Throwback Thursday and Last Chance!

 Hello & Happy Thursday! 

Today I am doing a little reminiscing with a throwback Thursday. 

Unfortunately, the time has come to say farewell to a couple of clear stamp sets. I never find this easy and it really does take me a while to let them go. BUT, as much as I do love these sets, trends change, just like the seasons AND there is always so much newness around the corner.

So what are we saying farewell to? 

Decorative Doilies - The Hands Of Time

Firstly it is with a heavy heart we are saying farewell to Decorative Doilies - The Hands Of Time. This stamp set holds a special place in my heart. I originally designed elements of this set at college while studying for my degree in Textiles and Surface Design. 

This set is closely connected to the two clear stamps I launched Uniko with back in February 2012, Today, Tomorrow and Always Time and Today, Tomorrow and Always Extra Time. These sets were designed for my final major project and I poured hours of research, drawing and designing into them as I learned Adobe Illustrator. 

Here are a couple of my favourite cards made using this set. You can see more on Pinterest HERE.

And for old times sake, I have a fresh card to share with you using this set...

Yep, I am still on that slimline card band wagon! However, I was inspired by the new sketch over at CAS Colours & Sketches seen HERE and below for the layout of my card. They have also requested it to be slimline.

The sketch was perfect for using lots of the doilies from the set. The hardest part was selecting which largest doily to showcase as the main feature. 

I knew I wanted this card to be super colourful, so I opted for this one as I love colouring it in rainbow! I love how it turned out. I used a selection of Stampin' Up! markers to colour the doily and then I used some of the coordinating inks to stamp the backdrop of doilies. I used all but two doilies for this card. 

The sentiment is from Simply Said Blocks III and I added some enamel gems to add the final touches. I know this won't be the last time I ink up these stamps. They will forever remain a firm favourite. Especially when it comes to quick sparkling Christmas cards. However, it will probably be the last card I make and share here on the blog using it.

The next stamp set we are bidding farewell to is...

Background Builders - Vines 

This is another stamp set from the early years of Uniko, April 2014 to be exact! Here are a few of my favourites using this set. And you can see more HERE on Pinterest.

And a close up of a different card 

And again, for old times sake, a new one...

It's funny how you don't use a stamp set or product for a long time, but when you finally ink it up and start creating a whole host of ideas come to mind! 

For this card I selected one of the long leafy stamps to create this garland across my card. I then stamped a variety of the tiny flowers in a selection of inks. I tried to choose colours with an autumn feel, but it came out pretty summery.

You might recognise some of the flower designs from the Flower Power series. Don't worry those aren't retiring just yet, they'll be about for a while longer. The sentiment I have used is from Floral Vines.

So that's it, my Throwback Thursday and a farewell to these two stamp sets. It's been lovely looking back and I know for sure these early stamp sets will always have a special place in my heart and crafting stash. 

There are still some available on the website HERE at bargain prices, waiting for a loving inky home.  Once they are gone the product will be removed from the website 😢 

That's all from me today.

Crafty Hugs

 

Happy New Year!

Hello & Happy 2020!

Welcome to another exciting year at Uniko :)

I am over on the Uniko Website Blog HERE with all the details about this Happy New Year card. I'd love you to hop on over and take a closer look.

I hope you have all had a wonderful New Years Eve and New Years Day and 2020 has begun well for you.

Crafty Hugs

CAS Colours & Sketches #225 - The Double!

Hey!

I'm here again with my next CAS Colours & Sketches design team inspiration for you. This week is Patricia's turn for hostess as we each take it in turns for May & June.

This week is THE DOUBLE....

Here's how I used it...

I kept things pretty simple and chose a large stamp to be the focus of the design. The doily is from Decorative Doilies - The Hands of Time. I had to find close matches for the Purely Pomegranate and Blue Bayou as I have never had those colours!

I added an offset die cut rectangle instead of a full mat rectangle to add a little interest to the focal point and finished the design off with a few of my favourite enamel dots! 

That's all from me today, if you need some more inspiration using the sketch be sure to pop by the CAS Colours & Sketches blog HERE and see how the DT and Guest Designer have used it.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hugs

My Five Faves From Year 1 of Uniko

Hey!

What a wonderful day I had yesterday, THANK YOU for the out pouring of love, support and wonderful orders, not just yesterday & today but over the past 5 years. You are ALL just the best :)

There is still a few hours left to take advantage of the FREE Worldwide Shipping Offer! 

Anyway, I decided that I would take a wander back over the past 5 years and each day leading up to the February 2017 Sneak Peeks choose my 5 favourite projects from that year. Oh my, what a task that was! Not that I love everything I made back then, my style has certainly changed some what over the years but I had A LOT more time on my hands back then and created so many cards! 

Here is what I chose from Year One...

