Last Week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa – Stripes & Splatters Embossing Folders

January 31, 2022January 24, 2022 ~ Karen Young

For last week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa online class, I chose to use the new Stripes & Splatters 3D Embossing Folders from the Mini Catalogue.

Stripes & Splatters Embossing Folders. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I’m a fan of splatter backgrounds and love stripe projects, so these embossing folders jumped into my shopping basket!

As I wanted to make the project a little grungey, I chose a colour combination of Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla with Pale Papaya as a contrast.

It is a version of one of my angles projects, but I don’t remember teaching one at Card & (Your) Cuppa before.

The layer is given a touch of grunge using a Sponge Dauber and Crumb Cake ink. Both it and the Very Vanilla piece are stuck down at an angle.

Stripes & Splatters Embossing Folders. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Next, each rectangle is cut to the required length and given a grunge effect. The Crumb Cake piece is scrunched and the creases are picked out using a Sponge Dauber. After the Pale Papaya piece is embossed, the stripes are again highlighted using a Sponge Dauber.

For the Very Vanilla piece, it is again embossed, using the the splatters folder. This time it is highlighted using both Crumb Cake and Pale Papaya.

They are all then stuck down at different angles.

A sentiment from the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set, with a short piece of ribbon is added on top of a coiled length of coordinating Baker’s Twine.

For more of a grunge look, the ends of the twine are frayed.

Stripes & Splatters Embossing Folders. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Finally, some Genial Gems in Pale Papaya are dotted around the project.

If you’re a fan of these folders, don’t forget that for every £45 spend, you can earn FREE products during Sale-A-Bration. Head to this SAB page for full details.

There are also free products for joining my team too.

Join me at one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for full details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store. Items available while stocks last.

Online Shopping Club Code Join my team Current Products Offers & Promotions Book a Class

Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques: Using Blending Brushes

September 30, 2021September 27, 2021 ~ Karen Young

For this week’s Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques video, I’m sharing how to work with Blending Brushes.

Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques: Using Blending Brushes. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Click on the picture below to watch my video all using them.

Today’s project uses the Many Layered Blossoms Dies and the coordinating Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set.

The five colours are all from the Brights Collection to make the rainbow effect. They are Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Poppy Parade, Melon Mambo and Gorgeous Grape.

Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques: Using Blending Brushes. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Once the background had been made using the Blending Brushes, the die cut shape was attached using Adhesive Sheets.

A length of the Essentials Baker’s Twine was then coloured using a Stampin’ Blend marker and this made a bow.

Finally, the sentiment from the Stamp Set was cut out using the Tasteful Labels Dies and raised up on Mini Dimensionals.

Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques: Using Blending Brushes. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques video. Pop back next week for the next one.

Join me at one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for full details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store. Items available while stocks last.

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Say it with Sunflowers

September 11, 2021September 10, 2021 ~ Karen Young

This sunny thank you card was made for a friend who loves sunflowers.

Say it with Sunflowers. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

My main colours are Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Basic White, with others used for the colouring.

The Jar of Flowers Stamp Set and coordinating Jar Punch provide the stamping and jar shape.

Say it with Sunflowers. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I’ve stamped in Black to create the outlines for colouring. I would normally use Grey or Brown for this, but felt black would work better with the overall design.

For the sunflowers, these are stamped twice. This allowed me to fussy cut parts of the images out for some strategic piecing. They are stuck together in various layers over the top of the jar.

Now, instead of the three sunflowers, there is a fuller looking bouquet. It was a bit fiddly and time consuming cutting them out, but it was worth it.

Using Stampin’ Blends, the water is coloured in Balmy Blue, stems and leaves in Granny Apple Green, centre in Soft Suede and flowers in Daffodil Delight.

A sentiment from the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set sits in a shape cut using the Tasteful Labels dies.

Say it with Sunflowers. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

This is raised using Dimensionals over some Linen Thread and a little bow.

Join me at one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for full details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store. Items available while stocks last.

Online Shopping Club Code Join my team Current Products Offers & Promotions Book a Class

Get Well Flowers

August 17, 2021August 16, 2021 ~ Karen Young

This Get Well Soon card is for a lovely lady.

