Uniko Celebrating 12 Years - Introducing... Ink & Flip Geometric Heart Layering Stencil

Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day!

Today marks the start of the new product introductions for the 12th Birthday/February release at Uniko and first up is a new addition to the Ink & Flip stencil series, and this one is a set of two...Ink & Flip Geometric Heart Layering Stencil.

Here's my first card, and I've just used the main geometric heart for this one...

Here I've inked up the first sections with Distress Oxide in Saltwater Taffy, then flipped the stencil and done exactly the same.  Believe it or not, the second inking is the same ink, but while the ink was still wet I've blended some mica powder over the top to add the shimmer.  I finished with a sentiment from the Everyday Love Sentiments stamp set and a smooth gem.  The panel was die cut using a scalloped rectangle die but I felt that the scallops didn't work with the geometric heart so I just trimmed off the scalloped edges leaving the pierced detailing.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Uniko - Ink & Flip Geometric Heart 
• Stamps: Uniko - Everyday Love Sentiments
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Saltwater Taffy; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Mica Powder: Honey Doo Crafts - White Opal
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Scalloped Rectangles

And for my second card I used the two stencils together...

I inked up the background using the ink and flip method and two shades of Distress Oxide ink.  Next I inked up the central heart all in one shade of grey.  The sentiment is from the You Are Sentiments Outlined stamp set.  To finish I added a pink heart droplet.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Uniko - Ink & Flip Geometric Heart Layering Stencil
• Stamps: Uniko - You Are Sentiments Outlined
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Saltwater Taffy, Kitsch Flamingo, Lost Shadow; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Accent: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Droplets: Blossom Hearts

To see more projects and this stencil set in action my fellow Brand Ambassadors are sharing more makes over at the main Uniko blog, here.

This stencil, along with all the products being introduced this week will be available from 9am GMT on Sunday 18 January 2024. 

I'll be back tomorrow with another introduction so please do pop back to take a look.

Honey Doo Crafts - May 2020 Release - Cherry on Top

Hi guys

I'm back tonight to share a couple more sample makes using another of the new stamp sets from Honey Doo Crafts.

And if you missed Amanda's Facebook live earlier this evening where she was sharing all the new products and samples, you can watch it back over on their Facebook page, here.


Ok, these are my cards using the new Cherry On Top stamp set...

I began by stamping both the image and sentiment in VersaMark ink on kraft cardstock but only heat embossed the sentiment at this stage.  VersaMark ink leaves a tone on tone watermark of the image.   Next I coloured in the cupcake by painting with a mix of Honey Doo mica powders and water.  These create a lovely shimmery effect.  Once dry I then re-stamped the cupcake in VersaMark (by leaving the stamp in my MISTI I was able to stamp in the exact same spot) and then heat embossed in white.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Cherry on Top
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Mica Powders: Honey Doo Crafts - Berry Red, White Opal, Purple Topaz, Green Emerald
• Cardstock: Neenah - Desert Storm

For this next card I used the Cherry on Top stamp again, and some other existing Honey Doo products...

The cupcake was stamped in black and coloured with ProMarkers, I then fussy cut this out.  I used some stitched dies to create a frame and also used the Honey Doo Encircle die and laid a section behind the frame and adhered them all together.  I then added some patterned paper to the card base and popped the frame up on 3D foam.  The cake was then adhered over the top and a stamped sentiment strip added to finish, this sentiment being from the Honey Doo Just in Case stamp set.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Cherry on Top, Just in Case
• Dies: Honey Doo Crafts - Encircle; Clearly Besotted - Frame It; MFT Die-namics - Stitched Sentiment Strips
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Patterned Paper: Hot Off The Press - Floral Cardmakers Ultimate Pack (years old!)

Thanks so much for visiting, I'll have more samples for you tomorrow.

(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Honey Doo Crafts - October 2019 Release - Selection Two

Hi there

I'm back today with more of my samples using the latest product release from Honey Doo Crafts.

Amanda from Honey Doo also did a Facebook Live video last night which you can find, here, sharing all the new products and lots of samples.

In this post I've decided to share all my Christmas themed makes, made sense to keep these all together.  So, here goes.

This first card uses the new Gingham stencil, and the previously released Holly and Christmas Globe sets...