This first card is an all TIME favourite and I think it will always hold a special place in my heart. This card was originally designed way back at University when I was near completing my degree and planning on launching Uniko. It uses stamps from one of my two debut clear stamp sets which were launched back on Feb 11th 2012! 

Unfortunately I have retired both Time and Extra Time clear stamp sets, due to the change in trends and demand for them. They might come back one day revised, refreshed and revamped who knows the 'time' trend might just have it's 'time' again! You can see more using these sets HERE on Pinterest. 

Next I chose a card using the ALL time BEST seller since Uniko began, Pure Florals: Gerbera. This set was also partially designed back at Uni and I chose this as one of Uniko's first florals due to the colour options this flower has. 

This flower looks FABulous in any colour of the rainbow! I also designed it to appeal to people who like to colour and those who don't, providing a solid stamp and an outline stamp, plus it features two views of the flower.

This set has had SO many requests over the past couple of weeks and these past few days, that it will be coming back into stock really soon. I just need to get the February 2017 Release underway and then I will get them ordered along with some other popular clear stamp sets which have recently sold out. To see more using this set, head on over to Pinterest HERE.

Ah, Decorative Doilies - The Hands Of Time. Another clear stamp set designed at Uni alongside Time & Extra Time. This set is SO much fun and looks fabulous as large sparkly snowflakes like in the card below.

I nearly retired this set recently, but it'll be making one last appearance in the shop before it retires in the next month or so ;) To see more using this set check out the Pinterest page HERE.

Do you remember the label trend? This next card uses Label Love: Christmas, which is on SALE as it is retiring :( The label trend seems to have passed its best and I have to make these tough decisions to make room for NEW clear stamp sets! 

However, I chose this card because I remember REALLY enjoying making this card. Building the large tree out of the smaller tree AND all the sparkle. It's hard to see in the photo, but each of the little trees are filled with clear sparkly glitter - YUM! 

You can see more using Label Love: Christmas HERE and you'd be able to recreate a version of this card using Christmas Pop Clear Stamp Set ;)

Lastly, but by no means least I chose this card below...

Like I said at the beginning with my first card Time and Extra Time will always hold a special place in my heart. I just LOVE this colour combo too, Papertrey Ink Soft Stone, Hawaiian Shores, White and Stampin' Up! Basic Grey. 

I ended with this card too as I wanted to say, THANK YOU again to you all! Thank you for stopping by and reminiscing with me as I take my wander down memory lane. 

I''ll be back again tomorrow with more to share :)

Hugs

Some 'ME" time!

Hey!

How are you all? Can you believe that we are in November already, how did that happen?! The days here are simply flying by, the beans certainly like to keep me busy that's for sure!! 

Yesterday morning Daddy took them to the park in the pram to watch the local non-league football, which gave Mummy some 'ME' time that I decided to use NOT doing housework for once! Instead I popped into the studio and created this card...

It is one that I had started a few days ago and finally got round to finishing. It just so happens that it also fits perfectly into the current challenge over at 'Less is More' HERE, which this week is a colour challenge using non-traditional Christmas colours.

For my card I used one of my favourite non-traditional colour schemes, aqua, white & silver along with a non-Christmas stamp set - Decorative Doilies The Hands Of Time. The sentiment is from Stunning Snowflakes and I also added a Snowflake die cut.

Ok, so that's all I have for today, tomorrow on the blog we have our winner of challenge #14 guest designing for us, so I do hope you will pop on by & join in on the challenge :) Until then, thank you for stopping by.

Doilies Just For You & a WINNER!

Hey!

Today I have a CAS card to share with you, but first how about a WINNER for the August Release Day Blog Hop?!

Random.org chose...

Comment 51 appears on Gillian's blog...

Margaret11 August 2014 13:42

Love the new stamp sets - the Strike a Pose set is great for scrapbooks as well as cards. Margaret

Congratulations Margaret! Send me an email to beverley@unikostudio.com along with your mailing address and I will get your prize of the entire release on it's way to you! If you ordered any of the release products on release day you can either choose a Gift Certificate to the value you spent in store or a refund. 

Now onto todays card...

When I saw the current CAS(E) this Sketch! layout seen HERE and below I knew I wanted to use Decorative Doilies - The Hands Of Time. I paired the sketch with the just passed Color Throwdown colours HERE and also seen below.

I'm not overly fussed with how it turned out, mainly due to my colouring, looking back I think I should have left some of the hands white and coloured the doily in more randomly than repetitively? 

Today is another chilled out day in the studio making cards and fulfilling orders :) I hope you all have a lovely day & until tomorrow, thank you for stopping by today!

Supplies

Card Stock: White (Boyes)

Ink: Avery Elle Fog & VersaFine Onyx Black

Stamps: Uniko Studio A Gift For You & Decorative Doilies - The Hands OF Time

Accessories: SU! Markers & Foam Adhesive

Throwback Thursday

Hey!

