Uniko FB Challenge

Good morning all. 

This month on Uniko's FB VIP Challenge we are focusing on MASCULINE cards. I know many of you struggle when it comes to cards for the men in your life, I'm pretty outnumbered in the male department so I'm used to producing cards for blokes of all ages but it doesn't get any easier!

With Father's Day fast approaching, I thought I would make one for the Grand kids to give to their dad, think this might be OK for the eldest who is in the middle of his mock exams, CAS works well for male cards and I'll make a cuter one for the youngest later!

I made this using one of Bev's MCM stencils, MOD Background Builder -Circles and a muted palette of greens and blues.

The stencil is designed so that you can cover whatever size of panel you would like but for this I just needed a strip across the card base to match the sketch at AAA Cards. I also mixed up the pattern to extenuate the columns rather than the circle aspect of the stencil. 

After placing the stencil on my white A6 card base, I inked each section individually using a mask I made from some scrap acetate from some packaging, die cut with a small square die, it cuts down the risk of inking in the wrong place!

To fill up my line, I had to replace the stencil over the inked section to take the pattern as near to the edge as I required. I used the paler colours first before adding the dark blue over the top of some of the shapes, trying to create a pleasing pattern. Once finished, I stamped the sentiment, Simply Said, with the same dark blue ink.

That's all from me but please join in the fun over on Uniko's FB page.

Joining in over at:-

Introducing Bauhaus Blocks Stamp set

Morning, it's day 2 of the intros for the May release from Uniko. 

Today I've gone all Piet Mondrian using the new Bauhaus Blocks stamp set for my first card.

There are 5 blocks and 4 sentiments in the set but I only used one of the blocks for this as well as the square stamp from Background Builders Squared. I played around with the one stamp, rotating and stamping in black on white before adding the squares in primary colours. To get a rectangle or smaller square, I just masked off an area with tape before stamping. The sentiment was already in my sentiment jar and fit the space perfectly.

Each square was cut out and mounted onto a panel of black card to create a thin border, then the whole was added to a base card on pads.

This is a quick make using another of the square blocks.

This time, I stamped the block onto some card with Versamark and heat embossed with white EP, then

using 3 Zig watercolour markers, I filled in the shapes. When dry the finished panel was die cut, attached to an A6 textured off white base card and the sentiment from Simply Said stamped with Altenew's Ultra Violet, then heat embossed with clear EP.

Bev and the rest of the BAs have more fab ideas over on the blog here if you've missed them.

See you back here tomorrow for the final introduction.

Uniko BA Inspiration and a Paper Players Sketch

I'm up on the Uniko blog with some BA Inspiration using the latest challenge at The Paper Players.

Here are a couple of cards I made.

I love a sketch, they are a great way to get inspired when your mojo is not quite working as it should!

For this I started by stamping the small outline rose and two of the leaflets from Pure Florals Rose, in Versamark and embossing with gold EP. Using some Candied Apple, Mowed Lawn, and Pealed Paint DI smooshed onto my craft mat, I water coloured before fussy cutting out. A little shadow was added using one of my Zig watercolour markers.

The central strip was stamped using a selection of Simply Said sentiments in Altenew Evening Gray on a strip of paper, before adding to an A6 base card. A piece of textured white card from my stash was mounted onto some gold card and the Floral Vines sentiment stamped and embossed with the same gold EP. The rose spray was then added to the top panel and attached over the central strip.

My second card uses the poinsettia from Season of Beauty, Christmas Sentiments and the Winter Foliage stencil.

Details of this card are over on the Uniko blog.

 

Joining in over at:-

Bleaching Brusho

Morning folks.

I'm over at Uniko with some springtime BA inspiration.

As some of us are all spending more time in our gardens because of lockdown, I thought I would take the opportunity to use some flowers in my cards too.

The technique I used was inspired by the challenge over at CAS Mix Up, I'd never tried it before but I love the effect it gives.

Starting with a panel of white card and using the top half of the Tulip stamp, I stamped, heat embossed with white EP and masked as I moved across the bottom of the card panel. 

Once I was happy with the amount of stamping and embossing,  I sprinkled Prussian Blue Brusho across the middle, then Leaf Green across the bottom third. I didn't worry about any overlap, just wanted 2/3 of my panel covered.

I then spritzed the bottom 2/3 with water and put to one side to dry.

Once dry I took a small amount of concentrated bleach in a dish and added some water to dilute. 

After it had dried I added some colour with pink Zig watercolor brush pens, this is the result. I chose pink so that it wouldn't matter if the pale blue left from bleaching showed through. Some green was also added to the stems and leaves.

I loved the finished panel but decided to make it go further by cutting it in two and trimming each panel down to size.

The first just uses the left hand strip glued flat on an A6 white card after adding a sentiment from the Simply Said set on a strip of card. A couple of slivers of silver mirror card down each side complete.

The second uses the cut down right hand panel, close cropped with a die cut frame.
The same sentiment was stamped on the frame and the whole panel was popped up on some funky pink foam.

Two cards from the one panel and two totally different looks.

I'm joining in over at:-


                                                         Brusho, heat embossing and a die cut

                                                             Flowers and/or showers