Brand Ambassador Inspiration, Spring Botanicals- Tulip

Good morning, how was your weekend? Mine was not what I had anticipated as a workshop I was helping at got cancelled at the last minute, so I had some time to play in my own craftroom! 

Here's what I made, specifically for an old work collegue who loves red flowers!

Just before Christmas Bev used a Waffle Flower die set to create this card and so I was inspired to make this one using the same die and Spring Botanicals - Tulip.

On a panel of Mixed Media paper, I used the stencil from the die set to plan my placement of the tulips, sketching in the open areas lightly with a pencil. Next, I stamped using some masking, a bunch of Uniko's Spring Botanicals- Tulips with Memento Toffee Crunch.

Watercolours were used to paint the blooms and I was about to cut the Postage Stamp panel when I realised I'd had the stencil the wrong way around and my planned design wouldn't work!

So with a little bit of thought, I decided to cut the panel anyway and see what I got. Instead of placing my panel face down, I placed the wrong side face down into the die panel. I had initially intended to cut out each of the panels along the stitched lines and place them on a new die cut panel, but now couldn't do that but with the help of an old fashioned embossing tool and a foam mat, I sort of rescued it with some manual embossing!

To cover where the masking hadn't worked I inked through the stencil with some Mustard Seed DI, then stamped a few bits in Toffee Crunch at strategic places.

I'd purposefully left the small rectangle in the bottom right clear so that I could stamp my sentiment, Doodle Flowers in more Toffee Crunch.

The die cut panel was mounted on some black card and then onto a trimmed down 5 x 7inch white card base. The black serves to hi-light the die cut as well as masking the different white of the MM paper. I love using MM for watercolouring, but getting a base card to match is tricky. This little trick is just enough to fool your eye!

So that's about it from me for today, crafty hugs

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Watercolour Spring Botanicals

 Good morning all, Julie here with a little bit more Spring Botanicals inspiration. Earlier in the month I used Snowdrops and Crocus for my design here, but today I want to share the fab Tulip set from the series. I received a lovely bouquet of them for Mother's Day from my son and have only just consigned them to the compost heap, so I was inspired to get the set out for a play. 

I love to use simple frames in my cards and for my first card I've used an oval frame for these pretty spring tulips. 

On a panel of MM paper, I stamped and masked this bunch of tulips in a pale ink for a no line look.

Each petal was then painted by adding colour then water to so that I didn't have any harsh edges. The watercolour bleeds into the water and does a lot of the work for you! I did do alternate petals and left them to dry before attempting another as I didn't want the colour to move from one petal to another. Once dry, I tackled the stems and leaves in the same way.

Once complete, I die cut a frame from textured card to match my 5 x 7 base using a couple of stacked ovals fromWaffle Flower. I stamped and heat embossed my sentiment in gold EP before fussy cutting it from the same card. The frame was attached to the panel of tulips cut with yet another of the nesting ovals with foam pads and then flat onto the base card with glue. My sentiment was placed to one side, overhanging the frame.

My second card was trickier to stamp as I went for embossing but this method is much easier to water colour.

I stamped the flowers onto more MM paper with DI Black Soot then heat embossed with clear EP. I prefer this to stamping with Versamark and black EP as I always manage to get black EP all over the place!!

Again I used the same watercolour technique as before but the water should stay within the cells created by the embossing so is a little quicker to paint. This time I filled in the background with a thin wash of blue before trimming and adding my die cut frame, MFT. Again I used foam tape to add the frame and added the panel flat onto my square card base. A simple sentiment stamped in black was slipped under the edge of the frame before it dried completely.

So that's it for today from me. I hope you've been inspired to have a go for yourselves and embrace the joy of Spring Botanicals!

Happy crafting

March 2024 Non-Release Brand Ambassador Blog Hop & GIVEAWAY!

Hello & Happy Monday.

Welcome to the March 2024 Non-Release Brand Ambassador Blog Hop & GIVEAWAY! 

You might remember in January we brought back the Non- Release month blog hops. For those of you who are new around these parts I will explain what this post is all about...

Here at Uniko HQ it is just myself behind the screen, blogging, designing, packaging stamps & orders through the Uniko online shop, customer service and all the things in between. I *usually* release new product every other month for a number of reasons, but mainly so I can keep up with everything!

