Uniko Release Day!

Hello!

Finally, release day at Uniko has arrived and hopefully you have arrived as part of our release blog hop.  It is a bumper release with 5 new stencils and 6 stamp sets.  I have had so much fun playing with these new designs and here are a few more examples of what I have made:

First up I have used the Balloon Bash stencil and done some shaded inking with distress oxides.  I then overlaid them with the star stencil.  The sentiment is from Birthday Sentiments.

On this card I decided to try some no line watercolouring on the lovely daffodil using aquamarkers.

This is a print that I pulled from the chrysanthemum stencil on my gelli plate.

Here is a print that I pulled of the Seeing Stars stencil from the gelli plate.  I combined it with one of my mdf stars painted in grey/blue and embossed the sentiment from Birthday Sentiments in copper.

Finally I used one of my mdf art boards to create a spring themed decoration.  I painted the stand in white and added texture in the background before painting in blues and greens.  The daffodils were watercoloured and fussy cut and I added the lovely sentiment which makes me smile.

I shall link this project up at Simon's Monday Challenge which is In My Garden

I hope this post has given you lots of ideas for ways to use these fab new products....thank you for sticking with me :)  Sarah P will have more inspiration for you over on her blog and you can start from the beginning at Uniko.

See you again soon,

Sarah x

Introducing Fun Flowers Stencil

Hello!

We are back today with the final introducing post before Uniko's new release goes live tomorrow.  Fun Flowers is the 5th new stencil in the release and it lives up to its name!  Here is what I have made:

I white embossed the flowers and inked over them in a range of distress oxides.  The sentiment from Birthday Sentiments is stamped and cut out.  I also die cut a butterfly by Concord and 9th from inked card and layered it over a black butterfly for a bit of added depth.

I inked the stencil with distress inks and used Uniko's fun flower stamps over the top to give them an outline.  I then fussy cut them out and popped them up on the card over stems and leaves from the Fun Flowers stamp set.  A bit of black and white washi tape at the bottom completes the design.

Finally, I inked through the stencil in blues and greens and added a few flowers that I had stamped over popped up around the birthday sentiment.

These flowers can be used either as a background or a focal point.  Check out more ideas from the DT over at the Uniko blog.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the release day blog hop!

Sarah x

Introducing Equaliser Stencil!

Hello!

I really love the stencil that we are showcasing as part of the new Uniko release today :)  This equaliser stencil just looks so cool and is a great general background as well as being perfect for music themed designs.

Here are a few examples of what I came up with:

I simply inked through the stencil with Distress Oxides and added my headphones stencil over the top - the black headphones are embossed to give them a glossy look.  A Uniko sentiment completes the design.

On this card I added black texture paste through the stencil on to some patterned paper which has a watercolour look to it.  I stamped the explosion stamp from Uniko's explosion set on the same paper and cut it out.  The sentiment is from Life is a Song which is also part of the new release.

There is also an equalizer stamp image as part of the new release so do check out all of the cool creations that the DT have produced on the Uniko blog.  Not long to release day now :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Prickly Hugs!

Hello,

I just wanted to pop in with a quick post for a card that I have made to play along with AAA Cards where the current challenge is to only use die cuts.  This is what I came up with:

I used a sweet cactus die from Sizzix and combined it with a photo frame die and sentiment from Cutplorations.  The background in the photo is a piece of patterned paper.  There is no stamping on this card and I like the crisp finished design.  

I shall also link up for a second time in the February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge over at Happy Little Stamper.

That's all from me.  I shall be back tomorrow with some more fab products from Uniko's new release :)

Sarah x

Introducing Seeing Stars and Chrysanthemum Stencils

Hello,

I have been looking forward to sharing these two fab new Uniko stencils with you - I had lots of fun playing with them!  They will be available as part of the new release on Wednesday 28 February.

Firstly here are a few of the cards that I made with Seeing Stars:

I used Imagination Crafts sparkle paste through the stencil to create a variegated effect and popped a Birthday sentiment over the top.

On this card I used the frame left from the die cut panel on the first card and added a few of my mdf stars .  The sentiment is from Uniko's birthday sentiment set again - it so versatile :)

This background is created using a gelli plate - it is a second or third pull so the stars are quite soft.  I added some further stars using distress oxides and inked around the edge of the panel.  The sentiment and string of stars are from the Reach for the Stars stamp set.