I'm back today after a few days off from blogging with this weeks Throwback Thursday post. Did you enjoy the Uniko Studio Challenge Guest Designer reminder post HERE? I thought Barb did a wonderful  job using the challenge colours & optional theme. Then yesterday we had Ren-Yi on the blog HERE showcasing the new Explosion! set. 

Anyway, let me get back to Throwback Thursday. I chose this card seen HERE and below to revisit...

The original card was made to highlight Uniko Studio Classics Summer digital download paper collection. This is my new version of the card above...

I've chosen a lovely Spring yellow and green palette, perfect for the current "Less is More" challenge seen HERE. 

I kept the design & layout similar to the original but I am liking the freshness of this new card more - might just be the happy spring colours?! 

Before I go I thought I would share a little sneak peek at a couple of the cards we will be making on Saturday in the Uniko Studio classes at The Paperlane...

All the details on how to book your place in a class can be found HERE. Still a couple of places left in the afternoon class. For those of you too far away to attend, I promise to share the full cards & details with you! 

Ok, that's all from me today, I had best be getting the class kits together! I'll be back tomorrow with more to share, until then, thank you for stopping by today. 

Supplies

Card Stock: White (Boyes) PTI Lemon Tart

Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, VersaMagic Tea Leaves

Stamps: Uniko Studio Label Love: Birthday & Label Love: Thank you

Accessories: PTI Doily Details Die, SU! Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine & 1 3/4" Circle Punch.

Friday FUN!

Hey!

YAY for Friday! It's almost the weekend :) I'm off out with the girls tomorrow for a retail therapy outing to the City of York, it's a lovely Yorkshire city with quaint shops and a beautiful cathedral, well worth the visit if you are ever up in the North of England!

Anyway, I found some time to have some inky fun and play along with a couple of challenges to create this card...

I feel like I am getting back into the swing of things here in the studio and my creativity is returning too. I used the new CAS(E) this Sketch! layout seen HERE and below. I love the clean lines of this sketch.

I also used the current ColourQ colours seen HERE and below.

And as I've used doilies AGAIN, I'm entering it into the Crazy For CAS challenge HERE.

Today is operation tidy the studio, as I've been an untidy person & have lots laying around all unorganised! I need a good sort out too and I have already started listing a few items for sale on my eBay page HERE. 

Ok, I'll be back tomorrow with The Saturday Show, as it's been a while and I have some super Fun cards I've spotted around blog land & been emailed to share with you. Until then, thank you for stopping by today :)

Supplies

Card Stock: SU! Crumb Cake, White (Boyes)

Ink: SU! Crumb Cake. PTI Hawaiian Shores & Summer Sunrise. VersaFine Onyx Black

Stamps: Uniko Studio Decorative Doilies - The Hands Of Time, Background Builders: Round In Circles & A Gift For You

Accessories: Corner Chomper

Throwback Thursday!

Hey!

So much for my regular Throwback Thursday's, I seem to have missed quite a few! Oh well, I hope you will forgive me? I'm back today with a new Throwback Thursday card, which is based on this card seen HERE from way way back in 2012!

And this is my NEW version...

There are a few reasons I chose this card to revisit, firstly the doilies. After many a request Decorative Doilies - The Hands Of Time is now back in stock on the website along with a couple of other sets. Secondly I really like the colour combo and Rock 'N' Roll technique I used to stamp the doilies and thirdly because the current challenge over at Crazy for CAS HERE is doilies!

For the Rock 'N" Roll stamping technique you want a spectrum of two or three ink colours. They don't have to be in the same colour family for it to work it can be any colours you wish. I chose Papertrey Ink Summer Sunrise & Stampin' Up! Pumpkin Pie as I like these paired together. 

First of all you want to place your stamp on a block that is just big enough, so that there isn't too much block overhang. Then you start my inking your stamp with the lightest colour you've chosen, in my case the Summer Sunrise. The reason for this is simply because there will be less colour contamination going from light to dark rather than the other way round.

Then you roll the edges of the stamp in the second colour, changing the angle of the rolling determines how much of the stamp edges are inked. As you can see mine are quite subtle and had my stamp at a fairly high angle. 

You can watch THIS video here which explains the technique.

In other news I am super pleased and excited to have been selected for the TIME OUT Challenge blog Design Team. The challenges start in March and all the details can be found HERE on the TO Challenge Blog. 

Ok, I think I have waffled on  for long enough! I'll be back tomorrow with more to share, until then, thank you for stopping by today :)

Supplies

Card Stock: White (Boyes) SU! Basic Grey

Ink: PTI Summer Sunrise. SU! Pumpkin Pie

Stamps: Uniko Studio Decorative Doilies - The Hands Of Time

Accessories: PTI Summer Sunrise & Smokey Shadow Satin Ribbon