TMR - Theme ...

... Hi! Are you watching the Winter Olympics? I am! I really enjoy watching it all - particularly the ice-skating, but the skiing is fun too. I have to admit that I only watch - I fall over if I try to go out in the snow and ice 😉 This is all leading up to our theme for The Male Room - TMR#79. For the next couple of weeks, we'd like to see your masculine projects with a Sport/Winter Olympics theme. I actually got a bit carried away - I made three cards, here's the first:

Stamps: Uniko - All Occasion Sentiments #2, Background Builders Seeing Stars, Extra Time
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Blue Denim
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Kanban Toppers - Extreme Sports; Stampin' Up! Card - Night of Navy; Clear Embossing Powder

I knew exactly what I was going to use to make my cards for the Sports/Winter Olympics theme. I've had some Kanban toppers in my stash for about 8 years. I got them from QVC and they come out everytime I need something masculine. I clipped out this skiing photo (this works for the Olympic Sports theme) to use on a square card. I didn't want to hide the photo, so I stamped the greeting directly on the image and heat embossed it with clear powder. I adhered the panel to the card using dimensional foam. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of dark blue card and on the white panel, I added a greeting and some stars stamped in the same colours as the ski suit. This was so quick and easy to make. I'm submitting it to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#19 where Anything Goes!

My next two cards are not based on the Winter Olympics but on more regular sports of football (or soccer to my American friends) and rugby. Here's the football version:

Stamps: Uniko - Background Builders Seeing Stars, Time
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Red Velvet, Blue Denim
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Kanban Toppers - Football; Stampin' Up! Card - Night of Navy

This time I clipped out three of the smaller images featuring football. I stamped the stars on the card using colours from the photos and finished the front by adding a fun sentiment. I attached the two images on the side flat to the card and used dimensional pads to add the image in the middle. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of navy card and on the white panel added a simple message along with some red stars top and bottom. I used the sketch from Reverse Confetti Sketch for you To Try - SFYTT#57 for the layout. This was another quick and easy card to make.

And the last card features rugby images, which is sort of appropriate as the NatWest Six Nations Championship is running at the moment:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Gorgeous Grunge, Greatest Greetings; Uniko - All Occasion Sentiments # 2, Fontiments Birthday
Inks: SU - Island Indigo; Gina K - Blue Lagoon
Dies: Die-namics - Circles Set 2 #4 and #6, Stitched Circles #4 and #6
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Kanban Toppers - Rugby; Stampin' Up! Card/DP - Island Indigo

I used the same sketch as before but changed out the shapes for circles. I used dies to cut out the images and card for matting. I stamped the spatter and sentiment directly on the card and adhered the circle images on top. On the inside, I cut a layer of teal design paper for the mat layer, and on the white panel, I kept it very simple with a bold birthday greeting. I'm submitting this card to Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#129 where they want us to use the colour teal!

Don't forget to visit The Male Room blog to see more from the Design Team and also from our guest designer, Laurie. Do have fun with this theme, I can't wait to see what you create. You have plenty of time to join in, the deadline for submission is midnight GMT on Tuesday 27th February (that's 7.00pm EDT in the States).

That's all from me for now - I'm off to watch the ice-skating. I have my DVR set up to record the programmes and I watch them while I iron!! See you soon.

Uniko - Photo Inspiration ...

..... Morning! It's time for our new challenge at Uniko - USC#33 and this month we have a super fun photo inspiration challenge. Check out the image and use it to inspire you - but tell us how!  Here's my take:

Stamps: Uniko - The Hands of Time, Extra Time
Inks: Distress - Squeezed Lemonade, Cracked Pistachio, Rusty Hinge; Versafine - Vintage Sepia; Versamark
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card -Baked Brown Sugar; Clear and White Embossing Powder

The elements in the our inspiration photo range in size and are also quite graphic - so I did something similar using Uniko stamps. I started by masking a ½" border all round the card with masking tape. I stamped the white image using Versamark, heat embossed with clear powder and then added yellow ink which caused the white elements to pop. After ensuring that the Distress ink was dry, I stamped the spiky circle in Versamark and heat embossed with clear powder. After adding a layer of green ink the yellow circles appeared. I added some smaller circles to the panel, heat embossed and then added brown ink. At this point I decided to stamp a large doily in brown ink and realised that the ink wouldn't dry over the embossed elements. So I took off the embossing powder by pressing the card with a hot iron between several sheets of plain paper. This had the effect of removing the embossing powder as well as the stamped image, so making the large doily appear as it it was stamped behind! Result! After removing the masking tape, I edged the image with a brown marker and finished with a simple greeting. On the inside I cut a mat layer of brown card and on the white panel added some more circular elements and a greeting.

