Uniko Challenge #45 - Reminder

Hi there, I'm back with a little reminder about our current challenge over at Uniko and here's the Cue card to show you what we're looking for
If you saw my initial post announcing the challenge you'll know I was drawn to both the rose and the heart in the image above although I skipped the heart in the first card.
This time I've teamed the Pure Florals Rose with the older 'Always and Forever' set which I've used as a delicate background to the rose cluster.

The rose/leaves are watercoloured using Distress Inks before popping up on 3d foam. The sentiments

are from the Flower Power range and Simply Said, using inks by Altenew.

Here's a couple of challenges I'd like to link up to:

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers - Watercolour: Anything Goes (optional twist Heart)

Addicted to Stamps & More - Make Your Mark

As always there's plenty of fantastic creations by my fellow teamies, so why not head over to the Uniko blog HERE to check out the links and pay them a visit! I'm sure they'd appreciate it!

Our Guest Designer for this challenge is my fellow craft buddie and teamie at Less is More! Big shout out please for Anita of Neet and Crafty, winner of our last Uniko Challenge. I'm delighted to see that she won our challenge with the Christmas card she sent me! So honoured Neets. Do pop along and visit her blog and leave a friendly word and some love, you won't be disappointed - I'm always envious of her stash and how she utilises it. 

You have until 23rd February to link up to the challenge and all the details you need about prizes and how to play can be found over at Uniko HERE

As always thanks for calling by my blog today and I hope you feel inspired and will play along with us!

Uniko - Introducing Pure Florals: Rose

Hi there, today is our final day of introductions in advance of this month's release from Uniko before the BIG REVEAL, RELEASE and traditional BLOG HOP GIVEAWAY tomorrow morning. 
If you are a Uniko addict and familiar with the beautiful collection of Pure Florals then you are going to love this latest addition to the range. I think this has to be my favourite set in the release and it's just oozing elegance. 
I couldn't wait to get all watery-coloured and inky with these stunning blooms and started out by heat embossing the images onto Bristol cardstock using Ranger Silver Pearl embossing powder. I've used Distress inks in Festive Berries and Worn Lipstick for the flower heads with a jumble of greens for the leaves! 
Here's my first example and if you were paying attention on Day 1 of the introductions you might wonder why I wasted a perfectly decent oval of the dotty background when framing the snowdrops ... well never one to waste anything - here it is and I've added a simple sentiment from the Simply Said set along with a few sequins from my stash. 

The next 2 are the 'same but different' - they both use some more of those water coloured roses, as used above and the Lattice stencil, which I hadn't got around to using when we introduced this one earlier in the week. First up inked with Distress Ink in Pumice Stone.

and this one with the stencil inked in Spun Sugar and Festive Berries to tone with the rose heads.

I hope you've enjoyed the introductions this week and feel inspired to go shopping tomorrow! We've got the final reveal of one more mini set tomorrow along with the release of all the goodies so I hope you'll stop by then too. 

The release schedule with all the information you need is over on the Uniko blog HERE, where you'll also find links and peeks at how my fellow teamies have worked their magic!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll be back tomorrow.

Less is More #348

Hello there friends, time for my regular Saturday morning post to announce our latest challenge over at Less is More and it's a 5-week month, which means it's a lucky dip one. We've also got Jane of Purplejetlovescrafts joining us as our Guest Designer for this one so I hope you'll head on over to her blog too and leave some lovely feedback for her.
Here's the cue card and I can't wait to see how you play this week 

I've 2 cards for you today and first up a watercoloured hummingbird from the Uniko set: Paradise Hummingbird. The image was stamped and heat embossed then coloured using my Zig Clear Brush pens with water. The background is a dis-continued Background Builders set from Uniko called Lattice and the sentiment is from Clearly Besotted.

It's an Anything Goes week over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and Addicted to Stamps and More so I'd like to drop this card in at both of those challenges.

