It's the 1st of December!!!! .......

Happy Friday .....

And welcome to December.  Let the countdown begin!

I've written, and posted my first lot of Christmas cards.  The first door on the advent calendar is open .... well it's Alex's advent calendar really but, we all got a little bit giddy this morning!  And one of the tasks for this afternoon is to hang a festive wreath on the front door.  I love this time of year ..... can you tell!

I've got another Christmas card for you today, and guess what? It's another tree ........ there's definitely a theme going on with my cards this year.

This was done using a cute little die from Simon Says Stamp called Corbel Tree Collage.  Not sure how long it's been in my die folder but I think this is the first time I've used it to make a card ....... isn't it pretty!

I used to the die to cut the design into a piece of white cardstock, then cut it again from green and red glitter foam from Spellbinders (I'm loving this stuff, and the good thing is the glitter doesn't shed)

I then inlaid the glitter pieces into the white card.  It was a little bit fiddly but I just took my time.  I love how it's given a raised effect, very touchy feely.  And just look at that sparkle!

A festive sentiment stamped underneath, and of course I had to splatter a little bit of gold ink here and there!

As it's the first time I've used this pretty little die I'm linking up to December's NBUS Challenge

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day.

It's time for a coffee I think,  now where did I put the Christmas mugs?

Cheerio until next time .....

We're having a Uniko Blog Hop .........

Good morning!

Happy weekend!  Lets get things started with a fun Blog Hop.

As August is a non new release month from Uniko, we're having one of our Revisit Blog Hops.
This is where we put a previoulsy released stamp set, sometimes with matching dies or even a stencil, into the spotlight again, and showcase a few new ideas.
This month it's the turn of ....... BIG & BOLD Wish, the clear stamp set and the matching Designer Dies

I do love large sentiments and words.  They're great for making a real statement with your cards.  And when they come with matching dies ....... there are so many possibilities.

One of my favourite techniques using dies is inlaid die cuts, it's also a quick and easy way of making two cards from the one die cut.

I found a nice rainbow coloured piece of YUPO paper in my stash, coloured using Alcohol Inks and left over from a previous project.

I'd simply swiped the alcohol inks across the YUPO paper and then spritzed over the top using Blending Solution.

I die cut the word from the centre, making sure to keep all the loose bits from around each letter, and then set this aside for later.
I also cut the word from plain white cardstock

The white version was then inlaid into the coloured YUPO, replacing the coloured bits from in between the letters (the w and the s)

I stamped the rest of my sentiment onto a snippet of white card using one of the stamps from the matching set and attached it underneath the inlaid die cut

Sparkly gems and a few glitter stars add the finishing touches.

And don't forget the twofer .......

I die cut the word from plain white cardstock, and layered the coloured one on the top for a little dimension.  I also die cut the shadow (which also comes in the matching die set) from white card and attached this underneath.

The word was then attached to the centre of a square card and the rest of the sentiment stamped above and below

And that's it ...... two quick and easy cards.  I love the splash of colour.

As it's a Blog Hop there's a prize up for grabs.
The lucky winner will receive ...... the BIG & BOLD Wish clear stamp set AND the matching Designer Dies!!

All you have to do to be included in the draw is comment on each of the blogs as you hop on through. 
You've probably arrived here from Julie's Blog and the next stop from here will be the lovely Lindsey You have until midnight (GMT) on Saturday 24th August to get your comments in.

Happy Hopping!

Bev

  Carol  

Izzy 

Jane 

Julie

Linda (that's me)

Lindsey

Sarah G

 Wiebke 

Thanks for popping by ......... have a great weekend.
Hubby and I are off to the Gaiety Theatre this afternoon, to see Singing in the Rain.

Apparently it's amazing. The reviews have been fantastic, and I'm so looking forward to seeing it. 
We're off to the matinee, followed by an early dinner in Wine Down.  It's not often I get dinner and a show!
Did you know, it's International Pinot Noir Day tomorrow and to celebrate our favourite little eatery is serving a special dinner this evening ...... they don't open on a Sunday!
4 delicious courses, each paired with a different style of Pinot Noir, and a glass of pink bubbly on arrival.  I do like a nice glass of red ..... especially when there's venison on the menu.  Cheers!

