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

A Winner, a card & a kitty!

Happy Thursday! 

I'm here with a winner for our recent June Release Blog Hop. If you missed it, you can catch up HERE with all the wonderful inspiration. The release is selling out fast, so be quick to purchase before it sells out! 

I will be getting a restock and a restock of other requested items, but it'll be towards the end of August. If there is anything you've been after, drop me a comment or email and I will add it to the list.

Ok, so without further ado, the randomly lucky winner is... 

SmilynStef

29 JUIN 2024 À 13 H 52 MIN

Great cards … love that blue & orange combo especially

Congratulations Stef! 

Please drop me an email, along with your postal address and I will get the goodies in the mail to you. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to comment, I know I appreciate the comments and I think I can speak for the Brand Ambassadors too. And a big thank you to them too, the creativity was so inspiring. 

In other news, you may have seen on social media our new little furry addition. Meet Cali the Calico kitten!

And here is my card inspired by our new addition! 

For this card I used the Paw Print Hearts Clear Stamp Set for the large paw. I inked the stamp first with Spiced Cider and then used a dauber to apply splodges of black ink. Hopefully you can tell my colours were inspired by our new bundle of fluff! 

I fussy cut the paw print out and adhered to my card using foam tape. I then added a mix of sentiments. The Welcome part is from Everyday Spring Sentiments and the Little One is from Simply Said II. You could easily switch up the sentiments to Happy Birthday or whatever occasion you fancied. I finished off the design by adding a little orange heart enamel to the paw and then adhering the panel to my base card using foam adhesive.

That's all from me today, thank you for stopping by. 

Crafty Hugs

 

Technique Tuesday - Blackout with Uniko Stamps

Hello & Happy Tuesday. 

In between our new furry addition, Cali (the Calico kitten) playing and napping, I've managed to record a new video for you all and it's now available to watch HERE on the Uniko YouTube Channel.

Last Wednesday I shared THIS card over on the website blog and social media. I used the Stencil - MOD Background Builder for the same technique. 

I then realised that you might not know this technique, or you might. But all the same I thought it would be a fun video. 

Here's a look at the card I made in the video... 

I thought I would use this weeks Card of the Week products, Background Blocks Splatter, Balloon Bash and Everyday Sentiments. 

Have you seen the new feature on the website? 

Every Monday I upload a new card and all the products used are 15% off until the following Monday.

For the background colours I used Honeysuckle, Sorbet, Creamsicle, Sea Foam and Oceanside. For the balloons I used Peacock and Dragonfruit. 

I do hope you'll pop on by to watch the video. 

Crafty Hugs

 

Merry Monday with Rustic Christmas

 Happy Merry Monday!

Another late post from me, but I had to share this fun festive card I finished this morning. I managed to photograph it before the good light started to fade this afternoon. 

I've been wanting to use both these products since they came back in stock a while back. For the Kraft card background I used the Stencil - Christmas Folk Snowflake and inked through with Wheat ink. 

I then trimmed a bit off the top and bottom to adhere to a Cranberry card base before adhering my focal Christmas Tree from Rustic Christmas. 

I stamped the tree in Parsley ink and then added the baubles using black for the string & bow and Cranberry for the bauble. I decided to keep the front sentiment free and finished off with a simple star enamel from my stash. 

A simple, yet classic Christmas card. What do you think? 

Crafty Hugs

 

Throwback 'Tangle' Thursday!

 Hello & Happy Thursday.

Firstly, a very Happy 4th July to all my American customers and friends. Wishing you a lovely day with friends, family and making memories. 

Today I have a little Throwback 'Tangled' Thursday and a trio of finished cards to share with you. 

Not long ago I shared some stencilled cards filled with Zentangle doodles, or tangling it is also often referred to. You can catch up HERE if you missed it. A few days later I shared this peek on social media and in the Uniko VIP Facebook Group of a couple more cards I started using more stencils. I ran a little giveaway too, to see who could guess the Uniko Stencils I'd used, so it's always worth following on socials! 

If you need a little help guessing, I used the Stencil - Ink & Flip Christmas Star and our very popular Stencil - Mid Century Modern Shapes.

