Monday, 9 March 2020

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Pure Florals Cosmos

Bonjour !

Izzy here. Today I wanted to play with the Pure Florals Cosmos set.


I made three cards with this set either using the colours of a challenge, or using the sketch of another, or just for the pleasure of colouring it.


For this card I've used the colours of the Color Throwdown challenge and I tried the technique "Alcohol ink lifting" that Jennifer McGuire showed us recently on her blog. 


My background is then made with a piece of card stock which has the lifted alcohol ink on it thanks to this technique and using the Background Blocks Scattered Hearts set. The cosmos are stamped, white heat embossed and coloured with a Zig brush pen.


For this second card I used the sketch of the Freshly Made Sketches challenge and the colours of the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. The leaves are made with the Nature Treasures II stencil on a die cut square.



Again, the cosmos are stamped, white heat embossed and coloured with a Zig brush pen. But this time I used a shimmer white watercolour on top to give this shinny look.


For my final card I decided to use the single blossom that I aleatory stamped on the front of the card base. I chose a kraft card because I really love using my colour pencils on it. 


For the sentiment, I used the Sentiments Outlined set which is stamped on a die cut square. 

That's all for me today ! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you like my cards and that you will give your Uniko stamps some love !

Have a fun crafty week.






Sunday, 8 March 2020

8th Birthday & February Release Winners!

Happy Sunday & Happy International Women's Day!

I am popping by today to announce the winners from all of the 8th Birthday & February Release celebrations - yay! Before I do, I want to thank everyone who joined in on the fun, for all your lovely comments, support and of course all the lovely orders. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Okay, there are a lot of winners to announce, so let's get to it! 


8th Birthday Linky Party Winners

Main Winner Chosen By the Uniko Brand Ambassadors - £25 eGift Certificate





Random Uniko Stamps Winner - In Stock Clear Stamp Set of Choice (Any Value)




Top 5 Chosen By Uniko Brand Ambassadors - In Stock £5 Clear Stamp Set 


















Randomly Selected Comment from the Blog Hop - In Stock £5 Clear Stamp Set 

Greta


8th Birthday & February Release Day Blog Hop Winner
(Wins the ENTIRE Release)

Natalie S


Random Comment Winners from 8th Birthday & February Release Day Blog Hop
(£5 eGift Certificate)

Lynette
Ankita
Carole Dixon
Dana M


HUGE PRIZE
WIN Stamps For A Year



Karen Hayes




Congratulations to all the Winners! 

Please email bev@uniko.co.uk no later than 22nd March 2020 to claim your prize. Prizes will be re-drawn if the winner does not contact me.

If your prize is a stamp set, please include your 1st & 2nd choice of stamp along with your postal address. 

Have a wonderful day. 
Crafty Hugs




Wednesday, 4 March 2020

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Spring Botanicals Snowdrop

Hi all! 
It's Jane here today with some ideas using the gorgeous Spring Botanicals Snowdrop stamps.

SpringBotanicalsSnowdropPP

I've made a trio of cards all using the same basic card design but different techniques.


I'm starting with my favourite card that combines the stamp with the Uniko stencil Broken Lines. I stamped and added a touch of colour to the two open snowdrop flower heads and then placed the stencil on top  being careful to mask off any areas of the stamp that were showing. I also rotated the stencil to get lines in both orientations.


I decided to try out the no line technique with my second card. The leaves worked really well and the lines have completely disappeared, but the grey and blue colours didn't faded out so much. But the Ink3 Fadeout is such a subtle colour that I think it works really well with the snowdrop image.


After two such subtle coloured cards I went all out with my final card. 

I inked up the card first using distress oxide peacock feathers, peeled paint and pine needles. Then I stamped and heat embossed the snowdrop and sentiment. I flicked water all over and blotted it with a tissue. I also used water to remove some of the colour from the snowdrop. I finished off by adding some touches of white gel pen.

Well that's me all done for today. I do hope you like my cards and will maybe give these ideas a go yourself. Be sure to share your creations on social media and add the tag @unikoltd.

Thanks for your time and keep crafting!

Jane
x

Monday, 2 March 2020

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Watercolored Peony bouquet

Hello friends, Rahmat here. I am up with a watercolored card today for my inspiration.
Its March and Spring is almost here., so I thought I would share a floral project.

I have used the set Hello Lovely here.

I have a detailed video, yet it is very short. You will be able to see the process of the whole card from start to finish.