Cheerio until next time .......

Products used:
Stamps: BIG & BOLD Wish clear stamp set (Uniko)
Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Alcohol Ink Pearls - Deception (pink) Alchemy (yellow) Splendor (orange) & Sublime (green); Blending Solution
Other: YUPO cardstock; BIG & BOLD Wish Designer Dies (Uniko); Clear gems; Die cut stars; Glitter Glue

Happy Birthday Bev! .......

Welcome to Tuesday ......

It's a special day today.  The lovely Bev from Uniko is celebrating her birthday!!

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday dear Bev

Happy Birthday to You!!! 

It's not just any old birthday ..... it's a big one!  I don't think she'll mind me telling you ..... it's the big 4 0!!!!
To help her celebrate her special day the Uniko Design Team have gt together and we're having a Surprise Birthday Blog Hop ..... whoo hoo!!

Happy Birthday hun ....... hope it's a good one!

I'm not sure how Bev is feeling about turning 40 (I know I wasn't happy when it was me!!) so I thought I'd keep my design CAS, and make the number a little understated ......

Inlaid into the stamped image ......

Gold shimmer ink to stamp with, coloured using ZIG Markers,  and a few little crystal drops to finish

I know Bev has received this, because I gave it to her at the weekend when I saw her at Port Sunlight.
If you would like to join in and wish Bev a Happy Birthday ..... just design a card and add it to the linky on the Birthday Blog post on the Uniko Blog ...... she'll love it!

Speaking of Port Sunlight we had a great day on Saturday.  The weather was fab, the ferry crossing was perfectly calm (both ways) and the shopping was fun.  I even came back with money in my purse which was a bonus!

It was so nice to see everyone, it's just a shame we don't get more time.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.
I'm off to the craft room now.  It's a short week for me this week, so I need to get move on!
Hubby and I are having a few days away ....... we're on the boat again on Thursday and then we're off up to Scotland I think.  Let's hope this nice weather holds.
Speaking of the weather, did I mention that hubby had bought himself a little present?  He's bought himself a telescope.

It's a bit bigger than I imagined ..... my hubby never does anything by half!!!

Anyway, as you can see it's all set up ...... well almost.   Apparently, you have to align it using the stars so that the telescope knows where it is, you can then tell it what you want to look at, and it will move around to view different parts of the sky ...... makes sense, I suppose!  Well ...... since it arrived we haven't had a clear night ..... and the thing's just been sat in the lounge.  That was until Saturday. 

The Isle of Man is known for it's dark skies and where we are there's not much in the way of street lights etc., it's all countryside around us so, on a clear night the sky is full of stars.  When I got home around 10ish the house was deserted.  I eventually found him, on the patio, with the telescope, looking at the moon!  Bless him .... my little stargazer!  

Cheerio until next time .....

Products used:
Stamps: Happiest of Days (Stampin Up!)
Inks: Delicata - Golden Glizt
Other: Number dies (Stampin Up!); ZIG Brush Markers, Crystal Drops (Nuvo)

Uniko New Release ...... Day 4 Introducing BIG & BOLD Wish Designer Dies

Happy weekend .......

Welcome to the final day of Introductions for the brand new Uniko release.
There's not long to wait now, the release day is tomorrow ...... Sunday 5th May, and all the new products will be available from 9pm (BST) on the Uniko website.

So far we've seen gorgeous new stamps, a great new stencil, and a pretty set of butterfly dies. 
Last but definitely not least ..... something else that you might just want to add to your shopping list .... another fab set of dies, that match a very popular, previously released, stamp set ......  BIG & BOLD Wish

It's a great little die set ..... not only do you get the word 'wish' you get a die to cut the shadow and, dies to cut the candle and the flame too!

I've used the stamps to create the background ..... coloring the candles using ZIG Markers

I then used the new dies to cut the word 'wish' one from the stamped piece of card,  and twice from plain white cardstock.
I inlaid one of the white words back into the stamped piece of card, added the second one on the top and then layered the one cut from the stamped card, matching up the design again.

I stamped the rest of the sentiment using more of the stamps from the set, and attached it above the die cut.
A layer of Crystal Glaze on the die cut word, and a few sparkly sequins add the finishing touches.

