ABC Duck!

Hey!

I've had so much creative energy these past few weeks, in-between feeling poorly with a cold flu bug that is - urgh! It's an annoying bug for sure, because just as I start to feel well again, the next day my sore throat is back and my glands in my neck are swollen again. 

Anyway, enough of my woes, how about a card using the recently restocked Sweet Baby clear stamp set...

It's been AGES since I inked up any of the stamps from Sweet Baby, so I started out by stamping the duck and teddy from the set and set about colouring them with my Prismacolor pencils. This helped me formulate an ideas as to how to use them. 

The alphabet dies are Stampin' Up! Little Letters and I just chose a few pastel card scraps to die cut them. The scalloped edge is a Pretty Pink Posh die. 

I decided to keep the card sentiment free for now, as it is suitable for a few baby/child occasions and the sentiment can easily be added on the lower section of the card if needed.

That's all from me today, the team will be back tomorrow sharing some more Uniko Challenge #51 inspiration with you.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hugs

Sweet Baby...

Hey & Happy Monday!

I do hope that your week has started well?

Mine started EARLY, 5:45am to be exact, all thanks to a little bean that decided it was time to get up and was refusing to go back to sleep even in mummy and daddy's bed. He was shortly joined by his brother and they were demanding breakfast! There is one thing I've learned with these beans and that is when they are hungry, they are HUNGRY! 

Anyway, onto some baby talk (nope, I am not pregnant and nor will I be anytime in the future!) a CCAD college friend of mine Abbie, who also did some work experience with Uniko back in 2013 recently (8 weeks ago) had a baby boy... Rory James Paul. 

Yep, I am a super bad at taking this long to make a card :( but here is what I made in the end...

Of course I had to give Sweet Baby a dust off and ink up AND no surprises really that I made a shaker card too ;) I had planned on sharing this card on Friday and to link up at last weeks Less is More challenge, but I simply ran out of time. Story of my life at the moment!

Short and sweet tonight as I've still a few emails to catch up on and this mummy needs some sleep! Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow for my CAS Colours & Sketches card.

Hugs

A Look Back At 2016!

Hey & Happy Boxing Day!

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day, I think this year has to of been one of the best for us as a family of four :) Seeing the beans faces as they walked into the front room with all the new toys and train set laid out was a picture. Plus, I just loved every minute watching them play together learning their new toys and then pulling daddy down to the floor to help and play. It truly melted my heart.

Here are a couple of photos from Christmas morning, apologies for my bed head!

Me and Ben the bookworm, checking out the new Peppa Pig books!

Josh admiring the train set

Josh getting stuck in with all the toys! 

Anyway, back to the title of this blog post... A Look Back At 2016! This year has been an amazing year for myself personally, but it has been a fantastic year for Uniko. We have had 5 fabulous releases, with 16 new clear stamps sets lining the Uniko HQ shelves. 

I don't know about you, but to me this year has almost passed by in a blur! With that in mind I thought it would be nice now the main seasonal festivities are over and as 2016 draws to a close, to take a look back at Uniko's 2016.

Today, I am looking back at the 2016 February Release. This was Uniko's 4th Birthday celebration and I launched 4 clear stamp sets, Beautiful Blooms III, I Love Tea, Some Bunny and Simply Said. So, I dusted the sets off and got to work with the help of my Christmas present from Santa, the MISTI and made a few new cards to share with you...

First up is a card using Beautiful Blooms III, the perfect set to get my MISTI into action! This set features a lovely modern 4 step layering bloom. I decided to only use 3 of the layers, but with the help of the MISTI it was a breeze and such a quicker process.

I've not had the time to sit and 'play' with my stamps or join in with challenges, so I was inspired to join in on the current CAS(E) this Sketch! sketch for the layout of my card seen HERE and below.

I also got my new and neglected Altenew inks out for this card. The sentiment is from Originally Organic, a clear stamp set I will be looking at later in the week, but the sentiments work perfectly with florals, so I couldn't resit using it and showing you how Uniko clear stamp sets can work together for even more possibilities.

Next I was inspired by THIS photo on Pinterest to use I LOVE Tea clear stamp set and replicate some blue and white fine bone china.

The teacups are stamped in Encore Gold ink and again I used my MISTI for this simple stamped image. I don't know if this happens to you, but when I stamp using metallic inks onto smooth card the image can slide slightly. So using the MISTI prevented this from happening :)

The teacups were decorated using the small Beautiful Blooms III image from the I LOVE Tea clear stamp set and the larger bloom from Beautiful Blooms III. As you can see I love to coordinate clear stamp sets when I am designing them! The sentiment is from Simply Said and as I need a few thank you cards post Christmas that was the reasoning behind my choice.