On non - release months like this month I like to set myself and the Brand Ambassadors a challenge to look back at a previously released product and give it some more love. Plus, I think it's always nice to revisit older sets and provide more inspiration and not just from me.

So without further ado, lets see the products I decided upon for March.

Spring Botanicals Crocus

Spring Botanicals Daffodil

Spring Botanicals Snowdrop

Spring Botanicals Tulip

As you can see, with Spring just around the corner here in the Northern Hemisphere I have chosen the 4 clear stamps in our Spring Botanical range. 

I've let the Brand Ambassadors choose which to use, so let's get to the inspiration...

Anita

Bev

Izzy

Julie

Steph

Vinita

I'm totally inspired after that hop. The Brand Ambassadors have certainly cheered up a grey morning here in the North East! 

As usual I am offering a prize to one lucky comment left along the hop. Simply leave some comment love before Midnight GMT Monday 18th March 2024 and I will select a lucky winner to receive a £15 eGift Code to spend in the store!

Before I go, how about some March Madness?

Happy Hoppin'!

Crafty Hugs

Happy Monday BA Inspiration - A Kind Word is Like a Spring Day

 Bonjour !

It’s official, it’s today : Spring is here ! So to give it a little wink, I made the following card !

If we can already see the beautiful yellow shades of the daffodils in our garden, we can only see the bright green of the tulips' leaves. But for sure they will be in full blooms by the end of the month.

To make this card I used the beautiful set Spring Botanicals Tulip. I stamped the tulips once on a white card stock with no-line colouring ink then I masked them to stamp them a second time. I coloured the image with coloured pencils and I fussy cut it.

For the background of the card, I blended green, pink and yellow inks on a piece of white card stock. With the same inks I made splatters all over this panel and I stamped the sentiment.

To finish my card, I flat adhered the ink blended panel on a double white card. Then I foam mounted the tulips on top.

That's all for me today. I will come back next Monday with my last Spring card. Happy Spring to you all and thank you so much for stopping by.

 

BA Inspiration, Spring Botanicals - Tulips Three ways

 Good afternoon folks, Julie here with a little bit of Spring BA inspiration.

It's the 1st of the month, so there's a new colour combination over at Color Hues and as soon as I saw that it was pink and green I knew I had to use the Spring Botanicals -Tulip set. These cards all use the same stamp but I've used a different method of colouring in each.

My first idea uses a slimline card base and watercolour. On a panel of white card, I stamped a row of tulips in black and embossed with a clear EP before washing in some pink DI over the petals and green over the stems and leaves. Detail was added with matching pink and green Zig watercolour markers. 

Taking the slimline card base, I added a strip of black and white DP to the open edge before adding my watercolour panel and a strip of silver mirror card. The sentiment from Pure Florals Cosmos was stamped on a strip of black card and heat embossed with white EP.

The second card started with an A6 panel of Copic friendly card, on which I stamped all over with the tulip flowers in Altenew's Limestone ink for a no line effect.

Using pinks, RV00, 10, 13,14 and 17, I coloured the blooms, the leaves were similarly coloured, this time using YG17, 21 and 25. For added dimension I added a bit of shadow with a dark grey Copic.

The sentiment, from Doodle Flowers, was stamped onto a square panel of grey card and heat embossed with white. I realised that if I double mounted the sentiment as I had intended, then the central bloom would be totally lost, so instead I added a separate white frame, allowing a peek of the bloom behind. The completed panel was added to a panel of the same grey card and then on pads to a 5 x 7inch white base card.

Finally, I did a loose watercolour version to go with the snowdrop one from my January BA post.

To get the look of no line, I first stamped my tulips onto a panel of scrap copy paper then scribbled the back with graphite pencil and traced through with a sharp pencil onto an A6 panel of MM paper, you could try a pale ink and simply stamp but you run the risk of it bleeding into the paint unless it's a waterproof ink!

I then painted over the tulips with masking fluid.

Once the masking fluid was dry, I washed clear water over the panel and dropped a variety of greens into the background, darkening areas around the blooms.

When dry, the masking fluid was removed and I started work on the blooms.

I worked on each petal in turn before starting on the leaves and stems. Lots of water is the key to the loose watercolour effect and patience!! Find something else to do while the different layers dry.

When I was happy with the painted panel, I mounted it behind a die cut mount and added a simple sentiment on pads.