This card just evolved, I didn't really know where I was going with it when I started.  On a panel of white cardstock I squished VersaMark ink through the stencil and then heat embossed in silver.  I then masked off the rows and ink blended with Distress Inks.  I was going to just use it as a background panel but then had a brainwave that it looked like wrapping paper, so I trimmed it down and made it into a present!  I added the ribbon and popped it onto the card base on fun foam.  I stamped, coloured and fussy cut the holly, adding some Glossy Accents to the berries.  I then manipulated the curved sentiment from the Christmas Globe set and stamped the words separately on a die cut tag.  The holy and tag were then nestled under the bow.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Gingham
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Holly, Christmas Globe
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Shaded Lilac
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Traditional Tag Stax
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accents: Glossy Accents, ribbon from stash

Challenge entries:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #170 - Plaid

STAMPlorations - October Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes

Next up is another of the new stencils, Stars, and a sentiment from the new Oh Christmas Tree set...

I used some new to my stash paste and glitter with this stencil and the sparkle is amazing in real life!  I spread the paste through the stencil onto black cardstock, sprinkled on the glitter and left it to properly dry before trimming the panel down.  I mounted the panel onto some holographic cardstock, just to have a little peeping through around the edges.  I heat embossed the sentiment in silver glitter onto a vellum strip and wrapped this around the panel before adhering to the card base.

I've purposely blurred the photo below, I think the bokeh effect really captures the colours and sparkle from the glitter...

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars
• Stamp: Honey Doo Crafts - Oh Christmas Tree
• Embossing Paste: Sweet Poppy - Stencil Dimensions Translucent
• Glitter: Sweet Poppy - Crystalina Rainbow 
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver Sparkle
• Vellum and holographic cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Allsorts Challenge - Challenge #542 - Add Something Gold and/or Silver

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #132 - Monochrome

Happy Little Stampers - October Christmas Challenge - Twinkle

Next up I've used the Stars stencil again, and a sentiment from the previously released Christmas Quotes set...

This one layer card was so simple to make.  I masked off the edges of the card base and in blended from the edges inwards, fading out in the centre.  I then inked through the stencil with the same shade of ink, again, fading out in the centre.  I added a sweep of anti-static powder before then stamping and heat embossing the sentiment in silver.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars
• Stamp: Honey Doo Crafts - Christmas Quotes
• Ink: Distress Ink - Chipped Sapphire; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver

Next is the new Oh Christmas Tree set... 

On a panel of black cardstock I stamped and heat embossed the tree in a sparkly powder.  The glitter particles in this embossing powder are quite chunky so I heated on the underside first to stop the glitter blowing away before the powder melted.  I heat embossed the sentiment in white onto some vellum, wrapped this around and adhered to the base on fun foam.

Again, I've blurred the photo below to try to capture the sparkle.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Oh Christmas Tree
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Midas Touch, Opaque Bright White
• Vellum and cardstock from stash

Challenge entry:

Creative with Stamps - Challenge #43 - Tree

Here is the Oh Christmas Tree set again, paired with a sentiment from the previously released Christmas Globe set...

Pretty much the same layout as the last card but this time I heat embossed with a pearl powder on deep red cardstock.  I heat embossed the sentiment onto the same cardstock and used a curved stitched die to create the sentiment strip which was popped up on 3D foam.  I then embellished the tree with some rhinestones.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Oh Christmas Tree, Christmas Globe
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - White Pearl
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Stitched Basic Edges
• Accents: Mini rhinestones from stash

The next new set is Snowflake Flourish, paired here with a sentiment from the previously released Jingle Bells set...

I used one of my go too favourite designs for this card.  I added a strip of masking tape in the upper half of the card and blended away from the tape with lilac ink.  I then stamped the flourish and snowflakes in three shades of ink and added some splatters using a mix of silver mica powder and water.  The masking tape was removed and the sentiment stamped in black.  Easy peasy!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Snowflake Flourish, Jingle Bells
• Ink: Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac; Versa Color - Neptune, Mint, Lavender; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Honey Doo Crafts Mica Powder - Silver Sparkle

Challenge entry:

Inkspirational - Challenge #198 - Mask

And finally, I've used Snowflake Flourish again, together with the new Christmas Magic sentiment stamp...

