March Meet The Maker - Tools & Materials

Happy FriYAY! 

Today on March Meet The Maker it's all about tools and materials. Here at Uniko HQ the tools and materials vary depending on what I am doing business wise.

Let's start with a little behind the scenes at the tools I use to design Uniko products. 

Sometimes I dust off my sketchbook and gather my pens and pencils, going back to my design degree roots and draw my designs first.

I then take all my designs onto the computer and digitise them ready to send to my manufacturers to either turn into stamps, stencils and occasionally designer dies.

Most times these days now that I am a little more proficient in Adobe Illustrator I go straight to designing digitally. I use my iPad and Apple Pencil to do this and I use a cool app which shows what I am doing on my large screen at the same time. 

I often have a stack of design books I am using for reference on my windowsill, I do love a browse in a book to find that spark of creative inspiration.

Next comes the tools and materials I use when I am crafting and showing how the products I design can be used. Here are a few of my 'go to' supplies. 

Of course there will be Uniko Clear Stamps and Uniko Stencils on my usually chaotic desk. Yes, I gave it a tidy to take photos 😂

Then there will be inks, my current favourite are Concord & 9th, white card stock from Stampin' Up! then there are ink blending brushes, my trusty MISTI stamping platform and my Tim Holtz Tonic Studios paper trimmer. 

Of course there are LOTS of other things I use, my VERY old Sizzix Big Shot die cutting machine, makers, pencils, tapes, glues and embellishments. The list goes on, and on, and on! 

Today I have selected a rainbow of colours to ink up the Uniko Stencil - Layering Organic Blooms, here's how it turned out.

I used just two of the stencil layers from the set, the leaves and the flowers, inking each layer with the rainbow of colours. 

I used Poppy, Marmalade, Buttercup, Parsley, Oceanside, Blueberry, Fig and a little smidge of Honeysuckle. 

Once I'd inked up the layers I decided it needed a little more detail, so I opted to stamp the coordinating flowers from the Organic Blooms clear stamp set in black ink. The sentiment I used is also from the stamp set, which I adhered using foam tape, with a few enamel dots finishing my card.

As you know I can't choose a favourite colour, why choose one when you can have them all, right?! But the other reason is that this month the challenge over in the Uniko VIP Facebook group is all about rainbows.

The group is private over on Facebook, a nice friendly space to share all of your Uniko makes. Follow the link HERE to request to join and also join in on the rainbow fun this month. There is a £10 eGift code up for grabs. 

Crafty Hugs