HIPPOFROG Designs - Karen Young - Independent UK Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Punch Art Dragon

by Karen Young | Posted on August 13, 2018 | Leave a comment

Last week’s Card & Cuppa project, this punch art dragon has a bit of twist.

Punch Art Dragon. Card & Cuppa project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I hold separate Card & Cuppa for Children projects during the summer holidays and usually design a separate project for them as well. This year, I decided that both the adult and children sessions should make the same project.

The cafe where I hold the sessions for Children has a theme of activities for each week of the holidays and it was ‘Mystical’. This is where the dragon comes in.

I also couldn’t decide on which one I liked, so I made both!

Punch Art Dragon. Card & Cuppa project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I’d seen similar projects on Pinterest, but they all used Ovals, which we no longer have in punch format. So I did my own take on the designs using punches we have available.

To create the body pattern I used Playful Backgrounds in either Granny Apple Green or Gorgeous Grape.

The clouds are from Lift Me Up and again stamped tone-on-tone in Balmy Blue.

After a bit of cutting out to create the neck piece, several punches are used to create the head, eye socket and nose.

Then it’s smaller circles in Whisper White and Basic Black for the eyes and nose and Classic Label for the fangs. The scales are from the new four-petal flower, cut into four.

Punch Art Dragon. Card & Cuppa project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

It was then a case of putting everything together and attaching the head with Dimensionals.

An optional sentiment from Happy Birthday Gorgeous was the finishing touch.

Both the Card & Cuppa (Adults) and Card & Cuppa for Children attendees created fabulous projects.

Which one would you have made?

Punch Art Dragon. Card & Cuppa project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Why not join us for a future Card & Cuppa session? Book your place by 18:00 the day before.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

Lovely As a Tree in Crumb Cake and Soft Suede

by Karen Young | Posted on August 11, 2018 | Leave a comment

At the recent Lovely As a Tree Class, I gave this project a makeover using Crumb Cake and Soft Suede.

Lovely As a Tree in Crumb Cake and Soft Suede. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

The subtle tones of all of the stamping in Soft Suede and Crumb Cake Cardstock makes this a soft and calming project. Just perfect for any occasion.

Sponge Daubers and Crumb Cake soften the edges of the layers by gently adding a touch of colour.

Lovely As a Tree in Crumb Cake and Soft Suede. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I love how the strips of Linen Thread mirror the angle of the bottom layer. The little leaves are then added down the side using Circle punches for the layers.

Lovely As a Tree in Crumb Cake and Soft Suede. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Finally, the main focus, the stunning fir tree is attached using Dimensionals.

A really quick and simple project to make with a classy feel. This card is proof that you can take a project and adjust the colours to create something totally different.

Which colours would you use?

Don’t forget to check out this month’s special offers.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

Birthday Blue and Grunge

by Karen Young | Posted on August 8, 2018 | Leave a comment

It was the Birthday of one of my regular class attendees last week and the recipient loves blue and grunge.

Every time I design a project with a grunge element, they throw themselves in fully. Therefore, I knew that grunge just had to feature.

Blue and Grunge Birthday Card. Designed and handmade by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

To begin with, the Artisan Textures Stamp Set and a range of blues are stamped onto Whisper White Cardstock. The blues are Balmy Blue, Pool Party, Pacific Point and Blueberry Bushel.

Next, the edge of the card has more ink added using a sponge dauber. Then, the piece of cardstock is scrunched and screwed up several times to soften the fibres and give it a creased look. More ink is added in the various blues to highlight the creases.

I then used an emery board randomly around the edges and across the stamping and accentuated these additional bits of distressing with more ink and sponge daubers. As I’m also a nail technician, I tend to have an emery board or two available!

Blue and Grunge Birthday Card. Designed and handmade by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

It’s great when after lots of scrunching and distressing the fibres are so soft that they create tears and cause the layers to separate.

I also used an emery board around the edge of the Blueberry Bushel layer.

Blue and Grunge Birthday Card. Designed and handmade by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

After mounting the layer and stamping onto a Thick Whisper White Cardstock base using Tear & Tape, it was time for the sentiment.

Using the Happy Birthday Thinlit I cut two, one in Blueberry Bushel and one in Whisper White. The Whisper White one was then inked in the various blues before being offset onto the blue one. It was then coated in Wink of Stella for a touch of sparkle. Dimensionals cut into smaller pieces attach the sentiment to the project.

Finally, Rhinestones add some extra bling and sparkle.

