Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #510

Hi everyone, 

Welcome to this week's Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #510. This week it's a Tic, Tac, Toe board which can be tricky but I like the added challenge! 

We reference Close To My Heart colour names but you can use any brand as long as you make a VERY close match. 

I chose the middle column of Sage, Pine and Shortbread. 

I used Sage and Pine to ink up the Uniko Background Blocks Layered Modern Floral stamp set. I layered this panel onto a Shortbread coloured card and added the sentiment to finish. 

There is some wonderful inspiration over on the Color My Heart blog so pop over there and check it out. 

Much love

Steph x

Uniko Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Pattern Building Christmas Tree

Morning All, 

Welcome to my Uniko Brand Ambassador Inspiration post for August. My apologies for not managing to do a BA Inspiration post in July, time ran away with me as July is the busiest month of the year with birthdays, Carnivals and anniversaries. 

So on to today's post and I decided I wanted to get on board with the wonderful Christmas cards I've been seeing all over the Uniko blog in July. I was going to use one of the Christmas themed background builders sets but then I remembered the more recently released Pattern Building Christmas Tree stamp set and I thought it would be perfect for the cards I had in mind. I've tried to use the set in a different way so that you can really see how versatile this type of set is.

For this first card, I die cut a circle from copier paper and laid this onto my stamping card before selecting various stamps from the set and inking up in different colours. I simply moved the circle mask each time I wanted to create a new bauble. I used the straight line stamp for the 'string' and the tree frond for the top of the bauble. Even the 'Merry Christmas' sentiment is from the set but I did add the 'Happy New Year' from the Uniko Christmas Sentiments stamp set. 

For my second card I used up some scraps of coloured card and stamped or heat embossed the Pattern Building Christmas Tree stamps across them before die cutting into squares or rectangles. I added thin strips of black card across these to look like ribbon on presents. I stamped the sentiment in the top right hand corner but the card looked a little blank so I stamped the trees from the (now retired) Uniko Christmas Pop stamp set. (If you wanted to try and recreate this card but don't have the Christmas Pop stamp set, you could use the Uniko Christmas Pop Trio stencil instead). 

For my third card I threw all the patterns plus some more created using Uniko Background Blocks Diagonal Stripes, Uniko Background Blocks Pinstripe and Uniko Background Blocks Nautical Stripes. I cut all the patterned pieces to the same size and arranged them onto a large green square before adhering to the card front. Finally I stamped the sentiment from the Uniko Christmas Sentiments stamp set, die cut into a circle, backed onto a green scalloped circle and adhered to the card front. 

I have kept all the designs flat as I post a lot of my Christmas cards and with the price of everything seeming to be going up, up, up, I wanted to make sure my postage costs weren't ridiculous at Christmas time! 

I'm hoping this has got you all in the mood for some Christmas crafting!

Much love

Steph x

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #508

Afternoon all, 

We are back again with another lovely challenge from Color My Heart Color Dare #508. There's a really pretty combination of colours in this week's palette. 

We reference Close To My Heart colours but any brand is fine as long as you make a VERY close match. Choose at least three colours from the palette, the free colours are extra to this. 

I chose to use Mulberry, Sangria, New England Ivy & Avocado.

I thought the colours would be perfect for this lovely Clearly Besotted bouquet stamp. I die cut it using a lace edge oval die and adhered it to an all white die cut background, finally adding the sentiment banner. Flowers for a get well soon card, perfect! 

Lots more lovely inspiration over on the Color My Heart challenge blog for you to check out and leave some love to the rest of the Design Team. 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #165

Hi everyone, 

Welcome to this month's challenge at The Male Room. This time we are asking specifically for ATC's or Artist Trading Cards. 

I'm not one for making ATC's I must admit but once I got started on mine, I ended up enjoying the process and making three in the same style. 

What I enjoyed about making these was having to think about how to get as much interesting stuff on there as possible given that they are quite small (2.5 x 3.5 inches). I used some lovely masculine patterned papers and matching toppers that I have had in my stash for quite a while. I also got to use my corner punch as I liked the idea of them being rounded on the corners. As I didn't do any stamping or die cutting these were actually really quick to make. But, as I don't 'trade' my cards I'm not really sure what I'll do with them now! I will likely make them into tags or cards!! 

Hopefully you have a better idea of how to make ATC's and what to do with them so I'd love to see yours and find out more. You can join in the fun over at The Male Room challenge blog. Whilst you are there, check out the fabulous creations by the Design Team and leave them some love on their blogs. It really does brighten a day. 😊

Much love

Steph x