Lastly, but no means least I inked up Some Bunny clear stamp set. Though this set is oriented towards Spring and Easter, it is also a perfect set for New Baby cards, Children's Birthdays and more.

I used the current Freshly Made Sketches sketch seen HERE and below for the layout of my card and I opted to make a New Baby Congratulations card. No harm in having one of these on hand for 2017, I know a few people expecting next year.

The bunny is such a fun and cute image, perfect for those who like to colour. But it also suits some paper piecing, for when you are short on time! The congratulations sentiment is another from Simply Said.

So, that's a quick look back at the February 2016 Release, I hope I have given you a little inspiration to dust off these sets if you have them ;) There is a small amount of 3 of the sets in stock on the website and I have planned some restocks to arrive in January.

I hope you will join me again tomorrow, when I will be taking a look back at the 2016 April Release. Until then, thank you for stopping by.

Hugs

SaveSave

CAS - Colours & Sketches #155

Hey & YAY!

I can finally share my exciting news...

I am super duper pleased to say I am again part of a challenge Design Team & this time for another of my favourite challenges, CAS - Colours & Sketches. 

As you know I am a huge fan of challenges & they really help me to spark my creativity and I have missed being on a challenge DT since I stepped down from the TIME OUT Challenges DT.

Just a little FIY too, Uniko is sponsoring the TIME OUT Challenge HERE and you can see my post about it HERE. I've used the challenge colours below too, so more inspiration for you ;)

Anyway, back to my excitement! Along with me joining the team at CAS - Colours & Sketches they are also welcoming Caroline, Karen & Liz to the current team of Patricia, Stef, Jane & Louise. I'm excited to join this challenge & the fun begins today with a colour challenge...

What a lovely colour combo, don't you think? Suitable for so many occasions as you will see from the CC&S DT HERE. 

This is what I came up with...

One of my 'mummy' friends who has a little girl 2 months younger than the beans had a little baby boy just days before Christmas and this is the card I made to congratulate them. 

I have used Uniko's Sweet Baby clear stamp set along with a Papertrey Ink die that I have adapted to create a window. I added some clear Wink Of Stella to the die cut and some sparkly stars to add a little sparkle to the design. The teddy bear is adhered to the card using foam adhesive for added interest & dimension.

Ok, that's all from me today, I will be back tomorrow with more to share. Until then, thank you for stopping by and hope to see you joining in on the challenge :)

TIME OUT Challenges - Theme

*This is my first post for the day, please pop back at 9am for my July Release Introducing post *

Hey!

It's time for another challenge over at TIME OUT Challenges & this fortnight we have a theme challenge with an optional twist & there is a prize up for grabs too for the winner of this challenge! 

The theme this time is...

Nature with the optional twist of animals (butterflies & insects can be used).

I decided to go with the optional twist and this is what I came up with...

I reached for my Uniko Sweet Baby set and paired the cute little bear with Natures Treasures I and created this non traditional New Baby card. I surprised myself in how much I liked the result, it just goes to show that 'playing' with your stamps and mixing sets cane lead to unexpected but happy results.

This fortnight we have a lovely guest designer joining us, Barb, be sure to stop by Barb's blog HERE to see how she was inspired by the photo and of course the FABulous TIME OUT Challenges Design Team...

Sandie

Nonni

Lynn

Gerrina

Anita
Sarah
Elizabeth
Shona
Lisa

For all the info and to link up your challenge be sure to stop by the TIME OUT Challenges blog. I look forward to seeing your creations :) I'll be back again later in the week with more to share & until then, thank you for stopping by today.

News...!

Hey!

What a gorgeous Spring day it is here in the NE of England :) the sun is shining and it's pretty hot out there! I do love the sun and warm weather, but this afternoon whilst the little beans are napping I've been making a card, so I am back as promised with this to share & some news...

So, I am a little late sharing the news here at Uniko Studio, but our lovely Gillian & husband welcomed their precious baby boy James George Ross into the world on April 1st. Congratulations Gillian he is so cute. Be sure to stop by Gillian's blog HERE and send your best wishes.

It was only right that I inked up Sweet Baby and as always I couldn't resist using the bear ;) I coloured him simply with SU! markers and fussy cut him out before adhering him to some note book die cuts. These are mounted to the card base using foam adhesive.

CASology even said it themselves, but they have a rather fitting challenge on their blog this week, the theme being NEWS! Gillian is a DT member over there too, so they are having a little celebration & it's only right I join in & link my card up over there. Be sure to check out the challenge HERE.

