Blueberry Cupcakes

We had two containers of fresh blueberries at home and after religiously pouring them into every cereal I would eat I was afraid, being that it was fresh fruit they would go bad in a couple of days :( So I decided I wanted to bake something with them. Blueberry muffins were out for being soooo cliche (also the last time I DID bake something it WAS blueberry muffins).

My next idea was to make blueberry PancakePuffs. Remember PancakePuffs?? It was a cast iron pan you put on your stove that made round little pancakes. Since I have my cupcake maker, I figured if I put pancake batter in it, it ALSO would make pancake puffs.

I finally decided just to go with my instinct and make my favorite thing in the world, cupcakes! I googled "Blueberry Cupcakes" and picked the first I recipe I found which was on Squidoo.

They turned out pretty good. The batch only make about 12 even though it said it made 18 LARGE cupcakes but oh well it's not like I can eat 18 anyway.

I also added leftover Teal Wilton Food Coloring I had to the frosting and attempted to pipe it on the top.

Want to try the recipe for yourself?? The original is at Squidoo but I typed out a copy for you all here:

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup blueberries

Instructions

Sift dry ingredients together to mix well.
Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Whisk egg vigorously to incorporate air and make the eggs light.
Stir in egg, milk and vanilla and combine thoroughly.
Add to dry mixture and stir together (some lumps should remain) and add the blueberries.
Fill well greased muffin tins with batter until two thirds full.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until done.

As I've said before, I am no pastry chef, or baker, nor do I ever claim to be exceptionally good at it. It is just something I do to destress myself and make the people around me happy :)

"Jerseylicious" Briella Digital Portrait!

Hey everyone just wanted to feature some more of my freelance work on my blog. You all know I love Jerseylicious, right?? So you can imagine how psyched I was when Briella approached me to create her a digital portrait! Of course I was immediately on board!

Photo from MyStyle

At first she suggested a photo of herself but later changed her mind and requested an animated version of her and her boyfriend. Aww, how sweet!!

Here's the photo she provided me with:

And here is what I created for her:

I think it turned out really great! She loved it and even used it on her Twitter, Fanpage and personal Facebook page for awhile. Wow! She is such a great person and truly a truly down to earth kind of girl. To learn more about the real Briella, check her out in this cool interview below:

Interview with Briella Marie of Jerseylicious from Kelly Lynn Adams on Vimeo.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

"Octopus in Love" Watercolor Painting

Hey everyone just wanted to share another one of my creative gift solutions of Christmas for one of my friends.

James is a good friend of mine that I have known for probably 4 years and we met online back when Xanga was realllyyy cool.

But he likes Octopus and so we came up with the concept of "Octopus in Love." I created the cartoon octopus from simple sketches, scanned them in and printed them on some watercolor paper I had laying around my house.

From there I broke out my brushes (instead of the usual crayola crayons) and did something I dread; watercolor painting. I need the practice. I took my time and picked orange and brown colors I knew he and I both favor. For the background I just did a blue and green wash of paint.

I put it in a frame and ta-dah instant masterpiece.

Have a great day everyone!!

Tamara and Owen Digital Portrait

Just wanted to update everyone with an illustration I did a couple of months ago for my friend and fellow artist, Tamara.

Original Photo by Peter Nopp

She recently got married in 2010 and also had her first child; a little baby boy named Owen!! She contacted me via Facebook about doing a portrait of her with Owen and I gladly took on the project.

She provided me with two photos to work from and combining features from both, I came up with this:

Isn't it adorable?? She loved it!!

If you want a portait of yourself, friends or family illustrated by me for yourself feel free to fill out a form with the details on my website's contact page or just e-mail me at violetinkdesign@gmail.com

Have a great day everyone!!

TD Party Glasses

Hey everyone just wanted to let you know about one of the latest and greatest creations in the Tracy DiMarco branding empire;

TD PARTY GLASSES!

They're super hip glasses created by Tracy herself covered in sparkling embellishments. Rhinestones, jewels, glimmering hearts and stars or even your own name or initials! They truly make a statement.

I love them so much I created Tracy an illustration featuring a digitally rendered pair from one of the product photos I saw. She even used it on her fapage for a bit. Wow!

You can order one of her pre-designed ones or pick a customization of your own. Be the first of your friends to own one of these trendy accessories by contacting Tracy DiMarco's Assistant Ashley (http://www.facebook.com/TracyDAsstAshley). Make a statement when you're out partying or just laying out at the beach.

a Life of Bunny CONTEST!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to make an entry to help promote the contest from one of my blog followers, Bunny!

She posts great reviews on products, makeup, photos, has an awesome sense of humor and I love reading her blog. To celebrate her 200th post she's throwing this contest with TWO SETS of unique prizes!

Each prize pack is chock full with adorable bunny themed products. It's easy to enter!! Just click the link here: http://unchainedbunny.blogspot.com/2011/01/omg-200th-post-give-away-beauty-or.html!! Hurry though, contest ends this January on the 24th!! And don't forget to follow her blog!

Good luck everyone :D