Uniko August 2025 Release - Introducing...Stencils Layering Retro Stripes and Ink & Flip Mid Century Leaves

Happy Saturday

It's the final day of the Uniko August Release introductions.  The entire release will be revealed tomorrow at 9am BST and will then be available to purchase via the Uniko online store.

We're showcasing stencils today...Layering Retro Stripes which is a five stencil set, and Ink & Flip Mid Century Leaves.  Both of these products have a retro vibe, like the rest of this release.  I think you'll agree that Bev's design skills have been amazing with these new products.

I'll start with the leaves...

Now, I didn't actually flip the stencil when making this card.  There are so many ways you can use it.  Firstly I inked up the beige and green leaves then, instead of flipping it, I cleaned the stencil and just moved it so that the leaves were below the ones I had just inked.  I then inked up the teal and orange leaves.  I then grabbed an image from the Mid Century Modern Florals set and stamped those in grey.  A greeting from the Bauhaus Blocks set, embossed in white on a black die cut strip finished the card.

Materials used:

• Stencils: Uniko - Ink & Flip Mid Century Leaves
• Stamps: Uniko - Mid Century Modern Florals, Bauhaus Blocks
• Ink: Altenew - Sand Dunes, Teal Cave, Autumn Blaze, Forest Glades; Versafine Claire - Morning Mist; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Brutus Monroe - Alabaster
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Sentiment Strips

Now for the fabulous retro stripes, and I paired these with a greeting from the Mid Century Modern Everyday Sentiments set...

I decided for this I wanted the sets of stripes in different coloured gradients.  These stencils are super easy to line up but I had to mask sections to do the different colours on each stencil.  My Altenew inks are in sets of four so I had to try to find a fifth colour that would work, I think I've done ok here.  The two lightest blues look the same here but the inner colour is a touch lighter so I think it works ok.  I trimmed the panel down slightly and mounted it onto a frame in creamy beige.

Materials used:

• Stencils: Uniko - Layering Retro Stripes
• Stamp: Uniko - Mid Century Modern Everyday Sentiments
• Ink: Altenew - Dark Night, Nimbus, Cloudy Sky, Misty Morning, Polar Bear, Marigold, Snapdragon, Chamomile, Sunray, Buttercream; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Cardstock from stash

Aren't these fab?!  You can see how the other Brand Ambassadors have used these stencils if you check out the Uniko blog, here.  I'll be back tomorrow with a reveal of the full release.

Thank for visiting, as always x

Uniko August 2025 Release - Introducing...Background Blocks Swiss Dots

Good morning

More from Uniko this morning and it's the introduction of a stamp which I think will be super useful in any crafter's stash - Background Blocks Swiss Dots.

I have two cards for you today, one using the stamp as a background and another using it as the main focal point.

Here's the first and I've used it with the floral image from Pure Florals Cosmos and a greeting from Organic Blooms...

I began by stamping the Cosmos on a white cardstock panel and colouring with Copics.  I then masked the image before stamping the background dots in a gradient of three shades of aqua/teal.  I then stamped the greeting in black ink before matting and layering onto some co-ordinating lilac cardstock, flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Background Blocks Swiss Dots, Pure Florals Cosmos, Organic Blooms
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Altenew - Dew Drops, Aqualicious, Teal Cave; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Coloured with Copics
• Cardstock from stash

For my second card I made the dots the focus and added a sentiment from the Simply Said Blocks II set...

On a die cut panel I started by stamping and heat embossing the dots in white.  I then masked around the rectangle and ink blended with three shades of Distress Oxides, the dots resisting the ink.  I then wiped over the design with a soft cloth to remove any excess ink on the dots.  The panel was adhered flat to the card base and I then stamped and cut out the sentiment and finished with some co-ordinating enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Background Blocks Swiss Dots; Simply Said Blocks II
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Kitsch Flamingo, Tumbled Glass, Cracked Pistachio; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Embossing Powder: Brutus Monroe - Alabaster
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Limeade, Blue Jean and Bubblegum Assortments

To see more projects using this versatile stamp, pop on over to the Uniko blog, here.  I'll be back tomorrow to introduce the final two products included in this release.

