Uniko's Customer Top 10 of 2023 - Number 4

Hello & Happy Thursday.

I am here today to share Uniko's Customer Top 10 of 2023. Today we have the 4th most purchased product, Bauhaus Blocks.

This clear stamp set, perfect for masculine cards debuted in June this year. Again, due to its popularity it is currently out of stock, but don't worry, it'll be back early January. 

I have a few masculine birthdays in January & February, so it was a good opportunity to get creating with this stamp set. Here's what I made today...

I started by choosing a Mid Century inspired colour palette, light & dark teal, mustard yellow, chocolate brown and burnt orange. I then stamped and coloured the blocks.

I decided to stamp & fussy cut the middle block, adhering it to the card with foam adhesive. The birthday sentiment is also from the set and adhered using foam adhesive. 

A simple, yet (in my opinion) effective card. I hope you are having a lovely day, thanks for joining me again today.

Crafty Hugs

Mixed Media Monday - Alumni Guest Brand Ambassador Lindsey Bowe

  Happy Monday & Shiny New Week! 

Today I am back with another Mixed Media Monday and today I have another guest joining us who is also a Uniko Brand Ambassador Alumni.  Please give a warm Uniko welcome to Lindsey Bowe.

Lindsey Bowe

Blog / Instagram / Pinterest

Hello Everyone, Lindsey here and it's good to be back at Uniko. Today I have some watercolour, stamping & stitching mixed media projects to share with you.

And here is how I made them. I started by painting random stripes of harmonious watercolours on some straightforward copier paper. I often paint a couple of shapes at the same time (you never know if they’ll come in handy later on 😊)

I then stamped on top of the strips with the Background Blocks Mid Century Modern and Background Blocks Mid Century Modern II, using similar ink colours to the watercolours.  As you can see my stamping wasn’t perfect but usually with mixed media projects you end up adding lots of different media as you progress,  so I wasn’t overly worried!

I tore the strips apart (again, there’s no need for precision!) and decided on those that I liked the look of best & glued them to a piece of A6 card. 

Then it’s a case of starting to tie everything into one harmonious whole 😊. I do love using machine stitching for this. Paint splatters are also good, as is doodling with paint pens or felt tips. I’m also rather fond of gold or silver acrylic paint!  I’ve used a small lid here to stamp & link the strips together. 

To give the whole piece a final focus I added a stamped flower using the Mid Century Modern Florals clear stamp set, sequins, a spot of glitter and one of the aforementioned little hearts!  The sentiment is from the Pure Florals Peony clear stamp set. 

If you’ve never dabbled with mixed media before I wholeheartedly recommend it. It can be absorbing and lots of fun. It can also help free up your style.  You really don’t need to splurge on lots of new materials (unless you get the bug that is!). If you’ve got children you can probably find crayons, felt tips, poster paints & glitter lurking somewhere in your house.  I’ve even been known to use emulsion paint before!  It’s just a case of starting with some sort of colour on paper and taking it from there, one different sort of media after another. If you don’t like something, just collage another piece of paper on top or paint over it. 

Have fun!

WOW! Are you picking your jaw up off the floor like I am right now? 

I love the soft subtle colours Lindsey has used for her projects today. AND what I especially LOVE is how Lindsey has shown that Mixed Media doesn't have to be complicated and you don't need a lot of specialist supplies.

I hope you have enjoyed todays feature and a big THANK YOU to Lindsey for inspiring us all. 

Crafty Hugs

 

a BIG Thank You & Farewell...

Hey!

It's another of those posts that I find hard to write and put all my feelings into. It is with sadness that  we at Uniko are saying farewell to another of our FABulous Design Team members Sarah Gray from Funky Fossil Designs.

Sarah has been a member of the Uniko DT since March 2015. For over 2 years I have had the honour and pleasure of having Sarah as part of the Uniko family. It seems longer than 2 years as before Sarah was a member of the DT, she was a regular customer too! Seeing the inspiration and creativity flow when Sarah works her magic with Uniko products is simply amazing.  