It's taken me a while, but last night I finished the cards by adding some fun sentiments to them. Lets have a look...

I started with the Ink & Flip Tangled Star and added an aqua ombre Big & Bold Wish. As the coordinating Designer Dies Big & Bold Wish are currently out of stock, I fussy cut the word out and adhered using foam tape. 

I accented with the accompanying 'Upon a Star' sentiment to tie in with the star theme and finished with a trio of Oceanside enamel dots.

Next I moved onto the card where I used the Stencil - Mid Century Modern Shapes. 

For this tangled creation I started by inking the shapes onto my card in a rainbow of colours. I then moved the stencil and used a fine liner to add the outline shapes before filling with doodled designs.

With the card having a Mid Century Modern theme, it seemed fitting to add a Mid Century Modern sentiment from Mid Century Modern Birthday. Again I fussy cut the sentiments and I was quite detailed as I didn't want to hide too much of the pretty background.

Lastly for today I have the finished card I started in my recent YouTube video where I was demoing the NEW Stencil - Ink & Flip Layering Geometric Hexagon.

In the video I only inked the background part of the stencil collection and after the video I decided to replace the stencil and draw the lines with a black fine liner and go in and add lots of pretty doodle patterns.

To finish the card I added the Thank You Friend sentiment from Mid Century Modern Everyday Sentiments and added a trio of Dragonfruit enamel dots.

Such a fun technique to create striking cards. Have you given the technique a try? 

That's all from me today.

Crafty Hugs

Summer Inspiration with Guest Designer Joanna Laverty

Hello, Happy Monday & Happy July! 

Here at Uniko we are not only kicking the month off with a new release landing in store this past weekend, (if you've not seen all the fun & newness check HERE and HERE). We are also starting it with an amazing Guest Brand Ambassador, please let me introduce and hand you over to Joanna Laverty.

My name is Jo, but also known as Have Faith In Cards, and I have been crafting for over 10 years now. What started out as a way to avoid buying a generic Birthday Card, has turned into such a beautiful journey of improving my creativity and trying out new styles and techniques. The crafty community is a beautiful community to be part of, and I have been inspired by so many crafters, and I hope that I have been able to inspire back.

For this first card, I used the Ink and Flip Geometric Butterfly stencil and the help of the Sarah Renae Clark Colour Cube to create this Butterfly filled design. The color scheme is not something I would have ever thought of to pull together but it works so well, especially with the flip design element of the stencil! 

I used a variety of Distress Oxide Inks to stencil in the butterflies over a square piece of white cardstock, and once complete, adhered the cardstock to a larger dark blue/grey square cardstock using foam tape. Next I took some burnt orange cardstock and using the 'Everyday Sentiments' stamp set, embossed 'Thinking of You' onto the card using a white embossing powder. I die cut the sentiment and placed it onto the centre of the design with some foam tape.

To finish off the design, I adhered some enamel dots to the front centre of each butterfly, choosing dots which matched the colour palette chosen for this design.

Taking the Ink and Flip Geometric Butterfly stencil, I first used the background stencil to start my design. Taking a white cardstock and side one of the background builder, I used Distress Oxides in Squeezed Lemonade and Ripe Persimmon, working yellow from the centre into the light orange red. Once complete,I cleaned side one of the stencil, flipped it over, and started to complete my background using side two. For side two I used the Distress Oxides in Festive Berries and Wild Honey, working the golden yellow from the centre into the gorgeous red.

Next I took the butterfly stencil and embossed two different powders for each side. For side one I utilised yellow and orange powder, and for side two I used a sparkly golden powder. Once complete, I die cut the layer using a stitched rectangle die cut and adhered the layer onto a card base.

Next I took some burnt orange cardstock and using the 'Everyday Sentiments' stamp set, embossed  'Congratulations' and 'Celebrate' onto the card using a purple/red embossing powder. I die cut the sentiments separately and adhered on the base layer using foam tape. To finish off the design, I applied some embellishments to the card in matching colours. 

For my last card I took some watercolour cardstock and some pink shimmer powder, I lightly covered the card with the powder and sprayed water over it to create this gorgeous background. Once dry, I took a rectangle die cut to create the base.