Hopefully, you can the Wink of Stella and ripping in a bit more detail in the picture below.

Blue and Grunge Birthday Card. Designed and handmade by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Why not join us for a future class where you can unleash your creative side.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – High Tide Lighthouse

by Karen Young | Posted on August 6, 2018 | Leave a comment

I was asked to design a project using the ‘lighthouse set’, so here is the High Tide lighthouse.

High Tide Card & Cuppa Project. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I’ve used a Crumb Cake layer for the stamping as it allows the lighthouse and rays to stand out more.

The sepia-type tones of Soft Suede for the headland and sun/moon, Crumb Cake for the sea and Early Espresso for the birds and grasses create a lovely scene.

A Real Red lighthouse is stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock along with Daffodil Delight rays. This is a two-step image so the first is stamped off to give a lighter image. The second is first generation stamping and contains the detail such as the railing around the top.

If your stamping is slightly ‘off’, this can be hidden with the cutting out.

The rays are cut out and stuck directly to the scene.

High Tide Card & Cuppa Project. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Finally, the lighthouse is stuck on using Dimensionals to give the final project more depth.

This lighthouse set project was a success.

Why not join us at a future Card & Cuppa session. Book your place by 18:00 the day before.

Don’t forget to check out the two fabulous offers for August too.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

August offers

by Karen Young | Posted on August 4, 2018 | Leave a comment

No project to show you today as I’ve got some fabulous August offers to share with you instead.

Colour your season is a set of products that are only available until 31st August – while supplies last.
The fabulous Blended Seasons Stamp Set and co-ordinating Framelits are available as a bundle with 10% off.

Plus, there is the arrival of a new set of Watercolor Pencils to add to the ones in the Annual Catalogue. Click on the picture below for more details.

The second special offer for August is the return of Bonus Days.

Collect coupons for every £45 spend during a transaction before P&P during August.
Each coupon entitles you to £4.50 off an order during September.

Click on the picture below for more details.

If you haven’t already done so, make sure you check out my new mobile Nail Technician business too.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the products in the August offer, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

Lovely as a Tree Class Project – For Dad

by Karen Young | Posted on August 1, 2018 | Leave a comment

Last week I ran a private class for some lovely ladies. They chose the Lovely as a Tree Stamp Set and I revisited a class I’d run previously using this set as inspiration.

It was also my Father-in-Law’s Birthday so one of the projects had a dual purpose.

Lovely as a Tree Class. Project designed by Karen Young at HIPPOFROG Designs

The project is based on this one. I’ve updated the colours and design slightly.

Using the Woodland Embossing Folder and Mossy Meadow Cardstock creates a lovely background. This is then added to with tone-on-tone stamping using the small leaf. A quick colour of the leaves using a Blender Pen adds some additional depth to the design.

Another larger leaf is stamped onto Old Olive and cut out by hand. The sentiment is from Happy Birthday Gorgeous and cut from Crushed Curry Cardstock using the Classic Label Punch, biasing it to one side.

Lovely as a Tree Class. Project designed by Karen Young at HIPPOFROG Designs

The cut out pieces are attached to the back of a True Gentleman Button with a length of Linen Thread tied through it. They are then securely fastened to the Crumb Cake Classic Weave ribbon using Tear & Tape and Dimensionals.

Lovely as a Tree Class. Project designed by Karen Young at HIPPOFROG Designs

I’m pleased to say that my Father-in-Law was happy with his card 🙂

Pop back soon to see some more projects from the class.

Visit my class timetable for details of my future classes.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – All about sponges

by Karen Young | Posted on July 30, 2018 | Comments Off

Instead of working with a particular stamp set at last week’s Card & Cuppa classes, I chose to focus on a set of tools instead. The tools were sponges.

Card & Cuppa project using sponges. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

The background uses one of the Decorative Masks and a Sponge Brayer to apply the colours. Here it’s Lovely Lipstick with Cajun Craze over the top. With the Sponge Brayer, there is a more even coverage of colour over a larger area.

Sponge Daubers and So Saffron are used to colour the stamped flower from the Falling Flowers Stamp Set. This combination is again used to soften the brick work by applying the colour in selected areas. Daubers are great for topical and more accurate application of colour in smaller areas.

Card & Cuppa project using sponges. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

For the leaves, the Stamping Sponges cut into sections have given us the variegated look.

By colouring a piece of cardstock with the sponges in Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green, it creates something rather messy. However, by selecting pieces of the section for the leaves, you can see they turn out really beautifully.

