Uniko January Release in Review and Blog Hop

It's almost been 2 weeks since the January 2020 Release at Uniko but we thought you might like some more BA inspiration from Bev and the rest of the team

So, with that in mind Bev thought it would be nice for a January 2020 Release In Review Blog Hop & giveaway!

First up is this card.

I've used the grungy heart from the Big n Bold Love set and the small outlined heart from Always and Forever, the gold embossed sentiment is also from that set.

The layout is the latest sketch from the Paper Players and the colours from Sunday Stamps. I added some Glossy Accents to the small hearts which has not allowed the shades of red Copic colouring to show up!

My second card uses the gorgeous Hello Lovely stamp and the Background Blocks Scattered Hearts. The sentiment is from the previously released Sentiments Outlined but there is also a new set to go with this release, You Are Sentiments Outlined.

This card was made at the same time as the wedding card for my BA post but my daughter went with that card.

I used the Scattered Hearts to create a soft background by stamping it in Altenew's SilverStone ink before layering up the fussy cut and coloured Hello Lovely cluster up on pads. The sentiment from Sentiments Outlined, was stamped in the darker Industrial Diamond Altenew ink with a shadow added with a BG96 Copic to make it look 3D. A few clear sequins complete the design.

Below is a little look at the January 2020 release and when you click on an image it will take you to the website where you can read more about them and purchase them if you like.

So now it's time to check out the rest of the Brand Ambassadors for more release inspiration. Be sure to comment along the way for your chance to win the Hello Lovely & You Are, Sentiments Outlined clear stamp sets.

You have until Midnight Thursday 6th February 2020 to leave a comment and the random winner will be announced Friday 7th February 2020.

Bev
Carol 
Hannelie

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie - that's me
Linda

Rahmat

Sarah P
Wiebke 

Joining in over at:-

     

Always and Forever

Welcome.

Today I'm over at Uniko with some Brand Ambassador inspiration using the Pure Florals Rose stamps, they are great to colour but for this card I decided to leave the single bloom uncoloured after seeing this card on Pinterest.

The sentiment means that you could use this card for anything from an engagement card, to a wedding card or even an anniversary card.

All the details can be found on the Uniko blog.

Let's Celebrate You

Good morning peeps.

It's time for a new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. This time our theme is -

TEDDY BEARS

I know not the first thing that springs to mind when you think masculine cards but have a think and I'm sure you can come up with something!

Here is my card, showing that teddy bears don't always have to be cute!

These bears are from Fizzy Moon, I picked them up together with a few more in The Range, in a bargain bucket and who doesn't like a bargain?

The layout is one of my favourites using an embossed panel, a die cut frame and some NitWits DP. The sentiment is from Uniko and could be suitable for a number of occasions. The bears were coloured with Copics before being fussy cut then added to the card on foam pads.

For more Teddy inspiration, check out the rest of the DT here, then why not join in?

Uniko January 2020 Release Day

Welcome to the first release of 2020 at Uniko, there are 4 brand new clear stamp sets and one returning from retirement.

First up we have the newest addition to the Background Blocks series. 

This month Bev has designed, Background Blocks Scattered Hearts, a fun outline scattered heart pattern, perfect for Valentine's, Weddings, Anniversaries and more.

Background Blocks Scattered Hearts £5

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2020

www.uniko.co.uk

Next there's another in the BIG & BOLD series, BIG & BOLD Love. It features the large bold sentiment, accompanying sentiments and accent heart stamps.

BIG & BOLD Love £5

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2020

www.uniko.co.uk

Next a new floral stamp set, Hello Lovely. This clear stamp set features the Peony design from the popular Pure Florals Peony clear stamp set. Instead of the large single peony blooms that are in the Pure Florals set, Bev has scaled them down and clustered them together to form a beautiful bouquet stamp. 

This set is perfect for so many occasions.

Hello Lovely £10

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2020

www.uniko.co.uk

Next is the newest addition to the Sentiments Outlined series, You Are... Sentiments Outlined. A trio of sentiments for those special people in your life. Not just for Valentine's Day either, these sentiments are perfect for cards & projects to lift people up and spread some cheer all year long.

