TMR - Theme & DT Call ....

.... Morning! Before I get to details of our new challenge, I thought I'd let you know that we're having a Design Team call during this and the next challenge. If you're interested in joining us - check out the details at The Male Room blog.

Now moving to todayI'm here with my card for our new challenge at The Male Room - TMR#86. We have a fun theme for your masculine projects, we want you to feature GARDENING!!! I love a beautiful garden, but neither I nor my husband are gardeners. In fact, one of the first jobs I do when moving to a new house is finding a new gardener. So, as you can imagine, this was a real challenge for me, but I knew that somewhere in my stash I had some gardening stuff. Here's the card I made:

Stamps: Docrafts - Garden Beauty
Inks: Gina K - Black Onyx, Moonlit Fog
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Docrafts DP - Go Green; Kanban Topper - Gardening; Copics; SU Card - Night of Navy

I've had the Kanban masculine pack (purchased from QVC) for a while and I found a page of gardening images. I decided to use the picture of tools - here hanging from a shelf that you can't see!! I mounted the image on some navy card. I cut a piece of aqua paper for the background. I stamped the watering can and plant pot in the corner, along with a sentiment - which I think it so true. I randomly stamped a trowel and fork (using second generation images) around the background and finished the front by adding the garden tool image. On the inside, I cut another piece of aqua paper and on the white panel added a greeting. I'm submitting this card to TIME OUT challenge - TOC#109 and also to Just Us Girls - JUGS#441.

For more inspirational projects showing the Gardening theme, do visit our blog to see more from the Design Team. You've got plenty of time to join in the fun - deadline for submission is midnight (BST) Tuesday 5th June, that's 7.00pm EDT. Have fun!!

I'm a Top Addict ....

.... Morning!!! I'm blowing my own trumpet this morning. I've just checked in with Addicted to Stamps and More! and discovered that I was Top Addict for the photo inspiration challenge. I'm am thrilled to bits to get this award - thank you guys so much. I'm sure that like many of you, I play along with lots of challenges and it's always a joy to get picked. This is the first time ever that I've been Top Addict - yea!!!!  So I'm sharing this card again - because I just love it. I spoke to my mum today and she finally receive the card - she loves it too:

Stamps: Uniko - Just Because, Large French Script Background
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Black Onyx, Innocent Pink, Dusty Rose
Dies: Memory Box - Cross Stitch Frames #1 and #2
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Shimmer Spritz - Frost; Clear Embossing Powder; Perfect Pearls - Forever Red, Interference Red; Black Marker

That's all from me for now. I've been busy in my craft room updating my stamp directory - something I've been putting off for a while, but it really does help me. I've also been tidying up a bit - I did get time to make a card for The Male Room - our new challenge is up tomorrow. So do drop by to see what I made. Bye for now.

Uniko Challenge - Photo Inspiration ...

.... Good morning! Time is flying by this month, we're already half-way through May. It does mean that it's time for our new challenge at Uniko - USC#47. For the next few weeks, we have a photo inspiration challenge for you, with the option of making your card a birthday card. I decided to skip the option and just use the photo for inspiration, here's my card:

Stamps: Uniko - Pure Florals Gerbera, I Love Coffee, Originally Organic Additions
Inks: Distress - Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive, Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Worn Lipstick, Ripe Persimmon; Distress Oxides - Bundled Sage, Twisted Citron; Versmark; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Uniko - Gerbera Collection; Honey Bee - Coffee Cup Card
Accessories: Tim Holtz Watercolour Card; SU Card - Crumb Cake; White Lustre Card; White & Clear Embossing Powder; Copics

I really like this photo - it's so fresh and bright. I decided to focus on the leaf pattern on the suitcase and the pretty jug of flowers. I used my large coffee cup die to cut the card base (the finished card is 5 3/4" high x 3 3/4" wide) from watercolour card. I randomly stamped the outline leaf in Versamark and heat embossed with white powder. I used several shades of green distress ink directly on the card and spritzed with water to allow the inks to blend. I set the card aside to dry naturally. On a smaller piece of watercolour card, I stamped the large outline gerbera daisy, embossed it with white powder and inked it with a couple of shades of pink and orange. Once it was dry, I used the matching die to cut it out. I die cut the cup band from some kraft card, stamped on the sentiment and heat embossed it with clear powder. I added some more leaves to the band with the solid leaf image and used distress oxide inks which work perfectly on the coloured card. I cut the coffee lid from white card and attached the gerbera daisy to the lid. I used the coffee cup die to cut out a white card panel for the inside. I stamped the gerbera daisy in the corner, coloured it with Copic markers, returned it to my MISTI and restamped in black ink to give a crisp outline. I finished the inside by adding a simple sentiment.

