Showing posts with label Uniko. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uniko. Show all posts

Wednesday, 28 February 2024

Birthday Celebrations


Hi everyone, unusually for me I’m back with a second post today as I have made a card for some special birthday celebrations in blogland. If you would like to see this morning’s Tracy Evans floral card, please go here.

Bev at Uniko is celebrating the brand’s 12th birthday so has a special celebration challenge and blog hop here with some superb inspiration and fabulous prizes. I have made my card using only Uniko stamps and stencils.

It is also a 10th birthday celebration at Time Out, so this card was also made with that in mind.  Here it is.


I cut a square of white stamping card and blended Versamark through the balloon stencil (one balloon at a time!) and heat embossed with 3 colours of embossing glitter. I stamped the balloon strings in grey so they would not look too harsh, then added the stamped sentiment in blue. A few little stamped stars, edging of the panel in blue and matting onto silver mirri card, and it was job done! I love how easy it is to create CAS cards with Uniko designs. 

Here's an angled pic to show the extreme glitteriness (is that a word??).


Stamps: Uniko Balloon Bash, Birthday Sentiments;
Media: Versafine Clair (Morning Mist, Medieval Blue, Charming Pink); Versamark; WOW embossing glitter (Midnight Dream, Fruit Tingle, Silver Sparkle);
Tools: Uniko stencil - Balloon Bash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

AAA CAS #259 - Anything CAS Goes with option Birthday Card (2nd entry)


Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes
Time Out #257 - Time Out 10th Birthday


Uniko - 12th Birthday Celebration


Word Art Wednesday #637/638 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Congratulations to Bev on reaching 12 years with Uniko, and to Time Out for 12 years of challenges!!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Anyone for Bubbles?


Hi everyone, today I would like to share a card I made yesterday for a friend's "special birthday".  This was actually a bit of a rush job, as I knew this friend (who I don't see very often) was having a birthday at the end of the week but I only discovered by chance on Sunday that it is a "special" one ... and that she will be away on holiday so I needed to get a card made and in the post yesterday! Even so, knowing the current woeful state of postal deliveries there is no guarantee that it will arrive before she goes, but at least the thought was there!

This gave the perfect excuse to break out the celebratory Visible Image stamp set "Anyone For Bubbles" that I selected as part of my winnings for the second anniversary VI ATC swap back in May, specifically to cater for occasions just such as this one!


I cut a 6.5" square of white stamping card, and stamped the champagne bottle in green then coloured the foil with watered down gold Posca pen and the label with Distress ink. I stamped the glass in grey and added the champagne using Distress Ink and coloured the glass with pale grey Distress Oxide. I then added stamped bubbles and spatters to the bottle and glass using 2nd generation grey stamping.  I stamped my main sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed in gold, then stencilled some "bubbles" here and there using Versamark and heat embossed with holographic embossing powder. I added die cut gold numbers and a further small sentiment in black, then added lots of sparkle by painting over the bottle and champagne in the glass with Spectrum  Noir sparkle pen, and applying holographic glitter to the spatters and bubbles using a Quickie glue pen. Finally I edged the panel with gold Posca pen and matted onto dark green card stock and a 7" square card blank. 

Here's a picture to capture the sparkle.


As this was a "special" card I also stamped on the envelope and inside the card.



Stamps: Visible Image Anyone For Bubbles, Birthday Wishes (inside card); Uniko Birthday Sentiments (gold embossed on card front);
Media: Tim Holtz Distress inks (Antique Linen, Tea Dye); Distress Oxide ink (Lost Shadow); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Rainforest, Morning Mist); Versamark; embossing powder (gold, holographic); Posca pen (metallic gold); Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen (clear); holographic glitter;
Tools: Provocraft "Hippie Chick" dies (numbers); stencil - Craft Sensations at the Range.

