Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #512

Afternoon Guys, 

Thanks for joining me for today's Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #512. This week we have a Fancy Five, but you only have to use three colours. 

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

For my card I chose to make a sea scene using Glacier, Lagoon and Sundance. 

I had these dies from a UK magazine and they make really great cards. I used a wood grain embossing folder for the sea as I don't have a wavy style one. I think it worked out ok! 

For more fantastic inspiration head over to the Color My Heart Color Dare blog and check out how the rest of the Design Team used the colour palette. 

Much love

Steph x

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

Uniko July 2022 Mini Reveal, Release, Brand Ambassador Blog Hop & Giveaway!

Yay you’re here! 

A short week of introductions, we are at release day for the Uniko July 2022 mini release and it’s very exciting. 

Here are the full product images plus another taster of what you could do with them…

I couldn't resist teaming the new Background Blocks Rays with the recently released Sunshine & Rainbows stamp set. I heat embossed the BB Rays in clear onto water colour card (which is why it looks a little flecky, but I like it!) and ink blended between the rays with the rainbow colours. 

Here I have teamed the new Tropical Leaf #2 stencil with the previously released Tropical Leaf #1 stencil and I am totally in love! I used the mask from the TL#2 stencil set under the TL#1 stencil to ink it first. Then I removed both and lined up the TL#2 stencil to ink the larger leaf. 

Another matching of the new Paw Print Hearts stamp set with a geometric which works so well for me! This time I have used both the large paw print as well as the heart stamp and teamed it with Background Blocks Pinstripe. 

I have teamed the new Scattered Polka Hearts stencil with the Marvellous Mehndi and Birthday Sentiments stamp sets. For this card I took inspiration from Arjita Sepaha Singh.

That's the end of the Uniko July 2022 Mini Release but I think you'll agree it's a good selection. Which is your favourite? Did you pop over to the Uniko blog and check out the fantastic inspiration from the Brand Ambassadors? There's a £20 eGift voucher up for grabs on the Brand Ambassador blog hop if you leave everyone some love...but that's just the icing on the cake right as you are already off to congratulate the team anyway right??!! 😊

Anita

Bev

Hannelie

Izzy

Jane

Julie

Steph - that's me

Wiebke

Much love

Steph x

 

Uniko Introducing - Paw Print Hearts and Stencil Scattered Polka Hearts

Hi everyone, 

It’s a double introduction today on the Uniko July 2022 mini release.

First we have the Uniko Paw Print Hearts stamp set. This set had definitely filled a gap in my collection. I kept my card CAS and teamed the new Paw Print Hearts set with Background Blocks Grid. 

Next we have the Uniko Scattered Polka Hearts stencil which would work perfectly with the stamp set above too, but I chose to make a heart shaped shaker using a shadow effect with white and red ink.

Head over to the Uniko blog to see more fabulous inspiration from the Brand Ambassadors and leave them some love to match the heart theme of both todays products.

Much love 

Steph x

Uniko Introducing - Tropical Leaf #2

Welcome back! 

Today we have a stencil on the Uniko July 2022 mini release and it’s my new favourite Uniko product! I love it!! 

This is called Uniko Tropical Leaf #2 stencil (which teams perfectly with Tropical Leaf #1 stencil but you’ll have to come back on release day to see that beauty in action!). 

Now how many of you are already thinking this is a must buy?! Not yet convinced? Check out the rest of the amazing designs by the Brand Ambassadors over on the Uniko blog and you will be! 

Much love

Steph x

Uniko Introducing - Background Blocks Rays

Hi all, 

Welcome to the first introduction of Uniko’s July 2022 mini release.

Today we have Uniko Background Blocks Rays. This stamp is going to be such an asset to have in anyone's stash. 

Just check out the inspiration from the rest of the Brand Ambassadors over on the Uniko blog to see how versatile this stamp is!

Come back tomorrow for another lovely introduction. 

Much love

Steph x

Uniko July 2022 Mini Release - Sneak Peeks

Good morning everyone!

I don’t know about you but I’m finding July a very busy month…even so, we’ve found some time to bring you an Uniko mini release!

Here are the teasing and tempting sneak peeks!

Which one tickles your fancy? Or are you intrigued by all of them? Which ones are stamps and which ones are stencils???!

Pop back tomorrow for the start of the introductions.

Much love 

Steph x

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #506

Good afternoon! 

This week's Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge is a lovely one and provided a great colour base for some very special cards I needed to make. 

Lots of beautiful colours to work with here. Remember to use only the colours in the photo plus the free colours of black, white, greys and silver. 

As you can see, I made two cards, similar but different. These are my twin girls 7th birthday cards. The girls are similar (identical) but definitely different!!

The first card uses pink, yellow and purple whilst the second card uses pink, purple and blue.

The clouds are stencilled using Distress Oxide inks and the unicorn is coloured using alcohol markers.

Let us see what this lovely photo inspires you to make and enter it over at Color My Heart Color Dare challenge #506. Check out the fabulous inspiration from the lovely Design Team whilst you are there and leave them some love on their blogs / instagram / Pinterest accounts.

Much love

Steph x

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #504

Good afternoon everyone, 

I'm here today to bring you Challenge #504 from Color My Heart Color Dare. 

We reference Close To My Heart colours but you are free to use any brand as long as the colours are a VERY close match. 

I took the visual as my inspiration and started off with four coloured squares. From these I die cut various masculine elements and swapped the pieces about to colour contrast. 

So, what will you be inspired to make with these colours? Need more inspiration before you begin? Head over to the Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge blog and check out the wonderful creations by the rest of the Design Team. 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Craft Challenge #164

Morning All, 

Thanks for joining me today as we go live with this month's challenge at The Male Room and the theme is 'Monochrome'. 

Hmm, a tricky challenge this one, and what one colour will you choose? I went with shades of grey. 

This is a really cute die set from Sugar Pea Designs called Polaroid Journal. I have simply die cut the camera, sentiment and circles and fit them all together. In addition I used three strips of card to lay diagonally across the card front. 

There's some fantastic inspiration over on The Male Room blog so pop over and leave some love. I'm looking forward to seeing what you create! 

As a bonus, I also created this card in purple to see how it would look and because I rarely use purple. 

Much love

Steph x