Next, using some paste and the MOD background builder stencil, I started to build on top of the base layer. Taking shimmer powders in blue, green and gold, I mixed some powder separately into some opaque white paste to create  3 unique colours, then with a small spatula, applied the paste over the stencil.

I don't use paste often, but when I do, I am always reminded of how much I enjoy the results. One the paste layer was dry, I took the  'Everyday Sentiments' stamp set, and stamped 'With Sympathy' to the top left using Pink ink. To finish off the design I adhered some rainbow bubbles randomly to the design. 

WOW! I think you will all agree with me how stunningly beautiful and eye catching these cards are by Jo, using these popular Uniko Stencils and clear stamp sentiments. The colours are simply wonderful and I am inspired to check out the colour cube! 

Thank you so much Jo for agreeing to Guest Design and give such wonderful creative treatment to these Uniko products. 

What a wonderful way to start of a new month, I am inspired to get creating.

Crafty Hugs

June 2024 Reveal, Release, Brand Ambassador Blog Hop & GIVEAWAY!

Happy Weekend & HAPPY NEW RELEASE DAY.

I'm so glad you have stopped by the blog today as today is the day ALL the products myself and the Uniko Brand Ambassadors have been showcasing this week are now available HERE on the BRAND NEW Uniko website.

Yes, that's correct! 

The long awaited and much anticipated fresh Uniko website is finally here. It's been a learning curve for me as we've transferred over to a new and more efficient platform, unfortunately it wasn't possible to transfer account details over, my apologies for that. If you've already been over and registered an account on the new site this week, thank you. 

I am still working on adding some of the pretty details and fancy features. The focus has been on functionality and accessibility. I will keep you informed of new features as and when they are added. 

Last little bit of website news, I will have access to the old platform for one more week. If you require a screenshot of your purchase history, drop me an email and I can do that for you. This is the only information I am able to access before the website is gone forever. 

Ok, now let's get to the FUN and formally introduce the new products.

First up we have the next stencil in the Ink & Flip line up. This time I have gone for a geometric hexagon and again I have gone for the two layer option giving more creative possibilities. 

 Stencil - Ink & Flip Layering Geometric Hexagon £8

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2012 - To Date

www.uniko.co.uk

Next up we have a BEEautiful addition to the Flower Power Collection. I can't wait to see all the mix and matches with the previously released Flower Power sets. 

As you can see this stamp set features two hexagon flowers that can be used on their own, but they can be layered up too. There is a little bitty bee that is the same, but smaller version than the one in Bee Happy. You get the usual stem and leaves with a fun hexagon in fill and this can be die cut using the same leaf and stem die from the Designer Dies Flower Power 1 - 6 Collection. There are 2 separate leaves and 4 sentiment options. 

As the font is the same as all the other Flower Power clear stamp sets there will be lots more sentiment options to Buzz By and Say! 

 Flower Power #9 £6.50

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2012 - To Date

www.uniko.co.uk

Next we have a fun addition to the Background Blocks Collection. Another FUN stripe design and one that has lots of creative possibilities. I can't wait to see what you all do with this one! 

Background Blocks Offset Stripes £6.50

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2012 - To Date

www.uniko.co.uk

Lastly, but by no means least we have a fun Mid Century Modern inspired addition to the Flower Power Collection. In this I have added two different kinds of single leaves and the sentiments are all bloom inspired.

 Flower Power #10 £6.50

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2012 - To Date

www.uniko.co.uk

Now I have formally introduced the newness, let's have a look at some more inspiration using them...

   Anita

Bev

Izzy

Julie

Steph

Vinita 

What an amazing hop to round off this release. I'm sure you will agree with me that the Brand Ambassadors have done an amazing job this week at showcasing all the new products.

To win the entire release, simply leave a comment along the hop before midnight Sunday 7th July 2024 and I will randomly select a winner.

Along with the new release, a bunch of requested restocks arrived in the studio this week. These include, Background Blocks Doodle Flower, Background Blocks MOD Builder, Birthday Sentiments, Birthday Wishes, Simply Said Blocks, Simply Said Blocks III, Stencil - MOD Background Builder Circles, Stencil - Flower Power #1 and Stencil - Pure Florals Gerbera.

Crafty Hugs