Monday 4 December 2023

Uniko New Release Sneak Peeks

Morning all.

A new month and a new release is coming from Uniko. Here are a few sneaky peeks to whet your appetites.

First up is another fab Background Block stamp.

 Next is another in the Background Block series.


Finally as it is just a mini release, Bev has designed another addition to the Ink & Flip stencils. This one has a wintery theme to it and will pair beautifully with lots of previously release wintery products.


As is the norm, Bev and all the Brand Ambassadors will be sharing inspiration each day of the week, culminating with our traditional Blog hop and Giveaway on Friday.

So see you back here same time tomorrow for some fun inspiration.

Saturday 2 December 2023

Happy Birthday Little Rebel

Good evening.
In the midst of all the Christmas hype, spare a thought for those Christmas birthdays. I always feel sorry for those with birthdays in December and early January, they don't get a fair crack of the whip!
Anyway the new challenge at HLS Birthday gives you the chance to make something for those forgotten December birthdays or even one for your stash! Sadly this will be our last challenge for some time, but hope to see you back here soon.

 

I started off after I found this little chap half coloured in in my bits box and decided to give him some love. After finishing colouring him in, I fussy cut him and put him to one side whilst I made the card base. 

I found an old cream base card and trimmed it down to be square, then added the frame cut from kraft and a panel embossed with an old Sizzix EF. To brighten the frame up, I also added a thin circular frame in matching cream card. The embossed panel was added to my base, followed by the frame on pads then the Little Rebel. (Nellie Snellen). A LOTV sentiment was stamped in brown on cream and slipped under the cute little chap to complete. One card that went into my Grandson's birthday card stash.

So what will you make? As always we love to see what you make in our gallery. For more inspiration please check out the rest of the girls in the DT here.

Joining in over at:-

No option for me but the colours are appropriate!

Friday 1 December 2023

Color Hues #77

Afternoon folks.
December already, I can't believe it and I'm nowhere near with my Christmas prep, are you?
Anyway over at Color Hues we have a new colour duo for you but as we realise, many of you have lots going on, we will be running this colour challenge for the WHOLE of December. That gives you plenty of time to get making and even time twixt Christmas and the New Year when hopefully things slow down a bit!
Here's my take, which I made awhile ago whilst playing with stencilling over embossed resist.



This card was inspired by a card I found in my Christmas inspiration box of received cards by my friend Sarah, Sazzle Dazzle
On an A5 panel of white card, I stamped a text stamp with Versamark, removing some of the ink with a cloth to get a patchy effect, then heat embossed with silver EP. Over the top of this I inked through with the Uniko Snowflake stencil with Kitsch Flamingo DI and then again in some areas with Picked Raspberry DI. 
I cut the panel into 2, 1/3 2/3rds attaching the larger panel to my white base card and adding a strip of silver glitter paper before stamping this HLS sentiment in Picked Raspberry DI and Altenew Silver Stone ink. I did make another card with the left over that'll save for another time!

So where will; this new duo take you? We love seeing the gallery light up with your ideas, and you never disappoint us with your creativity. If you need more inspiration, pop along to the blog and check out the rest of the DT and GD. You never know you could be a GD if you catch the eye.

Tuesday 28 November 2023

Festive Penguin

 Good morning all. Not long to go now 'til it's Christmas, just under 4 weeks!!! If you are like me that is too soon as my prep is no where near ready! Anyway if you need an excuse to step away from the stress of shopping or you need a quick card for your stash, perhaps the new challenge at Cardz4Guyz will suit. We would like to see your masculine cards on the theme of:-

FESTIVE CREATURES

Here's a really quick CAS make.


I simply took a linen effect white note card, added a strip of DP, NitWits, from the stash and this cute LOTV digi that was already in my printed off to be coloured box.
After colouring him in his festive attire, I fussy cut him and popped him up on pads over the DP. The sentiment is a really old Woodware one, simples. I do love a festive penguin and have lots in my stash, especially from LOTV. It started when my Son in Law mentioned he liked penguins, so I usually try to incorporate at least one into his Christmas card!

There's plenty more inspiration from the rest of the team over at Cardz4Guyz if you need it and hope you have time to join in this challenge.

I'm joining in over at:-

Favourite Christmas Critter
Who wouldn't love this festive penguin sporting his Christmas hat and scarf and bringing you a little gift too?!

Christmas

Tuesday 21 November 2023

Watercolour Poppies

 Morning all. I'm up over at Uniko with a little bit of watercolour painting using the newly released Remembrance stamp set. 
I've used my favourite liquid masking and cling film technique to create this card.


Pop over to Uniko for all the details.

Joining in over at:-

Thursday 16 November 2023

Color Hues #76

Afternoon all. 
Halfway through November already, these weeks are whizzing by and I'm nowhere near sorted with my Christmas card stash. Well the new Color Hues pairing has given me the opportunity to make a least one more card for the stash! Here's my take on the new duo.



My inspiration for this card was one I saw on Pinterest using a Gina K stamp. I loved the bauble effect, so decided to make my own version of it using my Uniko stash.
To begin, I drew around a circle die cut lightly with a pencil to create the bauble on a panel of red card and then stamped an arrangement of snowflakes with in it. I tried to keep it symmetrical but it is slightly off! Each stamp was inked with Versamark then the image heat embossed with Metallic Gold EP. To infill the spaces, I used a WOW embossing pen and more gold EP. 
To make the image complete, I used a freebie stamp and freehand drew the string and bow with the WOW pen before heat embossing with gold EP.
I had envisaged a one layer card but I ended up trimming the panel down before adding some ink blending around the edges to put the bauble in focus. I used a mix of red DIs, Festive Berries, Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany.

So where will these new festive colours take you, you don't have to go down the Christmas route but it would be a good excuse to expand your Christmas stash!
For more red and gold inspiration why not check out the rest of the Color Hues team here along with our GD Claire.

Joining in over at:-

Get ready for Christmas


Use Red (Thanks Chris for the heads up)

Tuesday 14 November 2023

Sheep in the Meadow

Good morning, time for a new challenge at Cardz4Guyz. This time we would like to see masculine cards that feature:- 

A WINTER SCENE

When I saw the title of the new challenge, I knew straight away that I should give some love to a very old Hobby Art stamp that's been in my stash for over 10 years and hasn't been used much at all! 


I bought it because of the subject matter and have used it for a couple of the OHs birthday cards but I think this is the first time since it's first inking that I've used it for a winter scene. 
I first stamped my image with Altenew's Obsidian Pigment ink on some textured off white card, as I wanted to watercolour the image. The colours were washed in and then when dry a fine mist of white gouache was added with an old toothbrush to suggest snow and then the panel was cut using an MFT die. 
My panel was then added to a matching top fold card and the Uniko sentiment added in Industrial Graphite ink. I hope we don't have snow like this this winter!

So that's it from me but if you do need more inspiration then why not check out the rest of the team here. We're looking forward to seeing your makes in our gallery.