Saying Farewell to 2023-2024 Products

April 8, 2024April 7, 2024 ~ Karen Young

Due to the Easter Bank Holiday, there wasn’t a Card & Cuppa session last week.

So, today I’ve decided to share six projects from the 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue that use some of the products leaving us at the end of the month.

Click on each picture to be taken to the blog post for that project.

Gorgeously Made Stamp Set & Dies, Little Monkey Stamp Set & Punch
Artistically Inked Stamp Set & Dies, Nature’s Prints Stamp Set & Dies
Quiet Meadow Stamp Set & Dies, Biggest Wish Stamp Set.

Click here to see the Last Chance Products Lists from the Annual Catalogue and January-April Mini Catalogue.

As items are only available while stocks last, check stock availability at my Online Store. The discounts go live tomorrow and will sell out very quickly, so don’t delay ordering!

Why not join me at one of my 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

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Slight Grunge in Sepia Tones

February 12, 2024February 11, 2024 ~ Karen Young

Last week’s Card & Cuppa project was this slightly grunge-type project in sepia tones.

Having been asked recently for some more ‘generic’ designs, this one fits that brief.

My colour combination was Pecan Pie, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla.

Using the splat image from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set and the leaf from the Inked & Tiles Stamp Set, the background piece is stamped.

Using a Blending Brush, the edges are given a touch of extra colour for a slight grunge effect.

The banner pieces are cut using the Nested Essentials Dies, but by drawing around the edge shape, rather than cutting them out. Another leaf is stamped onto the Very Vanilla shape and given a touch of grunge before the pieces are layered together.

Go To Greetings is the Stamp Set that provides the sentiment. This is cut out and stuck to the banner.

A length of coordinating Pecan Pie ribbon is stuck to the back of the banner before the whole piece is stuck to the project using Dimensionals.

Finally, some Classic Matte Dots in Very Vanilla are added.

Join me at one of my 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

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Christmas Punch Art Rudolph

December 11, 2023December 9, 2023 ~ Karen Young

As we’ve now reached December, the Card & Cuppa class designs for this month are all Christmas cards.

I love punch art, so couldn’t resist making this Rudolph. I’ve made several versions in the past, but here is the one for 2023.

It starts with a snowy background using Balmy Blue and the ‘splats’ from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set.

Next a Pecan Pie circle is cut using the 2″ Circle Punch from the Online Exclusives.

Two Early Espresso antlers are cut using the Bough Punch and the piece for the eyes is then cut out using the Little Monkey Builder Punch. There are also two shorter ‘ear’ pieces cut from the Bough Punch too.

The nose is from the Stylish Shapes Dies and is cut from Poppy Parade. It is coated with Wink of Stella to make his ‘very shiny nose’.

Using the Modern Garden Stamp Set (on the Last Chance List), the eyes and mouth are stamped.

Next, the bottom part of the antler is cut off and the ear piece is attached in the same place. You could just glue the ear over the top of the other pieces, but I preferred it this way. Remember to mirror the antlers.

Rudolph is then assembled, apart from his nose, and the ‘ho ho ho’ from the Alphabest Stamp Set is stamped at the bottom, leaving enough room for him to be added.

He is then attached to the project and his nose is raised up on Dimensionals.

I do love a fun Christmas Card and this would be suitable for young and old.

Join me at one of my 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

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Masks & Masking

December 4, 2023November 30, 2023 ~ Karen Young

At a previous Card & Cuppa session I was asked about masks and masking, so last week’s class combined both techniques.

First it was using one of the Foursquare Decorative Masks and a Blending Brush to create the background in Fresh Freesia. The masks are like a stencil and you can apply colour in lots of different ways.

Next, using Masking Paper and the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set, we created a bunch of flowers.

The image was stamped onto Masking Paper twice and they were both cut out.

Then, the image is stamped onto cardstock once and then covered with one of the Masking Paper cut out shapes. Another image is then stamped next to the first, overlapping where needed. Once this has been stamped, the second mask is then used to cover the second image.

Finally, the third flower was stamped. When the masks are removed, you are left with a bunch of flowers. All of the flowers were stamped in Highland Heather to coordinate with the purple theme.

These were then coloured in using Watercolor Pencils, with the centre given a light coat of Wink of Stella. Fussy cutting was needed to cut the floral display out.

The Petal Park Stamp Set provides the leaves that were stamped in Shaded Spruce and cut out using the coordinating Petal Park Builder Punch. They were also coloured using Watercolor Pencils before being stuck to the flowers.

The whole piece was then raised up using Dimensionals.

Finally, some gold Festive Pearls are dotted around for a touch of bling.

As the design has quite a lot of detail, I’ve deliberately left it sentiment free. This makes it a great card for any occasion.

Join me at one of my 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

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Heartfelt Hexagons Bundle

November 20, 2023November 19, 2023 ~ Karen Young

At last week’s Card & Cuppa, I designed a project using the early release Heartfelt Hexagons Bundle.

