Ladybird Thanks

Morning all. Hope you all had a great BH weekend those of you over here in England and Wales. It was a tad damp but the offspring and theirs came down, so fun was had by all I think.

Over at Cardz4Guyz our new challenge for you is:-

BUGS

Make of that what you will, but I went down the ladybug route with this!

I used a tiny part of a freebie Do Crafts set for these cute bugs, stamped, coloured and fussy cut.

Using the layout from CASe this Sketch I added a Create a smile die cut thanks to some CC greenery, all topped off with an Altenew sentiment stamped in black and heat embossed with clear EP and all on a linen effect white base card.

Talking of Altenew, I recently won their July challenge and happily spent my winnings plus some, as you do. However, along with some winnings from Concord and 9th I waited in vain for delivery. A week after arriving in this country from the US, they were held up at the Post Office due to unpaid import VAT and a handling fee. Now I have had plenty of things from the States before with no probs but I did know a friend once who got clobbered sending for too many Cricut cartridges.

Anyway after receiving my 'sorry we couldn't deliver card', I went to collect the parcels and pay over £30 in VAT and handling fees. The guy behind the counter at the PO said there were loads of similar labelled packets mainly from the US and was most surprised at this. I think that Customs are getting keener about purchases from outside the EU, as, according to my OH the UK was hit by a fine for not collecting dues esp from China, for the EU. So that cheap knock off from China may not be as cheap as you thought but no sympathies from me for that, but that aside, if you do buy from Altenew and ilk be warned you may get hit. The limit for import is £15 so please beware, it will cast you about the same again if you are only just slightly over!

Anyway onto the reason for this post. 

Please check out the rest of the DT at Cardz4Guyz for inspiration for cards for the men in your life.

Joining in over at:-

Channelling Jennifer McGuire

Hi and welcome to another post to announce the start of a new challenge at ATSM.

Here's my inspiration for you.

Yay, a free for all!

It's great when you are entering our AG challenges but deciding on a design for the DT inspiration is always problematic for me, far too much choice!

Anyway as the title says I decided to channel the wonderfully talented and inspiring Jennifer McGuire. Where does she come up with her ideas AND how does she make it look so easy!!

Anyway she's been using masking on OL cards here, so that was what I tried to do.

I used the sketch from the ladies at LIM, and the colours at Altenew.

The sketch at LIM reminded me of a window, so I cut a four panel one with a MFT quilt die, cut it down to size and placed it on my base card. Using my MISTI, I laid the stamp from Altenew across the card, then stamped it in Memento London Fog. Leaving the stamp in place and after masking around the edge of the base card, I stamped it again in Memento Tuxedo Black. Without removing the masking, I stamped the flower elements in Bahama Blue and Danube Blue and the leaves with Altenew Olive and Bamboo ink. 

The hello from the same Extra Special set was stamped and embossed in black and then I removed the masking. Using a fine liner I then drew in the window frame. 

I thought it lacked a little something so added some stencilled detail around the outside with Mustard Seed DI and a STAMPlorations Dots all over stencil.

So if you need more inspiration check out the rest of the DT here and why not join us.

Joining in over at:-

     

It's Release Day @Uniko

It's the big day, from today you'll be able to buy the August release from the Uniko shop.

So just to tempt you all a little more here is some more inspiration.

This first card uses the Beautiful set.

Gold embossed fussy cut blooms were coloured with Zig watercolour pens and mounted on a strip of green card under a die cut white panel. The panel was stamped with the greeting before popping it up on pads over the blooms. A few translucent sequins add an extra touch of sparkle.

My second card for you uses two stamps from the Happy Hexagons, the Framed Flowers stamp and one of the phrases from Big n Bold Hello.

All the panels were stamped with their various elements with Versafine before heat embossing with white EP. When dry they were inked with DI in Weathered Wood, Dried Marigold and Broken China DOx. I trimmed and popped my Framed Flowers up on pads over the background panels. 

My third uses the same large hexagon but this time it was stamped using a homemade wreath builder stamp. You can use the Gina K version if you have it or look at this DIY tutorial!

I used bold and bright Copic colours to colour certain areas in a repeat pattern. The greeting from So Much, was stamped in black on the panel and also on a separate die cut circle before placing it over the center of the pattern, doing it twice allows you to place the circle centrally and if it's not quite large enough for all of the text to be visible!

This just goes to show how versatile these stamps are! One stamp used as the main feature then again in a background role!

Hope we have tempted you with these last few posts but just to remind you, here are all the sets available at the Uniko shop from today.

So what do you think? We'd love to hear what you do, so leave a comment here and as you hop around the rest of the DT.

Bev

Carol

Deborah 

Izzy 

Jane 

Julie - that's me

Linda

Lindsey

Sarah G

Be sure to comment along the hop for your chance to win the ENTIRE Release!! You have until Midnight (BST) 2nd September 2018 to comment and the winner will be announced soon after.

Happy Hopping!

Joining in over at:-

Day 3 of the Uniko August release

Well, what have you thought of the stamps you've seen so far, fab aren't they. Well here are two more to add to your wish list.

This card uses the Big n Bold - Hello sentiments.