I got the idea for layering the stamps like this from the current Muse - MUSE#170 challenge, so I'm playing along with them this week. And the colours are from Colour Throwdown - CTD#397.

Do visit the Uniko blog to see more cards from the design team using our inspiration photo. Our guest designer this month is Anita of My Papercraft World, do visit her too. As always with our challenge, we have some prizes to encourage you play along. Here are the details:

THE PRIZES

• The DT will pick a winner who will get a £20 e-Gift Certificate to use in the shop.
• The DT will select a Top 3, who will each get 50 Loyalty Points added to their Uniko customer account.
• Finally, there's a random draw for all those using Uniko stamps - the winner will get 150 Loyalty Points added to their Uniko customer account.

There's plenty of time to play along with this month's challenge. Deadline for submission is midnight (BST) on Friday 8th July - that's 7.00pm EDT in the States.

It's been another quite week on my blog, but I've been busy in my craft room. I had some shelves put on the walls so that I can display some of my finished pieces and also to have some of crafting goodies close to my desk. I also covered my desk with craft sheet so that I can, more easily, do mixed media work. Here are a few photos:

I really like having the big border punches easily to hand. You can see the craft sheet on my desk top too. I've also got some Copic refill inks stored in the punch holder - it's the perfect size and place. You can just about see the two shelves to the left of my desk - I keep ink refills along with embossing powder, gems and a few other bits and pieces here.

Here's another view of the desk and you can see the shelves here.  The pictures above were made at my first workshop with Amy Flowers - I had so much fun making this triptych, and it's so nice to be able to display it properly.

The two photos above show the other shelves - each showing off more art projects that I've made since being in the States.

Edited to add: Thanks for all the comments about my "tidy" craft room. There's a reason I've taken photos of the walls - you should have seen the floor :)))

That's all for now. I've got to get back in my craft room and finish making my DT cards for some upcoming challenges.  See you soon.

Uniko - Masculine ...

... Morning! I'm here with my card for the Uniko Challenge - USC#32R where we have a theme of

MASCULINE WITH THE OPTION OF FATHER'S DAY

I've made a masculine birthday card:

Stamps: Uniko - Time, Extra Time, Simply Said
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Brilliance - Galaxy Gold
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! DP - Basic Black; Couture Creations EF - Work Shop; Stampendous Frantage - Aged Black Enamel, Aged Gold Enamel

My card is reasonably clean and simple. I cut a panel of white card slightly smaller then the base, embossed it and edged it with a gold pen. I stamped the cogs in Versamark; heat embossed them with aged black and aged gold enamel, and then cut them out. I attached them to the card with dimensional gel. I added a very simple greeting. On the inside I cut a mat layer of black design paper and on the white panel added a greeting and gold clock.

I used the layout from this week's CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#175 and, as this is a birthday card, I'm also submitting it to AAA Cards - AAA#65 where they're celebrating their 2nd birthday.

Do visit the Uniko blog to see more inspiration cards from our Guest Designer, Tanja, as well as the rest of the team. And before I go, there are prizes - so do play along. Here are the details:

THE PRIZES

• The DT will choose a winner who will get a £20 gift voucher.

• The DT choose a Top 3 who will each get 50 Loyalty Rewards Points added to their Uniko customer account.

• We will do a random draw for all those who use A UNIKO stamp. This winner will get 150 Loyalty Reward Points added to their Uniko customer account.

• We will do a random draw for all those who twist with us and create a Fathers Day creation. This winner will get 100 Loyalty Reward Points added to their Uniko customer account.

