BA Inspiration, Spring Botanicals - Tulips Three ways

 Good afternoon folks, Julie here with a little bit of Spring BA inspiration.

It's the 1st of the month, so there's a new colour combination over at Color Hues and as soon as I saw that it was pink and green I knew I had to use the Spring Botanicals -Tulip set. These cards all use the same stamp but I've used a different method of colouring in each.

My first idea uses a slimline card base and watercolour. On a panel of white card, I stamped a row of tulips in black and embossed with a clear EP before washing in some pink DI over the petals and green over the stems and leaves. Detail was added with matching pink and green Zig watercolour markers. 

Taking the slimline card base, I added a strip of black and white DP to the open edge before adding my watercolour panel and a strip of silver mirror card. The sentiment from Pure Florals Cosmos was stamped on a strip of black card and heat embossed with white EP.

The second card started with an A6 panel of Copic friendly card, on which I stamped all over with the tulip flowers in Altenew's Limestone ink for a no line effect.

Using pinks, RV00, 10, 13,14 and 17, I coloured the blooms, the leaves were similarly coloured, this time using YG17, 21 and 25. For added dimension I added a bit of shadow with a dark grey Copic.

The sentiment, from Doodle Flowers, was stamped onto a square panel of grey card and heat embossed with white. I realised that if I double mounted the sentiment as I had intended, then the central bloom would be totally lost, so instead I added a separate white frame, allowing a peek of the bloom behind. The completed panel was added to a panel of the same grey card and then on pads to a 5 x 7inch white base card.

Finally, I did a loose watercolour version to go with the snowdrop one from my January BA post.

To get the look of no line, I first stamped my tulips onto a panel of scrap copy paper then scribbled the back with graphite pencil and traced through with a sharp pencil onto an A6 panel of MM paper, you could try a pale ink and simply stamp but you run the risk of it bleeding into the paint unless it's a waterproof ink!

I then painted over the tulips with masking fluid.

Once the masking fluid was dry, I washed clear water over the panel and dropped a variety of greens into the background, darkening areas around the blooms.

When dry, the masking fluid was removed and I started work on the blooms.

I worked on each petal in turn before starting on the leaves and stems. Lots of water is the key to the loose watercolour effect and patience!! Find something else to do while the different layers dry.

When I was happy with the painted panel, I mounted it behind a die cut mount and added a simple sentiment on pads.

When I chose the tulip image for these cards my own in a pot on the patio were just showing signs of life but hopefully they will soon burst forth into bloom.

That's all from me for today, hope I've inspired you to get out those stamps and paints out and have a play, it is only paper at the end of the day! If you don't like your attempts leave it a few days and come back to it, it's amazing how different it will look, you may surprise yourself.

Until next time, stay safe and keep crafting!

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Spring Botanicals Tulip

Good morning

Anita here with my very first Brand Ambassador Inspiration post!  There are so many wonderful products in the Uniko range I was spoilt for choice but, with the official start of Spring this coming Sunday and this being my favourite flower, for my first post I had to share some inspiration using Spring Botanicals Tulip.  So I have a trio of makes for you today, all quite different.

Wonderful colouring with markers isn't one of my talents so for this first card I've used ink blending...

On some white cardstock I stamped the tulips image and then stamped it again onto some masking paper.  Instead of masking the image, I cut out the negative space and masked the background.  I then ink blended with Distress Inks.  I cut out the image using a pierced square die and another slightly larger from plain white cardstock.  I heat embossed the sentiment, also from the Spring Botanicals Tulip set, using white embossing powder on black cardstock and adhered it like a tab.  The die cut panels were then layered up with dimension.

For this next card I used very simple tone on tone colouring...

My first step here was to stamp the image in a pale lilac ink onto some lilac textured cardstock.  I left the stamp in my stamping platform as I would need to re-stamp later.  I added some tone on tone colouring with alcohol markers, lilac shades for the petals and I chose grey for the leaves just to add a little shading.  Once complete I placed the panel back into my stamping platform, stamped in VersaMark ink and heat embossed in white, along with the sentiment, also from the same stamp set.  It's so much easier to emboss afterwards so you don't have to avoid the embossing and I've heard that embossing isn't too good for marker nibs either.  To finish this one the panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle and adhered flat to the card base.

And for my third of this trio I left the image uncoloured and just added colour to the background...

