BrandAmbassador Inspiration - Techniques with Kraft Paper, Stencils & Inks

Have you ever used Ranger Distress Oxide Inks on dark cardstock or Kraft Paper?
These Oxide colours are very different to the "original" Distress Inks.
For those of you who havn't worked with one or both inks yet I will try to give a quick description of the differences.

The "original" Distress Inks are water-reactive dye inks with an almost clear formula which soaks into the paper. They are perfect to work on white, very pale or light coloured papers. The darker your papers are, the more it's just like a kind of watermark print you can make with these inks and when the colour of the paper is too dark you can't see the ink any more, cause there is not enough difference between ink and paper.
These translucent Distress Inks are perfect to blend with a sponge, brush or blending tool. The colours overlap, can be reactivated again and again and you can create lots of new colour-shades.

The Distress Oxide Inks are a water-reactive dye and pigment ink fusion, You can use any colour of paper to work on - white, colours, black and also kraft. The Oxide colours are opaque, so they are covering the colours beneath. Many people say, the creamy consistence is even easier to blend than Distress Inks! (Be sure to use seperate blending tools and don't mix the different inks on one tool!)

That's only a very short introduction of these fantastic colours.
I think many crafters know them, so I don't want to write too much "old" stuff. But if you are new to these mediums and have more questions to the inks, please feel free to ask in the comments! I will try to help!

 

In this top picture you can compare the first three techniques I introduce today to each other.

Let's come to my used techniques!
I used different kind of Kraft Papers - a lighter one, a darker one and another darker one with a bit of structure.
All cards are made with the Uniko Flower Power #5 Stencil and sentiments of different Stamp-Sets like Wonderful Day, Simply Said Birthday, Floral Vines and All Occasion Sentiments #6.

For this first card I used the Oxide Inks directly on the  Kraft paper. They blended well with smoth colour gradients. The colours are: for the petals tumbled glass and salty ocean & for the center squeezed lemonade and mustard seed.
The sentiment is heat embossed in two shades of yellow - matchable to the middle area of the flower.
The details on the center dots are Nuvo crystal drops gloss in Buttermilk and English Mustard.

The all other cards I added a white Unicorn pigment ink from Hero Arts to the paper first, then cleaned the stencil and then I started to bring the colours to the flowers.
Here in the second card I've used the same colours than in the first one. The sentiment is heat embossed with white embossing powder.

For the third card I coloured the petals and the center with Kuretake/Zig Clean Color Real Brushes and then blended them with a watered brush.
The sentiment is embossed with white powder again.

For the fourth card I returned to the Oxide Inks, but to different colours - kitsch flamingo, picked raspberry, festive berries.
This card got a more distressed look! I softly wiped with the white inkpad over the paper and got these light planar marks. Then I used an old Distressing Tool to roughen the edges of the paper before I glued it to the cardbase. I added some white details to the center dots with a Gelly Roll pencil.

I think here with the pink colours it's even more obvious then with the blue colours how great the white ink base workes with the colours! They look so soft now!
I made another picture with a closer look for you:

 

On my last card for today I enjoyed the white pigment ink and just traced the outline-edges of the petals with metallic Gelly Roll Pencils. I used all the rainbow colours! The center circled I coloured too and added some Glossy Accents to every circle.
The sentiment is heat embossed with Ranger liquid platinum powder on a little piece of paper I then cut to a banner.

 

Hope you enjoyed this little techniqual journey with me!
Wish you nice and crafty days!

Greetings from Wiebke

Brand Ambassador Inspiration Post : Hello Lovely Clear Stamp Set

Hi there!

Hannelie here sharing detail about a card I made with one my favorite stamp sets... the Hello Lovely Clear stamp set.


So happy that UNIKO is open for business again!

So many possibilities with one large floral stamp.

To see more cards I made with this amazing flower stamp set click here & here . It also looks amazing uncolored (black & white)  or in any color of the rainbow!



