kitchen?

My favorite products are the 100’s of cookie cutters we have. Every time I find a new cookie cutter to sell on the site, it is like Christmas when I get them in the mail. I open the box and can’t wait to take the photos and put them on the site. I also LOVE the disposable decorating bags and variety of color gels. 

 

What if a decorator wants an item that you don't carry? Are you willing to try to carry things on demand?

Most of my business growth is due to customers asking me to carry new products. I am always willing to meet the needs of the home decorator and baker.

What piece of advice would you give a beginning decorator?

Start out with something easy so you feel successful. I know people that see something in a book or website and say, “I can do that”, only to realize how difficult it is. A lot of the designs in my gallery are intended for the novice decorator. I encourage them to have patience and enjoy it. Our motto at SweetArtFactoy.com is “Be Inspired, Get Creative, Have FUN!”

What is the most challenging part of running Sweet Art Factory?

Since I am a single mom, I work three jobs to sustain our family. I am a Director of a Christian preschool with 10 staff and 98 children. Then I own and operate SweetArtFactory.com and teach decorating classes at our local recreation center. So, it is the juggling of my jobs and being a mom of two active teenage boys that make it challenging. I love ALL that I do, but it gets crazy at times.

So how do you make it all work......care for your family, run an online cookie decorating business, AND work full time at your other business?!

It starts every morning at 5:30 a.m.,- time with God. I make a hot cup of coffee, read my devotions and the Bible and then pray until 6:30 a.m. This one hour sustains me for the entire day. I also have learned to sacrifice other things for the greater purposes God has for me. My boys know they come first and when they are up and grown, I will be able to look at more opportunities. My goal right now is to grow SweetArtFactory.com to work at it full-time. 

 

What is your favorite thing to do to “get away from it all”?

I LOVE to walk. I walk every night, usually with one or both my kids (and dog Reggie!). My favorite place to go is La Jolla Cove in San Diego. I also love to travel. Decorating cakes and cookies is also my therapy. 

 

What is the most gratifying part of operating Sweet Art Factory?

The people I have met and doing what I love! It is also a joy to give a portion of my profits to two mission fields that I am passionate about. I support five girls in nursing school with an organization called “Restored Heritage” in Cebu, Philippines. I also support the Mallawong family in Hin Hua, Thailand. I have had the opportunity to go and work in the orphanages. It makes my heart bubble over knowing that my small business is helping people across the world.

Are there any future plans for Sweet Art Factory?

My plan is to be one of the top baking supply companies dedicated to the home baker and decorator. Every day I learn something new is this business and it inspires me to keep moving forward. One thing about the people who decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies and candy – they are the SWEETEST people you will ever meet!

If you have never ordered from SweetArtFactory.com, when you place your first order, type SweetTweet in the voucher line on the shopping cart and receive 25% off your product order.

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OK all you shoppers out there.....here's your chance.....25% OFF....YIPPEE!

Thanks Jill for sharing about you and Sweet Art Factory. What a blessing to have you in my life!