Chalkboard art gift label

**If you are new here and are visiting from The Ellen Show, we are glad you stopped by!  I hope you like what you see here.  Looking for the Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Scrub Recipe that was shared on Ellen’s site?  You can find that by clicking on this link:  Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Scrub!  You will find a full tutorial with step by step photos and instructions.   I also offer a free download for the fun labels!  Thanks for stopping by!

I was hoping to share this with you earlier,but it ended up being a “last minute” project.  With the events of the last weekend, I found myself wanting to distance myself from the computer and the internet…so this years Teacher Gifts sat undone.

Chalk Board Art Tags-07

I always like to give the kids teachers a practical gift that they will actually use.  I have made a few different versions of these unique and personalized Hand Sanitizer Bottles and this year was no exception.  The kids teachers have always “claimed” to love them so we continue to give them out.  I always add a fun gift card for the local Movie Theater or a Restaurant for them to enjoy, along with the Hand Sanitizer.

Chalk Board Art Tags cover

If you are new here, you might want to check out some of the other Hand Sanitizer Bottles I have shared:

Hand in Hand Sanitizer Bottle

Monogrammed Hand Sanitizer

Christmas Joy Hand Sanitizer

Thanksgiving Hand Sanitizer

Chalk Board Art Tags-09

This year I decided to show you an example of putting the label INSIDE the bottle, which is the same as I have done for all our past versions of this along with putting the label on the OUTSIDE of the bottle.  My personal preference is for the label to be on the inside, which is printed on a sheet of Transparency Paper (film).  And the label on the outside of the bottle is simply just printed on a laser printer onto some white cardstock.

Chalk Board Art Tags-13

For complete, step-by-step instructions, please refer to this hand sanitizer tutorial.  If you are going to make labels to go inside the bottle you will need to print onto your transparency with a laser printer.  This is a CRUCIAL step.  Every year I get emails from people who use an ink jet printer and wonder why their ink slides off into the bottle.

If you don’t have a Laser printer or copier, or your printer is not made to print on transparencies (check your owners manual), then you can simply have your local copy center print it onto a transparency for you.  They usually charge a small fee but in the scope of things, this turns out to be a very affordable gift!

Chalk Board Art Tags-15

I have provided you with a free download of this fun Chalkboard Art Christmas Label. Simply click on the link or the image below to download the labels for your own use. You will need to re-size the labels to fit into the bottles you end up using. I made them a bit larger so you could use larger bottles if you would like too. Just re-size the image in your printing program before printing.

I printed mine out so that the width measured 2.75 inches (if my memory serves me right).

 Merry&Bright Chalkboard Art Label

Merry and Bright

*As always please remember to link back to this post and send others here rather than sharing them on your own sites.  These are for your own personal use and are not for resale or redistribution.

Chalk Board Art Tags-01

I am really enjoying this trendy Chalkboard Art…so of course I had to put my own little twist on it.  Aren’t they so much fun?  And, if you don’t want to make the hand sanitizer bottles (or soap bottles) you can simply print these out and use them as a gift tag or frame it for your desk!

Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

*December 13, 2012 Update: I have had many of you wanting the labels to download…Great News! They are now available and you can get them by clicking on this link: 

Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Scrub Labels

You will notice that you have to Like my Face Book page to get it.  This is now where I will be placing all my free downloads so that they are free and accessible to my fans.  I LOVE to share with my fans but am getting tired of some people sharing my stuff all over the internet or on their own sites, without linking back or mentioning the true source of my content.  

As always I really appreciate the loyalty of my fans!  Hope you can use these!  And I always love seeing your finished items if you get a sec to send me a note or an email!

Sugar-Scrub-recipe

Guess what? I have another version of some sugar scrubs for you today.  I LOVE these!  And they make the perfect homemade gift.  Last week I shared with you a Thanksgiving version…Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub Recipe.  This time I wanted something that was Christmas in a Jar!  So what could be better than a Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Scrub.

Sugar-Scrub-recipe

Sugar Scrubs are a great way to add some moisture and soften up winter-dry skin.  And who doesn’t need that this time of year.  It is also a great way to relax during this crazy busy season.

Candy-Cane-Sugar-Scrub-04

I simply took two cups of white granulated Sugar and mixed in a 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup Almond Oil (Coconut Oil will work too).  Add the oil slowly till you have a nice soft consistency that is soft but not too oily.  Then add a few drops of Peppermint Essential Oil.

Candy-Cane-Sugar-Scrub-08

Once you have it all mixed together you will want to divide the scrub into two equal parts and in separate containers.  You will need to add some color to one of the containers.  You can use a little bit of food coloring OR you can add some raspberry juice like I did.  I simply took a couple of drops of juice from a bag of frozen raspberries…the perfect organic red colorant.

Candy-Cane-Sugar-Scrub-10

Make a large funnel out of a piece of paper (a small one will not allow enough room for the sugar scrub to pass through it) and add a small amount into the jar.  Press the sugar down lightly so that the sugar is even.

Candy-Cane-Sugar-Scrub-12

Then add a white layer so that they are about the same height and flatten it.  Continue back and forth with as many layers and as thick or thin a layer you would like.  So pretty right?

sugar-scrubs

Print out a pretty label and add some fun scrapbook paper or bow and you have the perfect hostess or Holiday gift!

sugar-scrubs

First time here?  Check out some of our past Sugar Scrub Recipes:

Lemon Sugar Scrub

Peppermint Foot Scrub

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub

Brown Sugar Scrub

<class=”pin-it-button” count-layout=”horizontal”> Pin It

 

 

Candy cane swirl cake

This is a story about a Candy Cane Swirl Cake that tasted better than it looked…

Candy cane swirl cake cover 6wm

Pin It

{Don’t let the picture fool you…that is some creative photography…}

I don’t really share my craft/cooking fails with you guys and I don’t want you to think that I never have any…cause believe me…I do.  Not everything turns out like I had imagined it in my head.  Can anyone relate?  I wanted to share this delicious cake we made over the Christmas holidays but it was just not pretty enough to make the cut.  Even though it tasted really great. 

candy cane swirl cake 7wm

{See?  I told you!}

I originally saw the Candy Cane Swirl Cake at Betty Crocker.  But instead of using a box cake, I decided to make my favorite white cake recipe from scratch.

White Cake Recipe

  • 1 cup butter

  • 2 cups white sugar

  • 4 large eggs

  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 3/4 cups milk

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Grease and flour pans lightly. I used three 8 inch round pans.

  3. Cream together butter & vanilla extract.

  4. Add sugar slowly until all is added and it is mixed well.

  5. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

  6. In a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt together twice.

  7. Now add flour mixture, alternating between the milk and flour. Mixing well after each again.

  8. ______________________________

1/2 teaspoon red food color (see Directions #1 below)

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (see Directions #1 below)

candy cane swirl cake 1wm

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed above. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. In small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.

candy cane swirl cake 2wm

2. Bake cake at 350°F and cool completely.

3. In small bowl, mix white icing ingredients. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread over cake. Sprinkle crushed candy on top. Store loosely covered.

White Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk or water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla, if desired

candy cane swirl cake 4wm

I am not quite sure why my cake fell apart.  Maybe the box cake would have been better to use in the bundt pan.  But it sure did taste good.  And there were several salvageable pieces of cake that I was able to serve up that looked halfway decent.  Hehe.  And with some creative photography I was almost able to make it look…well…somewhat presentable.

candy cane swirl cakewm

I have decided to share more of these creativity failures with you as part of trying to keep it real.  What do you think?  Are you looking forward to seeing some of my creative catastrophes??

candy cane swirl cake 5 wm cover

Pin It