Release Day, Blog Hop and Giveaway

Good morning. It's release day at Uniko and we are giving you the chance to win the whole release in our blog hop. Just leave a comment as you hop along to win, simples!! The stamps and stencil are also available to purchase here.

My first card using the new release, combines Mid Century Modern Frames and Purrfect for this 50's inspired card.

The largest of the frames was stamped followed by the cat outline. I didn't need to mask it off as I was going to colour it with black Copic. I also stamped a few of the small atomic elements in black. The sentiment is from the frames set too.

Keeping with the cat set, I created this fun card.

I used a Sizzix plate die for the circular openings as well as a couple more made using a punch. The solid cat was stamped in various directions with Memento Tuxedo Black onto the largest 7 circles, adding the features with clear EP and white gel pen. The smaller circles were placed back into the panel and secured at the back with tape, the stamped ones placed in and similarly secured before adding to a white base card. A sentiment combining the Mid Century modern Frames and Purrfect sets completes.

My next card is very simple and uses the BB Mid Century Linear Lines stamp.

I simply stamped and embossed the lines a few times in my MISTI to build up the dimension then added the sentiment, So Much, with Jewelled Gold EP and fussy cut. The finished panel was added to a matching base card on pads.

Now do you remember my stencil panel card from yesterday? Well here is the other half in another masculine birthday card.

I simply trimmed the leftover panel down, cut it into two and popped both pieces up on pads onto an A6 base card with the sentiment from Floral Vines stamped in black in the gap. It was a bit of a faff to get all the different colours inked onto the panel so I'm pleased I managed to make two cards from the one panel!

So what do you think? I know I've had fun playing with the new release and I know the rest of the girls have had a fun time playing too. For the chance to win the full release hop along to leave some love as Bev will be drawing one lucky commenter from blogs and social media to win.

Anita

Bev

Izzy

Julie - that's me

Steph

So don't forget to leave a comment here before you hop along, Bev will draw the winners on Saturday 21st January.

Happy hopping!

Uniko Challenge #61

Morning all, hope I find you well and coping in these strange times.

It's come around to be time to announce the start of a brand new Anything Goes challenge over at Uniko.

Here is my inspiration using Nature's Treasures II stencil and So Much stamp set.

I chose to go with the option of thanks for my card.

I've been playing with my Gelli plate these last few weeks, I bought it a couple of years ago and it was still in its package, unloved and unused. I was always fascinated by the prints I saw online but a little wary too. I'm really a CAS girl at heart so was a bit reluctant to let the control out of my hands but after watching another Jennifer McGuire video on You Tube, I decided to crack the seal and have a play.

Needless to say I now have a pile of backgrounds and you may see a few more of them in weeks to come, it was quite addictive.

I first created my background by adding Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade and Abandoned Coral DOx to my plate, spread it out with a brayer and took a couple of prints off it. The one I used for this example was the second and was much paler than the first so the leaves I added later would show up. 

For the leaves, I added a mix of Gathered Twigs and Spiced Marmalade to the plate then added the stencil over the top and took a print. I repeated this a couple of times, moving my background around as I pressed over the plate. The leaves become paler with each pull giving the effect of recession, as though you are looking through the branches.

On an A6 base card I added part of the finished leaf panel, then added a larger one of cream over the inked one, trimming away the excess.

On a strip of black card I heat embossed the sentiment with gold EP and trimmed it down before adding to my cream panel, leaving a small line of the top panel showing.

So that's about it from me, please check out the rest of the DT inspiration and then why not join in?

Stencil Sunday

Hi and welcome.
I'm over at the Uniko blog for another Stencil Sunday.

I'm sharing a couple of cards made using a wreath builder/ turnabout stamping jig that some of you may be familiar with. If you haven't got one here is a link to how to make your own.

Some of you may even have used one with your stamps to create some fun cards, like I did here, but this time I'm going to use a couple of stencils. I was inspired to have a go after seeing this Jennifer McGuire video.

My first card uses the wonky stripes stencil and the So Much clear stamp set.

This second card uses the Broken Lines stencil and a more restricted palette.

Pop over to the Uniko blog for all the details

Joining in over at:-

     
Stencilling, die cutting and Ombre Copic colouring!