All the new products will be available from this coming Sunday, 10 August 2025 at 9am BST.

I hope you're enjoying these showcases and would love you to pop back tomorrow.

Uniko Christmas In July 2025 - Reveal, Release, Brand Ambassador Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Good morning!

It's Christmas in July release day over at Uniko and I'm here to reveal the whole release and share another card.

Here's the final card I made, using the new Ink & Flip Snowflake Pattern stencil...

For this one I used the stencil on the diagonal on a die cut panel and only inked up two rows.  For the first row I used Distress Oxide in Saltwater Taffy and then heat embossed with a pearl embossing powder.  Then I flipped the stencil and inked up the remaining snowflake halves with embossing paste.  I heat embossed the greeting from the Most Wonderful set (apologies, I think this set is now retired) on some co-ordinating cardstock and inked around the edges with the same Oxide ink.  The panel was then adhered flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Uniko - Ink & Flip Snowflake Pattern
• Stencils: Uniko - Most Wonderful
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Saltwater Taffy; Versamark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - White Pearl
• Embossing Paste: Nuvo Glimmer Paste - Moonstone
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

So, now to reveal the new and reintroduced products in full.

First up are the new stencils, this first one being the fab new Layering Christmas Bauhaus Blocks...

Next up are the two new Ink & Flip stencils - Christmas Tree Pattern and Snowflake Pattern...

Now onto the stamps and first we have a couple of new additions to the Background Blocks collection, Merry Christmas Scramble and My Favourite Colour...

and finally, the final set to complete the Flower Power collection, Flower Power #12...

So, lots of fab new products to kick start your festive creativity.  The products are available from the Uniko store now, here. 

Be sure to leave some comments on the Brand Ambassador blogs or social media.  You can find all the links over at the Uniko blog, here.  By commenting along the hop you're in with a chance of winning a £25 eGift Certificate to spend in store.  You have until Sunday 3 August to get your comments in before all the Christmas in July 2025 winners are announced on or around the 6 August 2025.

Thanks for visiting today and for your lovely comments here and on my socials.

Uniko Christmas in July 2025 - Introducing...Background Blocks My Favourite Colour

Hi there

Another introduction for you ahead of the new Uniko release coming on Thursday this week and it's a new addition to the Background Blocks series - Background Blocks My Favourite Colour.

Who doesn't love Christmas lights?!  This stamp creates a brilliant focal point for your Christmas cards and looks fab with techniques on both light and dark colours of cardstock.  The team have some great examples over at the Uniko blog, here.

Here's my sample card...

I initially stamped the image using a pale ink before colouring all the bulbs using three shades of Copic markers.  Once complete I placed the card panel back into my MISTI and re-stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed in a platinum shade.  I then trimmed the panel down slightly before matting onto a co-ordinating shimmer cardstock panel and then adhered onto the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamp: Uniko - Background Blocks My Favourite Colour
• Ink: VersaMark
• Coloured with Copics
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Platinum
• Cardstock from stash

There's one more stamp set to introduce tomorrow before the release will be available to purchase from Uniko from 9am BST on Thursday 31 July 2025. 

Thank you as always for stopping by.

Uniko Christmas in July 2025 - Introducing...Ink & Flip Christmas Tree Pattern and Ink & Flip Snowflake Pattern

Hi there

It's day three of the Uniko introductions from the Christmas in July release.

And today the team are showcasing two new additions to the Ink & Flip family...Christmas Tree Pattern and Snowflake Pattern.  These are standalone stencils which will help you to create quick and fun Christmas backgrounds.

First up, here's my sample card using the Ink & Flip Christmas Tree Pattern stencil...