In the photo above you can see the front of the card without the coffee cup band. I'm submitting this card to House of Cards - HOC#05 where they want us to make a shaped card, and also to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#05. I hope you can see how my card relates to the inspiration photo.

For more inspiration with our new challenge to visit the Uniko blog to see cards from the rest of the Design Team and also from our guest designer, Sue.

That's all from me for now - see you again soon.

Uniko - May Release, Design Team Blog Hop & Giveaway ...

.... Hi! We made it. It's Release Day for the new Uniko stamps, stencils and dies. Thank you so much for being with me over the past week. I've got a few new cards to share with you today. I'm going to start with the last card I made - I finished it at 1.00am EDT (that's 6.00am UK time):

Stamps: Uniko - Just Because, Large Background French Script, Simply Said Blocks II
Inks: Distress Oxides - Twisted Citron, Lucky Clover, Blueprint Sketch; Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Moonlit Fog
Accessories: Gina K Card - Black Onyx; Tim Holtz Watercolour Card; Sheer Shimmer - Sparkle; Clear Embossing Powder; White Lustre Card

The reason I'm so late working on this post is that I spent most of yesterday at Mega Meet in Novi. It's a big stamping/scrapbook show. I was watching Tim Holtz play with his inks, sprays, stamps and stuff, and that's where I got the idea for this card. I cut a panel of watercolour card slightly smaller than the card base and created the background using Tim's Distress Oxides. I really like the way the colours layer. I added another layer to the background by inking up the large French script background in a dark grey and randomly stamped it over the card. I put the panel into the MISTI, dusted it off with an anti-static bag, and stamped the greeting and flower in Versafine black ink. I had to stamp the images a couple of times to fill all the texture on the watercolour card. I used clear powder to heat emboss the images. On the inside of the card, I cut a panel of white card onto which I stamped the floral silhouette in two shades of green and added a greeting. I'm submitting this card to Your Next Stamp - YNS#89 where I've used their colours.

Next up is a card for Kat - just because:

Stamps: Uniko - Bee Happy, Originally Organic Additions; Large Background French Script
Inks: Distress - Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Shabby Shutters, Lucky Clover, Tumbled Glass, Blueprint Sketch; Gina K - Christmas Pine, Black Onyx; Memento - London Fog
Dies: Spellbinders Edgeabilities - Classic Triple Scallop (E8-003)
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Gina K Card - Christmas Pine; Vellum; Clear Embossing Powder; Uniko Stencil - Stylised Floral

I think this is my favourite stencil of this release and it works so well with the little bees from Bee Happy. I used distress inks to create an ombre pattern diagonally across the stencil. I attached the panel to the front of a card. I used an edge die to cut the pattern on dark green card. On the white panel, I stamped the French script vertically just for some subtle pattern and then stamped the greeting. I stamped three bees on vellum, heat embossed with clear powder, and fussy cut them out. I adhered the bees to the card and then stamped some more bees at the centre of each flower, they were stamped very lightly. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of dark green card and on the white panel, I stamped the heart and lots of little encouragement words and another little bee. I'm submitting this card to Fab Friday - FABF#137 where I've used their sketch for the layout of this card.

My last card is a birthday card for our nephew - it'll be in the post today:

Stamps: Uniko - Simply Said Blocks II, Birthday Sentiments, Background Blocks Party Confetti
Inks: Distress - Twisted Citron, Lucky Clover, Blueprint Sketch, Mermaid Lagoon; Gina K - Black Onyx; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Uniko - Explosion! Collection Dies
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black; Sheer Shimmer - Frost; Clear Embossing Powder; Uniko Stencil - Party Confetti

I used the party confetti stencil and distress inks to colour several pieces of card and then used the Explosion! dies to cut out several shapes. I cut out a number of plain white pieces in order to layer the die cuts and make them thicker. I spritzed the background with frost Sheer Shimmer, attached the explosions bursts and a simple sentiment. On the inside, I cut a panel of white card onto which I stamped the party confetti background block using several shades of distress ink. I finished by adding a bold birthday greeting. I'm submitting this card to CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - CFC#199 where I used their sketch for the layout, and also to Seize the Birthday - STB#1005 for their Anything Goes Birthday. As you can see I've used the same shades of blues and greens as in both my previous cards.