Stamping Sponges are more for random pieces as the colour can’t be controlled as much as Sponge Daubers and Brayers.

A strip of the fabulous Metallic-Edge Ribbon across the centre co-ordinates beautifully with the Gold Faceted Gem for a finishing touch of bling.

Card & Cuppa project using sponges. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Why not join us for next week’s Card & Cuppa session? Book your place online.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

Introducing Blueberry Bushel

by Karen Young | Posted on July 28, 2018 | Comments Off

I’ve been sharing the projects from my recent In Color Introduction Class and here is the final colour, Blueberry Bushel.

Introducing Blueberry Bushel. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

It’s combining with two other new colours, Highland Heather and Gray Granite to make this grungy card.

Another new product, the fabulous Artisan Textures Stamp Set creates the background images.

Then, the whole piece is given colour with Sponge Daubers and more scrunching to provide some extra texture. Scrunching your work can be a bit daunting, but the more scrunching the better, as it softens the fibres.

The Sponge Daubers are again used in another colour to highlight the crease marks. Then, the top layer is distressed even more with an emery board and more colouring with Sponge Daubers.

By building the layers, it adds more depth and interest to the project.

Introducing Blueberry Bushel. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

The Classic Label punch has been used to create the thin strip across the card, a handy tip to save having to spend time on the trimmer.

Happy Birthday Gorgeous provides the sentiment and is cut out using the Tailored Tag Punch, with extra Sponge Dauber action of course.

The layers are mounted at an angle to show more of the textures and distressed look of the edges.

A piece of co-ordinating ribbon just finishes the look.

For a project like this with lots of texture, it’s best to use Tear & Tape to fix the different parts for extra adhesion. Introducing Blueberry Bushel. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Some of the attendees had never made a card like this, so it was great that they fully embraced it.

Which is your favourite project from the class?

Introducing Blueberry Bushel. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Why not book yourself onto one of my future classes?

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

Introducing Call Me Clover – with ovals

by Karen Young | Posted on July 25, 2018 | Comments Off

Here is the penultimate project from my In Color Introduction Class. It’s for Call Me Clover, a lovely green.

Call Me Clover from In Color Introduction Class. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I decided to use a design from a different project and change a little bit. I do this a lot and it’s a great tip. Just find a design layout you like and change bits each time, colour, sentiment, stamp set etc.

The colours for that are co-ordinating with Call Me Clover are Mint Macaron and Crushed Curry.

Images from the very versatile Touches of Texture Stamp Set combine with a sentiment from the Bunch of Blossoms Stamp Set.

Call Me Clover from In Color Introduction Class. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Layering Ovals Framelits create the different cut outs and the corners rounded using the amazing Detailed Trio Punch. I think I may have already mentioned how pleased I am that we have a corner rounder again!

Call Me Clover from In Color Introduction Class. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

By raising the sentiment on one side using Dimensionals and attaching with SNAIL on the other, it ensures it isn’t too bulky for the post.

Finishing touches are Wink of Stella on the background flowers and Pearls on the centre of the main flowers.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Inspired by roses

by Karen Young | Posted on July 23, 2018 | Comments Off

Last week’s Card & Cuppa project was inspired by roses.

Card & Cuppa project using Petal Palette. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I have a beautiful rose bush in my front garden that blooms throughout the summer and this year is no exception. In fact the blooms are so pretty that I just had to take a picture.

Roses in garden that inspired Card & Cuppa project

So, when I was thinking about a project for the class, these flowers were my inspiration.

Petal Palette is the stamp set I chose as it has the lovely roses. The crumb cake background dulls the colouring but I like the more muted tones on this project. Even though my roses are a bright red!

All of the stamping is in Early Espresso and the roses are coloured with Watercolor Pencils (yes, I know the ‘u’ is missing, but that is their name in the catalogue as it’s American spelling!) A Blender Pen is used to soften the colouring.

For contrast, a strip of the fabulous new Polka Dot Ribbon is used down the edge before a layered sentiment is added.

Card & Cuppa project using Petal Palette. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

The ribbon is great for adding some texture as it’s really tactile. To add more depth, the sentiment is raised up on Dimensionals.

Card & Cuppa project using Petal Palette. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Finally, Wink of Stella is added to the petals to add a subtle touch of bling.

Card & Cuppa project using Petal Palette. Designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

It’s great to be able to take inspiration from the world around us. What has inspired you to create something?

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the images below to go to my online store. Remember to use the Hostess Code if you are placing an order.

You can also join my team here.

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