I use parchment paper also. I roll one cookie at a time-it's quicker, I
have major space limitations, and I don't make more than two dozen
cookies.

Just pinch off a small piece of !cold! dough, roll it out, apply cookie
cutter, peel away the excess before removing the cutter.

You can then lift up a smaller piece of parchment paper and peel off
with the aid of gravity the shape to lay on your cookie sheet, or bake
it right on the parchment paper.

I have also used flour on the countertop and rolled directly on the
counter but you end up with drier, tougher, grittier cookies.
A retired coworker (mennonite) brings us her rolled cookies each
year-they are fabulous and she uses her mother's sour cream recipe.

I like to use a cream cheese recipe and I like to sink my teeth into a
sugar cookie so I don't like to roll them too thin.

I have Mom's cookie cutters-clear red plastic from the 50's-although
they are a pain to use (tight corners where dough can stick) they do
make the prettiest cookies, with pressed detailing on the tops. Fond
childhood memories-Thanks, Mom!

I have never seen any before but always thought larger square sugar
cookies frosted to look like quilts would be quite beautiful and not
limited to Christmas time. If I had the time and space I would love to
indulge my somewhat geometric artistic sense :-)

I would like to try to stencil on a prefrosted white "canvas." The craft
stores sell tiny little brass stencils with elaborate tiny detailing
that would work quite nicely I think for cookie decorating.

If any of you are true artists, try baking a 10x12 single cookie, and
then "paint" the frosting with food colored thinned-out frosting and
decorate it as a landscape etc. A pretty tray is your frame. A group of
people will ooh and ahh before eating your masterpiece :-)