The stencil creates half of the trees, with a vertical split, and then you flip it to complete the trees.  I used four colours of Distress Oxides here.  I inked up the first side using Iced Spruce fading into Pine Needles, then the flip side using Mowed Lawn fading into Rustic Wilderness.  I then heat embossed the large Merry onto vellum and fussy cut this out, then heat embossed the rest of the greeting in gold on a white strip, both of which I adhered on 3D foam.  These were from the Big & Bold Merry set.  I finished with a single enamel star on one of the trees.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Uniko - Ink & Flip Christmas Tree Pattern
• Stamps: Uniko - Big & Bold Merry
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Iced Spruce, Pine Needles, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss, Metallic Gold Rich
• Vellum and enamel star from stash

And now my card using the Ink & Flip Snowflake Pattern, paired with a sentiment from the Background Builders Winter Wonderland set...

Placing the stencil on the diagonal, I inked up through the first side of the stencil with Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide, before flipping and inking through with Shaded Lilac.  I then die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die.  I then stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in silver before adhering the panel flat to my card base.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Uniko - Ink & Flip Snowflake Pattern
• Stamp: Uniko - Background Builders Winter Wonderland
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Tumbled Glass, Shaded Lilac; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silber
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

Be sure to check out the Uniko blog, here where you'll find many more projects from Bev and the Brand Ambassadors  I'll be back tomorrow to introduce another of the new products.

All the new products will be available on Thursday 31 July 2025 from 9am BST.

I appreciate you taking a look and hope to see you soon.

Uniko Christmas in July 2025 - Introducing...Background Blocks Merry Christmas Scramble

Hi there

Back for day two of the new release introductions from Uniko and today it's a fun new addition to the Background Blocks collection...Background Blocks Merry Christmas Scramble.

Here's my first card and I chose the emboss resist technique...

I began by inking up the image in VersaMark and then heat embossing in white.  I then ink blended the background using three shades of Distress Oxide ink to create a frosty vibe.  To add a snowy feel I splattered with some water droplets and then blotted with a paper towel which lifted away the colour.  I used a stitched rectangle to die cut from the inked panel and then adhered this flat to my card base.

Materials used:

• Stamp: Uniko - Background Blocks Merry Christmas Scramble
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon
• Embossing Powder: Brutus Monroe - Alabaster White
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

And now my second card, I embossed it again but this time in gold...

I stamped and heat embossed the image in gold in the top left corner of my card base.  I then ink blended down from the corner using two shades of Distress Ink, fading it out.  I'm not entirely happy with this one.  I ran out of my white cardstock and couldn't find the same brand again.  This new pack I bought is a lovely weight but obviously not as smooth as you can see from the ink blending.  It's great when using Oxides but not such a great result with dye inks.  I'll have to continue my hunt for A4 cardstock which is great for ink blending and Copic colouring!

Materials used:

• Stamp: Uniko - Background Blocks Merry Christmas Scramble
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich

Don't forget to check out the Uniko blog, here where my fellow Brand Ambassadors are sharing their fabulous makes.  You'll find so much more inspiration there.  I'll be back tomorrow to introduce more from the release - in fact it's two new products tomorrow!

All the new products will be available from Thursday 31 July 2025.

Thanks for visiting.

Uniko Christmas in July 2025 - Introducing...Stencil Layering Christmas Bauhaus Blocks

Hi there

So, did you see the sneak peeks yesterday?

It's day one of the new Uniko introductions and it's all about festive goodies in this upcoming release.

We're kicking off with a brand new introduction to the Bauhaus series...Layering Christmas Bauhaus Blocks, which is a set of three stencils.  If you love the previous products in the Bauhaus series this one should be right up your street.

Here's my first card using the set, with a sentiment from the Festive Sentiments set...

Here I inked up the design using the three stencils, without building any further.  I used three shades of Distress Oxide ink here, I think Oxides and stencils work brilliantly together.  I kept this as a simple one layer card and nestled in the greeting from the Festive Sentiments set.

Materials used:

• Stencils: Uniko - Layering Christmas Bauhaus Blocks
• Stamps: Uniko - Festive Sentiments
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Iced Spruce, Lumberjack Plaid, Uncharted Mariner; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

For my second card I built the design to fill the entire card...