To start, I inked up a panel of white card with Picked Raspberry DOx, concentrating colour in various places over which I glued die cuts from a Tim Holtz set, they remind me of roses. 

On a scrap of white card I stamped the large hello and embossed it with gold EP before fussy cutting it out. On a strip of black scrap, I stamped the How are you? and embossed with white EP, then cut out the banner. I decided I needed a little more black to balance the pink, so added some home made DP (black Copic and a ruler) down the left side of my card before adding the pink panel and sentiment strip. The fussy cut hello was then popped up on pads over the banner.

The second stamp is Framed Florals.

For this example I stamped it with Versamark on dark blue card then heat embossed with white EP.

I repeated this with the sentiment from the Big n Bold Hello,trimmed down the panel and attached it to a white note card on pads. Simples.

So what do you think? We'd love to hear what you do, so leave a comment here and as you hop around the rest of the DT.

Bev
Carol 
Deborah 

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie - that's me
Linda

Lindsey

Sarah G

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the full reveal.

Joining in over at :-

  

I spy something beginning with B - Blooms, Bouquet and Blue

Uniko Preview Day 2

Morning all, it's day 2 of the previews of Uniko's August release.

Yesterday we re-introduced the 'So Much' mini clear stamp set HERE, be sure to check out all the inspiration and comment along the hop ;)

Today we are focusing on 2 totally different sets, Background Builders: Happy Hexagons & Beautiful. 

Happy Hexagons is great for building backgrounds, patterns or just use one of the elements as the focus.

Here's what I did with just one of the large hexagons

I stamped the Art Deco looking hexagon in gold EP on black then fussy cut eight of them to create this take on a Christmas Wreath. The bottom layer was stuck to the black base panel and the top with pads for added dimension. A scrap of Christmas ribbon was tied into a bow and added along with some Nuovo drops in Red Berry Gloss. The finished panel was mounted on a slightly larger red square and then on a cream 5 x 5 base card. The center panel was cut with a circle die and stamped in matching gold EP using the Simply Said Christmas Merry Christmas.

This is just one idea, but there are lots more over on the Uniko blog and on my fellow DT's blogs.

Joining in over at:-

   

   

AG Christmas

The second set Beautiful is more feminine with a couple of gorgeous blooms and sentiments.

For this example, I used the colours from The Paper Players and the layout from Freshly Made Sketches. The blooms are heat embossed with white EP on Vellum and fussy cut after being coloured with Polychromo pencils in shades of orange. The basket weave strip was inked with Scattered Straw DI and embossed with a EF. I used some foliage from the bits box and a frame made from the same card as the base using 2 dies from the Sizzix Framelits set, Label Ornate #2.

So what do you think? We'd love to hear what you do, so leave a comment here and as you hop around the rest of the DT.

Bev
Carol 
Deborah 

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie - that's me
Linda

Lindsey

Sarah G

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for more inspiration as we reveal 2 more sets from the release.

Joining in over at:-

    

Uniko preview So Much

Morning all. 

It's time to take a closer look at one of the new stamps sets in the summer release from Uniko.

Bev launched this design a while ago as a digital freebie but she's now made it available as a regular stamp set. 

I stared at the stamp set for awhile wondering where to go with it, then decided to use a stencil as the background but the outlines looked lost so I added some black Copic marker to each of the sprays to make them stand out. I used Picked Raspberry DI, one of my fave colours, it's bright and cheerful without being too girly, definitely not a sickly pink. There's lots of that dark pink colour all over our house in curtains and bedding. The sentiment was stamped in black then embossed with a clear semi dull WOW EP. The die cut panel was then attached to a base card.

A simple CAS card but for even more fab inspiration, check out the rest of the team -

Bev
Carol 
Deborah 

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie - that's me
Linda

Lindsey

Sarah G

 Joining in over at:-

Black and white plus your fave colour

Sneak Peeks at Uniko

Over at Uniko, Bev has been busy getting some brand new stamps ready for a mini summer release.
So here are some teasers of what to expect!

Hope these little teasers have got you intrigued so please popover to the Uniko blog where you'll find all details about the schedule, dates for introductions along with the BIG reveal, release and traditional blog hop GIVEAWAY! 

Come back to visit over the next few days as we reveal and introduce the new sets.

Warp Speed

Morning all.
Well we seem to be back to a typical British summer, rain and wind and sunny intervals! I'm not complaining, we needed the water in the reservoirs,  as did the garden and I can't do at all with the high temps day after day. Anyway as it was pelting down with rain I have been playing in the craftroom!
This week at Cardz4Guyz our theme is:-

GET WELL SOON

What do you think? Here's my inspiration using Paper Smooches Space Cadet set.

I used the layout at CAS(E) this sketch for my get well card, using just the little alien, sentiment and small stars, though they came out looking more like flowers for some reason!

I created my galaxy background before cutting a circle from it and mounting on my top panel. The alien was stamped and coloured with Copics before fussy cut. I added some glossy accents on his eye for added interest and stamped and embossed those stars in silver.

OK, pretty simple but quite sweet in a masculine sort of way!
Please check out the rest of the DT for some fab masculine inspiration.

It's going to be a busy week here so keep popping back for some summer reveals! 

I'm joining in over at:-

    
                                             From Boys to Men   


For the boys