Ode to Pinterest & Celebrating 40 ~ Studio J

I have two more layouts to share with you that I created on Studio J. The first one is a collage of all those recipes and projects I finally stopped hoarding on my Pinterest boards and actually tried.

 

This second layout is a collection of photo's from my 40th Birthday celebration! So often I'm scrapbooking for my kids, family, Holidays or travels. It's very rare that I'm in front of the camera and scrapbook my own personal events or accomplishments. I figure turning forty is a worthy accomplishment and I really should document it! {My husband and I were also celebrating 20 years of marriage which is also quite an achievement!}

You still have time to create your Studio J layouts for only $5 and win some prizes too! Click on the Current Specials tab for more details. If your on Instagram you can search #ctmhlucky5 for some inspiration and I have recently "pinned" ideas on Pinterest that will surely make you think beyond a traditional two-page layout!

H2H Rock and Roll {sweet treats for fall}

Rolling right along with more challenges this week! I can't resist some rocking and rolling at the Heart2Heart challenges blog. This is always such a fun technique!

I found a great picture on Pinterest of some pumpkin doughnuts which led me to the recipe on the King Arthur Flour website. So after I baked them {and sampled a few} then I thought of this week's challenge and how fun it would be to package these up as a fall gift for someone.

The Nature's Vein stamp set was the perfect choice for the rock & roll technique. After all, the fall leaves are never just one solid color, but vary in the yellow's, orange's, green's and red's.

For the top of my jar, I simply cut a brown paper bag into a large circle. I stamped it with some background dots in chocolate ink. I wrapped it together with some twine and a stitched orange ribbon bow.

You can click on the link above to get the pumpkin doughnut recipe. It originally suggest baking the doughnuts in a special pan in the oven. I don't have a special pan, but I do have the cake pop maker, so my doughnuts became holes! Here's a few tips I've learned through trial and error.

This is my cake pop maker, got it on sale at Kohl's.

 

 Rather than using a spoon to fill the holes, I place the batter in this handy

Tupperware cake frosting container, which I've had for years now!

So much quicker and cleaner than the spoon method.



See, quick and clean!

After they have baked with the lid shut for 2-3 minutes I use the little prong tool

to flip them over. The bottom of the machine cooks at a higher heat than the top.

I believe they now sell this machine with a handle so you can rotate it.

When they are baked to a golden color, drop them in a bowl of cinnamon and sugar until well coated.

They are super moist and full of flavor. Be sure to try this recipe this season!

 

P.S. I'd like to say Thank you to the folks at King Arthur Flour for pinning the picture and recipe. This is a fabulous recipe that I will be making again and again. I saw another pin that stated "Pinterest is just electronic hoarding", so funny, sadly true. I promise not to just hoard, but to try some projects, recipes and to also contribute my own art and ideas to Pinterest!