Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Flower Power

 Good morning all, 

Steph here and today I am focusing on the Uniko Flower Power series for my Brand Ambassador inspiration. 

My first card uses Uniko Flower Power #2 stamp set. I have also used the Uniko Flower Power #1 - #6 matching die set for some of these cards. 

The flower stems and sentiments are stamped directly onto the card and the flower heads have been stamped, die cut and adhered using foam pads. 

My next card uses Uniko Flower Power #4 stamp set.

Both the stems and the flower heads have been stamped and die cut with the stems being adhered to the card flat, and the heads again adhered using foam pads. 

My final card uses Uniko Flower Power #6 stamp set.

I didn't use the die set here but I did want to move away from the CAS nature of the first two cards and fill the background with florals. I used the flower head and one of the leaves from the set and stamped them around the sentiment from the Uniko Birthday Wishes stamp set.

My passion for this series of stamps has definitely been re-ignited having had a play around with them. I have used only one Flower Power stamp set per card but of course you can mix and match these sets so the possibilities are endless!

Much love

Steph x

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Christmas in July

Good morning, 

As it’s July, I’ve chosen to go with the Christmas in July theme for my Uniko Brand Ambassador inspiration. Uniko has lots of wonderful Christmas stamps and stencils (matching die sets available too!). 

For my cards I have focussed on the Uniko Let It Snow stencil. 

For my first card I have used Versamark ink through the stencil and heat embossed in white embossing powder, directly onto the Kraft card base. I then die cut a smaller rectangular piece of white card and used the inner word die from the Uniko Big & Bold Snow die set to cut the word snow towards the bottom of the panel. I used a separate piece of white card to stamp and heat emboss the snowflakes and 'let it' sentiment all from the Uniko Big & Bold Snow stamp set. 

For this card, I started with a panel of white card and used glitter paste to create a fabulous background (so sparkly!). On a smaller piece of white card I heat embossed the sentiment and snow swirls from the Uniko Big & Bold Snow stamp set. 

My final card uses a 'smooshed' background created using Picked Raspberry and Broken China Distress Oxide inks. Once dry I used Versamark ink through the stencil and heat embossed in white. On a spare piece of smooshed card I die cut the inner word die from the Uniko Big & Bold Snow die set and white heat embossed the smallest snowflakes from the Uniko Big & Bold Snow stamp set. I die cut the inner word from white card two more times and adhered them behind the smooshed one to create dimension. I adhered this to the outer word die cut from white pearl card, before adhering directly to the card front. Finally I added the rest of the sentiment from the Uniko Big & Bold stamp set, stamping this in Pickled Raspberry ink. 

Which one catches your eye?

Much love

Steph x

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Masculine Birthday Cards

Good morning everyone, 

Steph here and this month I'm using Uniko Big & Bold - Happy stamp and co-ordinating die set to make masculine birthday cards.

My first card teams the Uniko Big & Bold - Happy bundle with Uniko Bee Happy stamp set. I stamped the gorgeous little bees, the honeycomb hearts and the ‘bee day’ sentiment using the Bee Happy stamp set and fussy cut each one before adhering to the base panel which I had die cut using a generic honeycomb die. I then used blue ink to stamp the ‘happy’ sentiment and die cut using the coordinating die. 

My next card uses the ‘happy’ die cut as an aperture with coloured strips of card adhered behind. This is a great way to use up card scraps. The stamped elements are all from the Big & Bold - Happy stamp set. 

Taking inspiration from my previous card, I created a striped background and added a die cut ‘happy’ using both the inner more detailed die and the outer edging die. Again the sentiments are from Uniko Big & Bold - Happy stamp set and I finished the card with a die cut frame. 

Hopefully I’ve given you some new inspiration and you are digging out the Big & Bold - Happy stamp and / or die set for a play soon. 

Much love

Steph x

Happy New Year!

Happy Monday & Hello 2024.

Today I want to wish you ALL a very happy, healthy and creative New Year. I hope you all enjoyed the festive period and you are looking forward to what 2024 will bring. I'd say we had a quiet festive period & New Years Eve, but can you really with two 9 year olds 🥴😂

I'm learning to sneak away for a little quiet time and making a quick card like this one today...

