November Facebook VIP Challenge.

Hello & Happy Tuesday. 

Today is the start of a new challenge over in the Uniko VIP Facebook Group HERE. This month we are full steam ahead on Christmas, there isn't long now till the big day. So the challenge this month I thought I would make the challenge Anything Goes Christmas. 

Literally you can make anything Christmas, a tag, a card, a scrapbook page, or even gift wrapping. As long as you use Uniko products. I do accept entries that feature other brands, as long as the main focus is Uniko.

I know some of you don't do Facebook as social media, however, if you are happy for your makes to be added to the VIP group by me, please email me your entry. 

As usual there is a £10 e-gift code up for grabs. Be sure to get your projects uploaded by 11th December 2025.

Of course I have some inspiration to share with you...

If you know me, I love to stretch my stash and I know that we all love to get our moneys worth out of products we purchase. So I had this idea to use some of the Uniko Background Builder stamps to create a colourful Christmas tree. 

I actually recorded a video, so you can join me over on YouTube and craft along with me if you want to!

I used Background Builders Round In Circles, Background Builders Seeing Stars, Background Builders Triangulate, Christmas Sentiments and Pattern Building Christmas Tree. Along with a colourful selection of Concord & 9th inks.

If you watch the video you will see that I mentioned another version of this card, which I went along and made after I stopped recording. 

Here it is...

This time I trimmed my card to a triangle, instead of masking that I did in the first card. I repeated the same pattern and popped the stamped tree on my card with foam tape. 

That's all I have to share today, but I will be back with more Christmas inspiration soon. 

Crafty Hugs

Saturday Spotlight - Background Builders Round In Circles

Hello & Happy Saturday Spotlight. 

The other day on social media, I asked what crafters would like to see in the spotlight today. One suggestion was Background Builders. So I got to thinking how I could give a Background Builder stamp set the festive treatment and I thought of a card I made many years ago using Background Builders: Round In Circles.

So I decided to do something similar, but up level it with some different techniques, colours and a couple of different sentiment and accent pairings. This is how it turned out...

I started out by die cutting a few circle masks from printer paper. I then adhered them temporarily onto a white card stock base (10 x 14cm) before ink blending with Aqua Sky, Oceanside, Harbour and Blueberry. 

Before moving the masks I splattered some Gansi Tambi Starry Watercolours, I'm on a splattering kick at the moment for some added sparkle! 

I then stamped the circles with the various individual circle stamps in black ink. I added fine liner drawn strings and bows from Mid Century Modern Baubles that were adhered using foam tape. My sentiment choice is from Most Wonderful and a few silver enamel dots finished the card.

The result a fun, festive card that can be done in so many different colour combinations. I know I am biased, but Background Builders: Round in Circles is such a versatile clear stamp set. For more ideas on how to use it, check out the Uniko Pinterest page HERE.

Before I go, I thought I would share a few things from the Uniko newsletter incase you haven't subscribed.  First I have a few Black Friday Bargains HERE on the website.

There are also a few clear stamps available on backorder that are due in the studio on Wednesday 27th November. These include... The two sellouts from the Uniko November Release, Christmas Pop and Framed Fairy Lights. Anniversarie Arts Decoratifs, Background Blocks Pinstripe, Christmas Sentiments, Christmas Wishes and Simply Said Blocks Christmas. 

A couple of stencil restocks arrived yesterday, these include Ink & Flip Layering Geometric Christmas Tree and Mid Century Modern. 

Any orders containing a backorder clear stamp set will be posted on 28th November 2024. That's all from me today.

Crafty Hugs

Brand Ambassador Inspiration: Nautical cards

  Hello friends!

Happy Monday! 

Vinita here with a new month and new inspirations!  

I love this nautical stamp from Uniko, it is perfect for creating Masculine cards! 