When I chose the tulip image for these cards my own in a pot on the patio were just showing signs of life but hopefully they will soon burst forth into bloom.

That's all from me for today, hope I've inspired you to get out those stamps and paints out and have a play, it is only paper at the end of the day! If you don't like your attempts leave it a few days and come back to it, it's amazing how different it will look, you may surprise yourself.

Until next time, stay safe and keep crafting!

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Spring Botanicals Tulip

Good morning

Anita here with my very first Brand Ambassador Inspiration post!  There are so many wonderful products in the Uniko range I was spoilt for choice but, with the official start of Spring this coming Sunday and this being my favourite flower, for my first post I had to share some inspiration using Spring Botanicals Tulip.  So I have a trio of makes for you today, all quite different.

Wonderful colouring with markers isn't one of my talents so for this first card I've used ink blending...

On some white cardstock I stamped the tulips image and then stamped it again onto some masking paper.  Instead of masking the image, I cut out the negative space and masked the background.  I then ink blended with Distress Inks.  I cut out the image using a pierced square die and another slightly larger from plain white cardstock.  I heat embossed the sentiment, also from the Spring Botanicals Tulip set, using white embossing powder on black cardstock and adhered it like a tab.  The die cut panels were then layered up with dimension.

For this next card I used very simple tone on tone colouring...

My first step here was to stamp the image in a pale lilac ink onto some lilac textured cardstock.  I left the stamp in my stamping platform as I would need to re-stamp later.  I added some tone on tone colouring with alcohol markers, lilac shades for the petals and I chose grey for the leaves just to add a little shading.  Once complete I placed the panel back into my stamping platform, stamped in VersaMark ink and heat embossed in white, along with the sentiment, also from the same stamp set.  It's so much easier to emboss afterwards so you don't have to avoid the embossing and I've heard that embossing isn't too good for marker nibs either.  To finish this one the panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle and adhered flat to the card base.

And for my third of this trio I left the image uncoloured and just added colour to the background...

I stamped the image and masked it using the mask I'd previously cut from the first card.  I then laid the Stylised Floral Stencil over the top and blended through with Distress Ink, fading it out.  For a little more background interest, with the mask still in place I lightly stamped in grey with the Large Background French Script Stamp, just keeping the stamping within the area of the ink blending.  To finish, I used a sentiment from the Spring Botanicals Tulip set, heat embossed in white on a black die cut panel.

I hope you find some inspiration from these.  I'd love to be more creative with my alcohol markers but much more practice is required so, while I'm still learning, I'm always looking for different ways to add colour.  I had great fun making these.

I'm so glad Spring is (almost) here, it's my favourite season.  The daffodils are in full bloom in the UK and the tulips won't be far behind.

Crafty hugs to you all

Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Birthday cards

 Bonjour !

Izzy here with inspiration cards combining products of the last release as well as older products. 

April is for me the busiest month in my agenda in terms of birthdays. I have at least one birthday to celebrate each week, so I really need to make cards !

As I still had all the products of the last release on my desk, I played with them again.

For my first card I used the Framed- Floral Vines set that I really love, it is so versatile. On a white card stock I stamped the frame and I heat embossed it with gold embossing powder. Then I coloured it with markers. 

When I wanted to mount this panel on the double white card, I found that something was missing so I played with the little circles from the Floral Vines set and I stamped and gold heat embossed them on the double white card and I coloured them with colour pencils. 

I foam mounted the framed panel on the double card. I stamped and gold heat embossed a little frame on a piece of Vellum. I fussy cut it and I glued it on the panel. To finish I stamped and I heat embossed the sentiment from Simply Said Blocks and I adhered it on top of the Vellum.

I went for a masculine look for my second card. If you know me, you know how much I love blue. So when I received the last release, I couldn't resist and I stamped the Background Blocks Solid Wonky Stripes in shades of blue. And of course I immediately saw some waves and I knew that I wanted to combine it with the Nautical Treasures sail boat. 

To make a visual game with lines, I also stamped some thin stripes on the sails with the Background Blocks Pinstripe. 

To finish my card, I stamped and white heat embossed the sentiment (from Simply Said). I foam mounted the wonky stripes background on a double card and I also foam mounted the sail boat previously fussy cut.

For my last card, I opted for old goodies : the Spring botanicals Tulip stamp set and the Broken Lines stencil.