I've reached for my 'go to' clear stamp sets for New Years cards, Big & Bold Happy and Organic Wishes, which is perfect for fireworks.

I stamped & heat embossed the Organic bursts with sparkly Stardust embossing powder before adding a little colour of Light Calypso Coral and Bermuda Bay. 

I finished off with the Big & Bold Happy die cut in Grapefruit & White card adhered using foam adhesive, along with the New year stamped & embossed in sparkly Stardust to match the fireworks.

Have a lovely day & I hope you find time to create today.

Crafty Hugs

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Snowflakes

Good morning everyone, 

Steph here today with my Uniko Brand Ambassador Inspiration for this month. 

We seem to be having a mix of weather in the UK from heat waves to all of a sudden very cold and autumnal weather and then back to warm weather again. So I thought I'd throw in a few snowflakes just to remind us that Christmas isn't all that far away...yes I'm trying to ignore that fact too! 

My initial idea was to have three beautiful inked panels peeking through a die cut aperture of the snowflake but I really didn't like it once I had done so I resurrected the remainder of the panel and inset a beautiful silver snowflake instead. Here I have used Uniko Let It Snow stencil with white ink and Uniko Sparkling Snowflake die. The sentiment is from the Uniko Christmas Sentiments stamp set. 

My next cards are slightly different as I didn't have enough of the remaining inked panels to use as above. So I adapted the design and used the snowflakes cut from the panels instead. 

I like the patterned snowflakes against the plain card base for some CAS cards ready for Christmas. For these cards I have use Uniko Christmas Folk Snowflake stencil and Uniko In The Forest stencil.

Much love

Steph x

Hello Autumn & End of Summer SALE!

Hello and Happy Autumn!

Today is the official first day of Autumn as I have gotten older I feel we should welcome and appreciate each new season when it arrives. I don't have a favourite season, mainly because each brings a beauty & wonder of its own.

As much as I have had a wonderful summer with The Beans, I am looking forward to cozy nights in and enjoying laughter over a cup oof hot chocolate. Taking walks through the crunching fallen leaves and savouring the low sunlight and feeling that crispness in the air.

This inspired my cards today...

I've been having fun with our Designer Dies recently and with Autumn here I choose the newest Natures Treasure II Designer Dies for my two cards today.

I started by ink blending some Autumnal inspired colours on a my base card, making sure to mask off the edges to line up with the top layer I had planned. 

I then moved to the top layer oof my card, die cutting the panel with both of the larger dies in the set and making sure to keep a hold of the inner cut outs. I then adhered this die cut panel to my ink blended base card using foam adhesive. My sentiment is from Simply Said Blocks III and I added some enamel dots to finish.

Not wanting may die cut pieces to go to waste, this lead me to make a second card.

I started by ink blending the leaves with the same colours as my first card. I then adhered them to my base card in roughly the same positions as I die cut them from the first card. My chosen sentiment for this card is from Simply Said and again I added some enamel dots to finish.

That's all my creativity for today, but before I go how about a little End of Summer SALE!  
 

Thanks for stopping by.

Crafty Hugs

Wonderful Wednesday Restock Alert!

Hello & Happy Wednesday.

I'm hunkering down in the studio today and really hoping this crazy wind and rain settles before it's time to pick the beans up from school! And whilst distracting myself from the weather, I made this card...

I saw THIS card I came across on Pinterest by Lynn Mangan whom I have followed for quite a few years now and being inspired to use the Designer Dies Flower Power 1-6 Collection that arrived back in stock yesterday, I set to putting my own spin on it.

I started by die cutting the top panel with the Flower Power #4 die from the collection six times. I then laid this over my card base layer to position and stamp the solid flower from Flower Power #4 clear stamp set, inside the die cuts using C9 Poppy ink. The centre of the flowers is from Flower Power #5.

I love how Lynn stamped just one leaf stem, so kept this feature. I used the stem & leaves from Flower Power #1 clear stamp set and also the Thinking of You sentiment. I used foam tape to adhere the die cut panel in place and added some gloss black Nuvo drops to finish.