Next up I've blended Distress inks over some watercolour cardstock before spritzing with water and perfect pearls to add some interest to the panel. Using a faceted heart die from Neat and Tangled I die-cut the panel and mounted it on 3d foam. I've also used a multi-faceted embossing folder to add some detail behind the top of the heart. The sentiments are from Clearly Besotted: Happy Anniversary set. 

As always there's loads of fabulous designs from my fellow teamies over on the main blog HERE and our sponsor for this month is Happy Little Stampers so do play along, it's the last week, for a chance of a prize, which we'll announce at the start of next month.

Hope you'll play along and have some fun and thanks for calling by 

Happy Little Stampers August 2017 - CAS Challenge

Hi there, it's time for this month's challenge over at Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge. It's another easy one and I imagine we'll be inundated with stunning cards in the gallery this month, especially with so many beautiful floral images out there. So why not grab those flowers, create, play and inspire us.

Here's my card to get you started and I've used the popular 'Wish You Were Here' set by Happy Little stampers with a sentiment from the 'Mix Mash' set. The blooms were stamped with a little masking before colouring with my Zig Clear Brush Markers. The flower panel is die-cut using a pierced rectangle stax from My Favourite Things.

Our challenge is sponsored by HLS and one lucky person will win a $20 certificate to spend in the online store HERE so why not join in - there's a whole month to do so!
You might even like to link up to some of the other Happy Little Stampers challenges and all the details are on the blog HERE

Ok I hope you feel inspired to play along with us and don't forget to pop along to the CAS Challenge blog HERE where you'll find all the links and designs by fellow teamies ... you're in for a treat!

Thanks as always for visiting my blog today and catch up soon!

Less is More #334

Hi there, can you believe another week has just zipped by and it's time to announce our latest weekly challenge at Less is More - these weeks need to slow down as I can't keep up!!!
So on to the challenge and it's time for a sketch this week, I've got a few examples for you and I've got to admit I was pretty pleased with myself having made a Christmas card during the hottest week so far this year! I was desperate to use the CBS landscape die but having photographed my card and popped it on the Less is More blog I'm not sure it adheres to our sketch quite as much as it should so here's a few more examples .... but first up the sketch!

Using Distress inks in Blueprint Sketch, Mermaid Lagoon and Faded Jeans I've created a loose watercolour effect in the shape of the sketch - a little tricky when the ink wants to run beyond the 'lines'! Once dry I splattered some water on top for extra interest then stamped the magnolia blooms by Altenew, added a die-cut sentiment from Impression Obsessions. 
I was inspired by the photo challenge over at Inkspirational this week so I'd like to pop this card in there as well as Addicted to Stamps and More, where they're celebrating a massive 5 years worth of challenges with a 'Make Your Mark' challenge and lastly, another entry to this month's Flower Challenge where it's 'Anything Goes'





Next up and using some striking and vibrant design papers from Doodlebug plus their sprinkles too I've created 2 cards, as close as possible to the sketch, but flipped on the second one. 

This one uses another 'on the line' die-cut sentiment from Impression Obsessions and I'd like to pop this one in at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where it's 'Use Design Paper' and they are featuring products by Doodlebug! Pretty fortunate seen as I love their papers and accessories. 

Another set of papers from Doodlebug and this time accessorised with a die-cut sentiment by Waffle Flower and the 'your birthday' from Uniko: Simply Said

... and last but not least my 'dubious' make from the Less is More blog with a distress inky blended skyline, white gel pen snow drops plus some added glitter sparkles to the sky too and to finish a festive sentiment from Uniko: Most Wonderful.

As always thanks for calling by my blog today and I hope you feel inspired to join in with our sketch challenge this week. There's loads of fab makes from by fellow teamies at Less is More so don't forget to pay them a visit and the links to their blogs can be found HERE

Less is More #333

Hi there crafty friends, are you ready for this week's challenge at Less is More and it's another fun one so hope you feel inspired to join us and play along. I've 3 cards for you today, with a couple of family birthdays coming up soon and several friends also it seemed the perfect opportunity to get ahead of myself.