Some time ago I received a gift card for a Art Supplies shop and I finally bought the Minc foil applicator machine. Only recently I bought some gel to use it with stencil. I decided to try it as a background for these beautiful tulips, and I really love the result.

I used the no-line colouring technique for the tulips and I played with my colour pencils to give them some dimension. The broken lines background is foam mounted on the double red card and I adhered the tulip with little adhesive foam squares.

Now here is a sneak peek of the birthday card I made for the Less is More challenge that starts today...

I hope that my cards will inspire you to make your birthday cards stash growing and/or to come and play along at Less is More.

Thanks so much for visiting today. Have a fabulous weekend, stay safe and get crafty !

Brand Ambassador Inspiration using Spring Botanicals - Tulip

Morning all, Julie here with a little bit of Brand Ambassador inspiration. Today I'm using a restricted palette to create floral card with an artsy feel using Spring Botanicals -Tulip.

There's a new challenge over at Color Hues where the palette is restricted to just shades of two colours. This time it is Blue and Orange. It sounds quite restrictive until you start to think outside the box.

Oranges come in all kinds of shades, from yellowy ones through to almost red, blues range from greeny to almost purple, so you see there is a lot to play with really. You get even more if you add water into the mix, so to speak! Add a lot of water say to Dried Marigold DI you get an orange that is almost yellow. Use Ripe Persimmon neat and its virtually red.

To start I stamped the tulips twice with Altenew Obsidian to give me three blooms and used some clear EP and heat embossed to give me some barriers to the colour used. Using lots of water, I painted around the tulips and then went in again with Chipped Sapphire and Blueprint sketch until I had a really dark background and added more water to the righthand side, allowing the water to bleed into the solid colour. When left to it's own devises the water splits the ink and you get some interesting effects.

When dry, I started to work on the flowers, stems and leaves, using Dried Marigold and Ripe Persimmon. When that was dry, I added some watery Blueprint Sketch over the pale Dried Marigold to create a subtle green for the foliage.

I wanted to add even more interest so using the Lattice stencil, I went in and tried to bleach out the colour with a damp paint brush but it was too subtle, so I used some white pigment ink through it instead! To finish, I trimmed my panel down, added the sentiment from Pure Florals -Peony, fussy cutting the 'Sending' and popping it up on pads over an A6 base card.

So that's all from me for the moment, but keep safe, sane and crafting!

BA Inspiration, two cards from one Brusho panel

Hi and welcome, Julie here with a couple of cards using a bleaching technique with Brusho and the Spring Botanicals -Tulip stamp set from the last Uniko release.

I started with a panel of white card and using the top half of the Tulip stamp, I stamped, heat embossed with white EP and masked as I moved across the bottom of the card panel. I should have taken a photo as I went along but I got swept up in the creating, sorry!

Once I was happy with the amount of stamping and embossing,  I sprinkled Prussian Blue Brusho across the middle of it then Leaf Green across the bottom third. I didn't worry about any overlap, just wanted 2/3 of my panel covered.

I then spritzed it with water and put to one side to dry.

Now to the magic bit. Once dry, I took a small amount of concentrated beach in a dish and added some water to dilute. You really don't need a lot for it to work. Using a cheap synthetic brush, bleach rots good ones, I painted over the tulip blooms and then left it to dry. If the colour is still too dark just go back and take another pass!

Again I forgot to take a pic of the finished bleached out blooms but after I added some colour to the blooms with pink Zig watercolor brush pens, this is the result. I chose pink so that it wouldn't matter if the pale blue left from bleaching showed through. I added some shading to the stems and leaves too with a couple of the green pens.

I loved the finished panel but decided to make it go further by cutting it in two and trimming each panel down to size.

The first card just uses the left hand strip glued flat on an A6 white card after adding a sentiment from the Simply Said set on a strip of card. A couple of thin silver mirror card strips down each side of the panel complete.

The second uses the cut down right hand panel, close cropped and given a die cut frame.
The same sentiment was stamped on the frame and the whole panel was popped up on some funky pink foam to match the flower heads.

This technique was inspired by the challenge over at CAS Mix Up, I'd never tried it before but I love the effect it gives. Why don't you have a go, challenge yourself to learn a new technique whilst we are in lockdown!

Keep safe and hopefully sane out there!