Build a Wreath with Single Stamps + Giveaway + Winner!

Sweet and cute - you know that's my thing!  Today I've got a couple of cute and sweet projects featuring wreaths made with single stamps for Christmas in July!

Welcome to the third post of Visions of Sugarplums in July!  You can scroll down to see the first two posts with fun projects and videos.  Or click HERE and HERE.

The challenge is over, but I do have a small giveaway below.  And also a video with tips on creating wreaths.

This wreath is stamped with an oval in mind, but also a little wonky here and there.  That sweet kitty is from one of my favorite Christmas stamp sets:  Purrfect Holdays.

And I have a set to give away!  If you would like to have this sweet stamp set to create some cards of your own, just let me know in the comments.  I'll choose a winner (by random selection).  The winner will be announced Sunday, August 4th.

This fun wreath tag features stamps from Waffle Flower.  And this is my go-to treat bag (again)!

Check out the video:




Now for the winner of the Visions of Sugarplums (in July) challenge!  The winner is Gail from Crafty Nomad.  Gail has won $20 at Simon Says Stamp!  Gail if you don't get an email from me today, please email me at lhairston@cox.net.  

Thank you to everyone who linked up to the challenge!  I loved seeing all of your creations.

Snow Globes Card and Bags Video

Snow Globes!    I had a small plastic one with a blue back when I was a kid.  I remember loving it, but sadly I can't remember what was inside!  These Flora and Fauna snow globes are so cute and sweet.  

Welcome to the second post for Visions of Sugarplums in July!   

Be sure to check out the challenge HERE.  Link up to 4 of your Christmas/winter creations.

One of my favorite stamps in the set is that adorable reindeer!  I was thinking about my snow globe when I made this one.  The blue is just about right!

The polar bear is adorable too!  

The video below includes how to make this super easy gift bag.  It's my go-to treat and gift bag.

This isn't just a gift bag - it's a gift card holder.  It even has a "device" to keep the gift card in the bag safe and sound until the recipient pulls it out.

You may remember this idea:  it was mostly used with candy bars.  I find it works perfectly for gift cards too.  It's a little hard to tell in the photo, but the ribbon is all the way around the card and slides out right along with the card.  It's kind of cool and you can see it in the video.




There will be at least one more day of Visions of Sugarplums in July - and at least one more prize!  

So glad you stopped by!

No-Line Watercolor Gingerbread Card

I made this card for my grandmother to give to her great-great granddaughter, Louisa.  She turned 94 this December!  

Cute, sweet and adorable for the cute, sweet and adorable Louisa.  (I know, I know but...Grandma, remember!) 

So fun to watercolor.  And it still makes me smile.
It's almost Christmas - it sneaks up on me every year.  I knows it's coming, but I'm still somehow surprised when Christmas actually arrives.  
Have a wonderful Christmas!

Visions of Sugarplums Day Two: Home at Christmas + Video + Giveaway

The loose theme of today's post is Home at Christmas.  That has more than one meaning for me this year.   Louisa and her mommy and daddy now live close enough to come home for Christmas!  I'm looking forward to it and so glad that I don't have to fly.  

I've got a video on how to make this house shaped box.  And free images to download.

This is the second day of Visions of Sugarplums (the abbreviated version).  If you would like to see the first post, click HERE.  Check out the new giveaway below.

I love the gold and white of this box.  I've never been able to resist a house - stamps or dies.  (Or boxes, it seems.)  All sides have houses - embossed ones on the back and sides.  The little santa's sleigh and reindeer seem perfect in the gable of the box.

Neither of these houses are actually decorated as houses, although you could certainly do that.  I really love this sweet candy cane girl and she's ready to be downloaded below.

I've included a card made with her as well.  I think the die cut as a base for the card and the two-tone gingham frame are really fun.

Here's the House Box Video:

Keeping loosely with the Home for Christmas theme, I've also included a mailbox in this post.  These dies are from the Parcel and Post kit from Papertrey Ink several years ago.  Sometimes it takes me awhile to get around to using things!   When I came across the card with the little girl and her dog at a mailbox, I thought it just might be perfect for the front of my mailbox.

I've also got her ready to download, if you would like to create a little something with her.

Download Candy Cane Girl  HERE.

Download Girl at Mailbox HERE.

I've posted Visions of Sugarplums Challenge #2.  The theme is Home at Christmas.  Doesn't have to have a house - you're free to stretch the theme as you wish.  