I stamped the image and masked it using the mask I'd previously cut from the first card.  I then laid the Stylised Floral Stencil over the top and blended through with Distress Ink, fading it out.  For a little more background interest, with the mask still in place I lightly stamped in grey with the Large Background French Script Stamp, just keeping the stamping within the area of the ink blending.  To finish, I used a sentiment from the Spring Botanicals Tulip set, heat embossed in white on a black die cut panel.

I hope you find some inspiration from these.  I'd love to be more creative with my alcohol markers but much more practice is required so, while I'm still learning, I'm always looking for different ways to add colour.  I had great fun making these.

I'm so glad Spring is (almost) here, it's my favourite season.  The daffodils are in full bloom in the UK and the tulips won't be far behind.

Crafty hugs to you all

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Revisiting last release with Ukraine's colours

Bonjour !

Izzy here. I echo Julie's post (here) by encouraging you to flood the internet with blue and yellow cards as a show of solidarity for the Ukrainian people. So today I show you how I used the products of the last release to make my cards.

For this first card I used the Flower Power #7 stencil and its masks that I placed on top of a DIY heart stencil and I blended blue and yellow inks. I used one of the sentiment of the Big & Bold You stamp, just perfect to express what we all feel.

For this second card, I made the Ukrainian flag with blue and yellow inks, and I stamped the Background Blocks Splatter on top with the same colours. It made me think of all the damages the bombs can make. Again I used this so true sentiment from the set Big & Bold You stamp.

Here I used the Background Blocks Cogs stamp that I stamped in yellow and I heat embossed with clear powder. Then I blended blue ink on top. For me it represents the infernal mechanism of war that has been set in motion against the Ukrainian people. To make the sentiment I used the Alphabet Outlined stamp set.

M last card is a message of hope and peace for all the Ukrainian. I used here the Fun Flowers Stencil & Mask together with the Fun flowers stamp set. I combined both to make a background for the message of peace made with the Alphabet Outlined stamp set.

That's all for me today. My thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine and I just hope that peace will be restored as soon as possible. Take care and thanks so much for stopping by.

10th Birthday Celebrations - Winners

Hello & Happy Weekend!

Apologies for the delay, but I am finally here to announce ALL the winners from our month long 10th Birthday Celebrations 🎉

Firstly a HUGE thank you to Jane for being the brains & super organiser of the 10 Quests. I think you will agree that they were super fun and I hope you all enjoyed them as much as I did.

Secondly, another HUGE thank you to all who joined in on the fun. 

So without further ado, lets get to these winners...

Stamps For a Year

Denise Bryant

~

All 10 quests completed.

Prize - £100 to spend in the Uniko store.

Pauline C

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Quest 1 link up a birthday card using Uniko products. 

Prize - A Uniko Birthday Themed Product Bundle

#31 Mac Mable

Quest 2 10 words to describe Uniko. 

Prize - winner's choice of a clear stamp set any value. 

Nicole G - Uniko is: inspiring, always surprising, stylish, nice to have, up to date, artistic, special, quality, good price performance, fantastic

~

Quest 3 Quiz

Prize - Pure Florals Gerbera Bundle* (Clear Stamp, Designer Die & Stencil)

Denise Morgan (The Crafty Den)

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Quest 4 Crack the Code

Prize - Block Party Birthday Clear Stamp*

KT Fit Kitty

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Quest 5 Match the Year

Prize -  Winner's choice of 5 Uniko Stencils.

Stef Adams

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Quest 6 Instagram link up or card emailed to Bev

Prize - Uniko Balloon Bash Bundle*

Carole Dixon

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Quest 7 DT Match Up

Prize - Fun Flower Bundle*

Helen F.

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Quest 8 Stencil Word Search

Prize - Pure Florals Stencil Trio*

Becca Yahrling

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Quest 9 Missing Vowels

Prize - Winner's choice of three £6 clear stamps

Elaine Wolstenholme

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Quest 10 Close Ups

Prize - Winner's choice of a £16 stamp set

Vinita Jain

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Release Day Blog Hop Comment Winner

Prize - £10 eGift Code 

Hilary

2 MARS 2022 À 16 H 09 MIN

All 4 of our special Uniko cards are really special. very clever use of the splatters stamp and excellent real splatters on your butterfly. I am always jealous of other people splatters! Thanks for all the inspiration xx

All winners please email me - bev@uniko.co.uk by 31st March 2022.

Crafty Hugs

 

*An alternative prize to the same value will be offered if the randomly selected winner owns the prize.

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Balloon Bash Stencil

Welcome everyone! 

Steph here today. After all the fantastic birthday celebrations for Uniko’s 10th birthday in February, I didn’t feel like stopping the celebrations just yet! 

