Uniko September Challenge

Good morning folks.
It's been a lovely autumnal week herein the UK, the hay has finally been cut and hopefully soon baled and although the days are pleasantly warm, the evenings have a definite autumn chill to them.
Soon the leaves will start to change to their wonderful autumn hues,
So it's rather appropriate that the latest challenge over at Uniko has an autumnal theme, or you can just stay with the anything goes theme if you prefer.
Here is my card to inspire you.

This uses those small stamps that we all have, often mixed in with other images. I rooted through my Uniko sets and found quite a few sets with small leaf images, Big and Bold Hello, Nature's Treasures, Originally Organics Additions and Wonderful Day.
Using the small leaves from Nature's Treasures and a wreath builder template, I stamped away using autumnal colours on an off white card panel.

Next I made a tri-panel card by cutting a panel of burnt orange card stock to 41/2" x 131/2" from some large card I got a couple of years back in Lidl, then score at 41/2" and 9".  It's a larger size than A4 and enables me to make such card bases without having to join up two 41/2" square cards which is the other option.
After gluing my trimmed panel to the front of my card, I then used a circle die to cut an aperture through both front panels.

Folding the right hand panel into the middle, you may need to trim a sliver off this so it sits without buckling, I popped the card into the MISTI and stamped the sentiment from the Wonderful Day set with Versamark before embossing with gold EP.

A panel of plain card was added to the inner panel to add a hand written note without it showing at the front.

So that's all from me but please check out the rest of the team here.

Joining in over at:-



Anything Goes, no twist

     
               
                   Autumn Colours                   

Introducing Uniko's Background Blocks Graffitti

Morning peeps.

Back again with day 3 of the February Uniko release introductions.

Today we are focusing on one of the background blocks - Graphitti!

For this example, I inked a panel with Blueprint Sketch DOx and then stamped the graffitti image with plain water to create the pattern. The water acts like bleach, removing some of the ink which you can mop up with a piece of kitchen paper. I also splashed a few drops of water over the panel to remove even more of the ink.

My top panel was cut using a double sided curved die and the panel trimmed down to size. A scrap of bright yellow card was also cut and then slipped behind the white panel to create added interest. My sentiment, from Wonderful Day was stamped in navy ink and embossed with clear semi dull EP and the white panels popped up over the distressed blue one, trimmed to size and added to a white base card.

For more fab inspiration, check out the rest of the team.

Bev
Ruth
Carol 

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie -that's me!
Linda

Lindsey

Sarah G

Sarah P
Wiebke 

I'm joining in over at:-

Uniko January Blog Hop

Good morning peeps.

It's the weekend so why not settle down with a cuppa and browse the Uniko DT's favourite stamps and stencils that have been released in 2018.

As usual leave a comment as you hop along for the chance to win, all the details are over on the Uniko site. You should have come from Jane's blog but don't worry all the links are at the end of this post.

Anyway without further ado here is my card using my favourite stamp set.

When I first saw the Pure Florals - Peony set, I just fell in love with this gorgeous blousy bloom.

Pure Florals: Peony £15 Clear Stamp Set

There have been lots of fab sets released in 2018 but although only released in December, this is going to be a firm favourite, I can tell. The large flower stamp just doesn't need anything else to make it shine, so I gave it the CAS treatment.

I used the colours from this month's Flower Challenge of pink and grey to create this 5 x 7 card.

To start, I tool a panel of grey Kaisercraft textured card in Smoke and stamped my layout with Versamark and fine white EP, masking where necessary. The large peony was then stamped on watercolour paper with Versamark and heat embossed with the same white EP. I then added some DI, Spun Sugar, Seedless Preserve and Picked Raspberry, on my craft mat to colour the petals in a w/c technique. The same technique for the leaves but using Pine Needles, Mowed Lawn and Peeled Paint and in the end I cut away all of them except the odd few. My flower center was a little bit of Mustard Seed and Wild Honey. 

When dry, I fussy cut it and put it to one side while I dealt with the base panel. It was trimmed to be slightly less than the white base card, then I added my sentiment from Wonderful Day, embossed with white EP. The large pink peony was then added over the embossed design with foam pads.

