My Digital Studio {First Birthday Invitations}

I am working on some invitation ideas for 1st birthdays. This round is for boys, and I’m going to come up with some for girls as well.

I like to start by looking at online invitation sites for ideas and layouts, then using the My Digital Studio program (MDS), I make my own version.

Sometimes I will make the design by hand and sometimes I’ll print it out on card stock or glossy card stock. Of course I prefer the 3D handmade version most times, but sometimes both are nice.

Version 1: Created in MDS using Hoppy Memories DSP, tempting turquoise, star punch, circle punch, serif numbers, big bold birthday


Version 2: Based on design from tinyprints.com. Created in MDS with chocolate chip background, TIZA font in bashful blue, certainly celery, and so saffron.


Version 3: Created in MDS using tempting turquoise background, Big Bold Birthday circles; truck made from tag punch, circle punch, square punch; All in the family stamp set


Version 4: MDS created using My Sweet Pea Digital Kit, Curly label punch, circle punch, big bold birthday.

Tote-ally Tess Made you a Cupcake

tess_cupcake

Ever since I saw the stamp set Tote-ally Tess, I knew I was going to have her holding a cupcake! The set comes with stamping stuff, which is cute, but I hope they come out with other kinds of accessories for her too!

The card base is Pale Plum. I layered Shades of Spring DSP on to Basic Black card stock to make it pop more. Tess is stamped with Memento Black ink on white card stock. I colored her in with Copic Markers. The cupcake is from Crazy for Cupcakes, also colored with Copic Markers and popped up with a Stampin Dimensional.

The sentiment is from Tote-ally Tess stamp set, which I stamped in Memento Black ink on Whisper White card stock. Again, I layered it with Basic Black and attached it to the base with Dimensionals.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Hope 2010 is going to be a good year for my family and yours!

Roasted Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting

Yes, the name alone is delicious. The recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes Book. I had some bananas and instead of making the old banana bread recipe (which is great nonetheless) I opted for something new.

The recipe worked out great for me, even though my egg whites deflated while waiting for the roasted bananas to cool (poor planning on my part). And if you’ve never roasted bananas in their skin, they will get BLACK but the banana inside gets so sweet and concentrated. It REALLY made a difference in the recipe. Oh and the frosting–to die for! Different than the usual buttercream, it really makes these cupcakes stand out.

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, plus 1 to 2 more for garnish
2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 3 whole unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and roast 15 minutes (the peels will darken). Meanwhile, sift together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Remove bananas from oven and let cool before peeling. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

2. With an electric mixer on medium–high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add roasted bananas, and beat to combine. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of sour cream, and beating until just combined after each. Beat in vanilla.

3. In another mixing bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites to soft peaks; fold one-third whites into batter to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites in two batches.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
2 1/2 cups Confectioner’s Sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Honey
Makes enough for 16 cupcakes

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container; before using, bring to room temperature and beat until smooth.

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