You've got plenty of time to play along with this month's challenge.  The deadline for submission is midnight (BST) on Friday 10th June (7.00pm EDT).

TMR - Stash: Newsprint ....

..... Morning!!  It's time for our new challenge at The Male Room.  For the next couple of weeks we'd like your masculine projects to include NEWSPRINT.  I'm sure that like me, many of you have got newsprint design papers in your stash and this is your opportunity to use some of it!  Here's my take:

Stamps: Uniko - Time, Extra Time
Inks: Versamark; Stampin' Up! - Early Espresso
Dies: Memory Box - Postage Rectangle Layers (30052) #4
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; SU Card - Early Espresso; Papermania DP - Bookprint; Gold and Silver Embossing Powder

I had fun going through my newsprint stash and found this lovely piece with an old pocket watch - which happens to fit nicely with this week's challenge at Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#84 where the theme is "It's About Time".  And, as I used some metallic embossing powders on the card, I'm also submitting to this month's House of Cards Challenge - HOC#8AUG, where they want to see Metallics.

I randomly stamped a pocket watch image around the border of my card in Versamark and then heat embossed with a mixture of gold and silver powders.  I used my new Postage Rectangle die to cut out the newsprint and added some metallic embossing to sections of the image using my Versamark pen.  I layered the finished piece on some dark brown card and adhered it to the card.  I finished the front with a simple sentiment mounted flat to the card (for ease of posting).  On the inside I cut a mat layer of dark brown card and added a greeting on the cream panel, along with a couple more clocks!

Don't forget to visit our blog to see inspiration pieces from our Guest Designer Sue and also from the rest of the team.  You've got plenty of time to play along, deadline for submission is Tuesday 1st September midnight BST (for those of us in the States that's 7.00pm EDT).  And remember you can make any kind of papercraft project - we always enjoy seeing scrapbook layouts, 3D projects as well as cards.  Have fun!!!

ASM - Photo ....

Hello and good evening.  It's time for our new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More!  This week it's our Photo Inspiration challenge.  Your project must take inspiration from the photo - just tell us what inspired you.  We have two sponsors this week - Bugaboo Stamps and they have a prize of 7 digi stamps and Rosey Hearts who have a prize of 5 digi stamps.  Here are my cards:

Stamps: Bugaboo Digi - JJ Tequila and Shoes ;  Uniko Studio - Time, Extra Time; Penny Black - Sprinkles and Smiles
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Sahara Sand, Melon Mambo; Memento - London Fog
Dies: Spellbinders - Mega Rectangles Sm (S4-144) #4, Deckled Mega Rectangles Lg (S5-015) #4
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Melon Mambo; US DP - Time & Extra Time; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella; SU Punch - Decorative Label; Glossy Accents

My inspiration from the photo is the soft neutral colours with the pop of pink, along with the clocks.  I printed JJ on white card, cut her out with a long rectangle, coloured with Copic markers, added some sparkle and a touch of glossy accents to her specs and martini glass.  I layered the finished image on pink card.  I punched out the sentiment and layerd it on pink card.  I covered the card with Uniko Studio design paper which is perfect for this challenge as it has clocks on it.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of pink card and stamped more clocks and cogs and a sentiment on the white panel.

My second card is a little more risque, but so much fun!  When I saw the image I knew I would have to colour her.  My husband loves cherries :) :)

Stamps: Rosey Heart Digi - Girl Cherry Pop;  Uniko Studio - Time, Extra Time; Penny Black - Sprinkles and Smiles
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Sahara Sand, Melon Mambo; Memento - London Fog
Dies: Spellbinders - Rectangles Lg (S4-132) #5, Scalloped Rectangles Lg (S4-133) #5
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Melon Mambo; US DP - Time & Extra Time; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella

I printed her on white card, coloured with Copics and added lots of sparkle with my clear Wink of Stella Brush.  I layered the image on pink card and attached it to the front of the card.  I found this sentiment and thought it was perfect to go with the image.  The inside has a mat layer of pink and some decoration on the white panel.

For more projects using our Inspiration Photo - check out the blog to see what the rest of the team have made.  Have fun!