Happy Birthday ....

.... Good afternoon! It's another dull, dismal day in Northop Hall - we had some sleet this morning, but fortunately that didn't last. After doing some visits with Mum, I managed to get into my craft room and make a card - it's not Christmas today 😁. I've made a very clean, simple birthday card:

Stamps: Uniko - Background Builders Round in Circles; MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Amalgam Black
Accessories: Papermania - Tall Card Blank; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to several challenges. The first is The Male Room - TMR#130 to use embossing, Perfectly CAS - PCAS#6 to use shapes, CASology - CAS#362 where they want tall, and CAS on Friday - CASOF#174 using their colours.

This is one of the most clean and simple cards I've made. I used my MISTI to stamp the row of little open circles and then filled the circles using Copic markers. On some scrap card I stamped the grungy circles twice in Versafine and heat embossed them with clear powder. I fussy cut the image and added a dot of colour in the centre of each circle. I stamped the clean, crisp greeting in black and then adhered the cut out image with dimensional pads.  On the inside, I added a simple greeting and some more of the circles.

I've been very literal with the CASology challenge, simply using a very tall card. The only embossing is on the grungy circles, but it really makes them pop and I took a close-up photo to show the detail:

This card will be in the post tomorrow - it's my cousin's 54th birthday - I still can't quite get my head around that, as I still see him as my baby cousin!!! That's all for now. See you again soon.

Uniko - Reminder ...

... Good afternoon! I don't know what's the matter with me at the moment, I'm late again with my reminder card for our challenge at Uniko - USC#41. Our theme this month is to make a MASCULINE CARD WITH THE OPTION OF FATHER'S DAY. As I made a Father's Day card last time, I decided to make a thanks card suitable for a guy:

Stamps: Uniko - Background Builders Round in Circles, All Occasion Sentiments #6, Happy Succulents
Inks: Kaleidacolor - Caribbean Sea; Versfine - Onyx Black
Dies: Spellbinders - Contemporary Circles (S4-498)
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Basic Black, Bermuda Bay; Clear Embossing Powder

I've used my favourite set for this card - Round in Circles - as I think geometric always works for a masculine card. I had a die cut left over from my The Male Room - TMR#61 challenge on my desk and it works perfectly with the circle stamps. I created my own background paper using the small open circles and an ombre ink pad. I adhered the die cut and then cut away the excess. I attached it flat to the front of a card. I used the distressed circles to create another piece of paper and stamped the word thanks on top and embossed it with clear powder. I then very carefully fussy cut it out and adhered the word to a panel of black card which I shaped to make a banner. I based the layout on this week's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#290. On the inside I cut a mat layer of aqua card and finished the sentiment on the white panel.

Do visit the Uniko blog to see more inspiration cards from the rest of the Design Team - they are fabulous!! That's all for now.

Uniko - Theme ....

... Hello and good morning! I'm a bit late with my post for our new challenge at Uniko - UC#41. This month challenge is to create a

MASCULINE CARD with the optional twist of FATHER'S DAY

I did have this card ready yesterday, but I've been having some 'puter issues, hopefully now resolved. Anyway, I decided to go with the option of a Father's Day card:

Stamps: Uniko - Background Builders Round in Circles, Nautical Treasures
Inks: Versamark; Stampin' Up! - Night of Navy, Smoky Slate
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Night of Navy; Silver and Gold Embossing Powders

I got the idea for this from an advert on TV the other day - it was black with gold and silver dots, and it reminded me of these stamps. I used my MISTI to stamp the diagonal lines - it makes it so much easier to get even stamping. I embossed the stamped images with a mixture of silver and gold embossing powders, cut the panel to size and adhered it to a white card. I added some distressed circles in the corner using first and second generation stamping. I cut a strip of white card onto which I stamped the greeting and adhered it to the card. On the inside I cut a mat layer of navy card and on the white panel added some more circles, this time pale grey, a greeting ad a compass. I'm submitting this card to the current Fusion - FUSION#73 challenge where I've been inspired by the navy patterns idea - although I used circles.