Here is the card:
After the watercoloring, I have used a die cut from my stash to create the eclipse, but added the word "happy" with foam adhesive for some dimension.






     Thank you for stopping by, I really appreciate your kind feedback. Have a great day!
                                                            

Saturday, 29 February 2020

The Saturday Show!



Hey & Happy Saturday!

I'm back with the February & 8th Birthday Edition of, The Saturday Show! The blog post I dedicate to my awesome customers.

I absolutely LOVE seeing what you all create using Uniko products, it makes me so happy to see you enjoying my designs and the new and creative ways to use them. As much as I inspire you, YOU ALL inspire me too.

I have seen SO many amazing cards using Uniko products this month. So here are just a few that have stood out to me that I have spotted around social media, blogs & Uniko's 8th Birthday Linky Party HERE.


Okay, so how about these first two cards from Carole, from Card & Cake. Carole has been a wonderful customer at Uniko for many years and I was delighted to meet Carole at Happy Stampers  Festival the first year & I think every year since I had a stand there :)




Don't you just love it when you find a stamp combination and layout you love, to then be able to create two cards with subtle differences. 




This combination of Background Blocks Pinstripe, Sentiments Outlined & You Are, Yes You clear stamp set is perfect. I am loving these cheerful Spring colours too, that really pop against the monochrome stripes. 

Be sure to pop on over to Carole's blog HERE to see more wonderful creations.

Next, I had to share this Beautiful Blooms II beauty by Vinita, I just LOVE seeing older Uniko clear stamps being given fresh inky love.




I particularly love how Vinita has used the bloom to create an all over pattern seen inside the circle die cut & then accentuated the design with a single bloom. This card really shows the capabilities of a small stamp set. 

Be sure to head on over to Vinita's blog Made With Love N Care, to see more beautiful creations.

Next I wanted to share a card by a new follower of Uniko, Dhruvika. Dhruvika doesn't own any Uniko clear stamps yet, but this didn't stop her from participating in the Uniko 8th Birthday Linky Party using one of Uniko's FREE Digital stamps.

I have designed quite a few digital stamps and collection for various magazines now and although the page does need updating, there are a couple of freebies available for download on the FREEBIES page (link above) or HERE.




Dhruvika has been wonderfully creative with the Crocus flower from the Spring Botanicals digital collection from 2017. I just LOVE how she has made the image her own by creating a beautiful cascading bouquet down the edge of the card. The colouring and fussy cutting is AMAZING.

Be sure to head on over HERE to read more about this card and have a look around her blog too. I know you won't be disappointed.

Next I have another card using Uniko's FREE digital stamps, from another new follower at Uniko, Kavya.




I was delighted to be tagged by Kavya over on Instagram with this beauty using one of the images from the Fabulous Florals digital collection from 2016. It is hard to believe I designed this collection almost 4 years ago! 

Kavya has given them a fresh 2020's on trend look by pairing the florals with Pantone's colour of the year Classic Blue and the hints of sparkle and gold with the cheerful bright colours too. 

Be sure to give Kavya a follow if you are on Instagram.

Lastly for today I have a couple of cards by Nonni, that I spotted HERE on Instagram and also Nonni's blog, Nonni's Handmade Cards.




First is this absolute stunner using Uniko's popular Pure Florals Peony (back in stock soon). The ombre watercoloring is absolutely jaw dropping and really brings this big blooms to life. All the heart eyes for this beauty! 

And this, using English Country Garden Butterflies...




How happy and cheerful do these butterflies look dancing across the bottom of the card in those beautiful yellows and orange? The life and movement is wonderful and again, a delight to see this older clear stamp set being given fresh inky love. 

WOW! That is a whole bunch of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing, it certainly has mine. 

I hope you have enjoyed todays The Saturday Show & you are inspired as much as I am to find time to create today. 

If you would like to be featured on The Saturday Show be sure to #unikoltd #unikostamps on social media so I can find you. If you are not on social media but would like to be featured / have used your Uniko stash please email me a photo or link to bev@uniko.co.uk 


Thanks for stopping by today. 
Crafty Hugs

Friday, 28 February 2020

Uniko Challenge #57 Winners

Hey!

I'm here today to announce the WINNERS of Challenge #57 Anything Goes, optional twist Cool Winter Colours

A huge thank you to everyone who played along with this challenge.

First we have our overall WINNER chosen by the Design Team...