A BIG thank you will never be enough to resonate my gratitude for all that Sarah has done for me and Uniko, she has truly been an inspiration to me and I am sure to all the Uniko customers old and new alike.

I thought it would be nice to share a few of my favourite Sarah creations (choosing just a selection was SO hard)...

What an amazing snippet of Sarah's talent and inspiration using Uniko, don't you think?

So, we couldn't let Sarah leave without giving her a little farewell send off, so the Design Team & I each made a card to share....

CLICK HERE to see more from Beverley

CLICK HERE to see more from Jane

CLICK HERE to see more from Lindsey

CLICK HERE to see more from Rahmat

CLICK HERE to see more from Sarah P

THANK YOU Sarah for everything! You had been a blessing to Uniko and you WILL be truly missed by us all.

Hugs

CAS Colours & Sketches #227 Sketch Challenge

Hey!

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

This week is sketch week and this is what I came up with to hopefully spark your creativity....

I've used circles on the sketch, but feel free to substitute them for a shape/element that inspires you. As long as I can see the basis of the sketch you are good to go! Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch too when creating your card. 

Don't forget to keep it CAS and a card though, to be considered for the weekly winners!

Here's how I used it...

These were the stamps I had imagined to use when I designed the sketch! As usual I reached for some of my favourite colours in my Altenew ink collection to stamp the blooms from Beautiful Blooms II. It's been a while since I have inked up this set, so it was nice to dust it off and give it some love ;) 

Both the blooms and leaves are fussy cut out and adhered flat to the card with DST, with just the sentiment from Simply Said adhered to the card using the thinner foam adhesive. I added a little sparkle to the leaves with some Stampin' Up! fine glitter, a trio of enamel dots and a strip of yummy polka dot DP to compliment the leaves.

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

CAS Colours & Sketches #226 Colours

Hey!

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

As we are in the first week of June this week is colour week....

Here's how I used them...

These are a few of my 'go to' colours, especially when stamping with Originally Organic. I've used Calypso Coral and Crumb cake quite a bit in the past with this clear stamp set, so it was natural for me to reach for it again!

Though I love all the images in the set, I always seem to reach for the swirly foliage stamp. I think it is the flow and swirls that I am drawn to. I stamped the image around the edge of my white card mat layer in Altenew Espresso ink and selectively coloured the images using my SU! markers in the 3 challenge colours.

I added a sentiment from Originally Organic Additions 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

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

NEW Originally Organic Designer Dies!

Hey!

Now if you follow me on Social Media and your are signed up for the Uniko Newsletter (sign up located at the lower right of the website homepage), then you will already know about these NEW Designer Dies available NOW on the website HERE! 

Ever since the Originally Organic Designer Dies landed on my desk I have been itching to give them a proper test run ;) Luckily tonight the beans were playing ball and fell asleep with hardly any messing around! 

Here's how I decided to use them...

One of my favourite images from the Originally Organic clear stamp set is this swirly foliage and the NEW matching die has made me fall in love a little bit more! 

I think what I love most about this stamp is the delicacy and elegance it has with the swirls. The matching die is simply fabulous and keeps these details perfectly once die cut. 

I started by die cutting the image partially overlapping my mat layer, making sure to keep hold of all the pieces. 

I then placed my die cut layer and base card inside my MISTI stamping tool, placing the corresponding stamp in place to then stamp the image in Altenew Industrial Diamond ink. I then used a small selection of Copic Markers to colour the image. 

Once I had finished colouring and stamped the sentiment I adhered the die cut layer using foam adhesive, making sure to piece together and adhere the smaller pieces.

This is all I have to share tonight using these new dies, but I can assure you that you WILL be seeing more of these dies in action over the coming days too! 

Until then, thank you for stopping by this evening.

Hugs 

CAS Colours & Sketches #221

Hey!

