Monday, 6 May 2019

CUTplorations - May challenge

Hi and welcome to a brand new challenge over at STAMPlorations
It's the first Monday of the month so it must be CUTplorations, so focus on those dies folks.
Here is my inspiration for you.


This the photo that we have to work from this month.


image source: Ellen Giggenbach


I was intrigued by this image, so I clicked the link to see where this fab image that Maria chose came from. It took me to an Esty page with other similar pattern images all along with a similar theme of panels of colour and over laid images. It took me back to my O level Art exam a long time ago where I was influenced by a poster on the back of the Sounds music paper, which I read on the way to the exam. The essence is that the colour of the object or shape changed colour when it passed over a straight line. So to cut to the chase that's how I was influenced to create my design. I ignored the bird element and just used the shapes and colours as inspiration.

To start, I cut some gift panels using the one of the dies from the  Gift Builder #2 die set, the one with the cut away centre. To get some added interest, I chose some textured card from my stash. The centres of the die cut were laid together on a scrap of paper and glued flat before adding the non bow outline to the edges. To create the large fronds I used the frond die from Trendy Spring Blooms and cut them from scraps of green and blue card. Using the two daisy dies from the same set I cut some flowers in shades of orange to match the picture and two petal shapes from another of the flower dies for extra leaves.
Where the leaves and flowers crossed the horizontal and vertical lines in the background, the die cuts were cut and matched with a contrasting part to complete the picture.

The completed panel was popped up on pads and the sentiment from Hello You, was stamped in matching dark teal ink.

OK, that's all from me. For more inspiration though, check out the rest of the team here and there you'll also find all the Ts and Cs for entering the challenge.

Sunday, 5 May 2019

Release Day at Uniko

Good morning peeps.
Hope you are having a fab Bank Holiday weekend, even if the weather is not what it should be. There's been snow on the Welsh and Scottish hills I've heard! 
Anyway it's release day at Uniko so grab a cuppa and settle in for some more fantastic inspiration from The DT.
If the introductions have tempted you into wanting the May release you'll have the chance to win the whole release by partaking in the blog hop but if you feel you can't wait all the sets will be available  to purchase HERE at a NEW time of 9pm GMT tonight. 

First up is a card featuring the English Country Garden stamps and matching dies.


This is a card where the butterflies actually wobble over the background! I've seen so many butterflies this spring so I just had to include some with the Sketched Foliage stamp.
The central panel was created using Copic reinkers on Yupo paper and Alcohol Lift-Ink. I tried to stamp the lifted off ink onto another panel but as it wasn't proper alcohol ink it did't work awfully well. I will just have to bite the bullet and buy some proper ink when I go to Port Sunlight next week. 😉
The small butterflies were cut then stamped and coloured with Zig pens.
I saw the wobble technique for the butterflies on Jennifer McGuire's You Tube channel here. She explains the technique much better than me, it involves cutting holes in the panel then attaching the butterflies to a disc of card through the hole. I mounted my finished panel under a frame before adding the whole to a base card.

My second design uses Background Blocks Mid Century Modern II. I was playing around with it and ended up with a slightly patchy embossed panel. I put it to one side and tried again but I liked the first attempt better as the patchy embossing allows the colours to show through.

I couldn't decide which card design I liked best so went with all three! What do you think?


The finished panel reminds me of some wallpaper we had in our first house in the 70's! The first layer was stamped with a pale ink then coloured with Copics before the gold embossed layer was added.
That's all from me but don't forget to check out the rest of the team.

Here's the release in full.
    

   

   


As usual we have our traditional Design Team Blog Hop & Giveaway. To be in the chance of winning The ENTIRE April / May 2019 Release! (4 clear stamp sets, 2 previously released clear stamp sets, 2 co-ordinating designer die collections & 1 stencil design), simply comment along the way, it's as easy as that! You have until Midnight Sunday 12th May 2019. Winner will be announced a few days after. 

Happy hopping!

Julie-that'll be me
Linda
Lindsey

Joining in over at:-


Please grab our logo
English Country Garden

Saturday, 4 May 2019

Introducing BIG & BOLD Wish Designer Dies

Good morning.
I hope you are going to have a great Bank Holiday weekend. The weather is not so good here, rather nippy if truth be told so a good excuse to stay indoors and get crafty!
Its day 3 of the Uniko May release and today we are  again showcasing a die set to match an existing stamp set, Big and Bold Wish. 

Here's my inspiration for you.


Instead of using the wish word dies, I chose to focus on the small candle and flame die.
The sentiment was inked up in a variety of overlapping inks to create a rainbow effect. My die cut panel was then cut repeatedly with the two dies. I found a few feint pencil lines help to get the layout square. To create the shadow effect, I cut the candles again bit in black fun foam before replacing them in the openings and adding back the white ones.