Get Well Flowers. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Using the Flowers of Friendship Bundle from the Annual Catalogue, it made it simple to pull everything together.

My colour combination is Pale Papaya, Calypso Coral and Old Olive, with Very Vanilla.

The background flowers from the Flowers of Friendship Stamp Set are stamped and then given a touch of colour using a Blender Pen.

Get Well Flowers. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Using tone-on-tone stamping, the extra flowers and leaves are stamped and punched using the coordinating Flowers & Leaves Punch.

Wink of Stella is used on these flowers to add a touch of sparkle.

A sentiment from the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set provides the Get Well Soon message.

Get Well Flowers. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Once everything is assembled, a few Artistry Blooms Sequins are added to the centre of the flowers and across the card.

This design would be easy to recreate in different colours and for different occasions.

Join me at one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for full details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store. Items available while stocks last.

Online Shopping Club Code Join my team Current Products Offers & Promotions Book a Class

A Theatrical Thank You

August 10, 2021August 9, 2021 ~ Karen Young

Last week, I returned to my local theatre to watch one of my favourite shows.

A Theatrical Thank You. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Yes, Rocky Horror is back on tour and visited my hometown for the week.

It was lovely being back in a theatre doing something that I did pre-pandemic.

To say thank you to everyone involved in getting the show back on the road, I made this card.

It uses Basic Black and Poppy Parade in a nod to the colour theme of the show.

A Theatrical Thank You. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

The background stamping is from the Artistically Inked Stamp Set.

Thank You is from the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set, cut out using the Double Oval Punch.

A length of Metallic Mesh Ribbon sits behind the sentiment. This gives a little bit of sparkle.

A Theatrical Thank You. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

For a finishing touch, a few Rhinestones add a touch more sparkle.

Join me at one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for full details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store. Items available while stocks last.

Online Shopping Club Code Join my team Current Products Offers & Promotions Book a Class

FREE Textures & Frames Stamp Set

August 4, 2021August 3, 2021 ~ Karen Young

As you know, I love a stamp set with lots of different abstract shapes and designs.

Textures & Frames. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

This fabulous new Textures & Frames Stamp Set just had to jump into my shopping basket as one of my FREE Sale-a-Bration (SAB) items.

SAB started yesterday and runs until the end of September. There is a FREE SAB item for every £45 spend. Plus FREE items for joining my team as a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator during SAB too.

My colours of Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz and Night of Navy, with Basic White are a great neutral combination.

Each image was stamped randomly over the page, some in first and some in second generation stamping. Only the central shape was stamped with a position in mind.

Textures & Frames. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

For the sentiment, I used the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set and cut the edges to mirror the angles of the box.

Just a small swoosh of Basic White Twine from the Essentials Pack sits behind it.

Textures & Frames. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

A few Mini Dimensionals raise the sentiment up to make it stand out.

This would be a great project for batch production. You could stamp a whole sheet with the random pattern and then just cut it into pieces for the cards.

Why not make a few with different sentiments and give them as a gift?

Join me at one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for full details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store. Items available while stocks last.

Online Shopping Club Code Join my team Current Products Offers & Promotions Book a Class

Triple Ripple

June 9, 2021June 8, 2021 ~ Karen Young

This card is all about repitition, with this triple ripple effect.

Triple Ripple. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

It uses the Hand-Penned Petals Bundle (Hand-Penned Petals Stamp Set & Penned Flowers Dies) from the Annual Catalogue.

Firstly, the flower image is stamped in Gray Granite multiple times, plus one on another piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock.

The separate flower is cut out with the dies, and then coloured using both packs of Watercolor Pencils and a Blender Pen.

Next, using my colours of Calypso Coral and Crushed Curry, the ripples are cut using the dies from the bundle.

Triple Ripple. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

A sentiment from the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set is added to the top Very Vanilla Ripple.

Next, the ripples are stuck together and attached to the project.

For the focal flower background, I used the Stitched With Whimsy Dies. This was fussy cut around the edge to create the whimiscal shape.

The focal flower is stuck onto this shape which is raised up on Dimensionals.