I will link this gelli print card up at Simon's Monday Challenge where the task is to grunge it up.

Here are a couple of cards that I made with the chrysanthemum:

I used some Tonic Nuvo embellishment mousse through the beautiful stencil.  It is a large floral image and creates a great focal point.  The sentiment from Birthday sentiments is embossed in gold.

Finally, I used pixie powders and colour bursts on a piece of watercolour card to create the background before using white embossing paste with the stencil over the top.  I spattered gold and black paint over the top.  The sentiment is from the Pure Florals Daffodil set.

I shall link this card up at Simon's Wednesday Challenge to create your own background.

I hope you are still with me after all of these pictures!  I found it hard to put these stencils down :)

The rest of the DT have fab ideas to share with you over on the Uniko blog and there are more introducing posts to share over the next few days before the release blog hop on Wednesday.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Owl in Flight

Hello!

Amongst all of the Uniko posts that I have been sharing with the fabulous new release from Bev (which goes live on Wednesday), I wanted to highlight a new stencil that I have added to my Folksy store.  Quite a few of you seemed to like the stag silhouette that I produced before Christmas and so I decided to add to the wildlife/woodland theme and bring out an owl silhouette.  This is so much fun to play with and comes with the mask as well as the aperture so that you can either fill the owl in or work around it.

Here are a few examples:

On this card I shaded through the owl aperture with distress oxides and stamped to create a mini scene.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

I went slightly more artsy on this card and used the owl mask on the gelli plate with my honeycomb stencil.  I love how this turned out!  I shall link it up with Simon's Monday Challenge where the theme is to Grunge It Up and at Country View Crafts February Anything But Cute challenge and at the More Mixed Media Challenge.

I hope you like them!  The owl and honeycomb stencils are in my Folksy shop.

       

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Introducing Pure Florals - Daffodil

Hello!

I am back again with some cards featuring a beautiful new addition to Uniko's popular Pure Florals series.  Daffodils are so bright and happy and this is a great set to work with.  

Here I paired the daffodil with the lovely snowdrop from the last release.  I simply watercoloured with my spectrum noir aqua markers.

On this card I stamped and masked a trio of daffodil heads and combined it with one of the lovely sentiments from the set.  The daffodils are coloured with pencils here.

I hope you like my two daffodil designs.  For those of you who have liked the other floral designs that Uniko have bought out, this is an essential addition :)  The new stamps and stencils will be released on 28 February and I will have more cards and ideas to share over the next few days.  The amazing stamping DT have more daffodil related inspiration for you over at the Uniko blog today.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Introducing Birthday Sentiments, Party Confetti and Balloon Bash Stencil!

Hello!

I am so excited to be sharing a card made with the fab February release from Uniko!  We will be sharing inspiration and ideas from the range of stamps and stencils that Bev has designed between now and 27 Feb with the release being available on 28 Feb when we will be celebrating with our customary blog hop :)  

This card features the balloon bash stencils which I have inked with distress oxides, taking care to create a bit of shading.  I then embossed the balloons with clear holographic embossing powder which gives great sparkle!  The sentiment is from the new Birthday Sentiments set which I absolutely love and have used on lots of my sample cards for this release.  I also gently inked the scattered polka dots stencil in the background to add a bit of confetti to the design.

I will link up at Seize the Birthday without the topping.

I have lots more cards and designs to share with you over the next few days so do pop by again tomorrow but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy the inspiration from the rest of the fab stamp and stencil DTs which you can find on the Uniko blog :)

See you again soon,

Sarah x

Cross Stitch Hearts

Hello!

I wanted to take the opportunity to play along at the fab Twofer Challenge before it closes.  The theme this time is hearts and I used a lovely cross stitch heart die from Waffle Flower on my cards - to make a mother's day and hello card.

I rotated the heart die to create a flower on this card:

My second card is a CAS mother's day design which includes a sentiment from Visible Image.

I shall also link this card up at Time Out where the theme is hobbies.  Cross stitch is a hobby that I have dabbled in over the years but I often lose patience with it!

Thanks for stopping by :)

Sarah x

Playing with Alcohol Inks

Hello!