#126 Mac Mable



Congratulations Mac Mable

Here's your winner's badge




You have won a £25 eGift Certificate to spend in the Uniko store. Please contact me at bev@uniko.co.uk by 13th March 2020

We would also love to have you join us as our Guest Designer for our next challenge. If you are interested please contact Jane at jane.taylor52@btinternet.com by 6th March 2020.

 Next up is the random winner who twisted with us....

#104 Anke



Congratulations Anke

You have won an in stock £5 clear stamp set from the Uniko store. Please contact me at bev@uniko.co.uk by the 13th March 2020, with your choice of stamp set and your postal address.

Here is your winners badge:


Then we have our randomly selected winner who used Uniko products on their creation...

#112 Anita in France



Congratulations Anita

You have won an in stock £5 clear stamp set from the Uniko store. Please contact me at bev@uniko.co.uk by 13th March 2020, with your choice of stamp set and your postal address.

Here is your winners badge:



Now for our Top 3 chosen by the DT and in entry order:

#37 Nananas
Uniko stamps

#129 Kavya

#132 Nonni



Congratulations to you all & here is your Top 3 badge:


You have all won 150 loyalty reward points.

Please contact me at bev@uniko.co.uk


Congratulations to ALL the winners & EVERYONE who joined in with the challenge!

The next Uniko Challenge starts on Friday 20th March.

Hope to see you come back and join in with the fun :)

Thursday, 27 February 2020

Brand Ambassador Inspiration: Two more birthday themed cards

Morning all.
Julie here with some more cards to keep the birthday party running here at Uniko.


As you may know, we're celebrating Uniko's 8th Birthday.  We've had the Birthday Linky Party .....


...and there's the amazing Birthday Giveaway where one lucky winner will receive a fantastic prize.


Today I have a couple of birthday cards to share, one feminine and one more unisex.

Here's my first card using the recently released Hello Lovely and a sentiment made up from elements from both Birthday Sentiments and Festive Sentiments stamp sets. Yes I said Festive, Happy is not just for Christmas!



I thought I would include some pics of the make for this post, I usually forget until I have almost completed the card but this time I made a special effort, not so much for this card but for the second!

 Here are my elements, the peony cluster stamped and heat embossed with white EP, watercoloured and then fussy cut, a 5 x 7 white base card and a 61/4" x 4 1/4 " panel of matching card with an oval cut out.


I arranged my spray around the aperture and then placed the panel over the base card and traced the outline of the opening with a pencil. I then placed my base card in my MISTI and added the sentiment, stamping in black Memento. You need to rub the pencil out now!



To finish I popped the panel up on pads over the base and added a few sequins.


Now for my second card. 
(Just to warn you, this is a photo heavy description)
It's an interactive one, inspired by this this video on You Tube.


I started by inking a 9.5cm x 14.2cm white card panel with the Scattered Polka Hexagons stencil in bright colours, then cut a slot in it 11/4" x 1/4" as shown below. I also cut a strip of card 1" wide from A4 and scored at 2" and 21/2". From some scrap card I also die cut some balloons and inked them with bright colours. You could of course use coloured card if you have it.



You need to ensure that your central balloon is the largest and you have a slightly smaller balloon in the same colour.
Now comes the assembly, looks way more complicated than it is.
The die cut balloons were added onto the stenciled panel, mainly around the edge and trimmed back to the edges of the panel. 
On the 2" end of the long strip I added some strong double-sided tape and then the smaller of the pink balloons which was stamped with a sentiment from the Anniversaire Arts set, the edge of the balloon is just touching the fold. I did have to trim the excess white card away, you can take away but never add!



On the large balloon, I stamped the sentiment from Birthday Wishes and then added it over the top of the first onto the 1/2" space on the strip with just the widest part hanging over the fold.



Now its time to add this mechanism to the card. 
The long section of the folded strip was slipped through the slot and secured to the base with more strong tape, just on the edge of the smaller balloon, making sure the large balloon was central on the panel.



Flipping the panel over I added more tape, keeping it away from the mechanism.



Then added it to an A6 black card which I had trimmed down by 1cm so that there was room for the pull element in an envelope.


By pulling the end of the strip the top balloon flips back to reveal the hidden sentiment.
I trimmed the excess card from the mechanism and added a pull instruction, some hi-lights with a white gel pen onto the balloons and some strings for the balloons with a black fine-liner.


And breath, told you it was a photo heavy post!
Well you may need a lie down in a darkened room after that but hope I've inspired you to have a go and perhaps join in with our birthday theme, you've only got a few days left!

Thanks for stopping to read until the end, see you back soon.