Quite an effective technique if a tad fiddly.
There are even more ideas on the rest of the DT's own blogs, so pop over for a look and be even more inspired.

Julie-that'll be me
Linda
Lindsey

Come back tomorrow for the big release and blog hop with prizes!

Friday, 3 May 2019

Introducing Mid Century Modern Stencil

It's day 3 of the new release intros at Uniko, how are you liking it so far?
Today sees us launch the next stencil in the range.
Simply called Md Century Modern Stencil, it is essentially a chunkier version of the Background Blocks I launched on Wednesday.
Here's my take on how to use it.


The stencil was attached to panel of white card and Altenew black ink sponged through.
When dry, the solid oval from Mid Century Florals was stamped in Altenew Rose Quartz, Cosmic Berry and Bamboo randomly across the stencilled panel. The star burst element from the same set was then stamped in the black ink. The design was based on many images on Pinterest including this. The colours just appealed! 
A wavy panel was cut from another white panel and then stamped with a greeting from the Birthday Sentiments set and over laid the inked one, using foam to create some dimension.

OK, that's it from me but there's plenty more inspiration from the team as well as our GD Jenny from Crafting in the Country.

Julie-that'll be me
Linda
Lindsey
Wiebke

Come back tomorrow for some more May release inspiration from Uniko.

Joining in over at:-





Thursday, 2 May 2019

I'm back!

As it says at the top I'm back at HLS CAS after an enforced break, to share a card for this month's challenge. Sorry I haven't been around for a couple of months but I fell in February and broke my arm. All is healing well and physio on going, crafting playing it's part in helping me back to normality!


Our theme is -


I nice simple card to ease me back in, watercoloured panel and Mama Elephant stamp, simples.
The completed Oxide ink watercoloured panel was trimmed to size when dry and the sentiment stamped in Versamark and WOW white EP. All added to a kraft card base.
For lots more fab inspiration check out the rest of the team here. Join us, we'd love to see your interpretation of the theme.

Introducing English Country Garden Designer Dies & Large Background Sketched Foliage

Today at Uniko sees the introduction of some dies to match the English Country Garden stamps and a gorgeous addition to the background blacks stable.
In this card I've used the large butterfly stamp and new matching die, there is a smaller one too.


I stamped my butterfly onto a panel of w/c paper in Antique Linen DI and then  washed in some more turquoise and dark grey colour with my Zig pens. Just love how the initial stamped lines take on the colour from the over painting. On a separate panel of card, I die cut the aperture and again in fun foam. Before layering up, I first added the sentiment from the set and then placed on a top fold note card.


Here is the second new release, a large background foliage stamp. No card as my attempt ended in the bin and no time to make another!


Large Background Sketched Foliage £10

So that's all from me for the moment but pop back tomorrow for some more ideas for the May release at Uniko.
Check out the rest of the team as well as our GD Jenny from Crafting in the Country for more fab ideas too.

Bev
Jenny GD
Carol 
Izzy 
Julie-that'll be me
Linda
Lindsey

Joining in over at:-

No twist!

Wednesday, 1 May 2019

Introducing Mid Century Modern Florals & Mid Century Modern Background Blocks I & II

Morning.
It's day 1 of this month's release previews at Uniko.
The first set up is Mid Century Modern Florals.

Bev has gone all retro on this release, focusing mainly on designs influenced by her love of the MCM movement, you'll find more details about that here.
I might be showing my age here but they remind me of designs from my youth, such as Mum's dresses and wallpaper! 

Using a couple of the solid background stamps to create the ring of blooms, I then added detail stamps to each centre. A few high lights were added with a white gel pen and the leaves and stamps added with matching grey ink. On a die cut circle the Happy Birthday from Birthday Sentiments was stamped then added to the card.


My second card is a more masculine card using Background Blocks Mid Century Modern and a sentiment from the December release Wonderful Day.


A few homemade gems were added for a bit of colour and dimension, just dot some clear Nuvo Jewel Drops onto a sheet of acetate then let dry. Add Copic pen in the colour of your choice, peel off and add to your project when the ink has dried with a bit of Matt medium in this case. I prefer to use thid than adding directly as you cut down the risk of splodging and ruining your card!

Card three uses the second Background block and the Big and Bold Happy stamps and dies.

The stamp was inked with a pale ink and then coloured with Copic markers for a solid look, before the sentiment was added.
That's about it for today but don't forget to come back for more ideas tomorrow.
Here are all the new the stamps used today laid out in full.



Mid Century Modern Florals £10


Background Blocks Mid Century Modern £5


Background Blocks Mid Century Modern II £5

Check out the rest of the team as well as our GD Jenny from Crafting in the Country for more fab ideas.
Bev
Jenny GD
Carol 
Izzy 
Julie-that'll be me
Linda
Lindsey