I began with a die cut rectangle of pale lilac cardstock and stamped the snowflake flourish and sentiment in VersaMark ink.  I then used two shades of embossing powder, adding in sections before heating.  The panel was mounted on fun foam onto a larger die cut rectangle.  I added some mini rhinestones to the centres of the snowflakes for a bit of bling.  It was difficult to catch the two different shades of embossing on camera, you can just about make out the silver and platinum in the photo below.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Snowflake Flourish, Christmas Magic
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver, Metallic Platinum
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

If you made it to the end of the post, thanks so much for getting here, that was a bit photo heavy!

I'll be sharing more over the next few days ahead of the Honey Doo shows on Hochanda next Thursday, 24 October at 12pm and 4pm.

Enjoy your weekend :)

(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Less is More Challenge #394

Good morning, guys

It's time for a new challenge over at Less is More and it's the one that's dreaded by many.  Yes, we're back with a One Layer Challenge.

And our definition of One Layer Cards, as well as more of our clarifications, can be found here.

The awesome Seven Hills Crafts continues as our sponsor for the month of April, and by playing along will give you a chance to win the monthly prize.

I have two sample cards for you today, and for both of these I chose to use hammered cardstock for the first time in ages!  Although, the camera hasn't picked this up too well.

Here's the first..

I blended through a flower stencil off the edge of the card base with two shades of Distress Ink.  I then roughly masked off the white space and splattered with a mix of mica powder and water.  The sentiment was stamped in black to finish.

Materials used:

• Stencil: purchased from Stamposaurus but no name
• Ink: Distress Ink - Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Altenew - Build a Flower: Anemone
• Accents: Honey Doo Crafts Mica Powder - Purple Topaz

Challenge entry:

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #96 - Floral

And card two...

The stem and bud were stamped first.  Then the sentiment, where I masked off part of a 'buddy' stamp.  I then added some debossed score lines for some interest on two edges.  Super simple and I think the hammered cardstock and the score lines give it a classy finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Sweet Rose, Budgie Buddies
• Ink: Altenew - Evergreen, Sunkissed, Orange Cream; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Score lines

Challenge entries:

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #107 - CAS
AAA Cards - CAS Game #138 - Along the Edge
Alphabet Challenge Blog - C for Clean and Simple



My teamies have some great inspiration for you which you can find over at the main challenge blog, here.  And by following their links they may have even more to share on their personal blogs too.

I'm looking forward to seeing your projects in the gallery, and please don't be daunted by one layer cards, why not give it a go :)

Less is More Challenge #384

Good morning

Starting over at Less is More today we have a Colour challenge for you.  I'll get straight to it and show you the cue card...

As always, please ensure your entries are clean and simple.

Our generous Sponsor for this month is Happy Little Stampers so please do play along in our November challenges to be in with a chance of winning a prize.

Joining us as a Guest Designer this week we have the wonderful Angie of Cimba Creative Fun.  She was our September winner and is a regular participant at Less is More.  Please do pop over and take a look at her gorgeous card for our colour challenge theme.

Right, onto my cards, and I have two for you this time.  Here's the first, using copper, gold and silver and stamps by our fabulous sponsor...

For this card I chose a teal coloured base and used that for my stamped panel too.  I used metallics for the rest of the design.  I began by first stamping the holly and heat embossing with copper embossing powder, then stamped the berries, added the embossing powder and brushed away any parts of the image which crossed over onto the holly before also heat embossing in copper.  I then painted the images using a mix of mica powder and water in silver and gold.  I then stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in silver before die cutting with a pierced square die.  Something else was needed so I die cut the same square from some gold cardstock and offset the panels before popping up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Merry Kissmas
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Copper, Metallic Silver
• Mica Powder: Honey Doo Crafts - Silver Sparkle; Ranger Perfect Pearls - Heirloom Gold
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Squares Stax
• Cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #317 - Make Your Mark (painted with mica powders)

Stamping Sensations - November Challenge - Get Ready for Christmas

Happy Little Stampers - November Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes (CAS)

My second card is one I recently made for my boyfriend's parents who were celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary...