You Are... Sentiments Outlined £5

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2020

www.uniko.co.uk

Finally Bev has released the previously retired, Always & Forever clear stamp set. This clear stamp set first debuted back in December 2013 HERE. This set was designed to coordinate with Beautiful Blooms I and now has so many more creative possibilities with the Uniko products that have launched since it retired! 

Always & Forever £5

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2020

www.uniko.co.uk

So now it's time to show you some ways to use these fab new sets.

Here is my inspiration for you using Always and Forever.

This is a very simple card though it did take a few failures before I settled on this focal point, I'll blame it on the fuzzy head brought on by the flu!

One of my Christmas cards was from the talented Chrissie Stokes and I loved how she'd framed a simple image with an embossed die frame so this was my starting off point.

I practiced the design on a scrap of paper before doing the final panel, rearranging the hearts until I got the effect I wanted. The final design uses the small outline heart heat embossed twice with gold EP on a die cut panel, mounted on foam over my linen effect embossed square base card. The embossed square on the base card was made using one of a MFT pierced stacked square die set. The sentiment was stamped and embossed using the same gold EP.

Now it's time for a blog hop and GIVEAWAY!!!

To be in the chance of winning The ENTIRE January2020 Release! (4 clear stamp sets and 1 previously released clear stamp set). Simply comment along the blog hop, it's as easy as that! You have until Midnight 25th January 2020. The winner will be announced on 26th January. 

Bev
Carol 

Hannelie

Izzy 

Jane 

Julie  -that's me

Linda

Rahmat

Sarah P

Wiebke 

Happy hopping!

Addicted to CAS

It seems ages ago that I found myself short of a few Christmas cards to post off to friends. One of the designs made was entered in the challenge at ATCAS and luckily enough I won! 

Anyway as a result I'm here as their GD for today's latest challenge with this card.

It was inspired by the cue word -

I made this to cheer myself up when I had the flu, I thought it would be a simple make but my brain was a bit foggy and it took awhile before I was happy with the design.

On a small panel of white card, I stamped the top half of a Penny Black tree stamp in the top right with Versamark then heat embossed with white EP. Once cool, I stamped the tree again using Salty Ocean DI. When this was completely dry I added some of the same Salty Ocean with a bending brush to the top half of the panel. The deer was cut from dark brown card using an OI die, I tried black but it looked too stark.

The snowdrift in the bottom right was cut from the same card as the base and covered with Wink of Stella to give a subtle shimmer effect. The sentiment completes the panel, which I mounted on foam over a white base card.

So please pop over to the ATCAS blog for more frosty inspiration and then why not join in?

I'm joining in over at:-

#171 WINTER

Just the picture

Caseing Therese

Morning all.
It's a new year and so it's time for a brand new challenge over at Uniko.
Here is my inspiration based on this month's theme.

The colours in the background panel in the photo don't really show up but they are really pretty in real life, a mix of cool blues, greys and lilacs created using the acetate smooshing technique.
I saw a video by Therese Calvird using this technique and was inspired to have a go.

Using DIs in Shaded Lilac, Broken China and Weathered Wood, I created my background panel on HP watercolour paper. When dry, I stamped the outline of the large peony bloom from Pure florals Peony in black on both a white base card and smooshed panel. I trimmed the coloured panel down and then popped it up on fun foam over the black outline on my base card.
On a strip of black card I stamped and embossed in white the sentiment from the same peony set. A die cut sentiment was added, slipping the sentiment strip through the loops of the die cut. A few sparkling sequins were added to complete.

That's all from me but there's more fab inspiration over at the Uniko, then why not join us in this month's challenge?

I'm joining in over at:-


Say it with Flowers

Have you joined in yet?

Did you know that there's still time to join in with the January challenges over STAMPlorations?

Well now you do!

Here is my inspiration for you based on the theme and photo prompt.

I used the heart shaped wreath, splatter theme and colours from the photo as my inspiration.

Taking the Blossom Sprays#2 stamp, I inked it with black ink and simply stamped in the bottom left of my card panel. I then took a heart die and die cut the central image to create a spotlight effect. Using some purple ink, I splattered the background panel, then  coloured the heart shape with Copics before adding a slightly smaller fun foam heart to the back and popping it back into the base panel.