Challenges I would like to enter:

AAA Birthday #52 - Anything Birthday Goes
Crafty Addicts #3 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Creative Moments #247 - Let it Shine (2nd entry)
Inkspirational #295 - Use Stencils
Love to Craft #75 - Anything Goes
Moving Along With the Times #157 - Embossing Wet or Dry
NBUS #53 - Use Your Never Before Used Schtuff
(mine is the champagne related stamps)
Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Word Art Wednesday #605/606 - Anything Goes (5th entry)

I may do a bit more crafting this afternoon, as the weather is just so dismal it does not encourage getting out and about! Take care and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Tuesday, 21 February 2023

Uniko Birthday Wishes


Hi everyone, today I would like to share a card I have made for Bev’s Uniko 11th Birthday Challenge which is asking crafters to make a birthday card using Uniko products. I really like Uniko stamps, particularly the sentiments and florals, so I thought I’d give it a go.  I was lucky enough to win in the Uniko 10th birthday challenge and I have found the stamps to be an invaluable addition to my stash ... but wow where has that time gone already?? 

Uniko stamps tend to promote a fairly CAS style and graphic look which is rather different from my usual style but I really like it for a change … here’s the result.


I cut a square of white stamping card and repeat stamped my flower using various colours of Distress Oxide ink . This gave a nice chalky look and was also more vibrant than the colours of VFC I have available for this colour scheme. I then stamped the sentiment using Versafine Clair and heat embossed, before matting onto two colours of co-ordinating card stock. I finished off with a teeny heart gem - that’s it!!

Stamps: Uniko - Just Because, Birthday Sentiments;
Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Villainous Potion, Wilted Violet, Fossilized Amber); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); clear embossing powder;
Heart gem from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Country View Challenges (February) - Be Sentimental (2nd entry)
Creative Knockouts #488 - Birthday Wishes
Time Out #232 - Anything Birthday Goes (Happy 9th Birthday Time Out)
Uniko - 11th Birthday - Let the Celebrations Begin!
Word Art Wednesday #583/584 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

That’s all for today. Congratulations to Bev on 11 years of Uniko!

Take care, and thanks for visiting my blog today.
Hugs,
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Saturday, 4 February 2023

Allsorts Challenge #714


Good morning everyone, it’s Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week it is Lynn's turn to host and she has chosen the theme

*** Anything Goes -  option “I Love ...”  ***

If you choose to follow the option you could interpret it by using your crafty loves (stamps, equipment, techniques etc.) or by making a love occasion card such as Valentine's or anniversary. However we welcome all your makes so long as they follow our simple rules.

This month’s prizes come from WOWVOW, Craft Stash, AALL and Create and Ruth Hamilton Design. Please click on the links to visit their individual websites, and you can read more about them on our Patrons’ page.



Here's my card for this week. 


There are so many crafty things I love that it’s difficult to know where to start, but this card was inspired by the fact that I love snowdrops, and I saw the first ones of the year last weekend when we went out for a country walk with a couple of friends. Also I love Uniko stamps, particularly the spring flowers and sentiments, and I won this fabulous Spring Botanicals set a year ago but received it just a bit too late to make any snowdrop cards so it has had to wait until now! I also love distressing, Lavinia stamps and spattering, all of which I have managed to incorporate on this card. Last but not least I love motivational sentiments, and this one from the same Uniko Spring Botanicals set is a real good one!

I cut a square of kraft card and stamped the focal flower, which I coloured with Distress Watercolor Pencils and then re stamped using my stamping platform.  I grounded the flowers with blended Distress Oxide ink, stamped my background wording in sepia, and sponged around the edges with 2 colours of Distress Ink before roughing up the edges with my distressing tool. I added a little sparkle to the flower petals with my Sakura Stardust pen, added some white Posca pen spatter and when dry stamped the sentiment in green and heat embossed. Finally I matted onto green card stock which also had the edges distressed, and attached to my card blank (the matting is more of a leaf green shade than the camera shows).

I realise this card is a bit unusual for a spring card as it is in grungy vintage tones. This was largely inspired by the fact that I wanted to play with my new Distress Watercolor pencils, and stamping on kraft card gave me the opportunity to try the white pencil. Although I have watched various videos, I’m still experimenting with how they work best for me… so far I’m getting the best results if I pick up colour on a wet paint brush and paint with them.  