Another month and week has passed and another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge is upon us! This month and next month is mix hostess month, where each DT member will host just one challenge.  This week is Samantha's turn and she has this wonderful colour combination HERE and seen below to inspire you...

And this is how I decided to use it...

This colour combo is definitely a favourite, but I still seemed to struggle a little. I think it was a time issue! With going away over night at the weekend and arriving back so exhausted after a fun family trip away my mind wasn't on crafting or creating. 

Anyway, I decided to ink up Flower Power #3 which has recently come back in stock. I simply stamped the solid bloom in Melon Mambo and fussy cut it out. I then stamped the stem in the closest green I have to Wild Wasabi and then adhered the bloom before die cutting the stitched oval frame. 

I rarely use ovals on my cards as they throw me astray from my comfort zone! But I decided to use one all the same and mounted it using foam adhesive onto a layered card base which I rounded off one corner to keep in with the curves of the oval. I added a few enamel dots to finish the card off.

I hope that I have inspired you to play along this week and if you need a little more inspiration, be sure to head on over to the CAS Colours & Sketches blog HERE to see what the amazing Design Team and Guest Designer have created using the colours.

I look forward to seeing you in the gallery & have fun!

Hugs

CAS Colours & Sketches #220

Hey!

This is my last week of being hostess for the month of April over HERE at CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. I hope I have inspired your creativity over the past few weeks and that this weeks sketch inspires you...

And this is how I decided to use it...

I've had this stamped pattern idea jotted down for a while & I was waiting for the Uniko Style clear stamp set to come back into stock before I shared it with you all! I am happy to report that those who have been waiting for Uniko Style, it is NOW available again HERE!! 

Anyway, I have used 3 of the smaller stamps in the set to create the stamped pattern and I used a bright and cheerful colour combination of Lucky Limeade, Pixie Pink and Black. The sentiment and trio of stamped dots are from Originally Organic Additions. 

I used a Mama Elephant die to die cut the scalloped edge and simply trimmed a rectangle to fit the sentiment. The enamel dots are from Stampin' Up! too.

I hope that I have inspired you to play along this week and if you need a little more inspiration, be sure to head on over to the CAS Colours & Sketches blog HERE to see what the amazing Design Team and Guest Designer have created using the sketch.

I look forward to seeing you in the gallery & have fun!

Hugs

CAS Colours & Sketches #217

Hey!

How did we get to April already?! 

This year is flying by and I seem to be spending much of it ill in bed with bugs :( Though I am pleased to say I am fully recovered from the bad cold I have had for nearly 2 weeks and to top it off over the sickness bug I had at the end of last week! I'm fighting fit and back on the healthy eating to ward off anymore nasties ;)

Anyway, enough of my moans, groans and woes! I am here with a new CAS Colours & Sketches challenge to inspire you. A new month means a new hostess and this month you have the pleasure of ME inspiring you! 

As usual we have a colour challenge to kick the month off to a good start...

When I was choosing my colours I was planning that Spring had sprung here in the Northern hemisphere and I can easily say it has. We have had a wonderful few days recently and it definitely gives the soul a lift.

Now I know that in the Southern hemisphere you are saying farewell to Summer and entering Autumn, but this colour combo has much more to offer than florals, which I am sure you will show and inspire me with.

Anyhow, I decided upon a floral beauty to inspire you today...

Looking at these colours I was thinking of a meadow filled with English Country Garden flowers and imagined it full of Cosmos - happy sigh.

I stamped the Cosmos from Pure Florals: Cosmos in Lawn Fawn Manatee ink, masked it and stamped the speckled background lightly, by stamping off, with So Safron and Shaded Lilac Distress ink. I then coloured the flowers in with Prismacolour Pencils and stamped the sentiment from Originally Organic Additions.

I hope that I have inspired you to play along this week and if you need a little more inspiration, be sure to head on over to the CAS Colours & Sketches blog HERE to see what the amazing Design Team and Guest Designer have created using the colours.

I look forward to seeing you in the gallery & have fun!

Hugs