Well, that's all the cards I was able to make this time - I really should leave it so late. Please do join our traditional Design Team Blog Hop and Giveaway (prize details can be found on Bev's blog). Here are the links:

Bev
Carol 

Deborah 
Izzy 

Jane 
Julie
Linda

Lindsey

Rahmat
Sarah G

Sarah P
Wiebke 

Before I go, here a final look at all the new products available today. I've had such fun playing with them.

Bee Happy

Flower Power #8

Just Because

Large Background French Script

Simply Said Blocks II

Honeycomb Pattern Stencil

Natures Treasures II Stencil

Party Confetti Stencil

Stylised Floral Stencil

Explosion! Collection Dies

Originally Organic Additions Dies

Wow! That was a long post but I think you'll agree that it was worth it. These stamps, dies and stencils are just fabulous. You can purchase them at the Uniko on-line store.

That's all for now - enjoy the Blog Hop! See you again soon.

Uniko - Explosion! Collection Dies ....

... Morning! We've reached the last day of introductions for the new Uniko release! I do hope you've all enjoyed what you've seen so far. Today I'm introducing a new collection of dies - they coordinate with the Explosion! collections and they're great. I made a clean, simple and fun card:

Stamps: Uniko - Explosion! Additions, Reach for the Stars
Inks: Gina K - Blue Denim, Black Onyx
Dies: Uniko - Explosion! Collection Dies
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Gina K Card - Blue Denim; Acetate; Studio Katia - Silver Foil Crystals; Blue Mulberry Paper

I don't often make window cards, but after seeing Bev's lovely card yesterday, I decided to make one using the large explosion die.

I used the largest die to cut the exploding star slightly off centre. I kept the die cut panel in place and randomly stamped a number of the smaller explosion stamps around the edge; I removed the die cut star and put it safely aside. I adhered a sheet of clear acetate behind the white pane. I die cut a piece of white foam with the largest star, which I attached to the acetate. In my stash, I found a very old sheet of blue mulberry paper which reminded me of a galaxy. After adding some silver foil crystals to the star opening, I closed the panel by adhering the mulberry paper. I edged the whole panel with some blue ink and attached it to the card base. I stamped the word 'wow' on white card, cut it out with the matching die and used dimensional pads to attach it to the card. I finished the front by stamping the little sentiment on card and glued it flat to the front. I added a few dots to show that the sentiment continues inside. On the inside, I cut a panel of blue card onto which I glued the die cut star/explosion. I finished the sentiment by adding the words' Stars for you'. I'm submitting this card to CASology - CAS#299 where the cue word is Marine which suggested shades of blue to me! I'm posting this card to my son.

Check out the Uniko blog to see more inspiring projects from the rest of the Design Team. It's been fun introducing all these lovely new stamp sets, stencils and dies. Tomorrow is Release Day! So please come back again and join in our traditional Design Team Blog Hop & Giveaway! There'll be so much to see and prizes too - details on Bev's blog. See you then!!

Uniko - Originally Organic Addition Dies ....

..... Oops! I'm rather late with this post. I added my card to Bev's blog, but totally forgot to write my post!! Silly me. So, I'm here, a bit late, with my introduction card for the new dies to go with Originally Organic Additions - so nice to have the dies. Here's my card:

Stamps: Uniko - Originally Organic Additions, Simply Said Blocks II, Organic Wishes
Inks: Gina K - Passionate Pink, Jelly Bean Green; SU - Pool Party
Dies: Uniko - Originally Organic Additions Dies
Accessories: Gina K Card - Black Onyx; White Lustre Card; Shimmer Spritz - Frost; Circle Punches

I used the sketch from the current Less is More - LIM#370 for the layout and the colours are from Global Design Project - GDP#137. I started by spraying some white card with frost shimmer spritz. Once dry, I stamped the images and used the matching dies to cut out the vine frame and flowers, I used punches for the circles. I made the base from black card so that the stamped and die cut images really pop. I attached the vine frame and circles flat to the card and used dimensional pads to add the little flowers and the sentiment. Ont he inside, I simply cut a panel of white card on to which I stamped a greeting and another flower.

For more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team, and our Guest Designer, Anna, do visit Bev's blog.

Sorry, this is so late - I was so convinced that I'd written this post! Hey ho! See you again tomorrow for the last of our introduction posts. Bye for now!!