Introducing... Stencil MOD Background Builder

Hello, Happy Monday & No Tricks, Just Treats, I Promise! 

Welcome to the first of the introductions for this mini stencil release. I am super excited about this first stencil for a few reasons. Firstly the design, it is a fun modern design that when I designed it, I had our Mid Century Modern Collection in mind. But as you will see from the Brand Ambassadors inspiration, it pairs with so many products wonderfully.

The second thing that makes me excited about this stencil is the concept of how to use the stencil. I have designed it in a way that there is an instant focal point, but you can also move the stencil to repeat the pattern and fill a larger area. I also added some smaller accents.

So without further ado, let's have a look at this stencil in action. 

Anita

Bev

Hannelie

Izzy 

Jane

Julie

Steph

Wiebke

So what do you think? Do you love it as much as I do? This stencil along with the others we will be introducing over the next few days will be available on the website 9am GMT Thursday 3rd November.

As it's Halloween, I am giving one lucky comment left across social media a chance to win their choice of stencil from the website. You have until midnight Thursday 10th November 2022 to comment.

Crafty Hugs

 

October / November Stencil Release Sneak Peeks!

Hello & Happy Sunday!

I am so happy you have stopped by today. I can't believe how fast time has gone and it's been so long since the last release.

Anyway, I've had a few stencil designs up my sleeve for a while and if you were at Stamping Together in Port Sunlight, you might have spotted them at the show. So it was only right that I officially released them here on the blog and on the website.

I'm not going to say much about the peeks, you'll have to come back for the introductions starting tomorrow!

These 4 stencils will be available on Thursday 3rd November at 9am GMT. But until then I'd love to know, what has caught your eye from these peeks?

Crafty Hugs

 

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Clean and Simple with Metallic Accents

Good morning

Anita here and today I'm sharing the style of cards I love to make the most...clean and simple.  I thought I'd add some metallic elements and for both cards I've focused on Uniko dies.

 

I'll get straight to it and first up is a shaker card.  Often shakers can be thought of as quite fussy cards but they really don't have to be.  For this one I've used a die from the Designer Dies Passiflora Collection as my starting point...

I started with a die cut panel and used the leaf die from the collection to create an aperture for my shaker.  Before creating the shaker I stamped a sentiment from the Birthday Wishes Clear Stamp Set and heat embossed in gold.  On the card base I masked off a section where the aperture would be positioned and ink blended with three shades of Distress Oxide ink.  I then created the shaker by adhering acetate to the reverse, surrounding the area with foam tape and then trapping a mix of sequins in autumnal shades.  The panel was then adhered to the card base on more 3D foam tape.

For my second card I used the Flower Power #1 Clear Stamp Set and a die from the co-ordinating Designer Dies Flower Power #1 - #6 Collection...

On a white die cut panel I die cut the flower head to create an aperture and then stamped the stem/leaves and the sentiment.  I adhered some textured gold cardstock to the reverse of the aperture.  Then using the die cut, I stamped onto it using VersaMark ink and heat embossed in copper.  This was then adhered, offset, over the aperture.  The panel was then adhered to the card base on 3D foam and I added a single black gem to the centre of the flower.

I really wanted to go back to a true clean and simple style with these and I hope you've got some inspiration from them.  Now I need to shift my focus from autumn to Christmas as time isn't slowing down and I've not even started...yikes!

Enjoy the rest of your week and sending crafty hugs,

 

Two for Tuesday, BA Inspiration

 Good afternoon, Julie here with two cards on Tuesday!

I was inspired by the sketch over at The Paper Players to create two cards using the same sketch, colours but different themes.

Here are the two I came up with.

Here's a closer look at the first card.

I love a sketch, they are a great way to get inspired when your mojo is not quite working as it should!

For this I started by stamping the small outline rose and two of the leaflets in Versamark and embossing with gold EP. Using some Candied Apple, Mowed Lawn, and Pealed Paint DI smooshed onto my craft mat, I water coloured before fussy cutting out. A little shadow was added using one of my Zig watercolour markers.