Do visit the Uniko blog to see more inspiration projects from the rest of the Design Team. And, as if that's not enough encouragement, we have prizes too:

PRIZES

• Main Winner chosen by the DT - £25 eGift Certificate
• Random Twist Winner - £4 in stock clear stamp set of winner's choice
• Random Uniko Stamps Winner - £4 in stock clear stamp set of winner's choice
• Top 3 chosen by the DT - 150 Loyalty Reward Points

You've got plenty of time to join in with this month's challenge. The deadline for submission is midnight (BST) on Friday 23rd June, that's 7.00pm EDT in the States.

That's all from me today - I've got a busy day lined up. I need to get into my craft room and make a few DT cards and today I really need to work on my ironing pile!!! See you soon.

Uniko - November Release, Blog Hop and Giveaway ....

.... I do hope that you've enjoyed seeing all the sneak peeks and the introductions to the new Uniko release. Today I'm here to showcase a few more cards using the new sets. Bev designs fabulous images and they all work so well with her previous releases. I'm going to start off with my card featuring Christmas Pop - a tree building set:

Stamps: Uniko - Christmas Pop, All Occasion Sentiments #4, Simply Said Christmas
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Delicata - Golden Glitz
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Tim Holtz Watercolour Card; Gold Vellum; Gold, Clear & White Embossing Powder; Twinkling H₂O - Honey Amber, Solar Gold, Egyptian Gold

I got the idea for this card from this week's City Crafter Challenge Blog - CCCB#339 where the team would like to see lots of golden glitz! I had so much fun. I started by giving a piece of water colour card a light gold wash with Twinkling H₂O and allowing it to dry. I stamped the outline tree in black and embossed with clear powder. On one I added lines to divide the tree into sections and heat embossed them. In the other outline I stamped the geometric blocks in Versamark and heat embossed with white powder. I used three different gold paint to colour the trees. Once dry I cut them out. I stamped another outline tree, some stars and a greeting on the watercolour card and heat embossed them with Gold powder. I then adhered the cut trees. On the inside I cut a mat layer of gold vellum and on the white panel added a simple greeting in gold and a tiny tree. I'm submitting this to Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#221 where it's ANYTHING GOES.

My next card features the mini-sentiment set - Most Wonderful. This has fast become one of my very favourite sets!

Stamps: Uniko - Most Wonderful, Background Builders Round in Circles
Inks: SU - Peekaboo Peach, Crushed Curry, Cucumber Crush, Pacific Point, Perfect Plum; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black

This one is so clean and simple and also so colourful. I got the idea of the rainbow circles from the challenge graphic at AAA Cards - AAA#78 where the team would like us to use CIRCLES. I started by repeatedly stamping one of the full sentiments in black on white card. Then I added circles using rainbow colours. I layered the finished piece on some black card to make the colours pop. The layout of this card is based on the sketch over at CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC& S#201. On the inside I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel added a greeting and some more rainbow circles.

My final card uses Rustic Wreath and is another quick and easy card:

Stamps: Uniko - Rustic Wreath
Inks: SU - Certainly Celery, Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SUDP - Moonlight

The colours are from Colour Throwdown - CTD#420 and the layout is from Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#264. Going through my stash of design papers I came across this fun piece which I cut to size and adhered to the card. I stamped the wreath in the corner of the card, adding some blue berries and pine cones in the centre. I finished the front with a simple greeting. On the inside is another mat of design paper and on the white panel a greeting and some more wreaths.

So that's my cards showcasing the new releases. We have a fun Blog Hop today - so do visit the rest of the team.

As is tradition with Uniko, we have a Design Team Blog Hop where the rest of the team can share more inspiration with you. We also have a Giveaway and it's really great. You must comment as you make your way along the Blog Hop and you will be in with the chance of winning the ENTIRE Release. You have until midnight (GMT) on Friday 2nd December.

Bev

Deborah - that's me!

Jane

Lindsey

Rahmat

Sarah G

Sarah P

Finally here's a complete look at the sets available today at Uniko:

First up is Christmas Pop - full of fun Christmas Trees - but the geometric design means they can be used throughout the year too!

Most Wonderful is a mini set with two complete sentiments and lots of other words to build your own greetings.