I'm on a bit of a shaker roll at the moment and loving this curly 'friend' die-cut sentiment from Paper Smooches, which certainly works a treat in glitter cardstock and adhered directly on to the acetate window. Having tried brushos with cling wrap I was fascinated to see a video by the fabulous Jennifer McGuire HERE using watercolours with cling wrap. I need to get a little more practice in to make them as vibrant as JM's but for a first attempt I was pretty impressed and I've used a piece as the background to my shaker window. I used a stitched circle die from Simon Says Stamp for the window and the sprinkles from Little Things by Lucy.

It's an 'Anything Goes' week over at Addicted to Stamps and More so I'd like to head across there with this one.

... here's the family ones!

First up for my niece followed by her mum's below. Their birthdays fall on consecutive days next month. The images are from Clearly Besotted: Time to Party and Laugh Out Loud, plus the Basic Alphabet also by CBS. For a change I used my Memento dew drop inks, that have been neglected of late but I'm loving the colours and they were easy to blend for the 3 matching stripes behind the balloon panel.

Another example using Jennifer McGuire's Watercolour 'cling wrap' technique inside a die-cut heart shaped aperture from WPlus9. The inlaid 'sister' word die is from Clearly Besotted and 'Happy Birthday' by Avery Elle.

Ooooh! before I forget ... here's our Cue Card for the Less is More challenge and there's still time to be in with a chance of a prize from our generous sponsor for this month, STAMPlorations.

Don't forget to check out the fabulous designs from my fellow teamies over on the main blog HERE 
Hope you'll play along and have some fun and thanks for calling by and I'll be back soon!

Less is More #327

Morning friends, are you ready for this week's challenge at Less is More? Hopefully you've already visited the Less is More blog so you'll be up to speed on all the developments but just in case here's a brief summary ...
Last week we said our 'cheerios' to fellow teamie Jen as she stepped down from the team BUT we are delighted to reveal not ONE but THREE new Designers to our team. They're Izzy, Nonni and Trina and I hope you'll pop along to their blogs and leave a HUGE welcome. You're bound to feel inspired too by all their fantastic card designs and techniques. 

Onto this week's COLOUR challenge and we'd like to see YELLOW & GREY in any shade or tone. This week's colours were chosen by fellow teamie; Anita who is celebrating her birthday this weekend. Happy Birthday Neets and hope it's fabulous in every way! It's also the start of a new month and we're delighted to have Uniko back as our sponsor for this month of challenges. There's a whole new release of Uniko stamps on offer at 9am today and Bev (owner) is our super talented Guest Designer for this one so do pop along HERE to see what's in store and drool over all the inspiration. 

I've been given permission to showcase a couple of the sets early in my cards but there'll be more here on the blog a little later and if you happen to be in the Port Sunlight area today for the Happy Stampers Festival then please stop by the Uniko stand for a chat as I'll be helping Bev alongside some of the other Uniko DT. here's my cards ...

this one features 2 of the new Uniko sets: Pure Florals - Lily and Block Background Horizontal Stripe. The Lily is embossed onto water colour card then watercoloured using Distress inks with a little extra details using coloured pencils. The sentiments are also from this gorgeous set.

Next up another new Block Background set from Uniko - Doodle Flower and a sentiment from the All Occasions Sentiments #3 set. The flowers are coloured using promarkers then I sliced the panel in two using a basic stitched border die from MFT Die-namics with the sentiment popped up on a die-cut heart (also coloured in the same promarker) by WPlus9.

Don't forget to check out the fabulous designs from my fellow teamies over on the main blog HERE and if you'd like to see more from the new Uniko sets then pop back at 9am! Hopefully Mr Blogger will be on time!

Hope you'll play along and have some fun and thanks for calling by - I'll be back soon!
Have a great weekend!