I chose a peach shade of cardstock for my card base and used three shades of ink, one of which was white.  I didn't want the background parts of the images to be white this time.  So I used two shades of Distress Oxide and a white pigment ink.  I inked up the initial eight blocks and then moved the stencil around to add the additional blocks.  I finished with a die cut sentiment strip, heat embossing the greeting which is from a new set we'll be introducing in a few days.

Materials used:

• Stentils: Uniko - Layering Christmas Bauhaus Blocks
• Stamp: Uniko - Flower Power #12
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Peacock Feathers, Saltwater Taffy; Hero Arts - Unicorn; VersaMark
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangle Stax
• Embossing Powder: Wow - Opaque Bright White
• Cardstock from stash

For lots more inspiration from the rest of the team using this stencil set, take a look at the Uniko blog, here.  I'll be back tomorrow to introduce another of the new products.

All the new products will be available from next Thursday 31 July 2025 at 9am BST.

I hope you'll pop back over the next few days to check out the other new products.

Uniko Christmas in July Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Scandinavian Christmas

Hi guys

I'm over on the Uniko blog today with some Christmas in July inspiration using two Scandinavian Christmas products.  I have included full details of how these were made over on the Uniko post, here.

The two products I have showcased are the Background Blocks Scandinavian Christmas clear stamp and the Scandinavian Christmas stencil.  

I have three cards for you with very different looks.  

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Background Blocks Scandinavian Christmas, Pattern Building Christmas Tree
• Ink: Altenew - Winter Lake; coloured with Copic markers

And another using the stamp...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Background Blocks Scandinavian Christmas, Festive Sentiments
• Ink: Altenew - Crimson, Nimbus; VersaMark; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

For my final card I used the Scandinavian Christmas stencil...

Materials used:

• Stencil: Uniko - Scandinavian Christmas
• Stamp: Uniko - Pattern Building Christmas Tree
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Candied Apple; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Lil Inker - Stitched Ovals
• Accents: Signo Uniball pen - white

I hope you're enjoying Christmas in July this month, there's still lots more to come from Bev and the team.

Thanks for visiting today - happy crafting!

Take care

Uniko April 2025 Release - Introducing...Originally Organic Flower Garden

Hi there

Continuing with the new introductions from Uniko.

Today we are introducing a new addition to the Originally Organic series...Originally Organic Flower Garden.  It works brilliantly with the existing products in the range too.

Here's my first card using one of the main images from the set...

I chose to stamp and heat emboss the image in white on some watercolour cardstock and then watercoloured the image using my Derwent Inktense pencils.  I die cut a stitched panel, stamped a sentiment, which is also from the set, and adhered onto a pink card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Originally Organic Flower Garden
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Embossing Powder: Brutus Monroe - Alabaster White
• Watercoloured with Derwent Inktense pencils
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

And my second card I used other images from the set...

I stamped the flowers first, then masked them before in turn stamping and masking the leaves.  I then coloured the images with Copics.  A greeting from the set was stamped in black and I finished with some pale yellow sprinkles.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Originally Organic Flower Garden
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Coloured with Copics
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Sprinkles: Cornfield Circles

As always, the team have lots more for you to see over at the Uniko blog, here.  I'll be back tomorrow morning to introduce another fantastic new stencil set.

And don't forget, all the new products from this release will be available to purchase from Uniko from Sunday 27 April 2025.

Uniko - April 2025 Release - Introducing...Butterfly Serenade

Hi there

It's back to work for me today after a relaxing few days at home for Easter.  I hope you've had a lovely break and you may be one of the lucky ones who also have the rest of the week off.

It's day one of the new Uniko introductions and first up is Butterfly Serenade...another lovely set to join the existing Serenade series.  The set includes the main cascading image, a couple of sentiments, as well as more individual butterflies and flowers.

Here's my first card using the set...

