Uniko's July release in review

Today the Uniko Brand Ambassadors are revisiting the July release to share a few more ideas using some of those stamps and stencils, as well as showing how to incorporate other Uniko sets. There's also a chance to win by commenting along the way.

So this is my first card to inspire you.

For this card I've used Block Party Summer as a background combined with elements from the Paradise stamp set and a sentiment from Simply Said Blocks III.

I played around with a new technique when I first got hold of the stamp that I saw Jennifer McGuire using. I stamped the background with Versamark and heat embossed with white EP on MM paper.

Using some DI inks in Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean and Mermaid Lagoon, I added colour straight from the pad randomly over the embossing. I then spritzed it with water containing some perfect pearls and set it aside to dry. Once it was really dry, I sandwiched it between a couple of pieces of typing paper and ironed over a towel to remove the embossing. Only use the paper once or you may transfer embossing where you don't want!

The end result left a soft, shimmery panel that is completely flat. I didn't use this panel for the release day as I wasn't sure how to use it but I then picked up on the tropical bloom in the background stamp and used the toucan and foliage from the Paradise set and the tropical flower from Block Party Summer to create the design. These elements I coloured with Copics, fussy cut them and added to a die cut aperture in my now trimmed down panel. A sentiment was stamped in black, trimmed and added to complete the coloured elements. The finished panel was added to a white linen effect base card on pads.

My second card focuses on the BB Grid stamp which I used to create a subtle background for the peonies from Hello Lovely.

To start, I stamped the large spray from Hello Lovely onto a panel of white card and them made a mask for it which I fussy cut. After placing the mask over the stamped image, I stamped the grid over the panel with Versamark ink. I wasn't too bothered about completely covering the stamp with ink as I was aiming for a shabby chic look on the finished panel. I then added white EP, removing where not required with a soft paint brush, and heat embossed. I got slightly carried away with this section and forgot to remove the grid pattern from around where I was going to stamp the greeting!

I then removed the mask and coloured the flowers using coral coloured Zig Markers. Using the plain acetate backing of the BB Grid stamp, I added some Zig marker and added some clean water, then used the acetate to stamp colour over the panel, adding more when required and also to deepen the colour in  certain areas. When satisfied with the coverage I added some splatter in the green and coral over the whole panel. Finally I stamped the greeting, from Wonderful Day.

I used an ancient peach coloured base card which I trimmed to size and added Abandoned Coral DI around the edge before adding my trimmed down panel, leaving a border all around.

My final card features BB Layered Floral and a sentiment from Simply Said III.

Instead of stamping a solid image, I tried a faux layered effect by adding a partial inked flower over the original stamped image and blended it out with a damp paint brush. I rather like the subtle effect this gives you.

I used the reds from Altenew's Red Cosmos and the greens were from Tropical Forest.

Over at The Flower Challenge they want us to use dies along with flowers, so as we don't have a matching die cut, I used a stacked pierced rectangle set from Avery Elle to die cut my finished panel.

I also cut some pink fun foam and mounted two of the layers before adding them back onto a white note card. A sentiment strip stamped in a matching coral pink completes.

To see the full July release, check out the Uniko blog

To see what the other Brand Ambassadors have come up with check out the links below.

Bev
Hannelie

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie -that's me

Rahmat

Steph

Don't forget to leave a comment on all the stops along the hop. Bev will be randomly selecting one lucky comment winner to win a £20 eGift Certificate. Commenting to be able to win will close at Midnight BST my Sunday 22nd August 2021. The winner will be announced on the blog before the end of August.

I'd like to join in over at:-

  

Introducing - Stencils, Flower Power #8, Rainbow & Clouds, Squared & Tropical Leaf I

Today sees the Uniko girls introduce the brand new stencils that Bev has designed. This first card uses the Rainbow and Clouds stencil.

I used the large rainbow from the stencil and using some masking paper, I blocked out each arch in turn so that I could use a different colour for each one. I used Distress Inks in, Picked Raspberry, Dried Marigold, Twisted Citron , Salty Ocean and Wilted Violet to create the rainbow on a panel of white card. When the rainbow was finished, I added a sentiment from the Beautiful stamp set in Altenew's Pure Graphite, then used an MFT die to cut the scalloped edges.