I am just popping by with a quick post featuring a few cards that I made recently when trying out alcohol inks on yupo paper.  I simply dropped the inks on to the paper and watched them merge and blend which was lots of fun and super easy :)

Here I added a white die cut feather and sentiment from Sizzix.  I shall link up at Simon's Wednesday Challenge to use a die cut. 

On this card I used my new owl in flight stencil as a mask and dropped the alcohol inks around it.  I stippled white acrylic paint in to the aperture to strengthen the silhouette and added a die cut sentiment from Penny Black.  

Check out my owl in flight stencil in my Folksy store - I have more cards to share with it soon!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Rusty Cogs

Hello!

I have been getting grungy this weekend playing with my new mdf cog pieces which will soon be available for sale in my Folksy store.  I decided to alter a cheap notepad which had sturdy kraft covers and came up with this:

I used white gesso to prime the covers and roughly painted on some dark greys and blacks using Pebeo acrylic paints.  I stamped some clock faces from Inkylicious in black and copper and a Kaisercraft number stamp in white acrylic paint.  I also used a Tim Holtz speckle stencil to add some copper speckles to the base.  The sentiment is from Visible Image.  

In order to age the cogs, I painted them with black gesso and on some I added the speckle stencil with black texture past to give an uneven texture.  I also stippled on some dark grey and copper paints unevenly to add a bit more texture.  Once dry, I embossed the cogs with some copper embossing powder - again, trying to keep it uneven and then knocked the shine back with some grey embossing powder.  I was pleased with how they turned out!

I shall link up at Simon's Monday Challenge to Take Note as this project is an altered notebook and at the More Mixed Media Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes with the optional twist of red.

It was fun to make something a bit more on the grungy side after all of the valentines cards that I have been making :)  Do check out the cogs, they will be in my Folksy store tomorrow - a pack of 15 cogs (including a large one as shown above which measures 10cm) is £2.50.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sarah x

Pucker Up

Hello!

I have been playing with a fun new stencil that is now on sale in my Folksy shop - it creates a really striking look whether used as a positive or negative image.

Here I used the lips as a mask and sprayed around them with a range of pinks and reds - do you think it gives a graffiti/airbrushed look?  The sentiment is from a fab set of stamps by Skull and Cross Buns.

I used the stencil part of the set and sprayed/inked to fill the lips with luscious red tones.  Again, the sentiment is from Skull and Cross Buns.  The black and white backing paper helps the red lips to pop.

I shall link this card up at Addicted to Stamps where the theme is CAS and at Country View Crafts who are asking for designs that are anything but cute.

These are very simple cards and quick to make.  The lips measure c.9cm across so are big enough to be the focal point of your design.  

Check out this and other stencil designs in my Folksy shop :)

Sarah xx

Introducing the Uniko Stencil Design Team!

Hello!

I have exciting news to share today as I am a member of the new stencil design team over at Uniko :)

We are a small team with a passion for working with stencils and Uniko's fabulous designs.  You may remember that I have been a member of the DT previously and couldn't resist the opportunity to come back and work with Bev, Julie, Linda and Wiebke to explore the potential of the new stencils that Bev has added to the mix.  Hopefully we will be able to inspire you with ideas of ways that the Uniko stamps and stencils can be used together and it will give me the opportunity to try out a range of techniques/mediums with the stencils.

Here are a few of the cards that I have made with Uniko's stencils:

Using Broken Lines stencil and Seeing Stars stamps.

Using Lattice Stencil and Snowdrop Stamps

Using Wonky Stripes stencil and Block Sentiments

Using Scattered Polka Dot stencil.

We have some fab new stencil designs coming up at the end of the month as part of Uniko's next release so I hope that you will stay tuned for those!  Do check out the fab blogs and designs from the rest of our new stencil DT - they have lots of great ideas to share :)

Sarah x

Less Is More #365

Hello,

We are back with another challenge at Less is More and I am having lots of fun playing along as a guest designer during this special birthday month!  For this challenge we want to see your CAS designs which feature dry embossing:

I have to admit that I don't use embossing on my cards very often and don't have many embossing folders although you can also emboss dies.  I always like it when I see it on other peoples' cards but never seem to think of doing it myself!  However, I got a really sweet embossing folder free with a papercrafting magazine and decided it was perfect for this challenge :)

I embossed the folder on kraft card and added some small die cut white flowers (from Concord and 9th).  I also added a pair of chipboard birds and hearts which I painted white and embossed to create a glazed effect.  The sentiment is white embossed and from Avery Elle.  Finally I added a few dots with a white pen.  I hope you like the simple effect of kraft and white.