The sentiment from Better Together was then added using silver EP.

That's it from me, but please check out the STAMPlorations page for all the Tc and Cs and some fab inspiration from the DT.

One Layer Thank You

It's time for a new challenge over at Perfectly CAS, where we show you how to create CAS cards by using just 1/3rd of the card front.

Here is my inspiration for this month's theme.

Yup it's one layer. Now don't go all panicky at the mention of OLCs. They really aren't that bad, they just need a little planning!

I usually have a play with a scrap of plain paper cut to the size of the finished card to see what my ideas will look like before I use the real thing. For this card I used the Altenew Poppy Garden set I got at a recent Altenew class with the lovely Lydia, as well as the layout which I've used before. To get the white sentiment strip, I added a strip of masking paper across the middle of the bottom third, before stamping and then colouring with Copics. I used the colours from this month's Altenew challenge which I think work well together. I finished the design with a sentiment from their Amazing You set.

So that's all from me but for more OL inspiration check out the team here.

Joining in over at:-

Thank You

Hogs and Kisses

Good morning peeps.
It's time for a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. This week its all about cards that are:-

CLEAN AND SIMPLE

So that's right up my alley!
Here's my card based on a couple of challenges out there at the moment.

I've used the sketch from AAA Cards, the theme at Inkspirational and the Male Room is anything masculine so I'm popping by there too.

I first created my strip across the card for my Mama Elephant piggy to stand in. Using some Post it tape, to mask, I cut a matt with a landscape die and inked the sky followed by the rolling green countryside. Next I added my dapper porker which I fussy cut after colouring with Copics. Next I stamped a sentiment from MFT's Party Animals and added balloons to match the sketch.

That's about it from me on the card front, there are more CAS inspired cards on the Cardz4Guyz blog here.

Has anyone else had the flu bug this time around? I started with it sometime in the early hours of Boxing Day and I'm still struggling to get over it. Its left me with an awful tickly cough and catarrh. The OH has the same, he started a few days after me and my daughter also seems to be struggling with it. It's the Christmas gift that keeps on giving but I've had enough of it now so I wish it would just go!

Joining in over at:-

FAUNA

One of last years Christmas cards

Evening all.
These posts are coming thick and fast here but as I've been ill over the holiday period, I'm afraid that the craftroom hasn't been that busy! I was only joking to my OH that we should put a big red cross on the door to warn off visitors as we cough and sneeze our way to something like normality! Yes, the OH has succumbed too but has bravely continued to see to the sheep. He prefers it chilly when he's like this, so its a case of hot water bottles and a fleece blanket of an evening!

Anyway as I needed a card for the new challenge at HLS CAS I thought this Christmas card would be perfect for our theme.

I've used this cute Lawn Fawn owl many times and it certainly doesn't owe me anything. A simple masked and inked background panel, a die cue MB branch and a snowdrift covered in wink of Stella complete the image. The sentiment was free in a mag a couple of years ago.

For much more inspiration check out the rest of the team here.

Happy New Year and a New Challenge

Good morning.

Well the title says it all really.

The last few days of 2019 are best forgotten as far as I'm concerned, what with getting the 'flu on Boxing Day!

Here's my inspiration for you based on the new theme and photo prompt at STAMPlorations. 

For my interpretation, I used some of the smaller stamps from Carved Flowers and the twiggy sections from Wooded, and the small seed head from Bloom Doodles.
To start, I traced a feint pencil heart shape onto a white base card and then used the twiggy stamp from Wooded to add a base layer on which to build the wreath. I used a dark green ink which I embossed with clear EP before adding the 3 smallest blooms from Carved Flowers in shades of purple around.
To infill I used the small seed head from Bloom Doodles, adding solid areas of colour to some of the heads. I went back in when dry to add some silver with a small paint brush to tone down the purple blooms before adding splatter and a sentiment from Better Together embossed in silver EP.

That's about it from me but please check out the rest of the team here, where you'll find all the usual Ts and Cs