Release Day at Uniko

OK, it's going to be a long post, so grab yourself a cuppa and join me as I take you through the whole Christmas release.

I've used all the stencils in the lead up to release day and most of the stamps but here are a few more ideas for you.

This card uses the Christmas Folk Snowflake stencil and Big and Bold: Merry.

The base card was stamped with the large merry and embossed with semi dull clear EP to create a subtle background for the strip of snowflakes. These were made with white embossing paste on Kraft and to complete a white heat embossed Christmas from the same Big and Bold set.

No stencils on this second card, just one of the images from Winter Botanicals: Sweet Broom

To start I inked up a panel of white card with DOx in autumnal shades then stamped the sweet broom spray and embossed with gold EP. I then lifted out the center of each leaflet with water. The contrast wasn't as great as I wanted so went over again using a pale yellow Prismacolour pencil.

The sentiment was cit from vellum and white card and layered up then the so much element from the So Much set was stamped and embossed with white EP. The finished panel was then attached to a white base card.

My final card showcases the Background Builders Christmas 2018 set.

The flower element reminded me of Christmas sweaters, so using my MFT zipper dies, I created this.

I left the sentiment off the first one but decided that it could work as either a birthday or Christmas card by the addition of a sentiment.

Here I used the new Simply Said Blocks Christmas 'Happy Christmas' and for the second I added one from the Simply Said Blocks set, both embossed with white over red.

So here are the five brand new sets of stamps, 2 large and 2 small.

The next 2 clear stamp sets are being released from retirement! 

As well as the stamps there are these 3 stencils!

So that's it from me., but there's tons more inspiration supplied by the rest of the DT.

Hop along and comment for a chance to win. All details are to be found on the Uniko blog.

Bev
Carol 

Izzy 

Jane 

Julie -that'll be me

Linda

Lindsey

Sarah G

Sarah P

I'd like to join in over at:-

Autumn Splendour 

Colours of Autumn

Uniko challenge

Morning peeps.
The year is whizzing by and it's time for a brand new challenge over at Uniko.
This time we have a really simple theme with a little twist. Here's my take.

Can you guess the theme? It's -

For my inspiration, I was drawn to the colour of the leaves in this glorious pic.
After such a hot summer the leaves are just turning crispy and missing out on the glorious colour changes we normally see, though there are plenty of berries in the hedgerows. The rowans, hollies and hawthorns are laden with bright red berries so from a distance you get a shimmer of red over the whole hedge. The fieldfares, thrushes, blackbirds and others will have a feast! Conkers were raining down on Wednesday with the very strong winds courtesy of Storm Ali and so was the beech mast. In fact some landed on my windscreen as I drove to Sainsbugs and an acorn or some such landed with a fair old ping on the card roof too!

Anyway back to the card. I started by dripping some Copic refill ink onto Yupo paper and left it to dry. Think I was a little too generous with the ink as it left ridges on the panel as it dried.
When dry, I used the Nature's Treasures II stencil with Dreamweaver gold embossing paste to create my  pattern. It took awhile as I had to leave each leaf stalk time to dry, if the stencil comes into contact with the paste when even damp it lifts it off. It did happen to me but I managed to hide the offending boo boo under the sentiment strip! I even quite liked how the texture showed through from the background panel in the end.

As I said earlier my gold embossed sentiment strip, using So Much, was laid across the completed panel, carefully masking my 'tiny' error!

My second card uses the same stencil but this time I used DOx ink in Spiced Marmalade, Fossilized Amber and Abandoned Coral, to colour a white panel. The Camouflaged HELLO was cut from the inked panel and again from brown fun foam before replacing all the bits back into the spaces on the panel after the Beautiful script was stamped. A few sequins complete the card. Very simple to do.

OK, that's it from me but please check out the team here as well as our GD for the month, the wonderfully talented Hannelie at Desert Diva

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You have until midnight GMT on Friday 26th October to enter and the winner will be announced on Friday 2nd November, 8.00am GMT

Check out the Uniko blog for all the Ts and Cs.

I'd like to join in over at:-

  
Hope stencils apply too!

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:-