I should have waited a little longer before applying the Crystal Glaze ...... the ink has run a little and mixed with the glaze.  Won't make that mistake again!!!

It's been fun introducing this new release ...... but the fun's not over yet! 
Join me again tomorrow for more ideas and inspiration and join in the fun with the DT Blog Hop ..... there might just be a massive Giveaway too! 

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day, and have a great weekend.
I'm off to get ready for a workshop now ..... think I need a coffee first though.

Cheerio until next time ..... 

Products used:

Stamps:  BIG & BOLD Wish Clear stamp set (Uniko)

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Other: ZIG Clean Color Brush Markers; BIG & BOLD Wish Designer Dies (Uniko); Crystal Glaze, Clear sequins

Uniko Challenge # 52 .....

Happy Friday ........

It's almost the weekend again .... these weeks are just flying by!  At least the weather has calmed down a little since the storm in the middle of the week.  Let's hope it lasts ..... hubby's planning on having a BBQ on Sunday!!

Anyway ........ let's get that Friday feeling shall we.  Fancy a blog challenge? 

It's time to get the new Uniko Challenge underway.   It's Challenge #52  and the theme is Spring, with the optional twist this month being ..... Easter

I love the inspiration picture ...... our bunnies are back in the garden, happily munching away at the grass.

I haven't used the twist this month, I was inspired more by the colours and the Spring element.

I started by stamping the daffodil (my favourite Spring flower) onto a piece of smooth watercolour cardstock and heat embossed the images in white.

I then blended Distress Oxide inks over the top ...... starting each colour on the edge and working my way towards the centre until the colours blended nicely together. 

The embossing acts as a resist to the inks so once I was happy with the colour I gave it a quick polish over with a soft cloth and removed any left over ink on the embossed images, so that the white really popped out against the background.
You could do the Distress inks first, then the heat embossing but ..... you would have to make sure that the backgound was completely dry before applying your embossing powder otherwise you risk not getting a perfect, crisp image.  Also, remember to use your anti-static bag before doing any kind of heat embossing.

I splattered some water onto my inked background, let it sit for a few seconds then mopped up the excess with a paper towel leaving this fab splattered effect on the background.

I never tire of doing this, it's a great way of adding some detail and interest to your projects, and the Distress inks, both the original and the oxides, react so well with water. 
And the great thing is no two backgrounds will ever be the same.

Next I die cut the word 'Happy' ..... once from the centre of the inked card, and twice from plain white cardstock.
I inlaid one of the white die cuts back into the coloured card, layered on the second white one and then finally the coloured one on the top.  This is sometimes called the hidden sentiment technique, or camoflagued sentiments.  I love it. 
You can add as many or as few layers as you like, just remember when you inlay the first layer you need to add in the bits from the centres of letters or gaps in the word that are cut from the coloured version (the one that will be the top layer!).  This means that your finished piece will be complete again ..... does that make sense?

I added a little stamped banner with the rest of my sentiment

You have lots of time to play along, the challenge doesn't end until midnight (GMT) on 19th April.  Although thinking about it, it will actually be midnight BST (British Summer Time) ..... the clocks go forward here on March 31st!!  But hey! you still have loads of time to enter.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy your day and have a great weekend.
Mine's starting early .... I'm off into town later to meeting someone for coffee, followed by a bit of retail therapy and a quick lunch with Lauren, and then hubby and I are out this evening. It's all go here!

Cheerio until next time .....

Products used:
Stamps: Spring Botanicals - Daffodil (Uniko), Birthday Sentiments (Uniko)
Inks: Distress Oxides - Salty Ocean, Cracked Pistachio, Versamark ink, Versafine Clair - Nocturne
Other: Detail White Embossing Powder, Platinum Embossing powder (WOW!), Big & Bold Happy Designer Dies (Uniko), smooth watercolour cardstock, white card

Uniko February Release ..... Introducing BIG & BOLD Happy

Happy Wednesday ......

It's the middle of the week already, and we're still having fun celebrating Uniko's 7th Birthday.