Finally we have Rustic Wreath which coordinates perfectly with Rustic Christmas and pretty well all the other stamp sets too!

That's all for now. It's the last day of our long holiday weekend. We've had a lovely time - all relaxing and enjoying time on our own and also together - perfect family time! See you soon.

Uniko - October Release, Blog Hop and Giveaway ....

Click here for my 52CCT post

.... Hello again! It's World Card Making Day and this is my second post of the day. It's also RELEASE DAY at Uniko - which is kind of fun! You've seen the introductions and now it's time to provide some more inspiration with Bev's wonderful new stamp sets. There are five in total. As you know from my previous posts, I don't actually have the clear stamps - they're currently in Customs at Chicago! Bev kindly let me have the digital images so that I could join in - and it's been great fun.

I'm starting off with a clean, simple card featuring Originally Organic:

Stamps: Uniko - Originally Organic, All Occasion Sentiments #6
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Strawberry Slush; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lil Inkers Dual Stitched Squares
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Strawberry Slush; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear; Glossy Accents

I created this in Publisher to combine the leaves and flowers into one image and then add the sentiment. I printed the image on white card and  used a stitch edge die to cut out the panel. I used Copics to colour the image and added some sparkle to the flowers and blue dots. I also added some glossy accents to the blue dots for dimension. I used dimensional tape to adhere the finished panel to the card. On the inside I cut a mat layer of dark pink card and added a simple greeting. I used the colours from this week's Colour Throwdown - CTD#412 for this card.

My next card is bold and bright and was so much fun to colour! It features the large mandala from Marvellous Mehndi:

Stamps: Uniko - Marvellous Mehndi, Simply Said, Background Builders Round in Circles
Inks: Hero Arts Neon - Pink, Green, Orange; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Burlap Paper; SU Card - Smoky Slate; Copics; Kaisercraft Pens; Gem

I printed the mandala on white card and coloured it with a mixture of Copic markers and Kaisercraft pens - glitter and neon! I then fussy cut it out - took a while, but was so worth it. I created the horizontal panel by repeated stamping the circles in bright neon colours. I used my MISTI to make this a very simple process. I finished by adding a simple sentiment. I used the sketch from Fusion - FUSION#58 for the layout and the colours are from Card Concept - CC#58. On the inside I cut a mat layer in pale grey and on the white panel added some more neon colour circles.

My final card is a clean and simple Christmas card using images from both Christmas Sparkle and Winter Foliage:

Stamps: Uniko - Winter Foliage, Christmas Sparkle, All Occasion Sentiments # 4, Rustic Christmas
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; SU - Garden Green
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Garden Green; Copics; Glitter

I had so much fun creating the pine cones and ornaments. As before, I used Publisher. I added the various elements and then recoloured them. I scaled them to size, printed them off and added extra colour with my Copic markers. I decided to add glitter to the word sparkle - it wasn't totally successful, but I do like the shimmer! I finished the front with a big, bold greeting. On the inside I cut a mat layer of dark green card and on the white panel added another sentiment along with a Christmas tree. I'm submitting this card to Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#213 where they want to see holiday cards.

So, that's my cards showcasing the new stamps. As is tradition with Uniko, we have a Design Team Blog Hop where the rest of the team can share more inspiration with you. We also have a Giveaway and it's really great. You must comment as you make your way along the Blog Hop and you will be in with the chance of winning the ENTIRE Release. You have until midnight (BST) on Sunday 9th October.

Bev

Deborah - that's me!

Jane

Lindsey

Rahmat

Sarah G

Sarah P

Finally, here's a look at all the sets available today at Uniko:

First up is the mini set Christmas Sparkle - I think the outline is such a lovely shape.

Next is Marvellous Mehndi - that mandala is wonderful and such a joy to colour.

Here's Originally Organic - full of fabulous sentiments and lovely images.

Here's Simply Said II, an addition to the Simply Said range. Lots of very useful sentiments and words.

Finally, another mini set - Festive Foliage. Perfect for Christmas, but can work for masculine cards too.

All the above sets are available today here at the Uniko shop.

I'm planning on spending some time in my craft room today to celebrate World Card Making Day!

Have a fun day and I hope you drop by again soon. Bye for now.