On a scrap of white card, I traced 3 of the clouds and fussy cut them out. The left hand and smallest I popped up on pads, the other I glued flat over the rainbow. The finished panel was then popped up on pads over a white A6 base card.

My second card features the Squared stencil.

To start I stamped an A6 panel of card with Versamark and the BB Halftone a couple of times. When the stencil is inked with DI, the subtle stamping will show through.

After I was sure that the Versamark was completely dry, I inked through the stencil in Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers and Salty Ocean DI onto the stamped panel, adding extra squares where appropriate.

Using the HAPPY die from Big and Bold Happy stamp and die set, I cut into the panel, then again with some fun foam, stacked up the die cuts and replaced them into the opening to create this camouflage effect. The small bits from the A and Ps were added carefully too. The birthday from the same set was stamped on black and heat embossed with white EP, trimmed and added. The finished panel was trimmed down and added to a white linen effect base card. 

I'm playing with the same technique on this card. Instead of the BB Halftone stamp I used BB Scattered Polka Dots and the new Flower Power #8 stencil.

       

After stamping the BB in Versamark onto white card and leaving to dry, I added a soft covering of Picked Raspberry DI over the whole panel. I then placed the stencil so that half of the bloom filled one half of the card and inked using more Picked Raspberry and some Wilted Violet DI over the central area of the bloom. I repeated the stencilling at the other end of the panel, trimmed it down and added my sentiment, from my stash and a couple of strips of holographic card and some silver gems. The completed panel was then added to a white base card.

My final card features the Tropical Leaf stencil.

This has two parts to it, the stencil and the cut out mask.

For the background panel I got inky with my Gelli plate and both the stencil and mask and some green DIs and DOxs. 

I made lots of backgrounds whilst playing, more of them later, but I chose this one to sit behind a die cut frame onto which I added a fussy cut image of the mask, which I used to draw around. The sentiment is from the new Simply Said Blocks III stamped with Bundled Sage DOx.

So that's it for today, I'm sure you'll agree that these stencils are going to be a very useful addition to anyone's stash.

Check out what the rest of the team have been up to with these fab ne stencils and leave a comment for a chance to win some Uniko goodies.

Bev
Hannelie

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie -that's me

Rahmat

Steph

We'll be back tomorrow with another new stamp set introduction, see you then.

Joining in over at:-

  

                                                          H is for HAPPY

Introducing Background Blocks Layered Floral and Simply Said Blocks III

Good morning. Time for another reveal at Uniko. Today we are showcasing the new Background Blocks Layered Floral set and Simply Said Blocks III.

Here's a card using the floral set.

This is a two part stamp with a few extra mini stamps. For this card I stamped the floral element in two shades of Pink before adding the foliage stamp with some lime green. This was repeated twice and a few spaces were filled with some more tiny leaves. 

Once the panel was dry, I used a slimline die to cut the frame and center panel. Using the happy die from Big n Bold Happy, I die cut once from the flowery panel and again from pink fun foam, layered the two together and popped them back into the panel, not forgetting the tiny bits from the a and ps. A stamped sentiment from the same Big n Bold set complete the greeting. The frame was attached to the base card and the flower panel added inside.

My second card features Simply Said Blocks III. 

Using the colours from this week's JUGS, a few of the sentiments were stamped, cut out and added to panel with a die cut shaped heart. I used Altenew's Teal Cave, Honey Drizzle and Silver Stone. On a white A6 card, the BB Scattered Hearts was stamped with grey. The completed panel was then added over the top with foam pads. I quite like the unusual colours, it could be used as an anniversary card to a fella, not too mushy!

Well that's it for today but don't forget to check out the rest of the team, comment as you hop along for the chance to win some Uniko goodies.

Bev
Hannelie

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie -that's me

Rahmat

Steph

I'd like to join in over at:-

                                                               Feminine/ For a Lady