Ok, that's all from me today, I can hear and see movement on the bean monitor! I'll be back again on Saturday with another card to share & a Design Team Blog Hop :) 

Until then, thank you for stopping by today.

Introducing 2 New Additions!

Hey!

So you all probably know that I have been some what busy over the past week & this time not in the studio, but giving birth to and taking care of 2 new precious additions to the Brown & Uniko Studio family.

I would formerly like to introduce you to Josh & Ben...

Things didn't exactly go to plan with the birth, but when it comes to mother nature these things can be unpredictable! So after a day and a half of being in labour following an induction I made the decision to proceed to a C Section. 

Josh on the left was born at 5:54 pm and Ben on the right at 5:55 pm on September 2nd. Weighing in at 4 pounds 12 ounces and 5 pounds 13 ounces. Quite a bit smaller than predicted on the scans. As Josh was under the 5 pound birth weight we had to have a few days stay in the hospital.

In the picture above they have swapped places! It is easy to tell them apart at the moment due to the difference in size, but that will soon change as they LOVE their milk :)

All set on the 6th September for the journey home...

  

All fed & snuggled up for their first night at home...

Lets just say the night shifts have been a testing time for mum & dad, but they are way too cute not to love even on no sleep! 

Day 2 at home, testing out the new wheels bought by Grandma & Grandad! And one last cute pic from this morning after another sleepless night...

That's all I have to share with you all today! There are still posts scheduled to entertain you until I get back into the studio to create, but for now spare time is currently spent catching up on sleep and recuperating from the C Section.

Until the next time thank you for stopping by & for all your kind wishes and congratulations :)

Bev's Bouncing Baby Boys Blog Hop

Hello Uniko Fans - some of us Design Team girls are hijacking Bev's Blog today to celebrate a very momentous occasion in Bev's (and her husband's) life.

In case you haven't heard the splendid news, Bev and her hubby are brand, spanking new parents to two twin boys. Isn't it just exciting? We will let Bev decide when and where she wants to share pictures, but we couldn't let this moment go without a special blog hop.

Bev is truly one of the sweetest girls we know, and we know that her thoughtfulness, kindness and patience will be a big part of being a fabulous mum. We can't wait to see you embrace motherhood. In the meantime, we wish you all the best - get some sleep and enjoy every moment with those two perfect princes.

So here without further ado, a few special wishes in honor of Josh and Ben...

• Amber
• Kerry
• N@ Ali
• Erika
• Nicki
• Gillian
• Ren-Yi

We also would like to give the Uniko Studio friends an opportunity to join in on this special day, so we're putting up a link-up for all of you to join. So come and help us celebrate Bev's new role as mum.

An InLinkz Link-up

A Stamp Set A Day - Sweet Baby

Hey & SUPER HAPPY MONDAY!

Today is the day I am scheduled to be induced and 'hopefully' get to meet my two little bundles of joy! I am probably already at the hospital by the time you are reading this and I promise to update you all here on the blog ASAP :) The news and photos will probably hit Facebook first so you can always get a first glimpse there (link in the side bar).

Anyway, not knowing how long I'm going to be in hospital or to settle into a routine once we get home, I thought I would do a daily feature here on the blog, in-between routine design team & challenge posts etc. 

The feature being 'A Stamp Set A Day'. I'm amazed at how many stamp sets I have designed and launched since Uniko Studio began back in February 2012 and sometimes sets can get neglected and unloved when new ones come out. So the basis of the feature is to give each set some new love! I have tried to keep the set the focus of the card/s but as you will see I have paired them with other Uniko Studio sets as they were designed that way :)

As today (for me) is all about babies I thought I'd kick things off with a focus on the recently released Sweet Baby Stamp Set.

And here is a couple projects using the set...

My first card today uses the Freshly Made Sketches layout seen HERE and below. I knew I wanted to keep the majority of layers of the sketch flat so over stamped the alphabet strip over the BABY words as I had the little bear coloured and cut out ready to be adhered using foam adhesive.

I'm pleased how this one turned out and my colour choice :) My next card is a colourful birthday card...

This time I mixed in Classic Alphabet and a sentiment from A Gift For you and turned to my go to trio of colours! A bit of Copic colouring on the little duck, looks like I'm out of practice with these!!

That's all the cards I have to share with you today using this set, I hope it has given you some inspiration to revisit the set if you own it or revisit a set you have in your stash that is similar :) I'll be back tomorrow with more to share and another A Stamp Set A Day post. Until then, thank you for stopping by.

