Special Christmas Cards: Rustic Wreath

December 21, 2019December 20, 2019 ~ Karen Young

The second of my Special Christmas Cards is this traditional rustic wreath.

Rustic Wreath. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

It’s made with a combination of leaf punches, die-cut circles and scallops, plus lots of different adhesives!

The main colours are Garden Green and Crumb Cake, with Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Gold, Real Red and Very Vanilla.

Snowflakes are from the Christmas Countdown and Colorful Season Stamp Sets, leaf image from Painted Harvest and Snowman Season provides the sentiment.

Two ‘sandwiches’ of leaves are created using scallop circle die-cuts from the Layering Circles Dies. The sandwiches are layered together using Dimensionals to create depth. The scallop circle die-cuts are then hidden beneath the Gold scallop die-cut.

The Triple Banner Punch shapes the ends of the sentiment.

To continue the rustic look, a length of Burlap Ribbon is placed behind the wreath.

Pearls coloured with a Dark Real Red Stampin’ Blend pen create some berries to finish the look.

Why not join us for a Papercrafting Class in 2020. Head to my Class Timetable for more details.

Happy crafting

To order any of the supplies used, click on the product images below to go to my online store.

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Thinking of you for a friend

November 14, 2019November 13, 2019 ~ Karen Young

A friend is going through a tough time, so I wanted them to know that I was thinking of them.

Thinking of you for a friend. Card designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

They are a fan of pink and sparkly things, so I designed this card using the more muted Petal Pink, along with Soft Suede and Very Vanilla.

This soft combination still uses the things they like, just in a less dramatic way.

I used the Perennial Essence Stamp Set to stamp the flowers and coloured them using Petal Pink and Soft Suede Stampin’ Blends Combos. They have a very light touch of Wink of Stella in the centres to give a bit of sparkle.

These were then fussy cut and attached to a background stamped using an image from the Perennial Birthday Stamp Set.

Colorful Seasons provided the sentiment that is punched out using the Timeless Label Punch.

A few lengths of Scalloped Lace Trim behind the sentiment provide an extra layer of pretty texture.

Thinking of you cards are always difficult to make, but I think it is useful to have a few cards already made to hand. They can be pre-made with the sentiment, or blank cards you can quickly add a sentiment to as needed. These cards are much easier to create when you don’t need to sit down and concentrate on making one.

I’m hoping this card provided the hug in an envelope I’d sent.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the product images below to go to my online store.

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Perennial Birthday Cling-Mount Stamp Set

Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Soft Suede Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Very Vanilla 3/8" (1 cm) Scalloped Lace Trim

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Dandelion Wishes

November 11, 2019November 10, 2019 ~ Karen Young

At last week’s Card & Cuppa sessions, I designed one of the most difficult cards to make, a sympathy card.

Dandelion Wishes Stamp Set. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

I used the Dandelion Wishes Stamp Set and some masking to create this pretty project.

Using Sponge Brayers, Pool Party and Balmy Blue Ink, the ombre section was created. Second generation stamping then adds a subtle background to the lighter side of the section.

Then, after removing the masking, a dandelion in Pacific Point is stamped. Hearts from the Dog Builder Punch are added with Glue Dots.

‘Thinking of you’ from Colorful Seasons Stamp Set and a layer are cut using the Stitched Rectangle Dies. To create the border, we cut around the stitching of the sentiment. It’s a great way to create borders with the various stitched dies.

Although my card was a Sympathy Card, it’s a really versatile design. I took a range sentiments along with me to the sessions and the attendees used a variety from Birthday Wishes to You’ve been on my mind’.

Why not join us for a future Card & Cuppa session. Book your place online.

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the product images below to go to my online store.

This Month’s Hostess Code Join my team Current Products Special Offers Book a Class

Lots of Leaves

January 26, 2019January 24, 2019 ~ Karen Young

In the excitement of the new Spring/Summer Catalogue and SAB, I realised I haven’t shared a few projects with you.

Here is the first one and it has lots of leaves.

Lots of Leaves. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

This is the Birthday Card I made for my Mum back in November. Using the Nature’s Twine Pack for my colour inspiration, it’s then combined with the Colorful Seasons Stamp Set and co-ordinating Thinlits.

The leaves have been either stamped, inked with Sponge Daubers on the edges, or both.

Lots of Leaves. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Each leaf and branch has been layered with lots of Dimensionals o add depth. As the card was hand delivered, I built it a lot higher that I would for a posted project.

Happy Birthday Gorgeous and the Stitched Shapes Framelits create the sentiment feature. I then looped the Nature’s Twine to the back of it to add another layer of texture.