I used the main image on this card, stamped onto some blue cardstock with a pale ink.  I then coloured the butterflies with Copics and then restamped (left the stamp in my MISTI for placement accuracy) and heat embossed in white.  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in white, adhered the panel to my card base and finished by adding some small silver gems.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Butterfly Serenade
• Ink: VersaMark
• Coloured with Copics
• Embossing Powder: Brutus Monroe - Alabaster White
• Cardstock and gems from my stash

And now my second card, where I combined this stamp set with another, Just Because...

On a die cut panel I stamped the foliage from the Just Because set in the lower left corner.  I then stamped the large butterfly in black and coloured with Copics, and then stamped the solid butterfly images in co-ordinating shades.  I stamped the sentiment and the flowers, both from the new set, before adhering the panel to the card base using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Butterfly Serenade, Just Because
• Ink: Altenew - Frayed Leaf, Aquaicious, Teal Lake, Deep Iris; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Copics
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

For lots more inspiration from the rest of the team using this stamp set, take a look at the Uniko blog, here.  I'll be back tomorrow to introduce another of the new products.

All the new products will be available from next Sunday 27 April 2025.

I hope you'll pop back throughout the coming week.

Uniko - Revisiting Sunshine & Rainbows

Hi there

Today the team are revisiting one of Uniko's beautiful stamp sets - Sunshine & Rainbows.

This is a great set for creating cards where you want to give the recipient a boost.  It also blends so well with so many other products from Uniko.

By visiting each of the Brand Ambassadors along the hop, starting at the Uniko blog, here, you're in with a chance of winning a £25 eGift Certificate.  

I have three cards to share with you today.  I am loving the whole boho rainbow theme that is being seen a lot in home interiors, particularly the muted colours used, and Bev's rainbow design is definitely that style too.  So two of my cards are leaning towards that theme, and my third is more traditional.

Ok, here's my first...

I stamped the cloud first and then masked it before stamping the rainbow elements one by one in these muted shades.  I used the hearts as the raindrops, together with some tiny silver gems.  I then finished with the sentiment stamped in the same dark blue shade that appears in the rainbow.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Sunshine & Rainbows
• Ink: Altenew - Dew Drops, Sand Dunes, Mountain Mist, Pink Pearl, Nimbus, Pumpkin Pie
• Accents: Small silver gems from stash

This boho style is very present at the moment, particularly in nursery decor so I thought this would work quite well as a card to celebrate a birth too...

This one was super simple to create, a purely stamped one layer card.  I stamped each arch in different shades (slightly different to the previous card) and finished with a heart in the centre in a blush shade.  The Congratulations greeting is from the Flower Power #3 stamp set.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Sunshine & Rainbows, Flower Power #3
• Ink: Altenew - Sand Dunes, Mountain Mist, Pastel Sunrise, Nimbus, Pumpkin Pie, Blush

And now for the more traditional rainbow...

On a die cut panel I stamped the clouds first and heat embossed in white.  With these masked, I then stamped each coloured arch and then stamped again with VersaMark and heat embossed in clear, to trap the colours beneath.  This then enabled me to ink blend the blue over the top without it blending over the colours already stamped.  I heat embossed part of the sentiment in white on a black strip and stamped the remainder of the greeting in black.  Finished with the raindrops and hearts and adhered the panel flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Sunshine & Rainbows
• Ink: Altenew - Caribbean Sky, Crimson, Fresh Lemon, Parrot, Persian Blue, Deep Iris, Pinkalicious; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White, Clear Gloss
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Scalloped Rectangles; Altenew - Featured Sentiments

Thanks for visiting today and good luck if you comment along the hop.  Bev is also running a Facebook challenge in the Private Uniko Group, here, so why not play along there too.  The challenge is to use the Sunshine & Rainbows set or to make a card in rainbow colours using Uniko products.  The choice is yours.  All you need to do is upload a photo to the relevant challenge album within the group for a chance to win a £10 eGift Certificate. 

Thanks again for taking a look, I appreciate your visit.