We've had the Birthday Blog Hop with the Linky Party .... which is still open by the way. Check out the Uniko Blog for all the details.
There's also the HUGE Giveaway from Bev at Uniko ...... one person will win Uniko stamps for a whole year!!!  How amazing is that!? Again, full details on the Blog
And then today ....... is time to start the introductions for the brand new Uniko Release, available to buy on the Uniko website from Monday, February 11th at 9pm (GMT).  I said we were celebrating!

Today we've got a fab new stamp set, the latest addition to the Big & Bold series ....... BIG & BOLD Happy ....

The name says it all ...... it's big, it's bold, and it's perfect for creating all those Happy wishes you want to send, whatever the occasion.  And guess what .... there's matching dies available too!!  These can be used either with the stamps, or without.

I've used a rainbow of coloured inks and just one of the smaller word stamps from the set to create this fun, all over design.

I then used one of the matching dies to cut out the 'happy' ....... twice from a piece of plain white card, one red, and also from the centre of my stamped piece of card.
The dies are great .... you get the one I've used above which cuts the word in detail, you also get a die that cuts the outline which is slightly bigger so you can layer it, and you get little dies for some of the  the accent images too.

I inlaid one of the white die cuts into the stamped card, filling in the centres of the 'a' and the 'p's with the bits from the stamped version (hope that makes sense!)
I then layered the rest of my die cuts on the top ...... another white, the red and then the stamped version to give real dimension .......

This is what I call the Hidden Word technique, or Camouflage Die Cuts as it's also known, amongst other things.

To finish off I added the cute little party hat from the same set ..... love it!

There are so many possibilities with this stamp set, and to have the matching dies means it'll work twice as hard for you ...... definite 'must haves' I think!

Don't forget to check out the ideas from the rest of the Design Team.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.

I'll be back tomorrow with more introductions from the new release.

Cheerio until then .....

Twofer Card Challenge .......

Happy Thursday ......

We're heading nicely towards the weekend ..... and this time next week, hubby will be nearly home!
 
Today I'm playing along with this month's Twofer Card Challenge ..... two cards, for two occasions, made using the same stamp or die.
The theme for August is ...... Geometric

Hmmmm ....... took me a while, but I got there in the end (just in time too .... I think the challenge closes tomorrow)

I've used a Memory Box die ...... I think it's called Mod Squares Background ..... and yes it is on both cards.
First ..... the female version ......

This beautiful stamp from Unity is one of my current favourites.  Stamped and heat embossed in Rose Gold and then coloured using the new Spun Sugar Distress Oxide before being cut into using the Mod Squares die

I also cut the die again, three times, from white cardstock and then inlaid and layered the various squares back into the stamped image.
I varied the number of layers on each square so that they would be at different heights and add a little more interest and texture to the design

A simple stamped sentiment and a few ink splatters finish it off

Now one for the boys using the same die .....

This was so simple to do ....... I die cut the squares from a piece of black card cut to fit the front of my card blank.  I cut it again from another piece of black card and again from a couple of pieces of designer papers.

I layered up the various squares of card and papers and then inlaid them back into the main piece of card matching up the stripes on the papers ....

An embossed sentiment and few dots of Nuvo Crystal Drops and we're done!

Two cards, two occasions, same die!

I was out yesterday for a lovely afternoon tea.  I met up with some of our crafty group to celebrate Carol's BIG birthday ........ we couldn't let that one slip by now could we!

I can show you her birthday card now .......

Love this image from Stamping Bella ........ coloured with ZIG markers and fussy cut

The sentiment is from SU ....... and is a two parter.   This goes on the outside of the card ....

and I'm sorry, but silly me forgot to take a picture of the inside, which says ......

 ...... Like "WHY did I walk into this room?" 

(it made me smile)

That could actually be me at the moment ..... can't remember anything unless I write it down!!

Happy Birthday Carol ..... remember hun, it's only a number!

I do remember though we arranged another crafty get together at mine at the weekend which should be fun .... looking forward to that. There's going to be birthday cake!

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day

The sun has just popped it's head out .... lets hope it dries up all the rain from the monsoon that we had about half an hour ago!  Typical Isle of Man weather,  all the seasons in one day.  There's supposed to be another practice session today for the Manx GP  ..... fingers crossed!

Cheerio until next time .....