Triple Ripple. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Finally, coordinating Artistry Blooms Sequins are dotted around the card.

Don’t forget that several offers end this month. Make sure you check them out here.

Join me for one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for full details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store

Online Shopping Club Code Join my team Current Products Offers & Promotions Book a Class

A Very Tasteful Thank You

June 4, 2021June 4, 2021 ~ Karen Young

This Very Tasteful Thank You is a quick and simple project to make. It’s great if you need to create multiples, or need a card in a rush.

Very Tasteful Thank You. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

It uses the In Good Taste DSP and the Tasteful Labels Dies, hence the ‘very tasteful’ description!

I chose a Crumb Cake and Early Espresso colour combination to coordinate with the DSP.

Very Tasteful Thank You. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Using the more angled dies from the Tasteful Labels Dies, these pieces are layered on top of a piece of Faux Suede Trim.

Once again, I’ve been frugal with my Early Espresso cardstock, as I explained in my Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques video. Make sure you check it out if you haven’t already done so.

Very Tasteful Thank You. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Finally, some Silver & Clear Epoxy Essentials are dotted across the project. To coordinate with the angles, the diamond shape ones are used here.

This design can be recreated using different DSP, dies and sentiments for a completely different look.

Why not join me at one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for full details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store

Online Shopping Club Code Join my team Current Products Offers & Promotions Book a Class

Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques: Being Frugal With Your Cardstock #1

June 3, 2021June 2, 2021 ~ Karen Young

For this week’s Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques video, I’m sharing a tip on how to be frugal with your cardstock.

Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques: Being Frugal With Your Cardstock. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Click on the picture below to watch my video about what this means.

Today’s project uses the Blossoms in Bloom Bundle (Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set & Many Layered Blossoms Dies).

It is also a CASE of Page 20 from the Annual Catalogue. Check out my video on CASE-ing Stampin’ Up! publications too.

My colour combination is Coastal Cabana, Granny Apple Green and Mango Melody. All are from the Brights Collection. The stamping is onto Basic White.

Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques: Being Frugal With Your Cardstock. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

After stamping the flowers and leaves, the additional flowers are cut using the dies from Bundle.

These are then given a coating of Wink of Stella before being attached using Glue Dots.

Finally, coordinating Artistry Bloom Sequins are added to the centre of each flower, with smaller ones around the project.

This is a really quick project to make and would be a good design for making in batches.

Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques: Being Frugal With Your Cardstock. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques video. Pop back next week for the next one.

Why not join me at one of my online classes. Head to my Class Timetable for more details.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies shown below, head to my Online Store

Online Shopping Club Code Join my team Current Products Offers & Promotions Book a Class

Last Week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa – Iconic Dies

May 31, 2021May 28, 2021 ~ Karen Young

For last week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa project, the design used the new Iconic Dies from the Annual Catalogue.

This project was quite busy and had a lot of fussy cutting. I think the attendees will be speaking to me again next week!

Iconic Dies. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Sticking with my not using pink for a while theme, my colour combination had a purple feel with Highland Heather and Blackberry Bliss. The leaves are Soft Sea Foam and Shaded Spruce. Obviously Bumblebee and Basic Black create the bee.

Iconic Dies. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

A background using one of the Square Vellum Doilies is stuck down. Carefully placing adhesive where it won’t be seen later, under the flowers.

The dies give quite intricate shapes, so the more solid flower shapes are made by drawing round the outline and cutting out by hand. These pieces are then stuck together.

Coordinating Highland Heather Grosgrain Ribbon is attached, along with a sentiment from the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set. This is stamped in Gorgeous Grape, another purple.

Wink of Stella is used on the centre of the flowers and all over the smaller flowers, plus on the bee wings.

All the leaves and flowers are stuck down. Some with Glue Dots, others with Dimensionals to raise them up.

For the bee, a piece of a Daisy Punch shape in Basic Black is stuck behind to create the stripes. I’ve then used a Stampin’ Write Marker in Basic Black to colour the legs and antennae. It is then stuck down using Dimensionals. Iconic Dies. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs Finally, some coordinating Pastel Pearls are dotted around the project.