Lots of Leaves. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Once the flowers had been added, the finishing touch was a small Pearl in the centre of each one.

I get my inspiration from all sorts of different places and this time it was the colour combination. Where do you get your ideas from?

Happy crafting

Karen Young HIPPOFROG Designs

To order any of the supplies used, click on the product images below to go to my online store.

This Month’s Hostess Code Join my team Current Products Special Offers Book a Class

Missing You with Waterfront and Colorful Seasons

May 19, 2018May 7, 2018 ~ Karen Young

As you know, I’ve recently been on holiday to Cyprus.

We’ve been returning to the same place for a few years now and are getting to know the staff.

So, when we heard that the usual bartender was unable to be at the resort this season, I popped this card in my suitcase to send while I was there.

Missing You card using Waterfront and Colorful Seasons from Stampin' Up! Project designed by Karen Young at HIPPOFROG Designs. hippofrogdesigns.co.uk

This ‘missing you’ project reminds me of sitting by the pool under the palm trees with a nice cooling drink.

I’ve used Waterfront for the main design and you will probably notice it is similar to this project. Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Crushed Curry and Soft Suede combine to make the idyllic scene. The two drinks are from Colorful Seasons and represent the drinks we normally order. Even though they are proportionally incorrect for the whole project, they still add a fun twist!

Finally, the sentiment from the Oh, So Eclectic Stamp Set makes the sun.

Missing You card using Waterfront and Colorful Seasons from Stampin' Up! Project designed by Karen Young at HIPPOFROG Designs. hippofrogdesigns.co.uk

Items from this project are carrying through to the new catalogue, so you’ll still be able to order these for another year.

Don’t forget that if you want any items that are on the retiring list you need to act quickly.

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.

Seasonal Branch Just for you

May 9, 2018April 24, 2018 ~ Karen Young

At my recent Stamp-a-Stack class, this proved to be one the favourite projects of the evening.

Colorful Seasons from Stampin' Up! with HIPPOFROG Designs

It uses the Colorful Seasons Bundle of Stamp Set and Dies along with a sentiment from another set.

Inspiration for this design was Cherry Blossom. The combination of Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla and Calypso Coral make a pretty card that is suitable for any occasion.

Flowers are stamped on the background first, before attaching the die-cut branch. Die-cut flowers are then added to the branch. Each flower is then decorated with pearls coloured with a Calypso Coral Stampin’ Blend Marker. Please note that the Stampin’ Blend Marker is currently out of stock and not available to order at this time.

A strip of the delicate lace ribbon and the sentiment are the final touches.

Why not join us at a future class? Click to see my class timetable.

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 – Colorful Seasons

October 2, 2017September 26, 2017 ~ Karen Young

It’s Monday again which means it must be time to show you last week’s Card & Cuppa project.

The stamp set is one that we haven’t used at class before.

Stampin' Up! Colorful Seasons

This is Colorful Seasons and has the most beautiful leaf images that I wanted to use this autumn. It’s also in the current World Card Making Day Special Offer that runs until 10th October.

I really like how this project has come together with the combination of Very Vanilla and the colours.

Firstly, we stamped the background falling leaves in Sahara Sand across the card.

Next, we used Sponge Daubers to create a pretty Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight autumnal panel.

We then stamped over the panel with the larger skeleton leaves and used Wink of Stella to highlight them. I’m not sure that you can see the sparkle very well in the picture.

Finally, a length of Baker’s Twine and a sentiment were added to complete the project.

Card & Cuppa is back week commencing 16th October. To join us at one of our sessions, 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.

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Colorful Seasons Birthday

September 16, 2017September 13, 2017 ~ Karen Young

Last week a good friend celebrated her Birthday.

This friend is a fan of Stampin’ Up! and the colour purple mixed with Crumb Cake.

Using these colours as my guide and the fact that they are a fan of the Colorful Seasons Bundle, here is the card I made.

Stampin' Up! Colorful Seasons

It’s a great autumnal card using the emboss resist technique.

To begin with I heat embossed the stamped leaves with clear embossing powder onto the Glossy Card.

Then, using sponge daubers, Fresh Fig, Lemon Lime Twist and Pumpkin Pie I created this one-off background. The Glossy Card allows the ink to blend really well into each other and the embossing resists the ink.

The sentiment is from the Number of Years Stamp Set. It has a punched gold circle behind it and a strip of co-ordinating Gold Ribbon too. All of this is set onto a Crumb Cake basecard.

Finally the die cut leaves were coated in Wink of Stella for a bit of bling and attached with those everso handy Mini Dimensionals.

Stampin' Up! Colorful Seasons