Stamps: Uniko Spring Botanicals - Snowdrop; Lavinia Words of Spring;
Media: Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor pencils (Picket Fence, Peeled Paint); Distress Oxide ink (Mowed Lawn); Distress Ink (Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Shady Lane); clear embossing powder; Posca pen (white); Sakura Stardust pen (clear);
Tools: Tim Holtz distressing tool.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Crafty Catz #623 - Anything Goes - TOP 3
Creative Crafters #60 - Anything Goes
NBUS #47 - Use Your Never Before Used Schtuff
(Mine is the snowdrop stamp and sentiment)
Path of Positivity #108 - Anything Positive Goes (3rd entry)
QKR Stampede #460 - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday #581/582 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Saturday, 21 January 2023

Allsorts Challenge #712


Hi everyone, Saturday is here again so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. Dena has chosen the theme and it is

*** Spots and/or Stripes ***

We look forward to seeing all your dotty and/or stripy creations!

Don't forget that we now announce the prizes for all our weekly challenges monthly on the last Friday of the month.


This month’s prizes come from Oakwood Direct, Stamp Addicts, Sizzix and AALL and Create. Please click on the links to visit their individual websites, and you can read more about them on our Patrons’ page.

Here's my card for this week.


I decided to go dotty (some might say I’m halfway there already!) with stencilling.  I stamped my flowers onto a piece of stamping card, covered them with a fussy cut paper mask, and used Distress Oxide ink to create a smoosh background. When dry I stencilled lightly onto the sides of the panel using a darker green Distress Oxide, then removed the mask and coloured in the image with Distress watercolor pencils.  Using my stamping platform I re-stamped over the flowers to give a crisper image - this is a technique recommended by Tim Holtz in his Distress watercolor pencils launch video. I stamped my sentiment, then sponged more DO around the edges of the panel to give a bit more depth. Lastly I applied some Distress Texture Paste through the same stencil in the opposite corners to where I had stencilled originally, and spattered the image with White Posca pen. When dry I matted everything onto green linen card stock and a 7” x 5” card blank.

Stamps: Woodware Echinacea and Moth; sentiment - Uniko Spring Botanicals Daffodil;
Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Twisted Citron, Bundled Sage, Spiced Marmalade); Distress Watercolor Pencils (Squeezed Lemonade, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick); Tim Holtz Distress Texture Paste; Versafine Clair (Nocturne);
Tools: Darkroom Door stencil - Polka Dots.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Classic Design Challenge (January) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Crafty Catz #621 - Anything Goes
Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (January) - Anything Goes With Stencils (2nd entry)
Creative Crafters #60 - Anything Goes
DL.Art (January) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Make My Monday #192 - Favourite Theme of 2022
(I have chosen #171 - Use a Stencil)
Papercraft Challenge #90 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Path of Positivity #108 - Anything Goes Positive (2nd entry)
Simon Says (Wednesday) - Fabulous Flowers (2nd entry)
Word Art Wednesday #579/580 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Sunday, 25 December 2022

Merry Christmas Everyone!


Merry Christmas everyone! Today I would like to share the Christmas card I made for my husband, which I never publish ahead of him opening it on Christmas Day.


This card is quite similar to a few others I have made this year though it is bigger (8" x 8") ... a sparkly Christmas scene. I have deliberately incorporated both Santa's sleigh and a squirrel ... my husband loves wildlife generally and adores squirrels!

I cut a large square of stamping card and created my background with Distress Oxide inks and circle and hill masks. I then stamped the trees, background script and Santa sleigh using a variety of shades of ink and 1st/2nd generation stamping, and stamped the squirrel  building up the colour gradually with different inks on my stamping platform. I added a little fence and gate for a bit more interest, then highlighted everything with my Sakura Stardust pen, and the snow banks with holographic glitter and my Spectrum Noir glitter brush pen. I matted the finished panel onto glitter card and an old LotV paper, then added my stamped sentiment panels plus a teeny gem. Finally I added my Posca pen "snowflakes" ... it ended up snowing a bit more heavily than I anticipated!!  Here is an angled pic to show the sparkle!