The central strip was stamped using a selection of Simply Said sentiments in Altenew Evening Gray on a strip of paper, before adding to an A6 base card. A piece of textured white card from my stash was mounted onto some gold card and the Floral Vines sentiment was added and embossed with the same gold EP. The rose spray was then added to the top panel and attached over the central strip.

My second card uses the poinsettia from Season of Beauty, Christmas Sentiments and the Winter Foliage stencil.

The central panel was a leftover from an other project yet to see the light of day and perfect for this card. After stencilling over kraft with Unicorn white ink, I cleaned the stencil and then when the white ink was dry, I inked again with DI, love the white shadow you get with this technique.

The poinsettia was stamped with Versamark then embossed with gold EP, bracts and flower center were then added. Using the same water colour technique and colours as the first, I then fussy cut it out when dry. 

This time I used a plain white panel for my sentiment, adding the fussy cut image in the left hand corner before adding the whole over the central band.

Two cards using the same sketch, colours but different looks. I think it's a layout that will come in handy again as I think it's very versatile. 

So that's it from me for the moment, hope I've inspired you to create something for yourself along the same lines.

Until next time, keep safe and keep crafting!

Stencil Sunday - Bright Pure Florals Chrysanthemum with matching stamp & die

Bonjour & Happy (Sunny) Sunday !

Izzy here with a card that makes echo to my recent inspiration post (see HERE). This time I used the Pure Florals Chrysanthemum stencil. It is designed to fit with the Pure Florals Chrysanthemum collection (stamp & dies).

 

I've been inspired by some challenges but above all by the pretty colours we can lately see in the trees as well as those of the blooming chrysanthemums.

First I stamped and gold heat embossed the outlines of the two blooms on watercolour paper. Then I watercolored them with some orange Brusho's powders that I melt with water.  I did the same for the leaves by stamping them in green and clear embossing them.

I finally cut everything with the matching dies.

On a square piece of Bristol paper, I blended orange inks through the Chrysanthemum stencil. I splattered some green Brusho and when dry I adhered the panel on a double green card.

To finish, I foam mounted the two blooms and the leaves on top of the stencilled background. For the sentiment, I used one stamp of the Simply Said Blocks.

That is all I have to share today but I hope I inspired you with my card.

Thanks for stopping by today and have a fabulous (& crafty) day !

What's Hot & Restocks!

Hello & Happy Friday!

I thought I would share a couple cards using some of the hot products from the last couple of weeks. Christmas seems to top the list with Pattern Building Christmas Tree and the Designer Die Sparkling Snowflake topping the list, so that's what I chose to get creative with.

First up, I decided to make a slimline card and I paired the Designer Die Sparkling Snowflake with Snowflake Serenade.

Snowflake Serenade is perfect for slimline cards and to stamp it cascading down. Here I stamped in black and heat embossed with my favourite Stardust EP. I then used two shades of Aqua Copic Markers to colour the holly leaves. 

The Sparkling Snowflake die cut was cut from Aqua card I had in my off cut stash box and I used a VersaMark pen around the edges to heat emboss with the Stardust EP. I've adhered the die cut with foam adhesive, as I have the sentiment from Christmas Sentiments.

Next I wanted to give some fresh creative love to Pattern Building Christmas Tree.

It wasn't intentional at first, but it turned out to be a repeating theme of stamp & embossed elements with stamped and fussy cut elements.

I think it turned out quite fun! I used the same Stardust EP and also Nuvo Drops for the string of lights. I love the colours and slight domed effect the Nuvo Drops give.

Just the two cards from me today, but I know I will be back with more to share soon. 

The other hot products are Paw Print Hearts. Sympathy cards are always a tough one and when I've looked there isn't a huge amount of pet sympathy products.

Plus, stars and geometrics in general are always a popular 'go to' for masculine cards, so it's no surprise that Background Builders Seeing Stars has been a hot product since it came back in stock.