For the main panel I ran this through my Big Shot using a great little embossing folder.  It creates a horizontal banner towards the top and an embossed heart and a border along the bottom.  I heat embossed the sentiment in gold and attached the panel to a slightly larger piece of textured gold cardstock flat on the card base.  I mixed some transparent texture paste with gold glitter and spread this through a heart stencil and left it to dry before die cutting with a stitched heart.  I cut the same heart from the same gold cardstock I adhered to the base.  All that was left to do was adhere the hearts, one popped up on 3D foam, and a little bow made from gold organza ribbon.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder:  Xcut - Banner
• Stamps: Uniko - Flower Power #7
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Heart Stax
• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Brush Hearts
• Texture Paste: Ranger - Translucent Matte
• Accents: Nuvo Glitter - Light Gold
• Ribbon and cardstock from stash 

Thanks so much for visiting today.  My teamies have some great examples which you can find over on the main Less is More challenge page, here.  So, unless you're super organised (unlike me!) why not use this challenge to add some Christmas cards to your stash using metallics?  I really must get a wriggle on with mine, time seems to be passing so fast, Santa will be on his sleigh before I know it!

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection Two

Good morning

I'm back today to share more makes using the wonderful products from Honey Doo Crafts which will be showcased on Hochanda tomorrow.

Honey Doo Crafts have some absolutely stunning floral stamps, some simple outlines which are great for colouring, and others which are super detailed.

My first card today features a flower and leaves from the Cherry Blossom set, together with co-ordinating dies, and a background using the super cool Brush Strokes set...

This is one of my favourites using these products.  Directly on the card base I stamped the same brush stroke image in two different shades of dye ink to create a kind of plaid effect.  The flower and leaves were stamped and embossed in white and I used co-ordinating Distress Inks to blend the colour.  These were then die-cut with their co-ordinating dies.  The leaves were adhered flat, the flower was popped up on 3D foam and I stamped the sentiment in black, positioned to balance the design.  I finished with a single glittered enamel dot for the flower centre.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo - Brush Strokes, Cherry Blossom, Birthday Sentiments
• Dies: Honey Doo - Cherry Blossom
• Ink: Altenew - Lagoon, Sea Breeze; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Broken China, Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio
• Enamel dot from stash

Next up I've used another of the gorgeous floral sets called Fleur, which I've also paired with Brush Strokes for background detail...

I love grey and blush together so chose that colour palette for this one.  I started on the card base and stamped one of the brush stroke images three times to add interest to the background.  The flowers and leaves were stamped and heat embossed in white onto grey and blush cardstock and fussy cut.  These were really easy to cut out just by following the embossed edges.  Before adhering these I used the handle of a paint brush to add a slight curl to the leaves and petals, then popped some up on glue dots.  The dimension can be seen more clearly below...

The sentiment was stamped in a co-ordinating grey ink and to add some interest to the card base I created some double score lines around the edge.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo - Brush Strokes, Fleur, Birthday Sentiments
• Ink: Altenew - Blush; Hero Arts - Soft Granite; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured Cardstock: Papermania - Midnight Blush

On this next card I used Fleur again for an autumnal theme...

I began with some kraft cardstock and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in white.  I then used the different leaves from the set and also heat embossed these in white.  I then used coloured pencils to add the shading to the leaves.  The panel was then trimmed down with a stitched rectangle die. 

Before adhering the panel flat, I stamped the flowers in a soft neutral shade to add interest to the border of the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo - Fleur, Birthday Sentiments
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Morning Frost
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Wonky Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Kraft Cardstock - Neenah - Desert Storm

For this card I used the gorgeous Carnation set...

On a panel of watercolour cardstock I stamped the stems and the flower heads, with a little masking to place one behind the other.  Once the ink was dry I covered the majority of the card, just leaving the area of the flower heads visible, and very lightly sprinkled some Brusho crystals in two shades before spritzing with water.  I used a paint brush to manipulate some of the colour then left to dry. I then die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle and stamped the sentiment in the same black ink.

To finish, I mixed some silver mica powder with water and gently splattered my panel to add some shimmer and sparkle.  The panel was then adhered to a co-ordinating coloured card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo - Carnation, Birthday Sentiments
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Brushos - Purple, Ultramarine
• Die: Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangles
• Mica Powder: Honey Doo - Silver Sparkle
• Cardstock from stash

Don't forget, Honey Doo Crafts have two upcoming shows on the craft shopping channel, Hochanda (Freeview 85 / Sky 673) this coming Saturday, 10 November 2018, a 10am and 2pm GMT.

Thanks so much for popping by.  I'll be sharing more of my makes shortly.