Supplies:

Card Stock: White from stash. PTI Summer Sunrise, Hawaiian Shores & Raspberry Fizz. SU! Pacific Point

Ink: PTI Summer Sunrise, Hawaiian Shores & Raspberry Fizz. SU! Pacific Point & Bashful Blue. VersaFine Onyx Black & Memento Tuxedo Black

Stamps: Uniko Studio A Gift For You, Classic Alphabet & Sweet Baby

Accessories: Foam Adhesive. PTI Fresh Snow Twill Ribbon. PTI Limitless Layers Die

August 2014 Reveal, Release & GIVEAWAY!

Hey & SUPER Happy Monday!

The day is finally here & I get to reveal the four new products lining the Uniko Studio HQ shelves in their entirety. If you've been joining in on the fun since the Sneak Peeks you might want to check HERE to see if you are a mystery prize winner! 

Now grab a drink & let's get to the fun and see these new clear stamp sets in full...

BIG & BOLD - Wish £4.95

Copyright Uniko Studio 2014

www.unikostudio.co.uk

BIG & BOLD is a new mini series featuring a big & bold word as the focus along with some accent sentiments & images. This little set has many possibilities used on it's own but will coordinate with other Uniko Studio products for even more!

Next we have a new Flower Power set...

Flower Power #6 £4.95

Copyright Uniko Studio 2014

www.unikostudio.co.uk

As you can see the set features a 2 step stamping rose and get well themed sentiments, it also has two single leaf stamps which will provide SO many stamping options within this series. There were a lot of you that guessed correctly and if you recognise the flower it's because it's a larger version of one of the flowers contained in Background Builders:Vines.

Next we have a set that I have been working on for some time now, getting it perfect, to be a different  take on the trend of cameras, useful for masculine cards but also have a feminine touch! It is a set perfect for scrapbooks and also Project Life too...

Strike a Pose! £15.95

Copyright Uniko Studio 2014

www.unikostudio.co.uk

Lastly but no means least we have the fourth clear stamp set being released...

Sweet Baby £9.95

Copyright Uniko Studio 2014

www.unikostudio.co.uk

With my current condition I couldn't resist releasing a baby themed set, again I stepped out of my comfort zone into the cute zone to create this set! Though it is primarily focused for baby cards the bear and smaller sentiments can be used for so many other types of card & will coordinate with other Uniko Studio products.

Ok, now all the formal introductions have been done, I have a selection of cards using the new sets...

For my first card I couldn't help but combine Sweet Baby & Strike a Pose! I started out by stamping the film strip along the edge, then masking off the bottom & sides to stamp the bear and duck. I dusted off my Prismacolor Pencils to colour the bears and duck in then dug out my Gamsol to blend the colouring.

This next card combines Strike a Pose! with BIG & BOLD - Wish and the polaroid frame is FABulous for making shaker cards like this...

The centre of the polaroid is fairly easy to cut out, I used my craft knife & ruler to do the straight edges and scissors to do the corners. The 'wish' part of the sentiment is from FONTiments - Birthday, which will be back in stock in a couple of weeks.

I've one last card to share with you today & this time I have used the single leaves in the Flower Power #6 set...

I used the current Fusion challenge inspiration photo & sketch seen HERE and below for the basis of my card.

To create the flowers I used both the single leaves in the set. I started out by stamping them on the horizontal and vertical, meeting the points in the middle & then filled in the diagonal leaves overlapping them with the previously stamped leaves. Here is a close up...

Ok, that's all from me, but how about some inspiration from the FABulous Design Team and our Guest Designers this month Sarah from Sazzle Dazzle Crafts & Sandie from London Days with our traditional release day blog hop:

Amber

Erika

Gillian

N@ Ali

Nicki

Ren-Yi (Summer Break)

Taheerah

Sarah 

Sandie

Simply comment along the hop to be in the chance of winning the ENTIRE release (If you win & have already purchased the release a full refund will be given. You have until midnight Sunday 17th  August to comment & the winner will be announced on the blog & Facebook on Monday 18th August.

Don't forget to check the WINNERS post HERE to see if you are a Mystery Prize Winner!

THANK YOU so much for stopping by today & joining in on all the fun and also for all the visits, comments and support over the last few days with Sneak Peeks & Introducing posts. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as me!

All the new products are available HERE on the website & DON'T FORGET if you order today & spend £25 or more it is FREE Worldwide Shipping. Simply use the code FREESHIPPING during checkout if your order qualifies. If you forget I & you qualify I will refund your postage. 
The release is also available at The Paperlane in Northallerton and a selection of products are again available at The Stamp Attic!