So, if you've been waiting for the Designer Dies Flower Power 1-6 Collection they are now back in stock. 

This is all I have to share today. Lots more coming this week, so stay tuned! 

Crafty Hugs

Technique Thursday with Uniko Designer Dies!

Hello & Happy Thursday! 

Gosh, it's a warm one here today. Though I am sure when the sun starts to go down it will cool off, I can feel Autumn in the air. 

Anyway, today I have a fun technique and a video to share. YES, I have been brave and recorded a video. I am still learning and still have a few things to learn to make them pretty. But this card I made yesterday was easier to explain and demonstrate in a video. 

I used BIG & BOLD Snow Clear stamps and BIG & BOLD Snow Designer Dies. Plus there is a bundle option HERE!

My thinking behind this card and technique was that I wanted more of the stamped snowflake design to be seen and not hidden by a large die cut word. 

It's a little fiddly, time consuming and this first card took two attempts! But, I think the results are fun. You can check out my video HERE on You Tube and below is the finished card of the one I made during the video.

I hope you enjoy the video and I'd love you to subscribe, I will be sharing more in the coming days and weeks.

Crafty Hugs 

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Picked Posies

Good morning all, 

Thanks for joining me, Steph, today for my Uniko Brand Ambassador Inspiration post. I thought it would be nice to show off the range that Bev created exclusively for Craftstash called Picked Posies.

My first card uses the Uniko Picked Posies Fresh Cut Foliage background stamp and adhered this to the card blank at an angle. I then stamped and die cut the florals from the  Picked Posies set. The sentiment is from the sentiment set of the same name and I have fussy cut it and adhered it over vellum before adding to the card front.

This time I created a monotone card and stamped the background in two shades of purple. Directly onto this I stamped the outline and solid Picked Posies stamps. Finally I die cut the word ‘smile’ using the Uniko Picked Posies Smile layering sentiment.

My final card uses the Picked Posies Plaid layering stencil set over which I have added flowers and foliage stamped and die cut using the Picked Posies set.

This range is currently on sale exclusively at Craftstash so if you like what you see then head over and check them out!

Much love

Steph x

Exclusively Introducing... Uniko's Picked Posies Collection with CraftStash UK.

Happy FriYAY

I'm so happy to be able to finally after many months of keeping this under wraps, I can share what I have been working on behind the scenes here at Uniko HQ. 

Back in the Autumn of 2022, CraftStash approached me and asked if I would be interested in a collaboration and designing some exclusive collections for them under my Uniko brand. Of course I said yes and I can now introduce you to the Exclusive Picked Posies Collection.

This collection is Exclusive to CraftStash and can only be purchased from CraftStash HERE for those in the UK and HERE for those in the US. 

The main set the collection is this clear stamp set...

A modern floral stamp set which features a range of different floral blooms, foliage and flower centres alongside outline dies to create dimensional flowers on your projects.

Next, I had to design a mix and match sentiment set to go with them...

Which leads nicely onto the last of the stamps in this collection a beautiful large foliage background stamp, you know how I love a background! 

Next in the collection I added some dies. First I chose this sentiment die, and the word smile. Because really we need to smile more and send more smiles in the mail.

This die comes with the word, as I've used on the sample below and also the shadow. Much like Uniko's BIG & BOLD Designer Dies. 

Next in the collection is this large die panel. Uniko fans might just recognise this quilted design from a previously released stencil.

And lastly, but by no means least there is a layering Plaid Stencil. Use one or both layers to create fun plaid style backgrounds.

This collection was a joy to design & put together and it has all the details you know, love and would expect from Uniko. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I can't wait to share more of this collection paired with previously released Uniko products to show the versatility and how, that even though this collection is exclusive to and manufactured by CraftStash, it's still Uniko.

Want to see this collection in action, I'd love you to join myself and Lou Collins live at 12:30 today! It will be recorded and also replayed on YouTube at 7pm. As you can see they are hosting a giveaway too.

Live LINK

Have a wonderful Friday.

Crafty Hugs