Wonderful Day £9 Clear Stamp Set

So what was your favourite release? Check out what the rest of the DT decided by clicking on the links below.

Bev
Carol 

Izzy 

Jane 
Julie - That'll be me
Linda

Rahmat
Sarah G

Sarah P
Wiebke 

I'm joining in over at:-

              AG                                  Fabulously Feminine

Flowers

Uniko December Release

Good morning and welcome.

If you've been following the Uniko blog, you'll know that it's release day over there!

Three fab stamp sets AND two gorgeous stencils too.

Here are a few ideas for the new sets, so get a cuppa and settle in for a show.

This birthday card uses the latest addition to the Pure Florals range at Uniko. This time its a peony with additional script 'sending' and addition small sentiments.

Pure Florals: Peony £15 Clear Stamp Set

I started by stamping the large bloom and then a couple of the buds with Altenew Industrial Diamond ink, before colouring with Copics and fussy cutting. I wanted some texture for my base card so stamped some wood grain with a stamp from the stash and heat embossed with white EP. From some gold mirror card, I die cut a frame and arranged the blooms on the base card adding a gold embossed vellum sentiment strip.

My next two cards are made with the gorgeous Let it Snow stencil.

I used a selection of DI and DOxs to ink through it onto a panel of white card which I then used to form the main panel of the first card, then cut the letters for the second from the leftovers.

I chose a matching pink base card and added two thin strips of silver under the edges of the stenciled panel and added a die cut joy with a banner stamped using Simply Said Christmas on black and heat embossed with white EP. The die cut joy, from the Works, was cut from silver glitter paper and also from fun foam before being added to the base card. 

I used the bold alphabet die set from Altenew to cut the noel after I saw a card on You Tube by Therese Calvird. I love the contrast between the dark shimmery grey card base and the pink and white letters. A couple od die cut snowflakes that were sitting on my desk were added for accents.

Let It Snow Stencil £3.50

This fourth card uses the same stencil as well as the stunning Snowflake Serenade stamp set.

You can't really see the very subtle pattern of the stencil which I placed over a panel of dilute DI ink and left to dry, think I removed it too soon, but it worked with the delicate swirl of the holly leaves and snowflakes of the stamp which I simply embossed in silver over the top. Using a stitched rectangle die, I cut the panel down to size and mounted it on a pale blue card base. I added a few more of the die cut snowflakes from the stash and stamped and embossed the sentiment from the same set in matching silver EP.

Snowflake Serenade £9 Clear Stamp Set

Back to stencils for these next two cards, this time using the In the Forest stencil.

Again I inked a panel of white card through the stencil with an assortment of three green DOxs, Forest Moss, Twisted Citron and Mown Lawn but treated each half slightly differently.

The first half had the stencil replaced over it and Versamark inked over and then embossed with clear EP. Make sure you get a good coverage as when you add the blue DOx over the top, it will colour the green underneath! I found a previously die cut panel and placed the inked panel underneath, adding a white die cut Rudolph on foam with a red diamonte for his nose. The silver twinkle embossed sentiment  is from the Snowflake Sentiment set.

The second just adds a couple of die cut snowdrifts beneath the simply inked panel and a simple sentiment from Festive Sentiments.

In The Forest Stencil £3.50

My final card uses the Wonderful day stamp set, but only some of the tiny stamps!

I was still in need of a few more Christmas cards so decided to turn what is essentially a birthday stamp set into a Christmas one by using the berry style sprigs and laurel sprays.
I used the colours at The Paper Players and the layout at CAS(E) this sketch for my inspiration as after all these cards I was sorely in need!
I used some Altenew inks to stamp the foliage on a strip of white card and stamped and embossed with gold EP the Merry Christmas from the Festive Sentiments on a panel of red card.

                                                    

Wonderful Day £9 Clear Stamp Set

So that's it from me but there's tons more inspiration for you over on the rest of the DT's blogs.

Hop over and check them out, leave a comment and have the chance to win some Uniko goodies. 

All the details are on the Uniko blog.

Bev
Carol 

Izzy 

Jane 

Julie -that'll be me

Linda

Lindsey

Sarah G

Sarah P

Joining in over at:-


                                             free for all

 



                                              Greens


                                              Die cuts are my choice