Uniko July Mini Release and Blog Hop

Good morning!

It's release day at Uniko so as usual we are having a BA blog hop and giveaway. All the details can be found on the Uniko blog where you can also find links to the BA's own blogs for you to comment for the chance to win a £20 e-gift card!

So to start here is a card using the BB Rays.

 

Instead of a sunny vibe I've gone cool and Christmassy. The BB Ray was stamped around a central spot in Salty Ocean DI, wiping off the edges to create the fade away effect. The snowflake was cut from the same card as my base and added to the vellum die cut circle and white circle die before adding to the stamping. My sentiment from Stunning Snowflakes was stamped in Versamark and embossed with WOW Sparkling Platinum EP. A few pieces of snowflake confetti add to the wintery feel.

My second card uses the Scattered Polka hearts Stencil and Pawprints Hearts with the addition of the paw print from the Wild stamp set.

I first cut a heart from a panel of white card before dry embossing with the stencil. On a separate smaller panel I traced the heart shape onto it with a pencil before stamping the heart and rainbow of pawprints. When dry, I added it behind the opening and then the sentiment on a matching white strip of card. The finished panel was then popped up on pads over an A6 white base card.

This next card uses the Scattered Polka Hearts stencil, incorporating a couple of the heart stamps from Background Builders Hearts. 

Before embossing the panel with the stencil, this time I brayered on some Salty Ocean DI. A scrap of DP and a thin inked scrap card border separate the top panel with two fussy cut hearts and a simple sentiment. A perfect masculine card for an engagement or anniversary or even a wedding.

My final card uses the new Tropical Leaf 2 stencil and some stamped elements from Paradise and Paradise Leaves together with a sentiment from Wild.

I first stenciled the large leaf with Twisted Citron DOx, then using the mask, added the stamped leaves with Altenew's Tropical Forest ink set. The gaps were in filled freehand with dots of matching ink. My sentiment from Wild was stamped in black and the Wild element was fussy cut from white card and added. Almost a OLC!

So that's all from me but don't forget to leave a comment before you leave for a chance to win that £20 e-gift card! Here are the links for the rest of the team to help you navigate the bog hop.

Anita 

 Bev 

Hannelie

Izzy

Jane

Julie -that's me

Steph

Wiebke

Before you leave don't forget to leave a comment here and happy hopping!

Introducing - Paw Print Hearts and Stencil Scattered Polka Hearts

Good morning, I'm back with the final introduction post for the Uniko mini release. Today we are showcasing Pawprints Hearts stamp set and another stencil, Scattered Polka Hearts. 

Here's my first card using one of the stamps from Pawprints Hearts.

The large pawprint was stamped onto a die cut panel of white card with Versamark and heat embossed with white EP. I then moved the panel and stamped again with Altenew's Obsidian to create a dark shadow, or that was the intension. Obsidian is a lovely bold black but it just sits on the surface and takes an age to dry and although I removed the excess ink from the embossing it smudged into the embossing. At first I was disappointed but when I looked at it again I rather liked the effect I had created. A simple sentiment from the same set completes the panel which was then added to an A6 base card with pads.

My second card uses a combination of the Scattered Polka Hearts stencil and the Pawprints Hearts stamp set.

On a panel of white card, I blended a rainbow with a selection of DIs keeping it quite light then added the stencil over it and repeated the inking but using a firmer hand. I cut it in half, added it to an A6 note card then added the white textured panel over the top. A thin sliver of black card just sharpens up the design without adding bulk. My pawprint was stamped with Altenew's Silver Stone and the large sentiment added with black ink.

So that's all from me for today, pop back tomorrow for the full July reveal and a chance to win in our blog hop.

Introducing - Tropical Leaf #2 Stencil

Good morning. It's the second day of introducing the new mini release from Uniko.

Today we are showing the second of the Tropical Leaf stencil series, a huge Monstera leaf. Here's how I used it, combing it with the hibiscus flowers from the Paradise set.

I first taped the stencil down over a panel of white card and stamped the solid flowers through it, adding the stigma and leaves after. I washed and dried the stencil then replaced it and added Versamark with a sponge applicator before heat embossing with clear gloss EP. I was now able to add the background colour without it effecting the stamped elements. For a belt and braces approach I also used the mask which comes with the stencil. If you are very careful, I suppose you could get away with just using the mask.

I wanted to have tropical greenery background so used as election of DOx and DI inks to avoid a flat, solid background.

To make the card, I simply cut down the panel, added it to an A6 white note card, added a pre stamped sentiment from my stash (Beautiful and Bee Happy), with a couple of slivers of gold linen effect card.

So that's all for today, but there's lots more over on the BA's and Uniko blogs.

I'll be back tomorrow with the final introduction.

Introducing - Background Blocks Rays

Seconds out, round two!

After yesterday's sneak peeks, I'm back with the first of the introducing posts for the mini July release from Uniko. Today I'm sharing  cards using the new Background Blocks Rays stamp.

My first card is a bonus one. I played around with the BB Rays stamp when I first got it, the stamping or more probably my Versamark pad was a bit off, but I didn't mind the faded texture effect I got, after all it was just a trial piece! Anyway I thought I would turn it into another card as after a few days lieing on my desk it looked fine to use! The die, STAMPlorations I had out for an earlier make and thought I would use up my practice piece, placing  the house in the center of the sunburst rays for a new home card.

My second card, but the first card I made, uses Versamark and clear EP on yellow card again.

This time, I used an old Memory Box die called Calm Countryside for my stamped panel to sit behind. The yellow panel was stamped with Versamark and embossed with clear glossy EP. The image again didn't stamp fully first time, always tricky to see Versamark on coloured card and I really should have stamped again to get a better coverage, however the slightly distressed effect was fine in this context! I've now bought a reinker for my Versamark pad and it's stamping much better!!

My simple greeting is from last month's Sunshine and Rainbows set.

That's all from me today but I'll be back tomorrow with some more of Uniko's July release.

British Racing Green

 Good morning, it's happy time chez Beech as it's my birthday, I may be doing a little retail therapy later on!!

It's also time for a new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. This time we are looking for you to make a masculine card with -

SOMETHING RECYCLED

Well as I'd had my old road atlas out for the last challenge, I thought I would use another piece for this card. Sorry the photo is bleached out but I photographed it during last week's heatwave!

In fact the whole card front is made up from bits and bats I found lying around the craft room.

As I said earlier the map is from an old road atlas, the little driver from LOTV was a leftover from another project and the frame was waste from which I had previously die cut a panel which I enlarged to fit by cutting away 1/4" from the inside of one edge. The only un recycled element is the stamped sentiment but the banner was in the bits box!

The digi, Racing Green from Lili of the Valley, was coloured with Copics, fussy cut and added to the background, I did cut out the exhaust clouds and add them too, along with a few speed marks which I added back with a black fine liner. He's one of LOTV's new digi's and it's his first outing and coloured to match his background.

What could you recycle into a project? Why not check out the rest of the team here and then join in?

I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail for the first of my Uniko July release posts, but first..

I'm joining in over at:-