For today's card I water colored it with my Zig markers :

I used :

• Hello-lovely-clear-stamp-set
• Mid-century-modern-squares stencil
• Simply-said-blocks - sentiment
• Zig and Koi markers
• Peeled paint distress ink for the BG
• Versafine black ink
• Rhinestones
• Pinpoint rectangle die from Memory box
• Craft foam for dimension

To create the BG, I applied distress ink directly to the stencil, laid the stencil on watercolor paper and spritzed it with water. The first try gave a really bold result... too bold to use with an already bold focal point. I repeated the process two more times before I was satisfied with the subtle pattern.

Thanks for visiting ! I hope you leave inspired!

Hannelie

DT inspiration - Eraser technique

Bonjour !

Izzy here. Today I want to share with you a technique that I recently discovered on Papierelle's blog and that I particularly love. This is the Eraser technique.

For this technique I used the Pure Florals Peony stamp set released this past December together with the Large Background French Script stamp released in May 2018.

All you need for this technique is a pencil, sandpaper, a sponge, an eraser and a stamp. And the process is very easy : 

1. Rub off some graphite of the pencil over the sandpaper.
2. Pick up the graphite with a sponge and sponge it onto your card stock
3. Stamp the image you chose on top of this sponging
4. And to finish, erase the surfaces of your image you want to be white

Easy peasy, no ?

To make my card I cut a rectangle of Strathmore Bristol and I sponged it with the graphite. I stamped the gorgeous peonies with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I also stamped them on post-it notes to use them as masks to be able to stamp the French Script Background with a light gray ink.

Then I erased the inside surface of the peonies and I used my new loved pencil brushes to colour them. If you try this technique you will notice that the choice of the paper is important. Depending on the paper, it is sometimes hard to completely make the surface white. For this card I've used Strathmore Bristol because it's a very smooth surface and I knew it's compatible with the use of the Zig Clean Colour pen brush as watercolour pencils.

Even with this smooth card stock I didn't succeed to totally erase the graphite on the peonies. But I loved the vintage look it gives mixed together with the pink watercolour that's why I went on. To finish I sponged Black Soot Distress ink on the edges of the card stock. Once everything was totally dry I sprayed a fixative to be sure that the graphite would not smear everywhere.

I adhered this panel on top of a white card stock and I stamped a birthday sentiment which comes from the Pure Florals Chrysanthemum set. I love how this card looks, the peonies really stand out over the grey background !

I hope I inspired you with this gorgeous stamp set. It completes so beautifully the Pure Florals collection. It's my new favourite and a must have !

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

Izzy xx

Winner & A Card...

Hey & Happy Monday!

I do hope your week has got off to a good start? Mine started a little wobbly with a sleepless night and snotty beans, but all turned out to be an OK kinda day - phew! Anyway, someone's week is going to be improved considerably (I hope) as I am here to announce the winner of the January 2017 Design Team Blog Hop and GIVEAWAY! 

Thank you to everyone who hopped along and left such lovely comments. Random.org has helped me pick the winner from all the comments left...

And the lucky comment was left by...

Preety11 January 2017 at 11:02

Beautiful card :) love the flower design and colors used. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers
preety

Congratulations Preety! Please send me an email to bev@uniko.co.uk by Monday 30th January 2017 along with your postal address. I can then get your prize on its way to you.

How about a card before I go...

This card was inspired by a challenge I came across by joining in on the current TIME OUT Challenge HERE. The current Guest Designer at TO and person they are CASEing is Ksenija from Sweet Kobylkin. Ksenija happens to be running a Chasing Mojo challenge HERE, which is to CASE a card in the gallery on the post or someone else in blogland. 

I chose THIS card by Victoria Shipunova. I was first drawn to the swirly floral stamped image framing the sentiment. I was inspired to recreate this using Uniko clear stamps Originally Organic in particular and then the vibrancy of the colours.

Way back in October at the Happy Stampers Festival, I did a little retail therapy as well as running the Uniko stand, its got to be done, right...? ;) I purchased a few more Zig Clean Colour Brush Pens to go with the little quartet I already owned. Shamefully (hangs head), I've not got round to opening them, let alone using them. So, with the lovely Darnell inspiring blogland to use their NBUS, I am joining with NBUS #9. 