The prize (winner by random selection) is $20 to Simon Says Stamp.

Let's keep the number of links per person to 4 maximum.  Thank you!

You can find the link up HERE.

The giveaway for this post is this great set of house dies.  There are trees, stars, lamp post and clouds. 

 I don't have any idea where these dies are from.  I bought a box of stamps and dies recently - a wonderful box of about 40 items - from an antique, vintage, junk store that's only open one Saturday a month. There were three sets of these dies in the box.

I created a quick card and tag with them.  

I'll give a set to two of you that leave a comment.  Be sure to let me know that you would like to win the house dies.   Winners will be announced Wednesday, December 12th.

Whew!  I hope I remembered everything!  So glad you stopped by!

Visions of Sugarplums (Abbreviated Version) + Gift Card Video + Challenge!

Welcome to an abbreviated version of Visions of Sugarplums!   Time got away from me this year and I just didn't get everything organized.  I'll miss the hop part of Visions of Sugarplums - everyone always makes such wonderful Christmas projects - so hopefully I'll get it together next year.  A lot of my time went to Louisa, so that's not too bad!

My plan for this year's Vision of Sugarplums, is to post a couple of videos, some fun projects and a challenge or two with prizes.

Today, I've got a video showing how to make these easy gift card pockets.  I also do a little mini review of the brushes (see one above) I've been using for Distress Inks.

I fell in love with these mice dies - they're adorable!  I used the baby one on the gift card pocket and one of the bigger ones on this card.

Here's the gift card pocket video:

To read about (the prize is $20 to Simon Says Stamp) and link to the first Visions of Sugarplums Challenge, click HERE.

I'm also giving away the Little Bits Skating Quartet stamp set - so cute, I mean seriously cute - to one lucky winner!

 How do you win the Little Bits Skating Quartet?   Comment on this post and  let me know that you would like to win.  One winner will be selected randomly and will be posted on Sunday, December 9th.

Hope you find the gift card pocket useful and easy!  Check back for the next Visions of Sugarplums post...

Adorable Christmas Boy and Girl + VOSP Winners

Hope you all had a lovely week!   I just got back from Savannah visiting my daughter, her husband and Louisa.  So, so wonderful.  We did a little Christmas decorating - I found a darling vintage Santa and reindeer for one of their mantles.  

Poor Louisa is teething, which she has been practically her whole life.  I didn't know babies could start teething at two months!   Louisa teethed that whole time and didn't get any teeth until she was about 10 months.  She's got two teeth now and I'm afraid every tooth is going to be hard won.  She is so sweet, in spite of not feeling very good!  You can see her two teeth, plus on the floor, the mess we've started with her ice cream cart!  That little reindeer's cheeks light up and it sings.  Louisa is singing "All I Want for Christmas Is my Two (Top) Front Teeth"!

Both of these images, the girl and boy with umbrellas, are sweet, too.  I love how soft and pretty they are.  I made a double tag with the little girl to top a pillow box and turned the little boy into a card.

They both got a bit of sparkle and some Copic Opaque White snow.



If you would like to create a little something with them, I've got them ready to download below.

You can download the Christmas Kids with Umbrellas HERE.

There are 13 VOSP Winners!  They are:

Betty Keefe:  3 files from Iralamija

Sylvia/Little Treasures:  3 files from Iralamija

Verna Angerhofer:  3 files from Iralamija

Scrapmondo:  $25.00 from Paper Sweeties

Debbie Johnson:  Custom Ribbon from The Cutting Cafe

Sierra Winters:  Merry Mail from AmyJDelightful

Fikreta:  Merry Mail from AmyJDelightful

KT Fit Kitty:  Small Town Journal Cards from  AmyJDelightful

Marjorie Dumentier:  Small Town from AmyJDelightful

cm: $25.00 from Lawn Fawn

cghundley:  Snowman Embellishment Kit from me

scrapper69:  flair from me

Ester Asbury:  flair from me

If your name is listed above, email me at lhairston@cox.net or use the button in my sidebar.  Congratulations!!!

Thank you to everyone who hopped around and left such sweet comments for all the lovely projects!

I'll be sharing projects I've made from the Snowman Embellishment Kit later in the week (as well as that video I promised on the magic slider/shaker card).  

I added two small prizes of flair from my etsy shop.  I think the snowman and gingerbread girl are adorable!

The VOSP Challenge is still open.  Check it out HERE.   Prize is $20.00 to Mama Elephant.

Have a lovely week!