I also stamped the inside of the card, to make it a bit more special for him!


... and the envelope ...



Stamps: Lavinia Fairy Fir Tree 2, Fairy Fir Tree (Small), Red Pine (Small), Christmas Tree Group, Red Squirrel, Cedar (cone), Gate and Fence, Winter Magic; Visible Image Christmas Eve (sleigh, stars, moon), Uniko Christmas Wishes (sentiment); Me to You (husband sentiment);
Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Twilight, Medieval Blue, Morning Mist, Pinecone); Versafine (Vintage Sepia);  Spectrum Noir Harmony die ink  (Bordeaux); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Spectrum Noir glitter brush pen (clear); Posca pen (white);
Papers: LotV.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Christmas Crafts All Year Round (December) - Waiting for Santa - TOP PICK
Festive Fridays - Christmas
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #130 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity #157 - Something Seasonal (6th entry)
Sheepski #69 - ‘Tis the Season (3rd entry)
Simon Says (Monday) - Party Time (3rd entry) - DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
Sparkles #143 - Non-Traditional Christmas Colours (2nd entry)
Use Your Stuff #473 - Anything Goes - Christmas Edition
Word Art Wednesday #575/576 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

I'd like to finish by wishing all my visitors a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and New Year, and to say thank you for your visits and kind comments during the year.  

This is my last card for 2022 - I'm taking a little time away from blogging for the festive season, but I hope to be back for a whole new year of blogging challenges in January.
Hugs,
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Wednesday, 14 December 2022

Contemporary Christmas Trees


Hi there, today I would like to share a Christmas card I made in contemporary colours as part of a last minute batch for neighbours and/or my husband’s workmates. This one was actually inspired by a shop bought card I received!


I stamped a row of foreground Christmas trees using Warm Breeze, Charming Pink and Verdant Versafine Clair, with background trees stamped with 2nd generation Morning Mist.  I “grounded” the trees by scribbling a line with my Quickie glue pen and then applying holographic glitter, and blinged it up a bit more with my Spectrum Noir glitter brush pen. I stamped the sentiment, edged the panel with black pen and matted onto a large snippet of coloured card stock (I used various snippets for the other cards in the batch). Finally I added a co-ordinating sparkly gem and Posca pen “snowflakes”. Here is an angled pic to show the sparkly snow.


Stamps: Lavinia Fir Tree 1; Uniko Christmas Wishes;
Media: Versafine Clair (Warm Breeze, Charming Pink, Verdant, Morning Mist, Nocturne); holographic glitter; Spectrum Noir glitter brush pen (clear); Posca pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Anything Goes for Christmas (3rd entry) - TOP 3
C.R.A.F.T. #661 - Christmas - The Last Stretch (2nd entry)
Crafty Catz #618 - Anything Goes with option Last Minute Christmas (2nd entry)
Dream Valley #284 - Christmas
Krafty Chicks #641 - Christmas (2nd entry) - TOP PICK
Scribbles #114 - The Most TREE-mendous Time of Year - TOP 3
Snippets Playground #443 - Anything Goes With Snippets
Simon Says (Wednesday) - Add Some Sparkle (4th entry)
Sparkles Christmas #143 - Non-traditional Christmas Colours - SPOTLIGHT WINNER
Word Art Wednesday #573/574 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

Here is a picture of the whole batch. I was really pleased with how efficient these were to produce!


All of these cards will be hand delivered - all my posted cards were sent well over a week ago, though who knows when/whether they will arrive?? We have hardly received any though the letterbox so far this year ... even on non-strike days the postman often doesn't call, and I can't help but speculate that with the cost of living, cost of postage and postal turmoil many people aren't bothering or are really scaling back this year. Such a shame as I personally get a lot of pleasure both from making/sending and receiving them. 