And lastly, but by no means least our Mid Century Modern collection of products are still a popular choice. I might just have some things up my sleeve in relation to this collection, so keep your eyes peeled 😉

The following restocks are due back in the studio next week and are currently available on back order over on the website. 

Background Blocks Scattered Polka Dots

Bee Happy

Christmas Sentiments

Christmas Wishes

English Country Garden Butterflies

Framed - Floral Vines

Paw Print Hearts

Pattern Building Christmas Tree

Simply Said Blocks

I will be sending a newsletter when they arrive. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Wonderful AND Win it Wednesday!

Hello & Happy Wonderful Wednesday!

I feel like I am finally catching up on things (and sleep) after a busy few weeks of shows. It has been lovely to get out of the studio and meet some of you face to face again and some of you for the first time 😊

A few weeks ago I promised a giveaway, so I am here with it today after I share a card of course! So let's have a look what I have created today...

When I think of having a Wonderful Wednesday, I always think of the Wonderful Day clear stamp set! So that is what I reached for. I stamped and fussy cut some colourful blooms and paired them with the Stencil, Wonky Stripes.

I started by placing the stripes on an angle and inking through with black ink. I've then adhered the flowers with foam adhesive, the leaves with glue and embellished with some glittery enamel dots.

This leads me onto the giveaway...

I'm giving away the two Uniko products I have used. Wonderful Day and Stencil - Wonky Stripes to one lucky winner who leaves a comment on this post, on Instagram and Facebook. If you leave a comment on all 3 then you have more chance to win! 

The giveaway is open worldwide and an alternative prize to the same value will be offered if the winner owns any of these products. 

The giveaway will close Midnight Wednesday 26th October 2022 and I will announce the winner at some point on Thursday 27th October 2022.

That's all from me today! 

Crafty Hugs

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Dies, Stencils & Stamps

 Bonjour !

It's Izzy here with two inspiration cards that I'm combining with the current challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More where it's all about Stencils and/or Dies.

 As I used Uniko products to make my DT cards, I wanted to give even more love to my Uniko dies, Stencils and Stamps. 

For my first inspiration, I went with a shaker card. I get inspired by the Dream Factory challenge where it's about Stardust movie.

I started with the background blending purple and dark blue distress inks to make the sky. Then I used the star galaxy wave from the Reach for the Stars set that I stamped and heat embossed with clear glitter embossing powder. 

Then I used the Seeing Stars stencil and with a white pencil, I drew the stars onto the background. And to give more shine, I speckled with a brush a mix of water and Perfect Pearls. Then I stamped and white heat embossed the second part of the sentiment that comes from the BIG & BOLD Wish clear stamp & die bundle.

I die cut (x3) a frame in white card stock and I glued an acetate sheet on the back to make the shaker card window. I put some tiny stars sequins on the background then I glued the window on top. In a white glittery paper, I die cut the Wish word from the BIG & BOLD Wish clear stamp & die bundle and  I glued it on the window.

To finish my card, I stamped with purple ink two stars from the Background Builders: Seeing Stars set. I  heat embossed them with clear glitter embossing powder, then I filled the blank with a gold gel pen before adhering them on the card.

With the end of year being in a bit more than two month away, I made my second card with one of my favourite stencil from Uniko : In the Forest.

On a watercolour card stock, I played with some Brusho powders. On top I stamped the swirling snowflake wave and the sentiment from the Snowflake Serenade set. Once everything was dry, I used the stencil In the Forest with Versamark ink and I white heat embossed the trees. 

To finish my card, I flat adhered this panel on a double white card. In a white glitter paper I die cut the Sparkling Snowflake and I glued it on the card.

Now here is a sneak peek of the card I made for the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge, still using Uniko dies, stencil and stamps...

I hope that my cards inspired you to go and play with your Uniko products and to come and play along at Addicted to Stamps and More.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fabulous day !