This time I used new stuff on my card and one of the optional themes CASEing. I do plan on having a go at the other optional theme of the NBUS challenge which Deborah also inspired me to have a go at HERE, the hidden message. So, all being well I will have more to share later in the week :)

Until then, thank you for stopping by.

Hugs

Supplies:-

Uniko Clear Stamps: Originally Organic

Card: Stampin' Up! Whisper White

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Zig Clean Colour Brush Markers, MISTI & Stampin' Up! Enamel Dots

A Look Back At 2016!

Hey!

Welcome back to another 'Look Back At 2016! This year has been an amazing year for myself personally, but it has been a fantastic year for Uniko. We have had 5 fabulous releases, with 16 new clear stamps sets lining the Uniko HQ shelves. 

I don't know about you, but to me this year has almost passed by in a blur! With that in mind I thought it would be nice now the main seasonal festivities are over and as 2016 draws to a close, to take a look back at Uniko's 2016.

Today, I am taking a look back at the April 2016 Release and giving some fresh inky love to Celebrate With Cake and Fun Flowers clear stamp sets.

First up I have a shaker card using Celebrate With Cake...

I seem to have a 'thing' for shaker cards when I use this set ;) I had some Stampin' Up! Designer Paper on my desk, left over from my CAS Christmas cards HERE. I decided to put some more of it to good use, instead of sitting and admiring it!

I used my MISTI tool again to line up and stamp the top and bottom of the cupcake and used Copic Markers to colour it in. The sequins are a mix of Stampin' Up! collections and the the 'happy' die cut is from the Hello You Thinlits Collection also from Stampin' Up! which has a good smothering of Clear Wink Of Stella. I then used the Papertrey Ink Banner Die to stamp the birthday sentiment onto, which is from Simply Said.

Next, I was inspired by THIS card created by Jennifer McGuire to create my next card using Fun Flowers. 

Again I put my MISTI tool to good use to stamp the layers of the flowers. I still require a little practice for the flower centres! 

I used my Zig Clean Colour Brush pens to colour the flower which is fussy cut and adhered flat to the card. I love the vibrancy of the Zigs just used as a marker and I now have another thank you card to send :)

So, that's a quick look back at the April 2016 Release, I hope I have given you a little inspiration to dust off these sets if you have them ;) There is a small amount of 3 of the sets in stock on the website and I have planned some restocks to arrive in January.

I hope you will join me again tomorrow, when I will be taking a look back at the 2016 June Release. Until then, thank you for stopping by.

Hugs

Peachy Pink Watercolour Bloom

Hey & Happy Weekend!

This morning I am at The Paperlane running a class, it's lovely to catch up with my local customers once a month, being creative & getting some me time! Today we are doing a mixture of Christmas (Yep, I said the C word!) cards and floral cards. Adding in some watercolours and smooshing!

The card I am sharing today is one of the cards the class will be making...

I am still practising and getting to grips with my Zig Clean Color Brush pens, but I am thoroughly enjoying the process. I only have 4 colours of the pens, but it is amazing the spectrum of colours you can achieve with just those.

I was making my samples for the class kits and saw the new CAS(E) this Sketch! layout seen HERE and below and knew I had to make a card for the challenge, so I incorporated it into my class prep! 

I started out by stamping the bloom from Beautiful Blooms II in VersaMark ink and heat embossing it with detail white embossing powder onto smooth WC card. I then set about using just 2 colours of the Zig pens Dark Pink and Yellow to colour the bloom, achieving a lovely peachy pink spectrum. This then determined the card stock base colour (Papertrey Ink Melon Berry).

In the not too distant past if I was following this sketch I would have reached for Bakers Twine or ribbon for the line above the sentiment. But as the current trend is to use a die to create a break in the mat layer panel, I reached for my current favourite the Mama Elephant curved die! 

That's all from me today, I will be sharing another of the class cards later next week. Until the next time thank you for stopping by today.