Hope everyone is keeping safe and warm in the vicious wintry weather conditions we’re experiencing here in the UK. Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Monday, 28 November 2022

Merry & Bright


Good afternoon everyone. Earlier in the year I was lucky enough to win a £100 gift voucher to spend in the Uniko shop, and amongst other things I chose a couple of Christmas stamps plus some Christmas sentiments.  I have been using the sentiments a lot on this year's Christmas cards, but I hadn't used one of my Christmas image sets until now. The Winter Foliage set consists of some simple graphic images which are particularly suited to a CAS style of cardmaking, so I decided to go rogue (for me) and make a completely CAS one layer card!


I stamped my leaves, berries and cones in shades of Versafine Clair, and highlighted with Sakura Stardust pen. I then stamped my statement sentiment with Versamark and heat embossed in gold. I added a red heart gem and that was it ... job done!


Stamps: Uniko Winter Foliage, Festive Sentiments;
Media: Versafine Clair (Rainforest, Shady Lane, Tulip Red); Versafine (Vintage Sepia); Versamark; gold embossing powder; Sakura Stardust pen (clear).

Challenges I would like to enter:

C.R.A.F.T. #659 - Christmas - TOP 3
Creative Moments #240 - Winter (2nd entry)
Festive Fridays - Christmas
Merry Little Christmas #47 - Anything Christmas Goes
Rudolph Days (November) - Anything Christmas Goes
Shopping Our Stash #484 - Shine Bright Like a Diamond
Stamping Sensations (November) - Christmas Celebrations (3rd entry)
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Anything Christmas or Winter
Try It On Tuesday - Traditional Christmas (3rd entry)

That's all from me for today - take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Tuesday, 22 November 2022

Watch the birdie!


Hi everyone, today I have another Christmas card to show you.  This one has been inspired by a beautiful silhouette Christmas wreath card in a recent post in the Lavinia For You FB group by Elizabeth Moffatt, for which she kindly provided a number of step-by-step pictures.   

I started off by CASE-ing Elizabeth's card, though I wouldn't enter those cards into any blog challenges as that wouldn't be fair. However I then branched out a bit more by changing the wreath stamps, colours, colouring my bird instead of stamping a silhouette, and adding lots of sparkle .. so this is an "inspired by" card - and here it is.


I created a circle of sponged Distress inks on my card square, then stamped my berry wreath and branch using Versafine Clair Pinecone. I stamped my birdie several times (using a stamping platform) using various brown and red inks, then coloured his tummy and head with white Posca pen and gave him an eye with black fineliner. I coloured the berries with red Sakura Stardust pen, and stamped my stars with gold ink (in hindsight I should have heat embossed them, but there's a lesson for next time). I stamped and heat embossed my sentiment in gold, and added white snow dots with Posca pen plus a few teeny gold gems before matting everything onto dark green card stock and my card base.with hindsight the birdie is probably better as a silhouette as he isn’t really the right shape to be a robin, but no matter!!

Here is another picture to show the sparkle.


Stamps: Lavinia Berry Wreath With Mini Berries, Bird Collection, Mini Branch, Stars Mini, Stars 1 Mini; Uniko Christmas Wishes;
Media: Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint); Versafine Clair (Pinecone, Tulip Red); Versafine (Vintage Sepia); Memento Dew Drop Brilliance (Galaxy Gold); Versamark; gold embossing powder; Sakura Stardust pen (red); Posca pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Crafty Catz #615 - Anything Goes with option Christmas (2nd entry) - TOP 3
Creative Knockouts #479 - Anything Goes
Daisy Chain #69 - Christmas Is Coming (3rd entry)
Dragonfly Dreams (November) - Christmas (3rd entry)
Make My Monday - Things With Wings
Sparkles #142 - Festive Things With Wings (2nd entry) - SPOTLIGHT WINNER
Try it On Tuesday - Traditional Christmas (2nd entry)
Winter Wonderland - Robin Redbreast (2nd entry) - TOP 3
Word Art Wednesday #569/570 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

For anyone who is wondering, here is a pictures of one of my CASE'd cards (this is not for any competitions) 


… and here is a pic (with permission) of Elizabeth’s original card that inspired me in the first place. 😀


Take care, and thanks for dropping by.
Hugs,

 
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