Uniko - Introducing Pure Florals: Lily

Hello there friends it's time for the final introductions for this month's release over at Uniko and I hope you've enjoyed what you've seen so far!
If you are a regular follower of Uniko you'll have an idea of what's in store for you today as we introduce the Pure Florals: Lily set. I think my favourite of the Pure Florals range has to be the Gerbera but I'm simply loving this one too and it's a great addition to the range. Lilys have to be my favourite bloom EVER - it's just a pity they make me sneeze so badly if I keep them in a vase inside. 

I wanted to focus on the lily head for this card so kept the rest of the stamping in monochrome. The flower head is embossed and watercoloured using Distress Inks. The sentiment is also from the set which includes several others in this large curly font with coordinating ones in a basic type font. 

This week's challenge over at Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday is 'A Touch of Pink' so I'd like to head over there with this one! 

This next one includes the horizontal stripe background block, introduced earlier this week plus some masking, fuzzy cutting and water-colouring with Distress Inks.

Ok that completes the sneaky peeks and introductions for the week and tomorrow is the BIG REVEAL, RELEASE and BLOG HOP HERE so I hope you'll join me again then as we show you the sets in their entirety and you'll be able to purchase them both online at Uniko and at the Happy Stampers Festival in Port Sunlight tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll be back tomorrow

Uniko - Introducing Happy Succulents

Hi again, it's time for some more Introductions over at Uniko as we get ready for this month's release of new stamps!
I hope you liked the previews yesterday and today we are introducing you to Happy Succulents and here's how I've been playing!

This one is very minimal in colour to showcase the stamp itself which needs little, if anything, adding to the image as it's a clever succulent and foliage arrangement on it's own. The sentiments are also from this set.

This one is very minimal too and I've used one of the smaller stamps with masking around a circle. I wasn't sure how this would turn out but I quite like the overall shape. I've used spring coloured inks by Altenew and the centres of the little buds are from the Uniko Style set released back in February. 

WARNING: grab your sunglasses ... from minimal colour to a rainbow riot!

Ok so the thinking behind this one ... I just can't resist rainbow colours plus being constantly inspired by the AWEsome Laura Bassen! Check out her video in THIS post! I had to grab some of that loosey-goosey watercolour effect she describes for my BG! Don't think mine's quite so 'loosey' though but I love all those rainbow colours merged using Distress Inks. Once dry the image and sentiments are heat embossed using Hero Arts white embossing powder and I think I've gone a little OTT with gems and enamel dots but that's rainbows for you ... I just get crazy!

The release schedule can be found over on the Uniko blog HERE as well as links and peeks at how my fellow teamies have worked their magic!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll be back tomorrow 

Uniko - Reveal, Release & GIVEAWAY February 2017

IF Mr Blogger hasn't dropped off this should be my 3rd post this morning!
Hi again and thanks for visiting me today as it's time for the...
   BIG 5th Birthday Reveal, Release and GIVEAWAY  of this month's new stamp sets from
Uniko
Here's my cards showcasing these fabulous sets and they are now  available in the shop HERE and waiting for you to buy!

Above, a little 'no line' colouring using Distress inks, a camouflage die-cut 

sentiment from Sweat Pea Designs with the stamped images from Uniko

... and another trip for me over to Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge

where it's Anything Goes so it's perfect ... anything fits!

This one uses the Block Party Birthday stamped directly on to a brusho and water-

blended base with the addition of a sparkly die-cut balloon, with twine string too!

So let the party roll and all that's left for me to do is set you off on the traditional  Design Team Blog Hop and wish you luck. All the details are over on the Uniko  blog HERE so if you get lost along the way just head back there.
Bev (Uniko) Deborah Jane Lindsey Rahmat Sarah G Sarah P - that's me!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like what you've seen these last few days  and here's those all important images of the sets for you to study and  hopefully you've been inspired this week.