As I had the Uniko Balloon Bash stencil out, I decided to use this for my Brand Ambassador inspiration post. It is such a delightful stencil to use and you can create quick but stylish cards with it easily. I also focused on slimline cards for this showcase.

For my first card I have simply used one balloon shape and blended red, orange and yellow balloons in clusters up the card. I used watercolour card as I find  it easier to blend on, and distress oxides which I prefer to the original distress inks. I have added a sentiment from Uniko Birthday Sentiments set and finished off with enamel dots. 

Changing up my colours, I blended different shaped balloons across the top of my card, overhanging the edge. This time I added strings to the balloons using a ruler and metallic gel pen. The sentiment is again from Uniko Birthday Sentiments set which I have stamped in dark grey before heat embossing with clear powder.

For my final card today, I’ve used the balloon stencil to create a hot air balloon. I did this by simply blending the balloon as usual but before I removed the stencil I outlined it with metallic gel pen. I drew further curved lines inside the balloon and joined them to a hand drawn ‘basket’. I masked off my balloon and used Uniko Rainbows and Clouds stencil to create my background. The sentiment, again from Uniko Birthday Sentiments set, is heat embossed in silver to finish. 

I hope this has reinvigorated the birthday spirit for you and that you can see just how simple and effective the Uniko Balloon Bash stencil is. I love it!

Much love

Steph x

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - CASEing using Fun Flowers

Hello!

I so enjoyed seeing all the Alumni CASEing their cards during February's birthday month that I decided to give it a go myself.

So I dug back in history to December 2016 and here's the first card I decided to bring bang up to date:

This card used BIG & BOLD Snow and Stunning Snowflakes and my new version uses BIG & BOLD You and the newly re-released Fun Flowers.

I kept to a similar colour scheme and the same layout, but changed up the sequins to clear drops.

And from the same time I've chosen this very CAS card to CASE.

It uses Stunning Snowflakes and my new version uses Fun Flowers and Everyday Sentiments.

This time I also kept to the same design, but completely changed the colours. 

I always used to round the bottom right corner of my cards and have tried this again for both of my updated cards. What do you think?

I hope you have enjoyed this little trip down memory lane and encourage you to do the same - it's so fun looking back.

Thanks for looking today, it's been fabulous to have your company.

Stay safe and keep crafting!

Jane

x 

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Cards for Ukraine

 Good afternoon, Julie here hoping to encourage you to spread a little bit of sunshine and support the people of the Ukraine at this sad time. The lovely Nancy of Color Hues and Seize the Birthday, has had the wonderful idea that Color Hues offer card makers, the chance to flood the internet with a show of solidarity with the Ukranian people with a mass of blue and yellow themed cards. 

Nancy first saw the original idea on the Share Handmade Kindness FB group on Saturday by card maker Linda Eterno. After seeing the post, Nancy then contacted the Color Hues team as well as the ladies over at Seize the Birthday to ask if we would join in. So for their latest challenge they are doing something slightly different, a yellow and blue challenge running alongside their regular colour combo challenge.

When Nancy first voiced the idea of a blue and yellow theme, the flag colours of Ukraine, I thought of this card I saw last year and combined with this card by fellow Color Hues and Uniko team member Hannelie, being fresh in my mind, I came up with this.

I made my pocket from a really ancient piece of denim DP, it says 2002 on the back, scoring to create the pocket shape and as the DP was quite thin, I strengthened it with a panel of white card, which I slipped inside. A few freehand dashes with a blue fine liner create the faux stitching.

I had a couple of these yellow daisy style flowers left over in my bits box from last summer's Uniko's release, so just stamped a few more using Doodle Flowers and BB Doodle Flowers, colouring with Copics and fussy cutting them out. A few lines of white gel penadds extra life.

The tag sentiment from Sentiment Blocks, was stamped with Unicorn White then Faded Jeans DOx over yellow card. Although the white and DOx are opaque it still lets some of the yellow show through the blue, casting a greenish hue, but I didn't know how else to do it to get the effect.

I arranged the flowers over the top of the pocket and glued them in place, adding my sentiment strip down one side.

On an A6 off white note card, I embossed the stitched detail using a stitched rectangle die and then added my pocket, foam pads in the middle and tape along the edges to give a bit of dimension.

That's all from me for the moment but if you would like to join in with your yellow and blue cards, just link up over at Color Hues. The challenge runs for 2 weeks until 9am PST on March 14th.

Keep safe out there