Whilst rummaging around for things to emboss I found a script folder and made this too:

I embossed the folder on grey card and cut a panel for the card front.  I used some gilding wax to highlight the texture and edged the grey panel with some gold mirri.  The feather die is from Spellbinders and I gold embossed the top.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink and I added a few splatters and sequins to finish.  

I shall link this card up at Simon's Monday Challenge where the theme is Take Note and at Simon's Wednesday Challenge to use a die.

I hope you like these embossed designs and take the time to play along with us this month.  Remember that if you play along in both of the February challenges at LIM you will be in for a chance of winning two of my range of stencils.....you can find them on Folksy.

Sarah x

Mum's the Word

Hello!

I am just popping in today to share a card that I have made with the new Concord and 9th monogram stamps and dies.  When I saw them, I thought they would be perfect for a Mother's Day card....

I stamped the monogram in navy ink by Hero Arts - I was very glad of the stamp platform as it took a few impressions to get a solid coverage.  I die cut some of the flowers to echo the stamped flowers on the M.  It is a really simple card but I think the monogram gives it impact!

I shall link up at Simon's Wednesday Challenge where the challenge is to use a die cut.  I shall also link up at Happy Little Stampers February die challenge where anything goes.  I would also like to play along at Addicted to Stamps where the theme is CAS.

I hope you like it!  

Sarah x

Uniko's 6th Birthday!

Hello!

We are hopping along today for Uniko's 6th birthday - Bev has grown this fab stamp company single handedly over that period in addition to having lively twin toddlers to keep her busy :)  I love Bev's design style and the fact that she has recently added stencils to the mix.....I am sure that Uniko will continue to go from strength to strength over the coming years.

Anyway, to my card:

No birthday would be complete without cake and here I have used the fab Celebrate with Cake set that Uniko released in 2016.  Here I used the no lines watercolouring technique to create a soft effect.  The string of stars from Seeing Stars adds some background interest and the card is completed with a sentiment from Organic Wishes.

I also made a card using the same colours but a slightly different look:

I stamped the cupcake and added some shading with pencils and highlights with white pen before masking it and adding the stream of stars from Reach for the Stars on either side.  I love the way that the sentiment from the set fits around the cake!

I hope you enjoy the birthday hop :)

Sarah x

Weekend Crafting

Hello!

I have spent some time this afternoon making cards and making a mess with lots of inks and paints....my favourite thing to do :)  Here are a few of the things that I came up with:

Here I inked a card panel with distress oxides and placed it behind a die cut aperture from X Cut.  It is such a simple way to create a card.  I shall link up at Inkspirational where the challenge is to make aperture cards.  

I also wanted to play along at CASology where the cue card is Butterfly.  I used a new stamp from Carabelle Studio:

I watercoloured the image with Aqua Markers and added a sentiment from Altenew.  The pastel colours and flurry of butterflies makes me think of spring!

And finally I made (another) valentines card:

I stamped a wavy background stamp from Hero Arts on to light blue card stock and added some colour variation with pencil.  The cardstock was die cut in to a heart shape and I added the beautiful layered whale which is also from Hero Arts.

I shall link this card up at Simon's Monday Challenge and at Simon's Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Love.  

I hope you like my cards :)

Sarah x

Golden Heart

Hello,

Just stopping by with a quick post featuring my heart stencil given we are in the season of romance and love :)  I used the inspiration photo from Time Out as the starting point:

I inked through the stencil with Delicata gold ink and didn't feel that was vibrant enough so I added gold glitter kiss from Cosmic Shimmer and gold starlight paint from Imagination Crafts.  The sentiment is from Skull and Cross Buns.  I attached striped washi tape to the top and bottom of the card before adhering the card panel.

Here is the fab inspiration photo that the Time Out team have provided:

I shall also link up at AAA Cards where the theme is Love and at Simon's Wednesday Challenge where the theme is It Must Be Love.

   

The heart stencil is available for sale in my Folksy shop :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x