Mid Week Mid Century Modern

Hello from Walton-On-Thames! 

I’m all set for The Paper Craft & Stitching show in Farnborough with Dies to Die For, and after a long drive of thinking about all sorts of card ideas, I had to sit down and make this 

The Mid Century Modern Wreath Builder has been super popular this past week and it’s made me want to dust mine off again and give it some fresh inky love. 

I didn’t fancy Christmas today, so I paired it with some Mid Century Modern Birthday for the bold sentiment. 

I used a selection of Stampin’ Up! Blends to colour it, I just randomly picked a selection to bring with me. 

That’s all from me today. I best get an early night as it’s going to be a long day tomorrow and I’m super excited to be somewhere new. So I’ll be sure to share my day on Instagram and check in here tomorrow evening. 

Crafty Hugs

Tuesday Mashup & Tip!

Hello.

Today I met up with my lovely friend at Ruth Gets Crafty for a catch up and also finalise details for our upcoming Chris-Mash Workshop on the 26th September. There are still a few places left HERE and booking will close on Monday 21st September. Even though we have called it Chris_mash, not all the projects will be Christmas themed, we have more in store! 

Anyway, I also collected an order I placed and I couldn't wait to use it, so made a quick card.

You might know that I am partial to a snowflake and I'm falling in love with hot foiling again after Stampin' Up! released a new machine and dies. So the A Christmas Wish had to come live with me. 

Here I decided to pair it with the Large Background French Script. It's been ages since I used this background stamp and I thought it would be a wonderful backdrop to the snowflake and so stamped it in Pink Lemonade. 

So the hot foil set only comes with a die to cut the sentiment part out, which I thought was a little disappointing. However, I saw a little trick to lay the stamp, or die over the top and draw round with a pencil to get an outline to fussy cut. I have to say it worked well and I am pleased how the card turned out.

That's all I have to share today, now back to packing the card for my trip down to Farnborough. I will share what I make during my time there, but my photos might be a little rough round the edges! 

Hope to see some of you there.

Crafty Hugs

Autumn Vibes 🍂

Hello & Happy Monday

Today I squeezed in a little creative time in between show prep. I am travelling down to Farnborough on Wednesday for The Creative Craft Show. I've never done a 3 day show before, so this will be an experience! If your'e coming to the show, you can find me on the Dies to Die For stand G28. I will have Uniko's full inventory with me 😀

Today had a hint of autumn in the air, so I was inspired to dust off Natures Treasures II and make this quick and easy card. 

I didn't fancy using kraft card as my base, as I often do with autumn cards, but I wanted something a little softer/warmer than grey. So I reached for some Sahara Sand (now retired) I have in my card stock stash. 

Using one of the large leaves from the set and stamped it in black ink randomly. I then added a sentiment combination from Doodle Flowers, stamped on a piece of pink card I found in my bits box and adhered with foam tape. I finished with a trio of rhinestones to add a little sparkle.

Hope your week has stared well.

Crafty Hugs

Getting the most out of your stencils!

 

 I was really inspired by Louise for this card, I loved how her cards looked like little windmills blowing in the wind. My son had one when he was little and he absolutely loved it, so I just had to get creative. 

I started out by inking up some clouds for my background using distress inks and adding some splatters of colour using the red and orange from the windmill. This just adds a little pop of colour and ties in the windmill colours. 

Then to ink up my windmill using the new ink and flip Christmas star stencil. I masked off alternate sections with some washi tape so I could get a clean definition of the red and orange again using distress oxide inks. Starting off with the lighter colour and then moving the stencil around to add the darker red. This was then fussy cut out and added to my background. I did want to make it so you move the windmill but I didn’t have any split pins so I opted for an enamel dot for the centre. I drew up the stick and coloured that in with COPIC markers and added my sentiment using the Simply Said clear stamp block . 

I felt like it needed something extra though and these cute little bees from the Flower Power #9 stamp set just added the perfect finishing touch! 

I hope you’ve liked my card for today, I love it when you can think out the box and get more out of your products and the Uniko Facebook group is a great place to find inspiration when you need it! 

Happy crafting Natalie ❤️

Brand Ambassador Inspiration, Pure Florals Rose

 Hi, Julie here with a card I made quite awhile ago and realised I hadn't shared so I thought I would!

I was cleaning up the front end of my computer yesterday and came across this card I made a few months back but what with Christmas in July and the Christmas release it got forgotten about so here it is!

It's on the same lines as one I made using the Peony set here. The ladies at my Wednesday art group loved it and so I did a class to show them how to watercolour a stamped bloom but in the end I used the Lily set as it was simpler for them to paint. Perhaps now we have done a simple flower we may go back and try this bloom.

I used watercolours instead of inks to paint my rose which I stamped with a pale ink on mixed media paper so that the outline didn't show. The finished bloom was then fussy cut and attached to my die cut panel on which I'd stamped the greeting, a mix of Doodle Flowers and an older set, You Are, Yes You, with Memento London Fog.

The diecut panel was then added to a white top folding note card.

That's all from me for the mo but thanks for stopping by!

Be More Dolly 💖

Hello.

I'm back in the studio after a few days away in South Wales with my family. It's been 27 years since I last stepped onto Caswell Bay Beach and this time I got to share it with them and relive some treasured memories of my childhood summers.

Sunshine, sea, sand and family time was definitely what my soul needed and I feel like I have come back recharged and refreshed. 

The card I am sharing today isn't the one I had planned, but with the news of Dolly Parton's death yesterday made me sad, but also inspired to share my little tribute to honour such a wonderful person. 

I love this quote...

"You can't just sit around and think of all the things you want to do. You've got to think of what you want to do, and then you've got to get out and make that happen." 

Dolly Parton

This is for you, Dolly.

I admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Dolly's I didn't listen to her music a huge amount or follow her full career. But growing up in the 80's and 90's you couldn't not know about Dolly. Maybe subconsciously Dolly's approach to life has rubbed off on me and inspired me more than I realise, who knows.

But her death has reminded me to continue being unapologetically me and why I started Uniko. To share my love of pattern, design and love of paper crafts. To be unique and not follow or keep up with what everyone else is doing. 

So I start down and made a card to honour her. I chose the Stencil - Ink & Flip Christmas Star, Star and inked it in Sweet Pea and Berry Kiss. I then went back and inked over the Sweet Pea sections with VersaFine and heat embossed with clear sparkle EP.

I then added a trio of the small English Country Garden Butterflies, which I fussy cut and coloured with pink markers. My sentiment is from Just Because. 

That's all I have to share today, but before I go I do have some Christmas in July and Christmas *almost* in July Release winners to announce.

8th July Rustic Wreath - Glennis F

15th July Stencil Ink & Flip Christmas Star and Christmas Star,  Star - Kath B

22nd July Background Blocks Christmas Scramble - Lynne

Christmas *almost* in July Release £20 eGift - Greta

Thank you to you all for the lovely comments, continued support and custom. I appreciate you all.

Crafty Hugs

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Organic Blooms Bonjour

 Bonjour !

Izzy here. The following card was inspired by a dish that I saw during my holidays. 

The pattern immediately reminded me of the Layering Organic Blooms stencil and here is my card.

First, I inked the different layers of the stencil with Catherine Pooler's inks on a piece of white card stock.

Then on a double white card I stamped the sentiment with the letters of the Alphabet Outlined set.

To finish my card, I cut a part of the stencilled image and I flat adhered the two remaining parts so that we can read the sentiment.

That's all from me today. And you, where do you find your inspiration ? 

Have a lovely day and thank you for stopping by.