Card 1

I inked the bottom edge of the card using Background Blocks splatter in various blue inks. Then, I created waves in circles using Background Builders" Round in circle stamp set and placed the Yacht in a wavy sea.

The compass stamp and a sentiment finished the card with simplicity!

Card 2

For this card, I came out of my comfort zone and created this simple card with a mix of patterns.

I created the bottom edge using Round in circle stamp set 2 times leaving some space to fill the red color in between. 

I stamped the Yacht and paper pieced it to create the pattern and placed a pattern paper strip on a red space too and was pleased with the result! The sentiment is from the same set.

Have a wonderful day!

Happy crafting!

Two Ways With Background Builders Round In Circles

Happy Weekend.

And Happy Bank Holiday weekend to those in the UK, I hope some of you are enjoying some sunshine, it's been rather grey, wet and dismal here in the North East 😒 Though, at least I feel like I've not missed it with being poorly (again). Seriously, my immune system is rubbish and even more so when the boys bring the bugs home from school, hence my quietness this week.

Anyway, I'm slowly getting better after lots of rest and sleep. I actually found some energy to finish these two cards I started a few days ago.

I've said it so many times, but restocks always inspire me to create, especially when they've been out of stock for a while like Background Builders: Round In Circles. 

Do you ever have moments where you think your creativity might run out? That you'll be unable to think of something 'new' to create using a much loved stamp set, stencil or die? I do, quite often, but then I end up surprising myself like I did with this duo! 

I started by using the open dot builder strip to stamp the background. I then crazily spent ages colouring the dots in a rainbow of colours! It was super time consuming, but I think the end result was worth it. 

I then die cut the 3 circles before adhering to my Pebble base card, stamping the circle designs inside and adding the sentiment from Mid Century Modern Everyday Sentiments. 

With the background taking so long, I couldn't let the die cut circles go to waste, so I created a second card using them.

I placed the die cuts exactly onto my card base as they were die cut from my first card by using the above panel as a template before I adhered it onto my first card. 

I love many things about clear stamps, one of those things is the ability to shape the longer stamps. Just like I did with this one. Again I added a sentiment from the Mid Century Modern Everyday Sentiments. 

I'm delighted this clear stamp set, along with a whole host of others are back in stock. Though a few of Uniko's newer and most popular designs have sold out already at the shows! Restocks shouldn't be too long. 

Anyway, that's all I have today. 

Crafty Hugs 

Bev  

Hello Friends & A Winner!

Hello & Happy Weekend!

Apologies for my delay in announcing the winner for the Stencil Release Giveaway HERE, this week hasn't quite gone as planned, but it's turning around now. I was sure to get some creative time in last night and combined a few stamp sets to create this clean & simple card.

I've said it so many times, it really sparks my creativity when restocks arrive in the studio. Background Builders Round In Circles was part of the batch of restocks that arrived the other week and the single line builder I have used here was calling to be inked up. 

I used my MISTI to stamp the background & used my Copic Markers to colour the circle design. I then stamped the sentiment from Floral Vines before die cutting the circle.

I often neglect this small solid butterfly from English Country Garden Butterflies, but I thought it was perfect stamped in Concord & 9th Honeysuckle. I used the coordinating Designer Die from the English Country Garden Butterflies collection and adhered to the circle focal point. 

So now I've shared my little bit of creativity, how about the winner. I used Random.org to select a winner from those left across all the blogs and social media and that lucky comment winner is...

Carol

Bev, how wonderful to see this new stencil release – so pretty and versatile, covering occasions throughout the year. With all the stencil challenges popping up, these would make for some amazing showcases and entries! Given that it’s snowy and cold here, the snowflake stencil has really caught my eye; a festive, frosty delight!
~carol

Congratulations Carol! Please drop me an email to bev@uniko.co.uk with your postal address by Saturday 19th November 2022 to claim your prize.

Thank you to everyone who joined in on the release fun and for all the lovely orders.

Have a lovely creative day.

Crafty Hugs