This discounted bundle contains the Heartfelt Hexagons Stamp Set and coordinating Heartfelt Hexagons Punch.

Those of you who have been around a while will recognise it as a similar design to this previous project.

Using a colour combination of Parakeet Party, Garden Green and Granny Apple Green, 3 hexagons were punched in each colour.

Splats were added to some of the hexagons using the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set to create a touch of extra interest.

Next, the dotted hexagon outline image from the stamp set was stamped in Parakeet Party. I’m not sure that it shows us properly in the pictures, but it is there!

Then, the sentiment was stamped inside and punched out.

Each of the hexagons was then arranged with a small gap on the piece of Basic White. I think this was the hardest part as you only need 8 of the 9 punched pieces, and deciding which piece goes where can be a struggle.

All of the green pieces were then stuck down, with the overhanging pieces cut away.

A length of coordinating Metallic Woven Ribbon was then added across the centre of where the sentiment would sit.

Finally, the sentiment was raised up over the ribbon using Dimensionals.

I’m a big fan of these types of projects that use the same shape multiple times as they come together really quickly and easily. I have a plan to make some red and green ones for Christmas cards.

Join me at one of my 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

Wedding Anniversary Wishes

October 9, 2023September 21, 2023 ~ Karen Young

As there wasn’t a Card & Cuppa last week, today I’m sharing a card I made for friends for their 1st Wedding Anniversary.

The card is a nod to their wedding stationery that I helped them design and make. Fresh Freesia and Gray Granite are the colours used in their stationery too.

For this design, I used the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set to create a background.

The strip of cardstock across the middle represents the belly band that went around their stationery bundle.

Layering circles cut from the Online Exclusives Circle Punches sit above this with hearts cut from the Country Bouquet Punch on top.

I used a Blending Brush to add some shading to the large heart, and the smaller heart is coated in Wink of Stella. There was Wink of Stella on their wedding stationery.

Finally, some Rhinestones add a touch more bling.

Here is the card I made for their engagement, and the card I made for their wedding.

Join me at one of my 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

Countdown to Christmas 2023 – Week 1

October 7, 2023September 21, 2023 ~ Karen Young

How is it already time to start my annual Countdown to Christmas series?

For 12 weeks, from today until Christmas, I’ll be sharing a festive project with you every Saturday. Feel free to use these projects to help with your Christmas crafting.

Today I’m sharing September’s Christmas Card Club project for 2023.

For September’s card, the third Christmas Card Club project of the year, I taken inspiration from the new September-December Mini Catalogue.

It uses the new Handcrafted Elements Dies and Christmas Classics Stamp Set, along with an old favourite, the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set.

The colours are Orchid Oasis and Balmy Blue, with Basic White.

A background of ‘splats’ from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set is created.

Next, the ornament is cut in two to allow the sentiment to sit in the middle.

Lengths of coordinating In Color Baker’s Twine then go across the centre with the bauble sitting on top using Dimensionals.

A bow sits to the side of the bauble, made with the remaining length of twine from the kit.

Finally, some blue Adhesive-Backed Glitter Sequins, also new in the Mini Catalogue, add some festive bling.

If you want to join us and make a future Christmas Card Club project, make sure you have booked your place by the 9th of each month.

Join me at one of my 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

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Abstract in In Color

September 11, 2023September 6, 2023 ~ Karen Young

For last week’s Card & Cuppa I designed an abstract project using the new 2023-2025 In Colors.

A combination of stamps from the Oceanfront Stamp Set, Quiet Meadow Stamp Set and the Inked & Tiled Stamp Set provided the background stamping in the various new colours. The whole project is sits on a Thick Very Vanilla base card.

Next, a length of In Color Textured Ribbon was added, followed by a length of the coordinating Jute Trim. This was split and tied in a knot before being placed on top of the ribbon. Splitting the Jute Trim creates the wavy effect.

Shapes cut from the Stylish Shapes Dies and the Tailor Made Tags Dies were arranged on top of the background, with the large square left until last.

The sentiment is from the Artistically Inked Stamp Set and cut in two before being stuck to the Copper Clay Square. This whole piece is given more depth using Dimensionals.

In Color Dots, also in the same Moody Mauve as the layer, ribbon and twine add the finishing touch.

This is a great design for anyone and particularly handy for those teen or masculine projects. It can be changed to use any colours and shapes too.

Join me at one of my 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

Christmas Card Club – July 2023

August 7, 2023August 4, 2023 ~ Karen Young

Today I’m sharing my first Christmas Card Club project of 2023.

Christmas Card Club is where those who have signed up make 2 of a pre-designed card using the class kit and instruction from a YouTube video tutorial. The projects are made in their own time with a new video released on the 25th of each month (July-November).

For July’s project, I chose to make some Christmas baubles.

Using the Bright & Beautiful 6×6 DSP for the baubles meant that I had many colours to choose from. As I wanted a green shade, I chose Pretty Peacock for my basecard and stamping layer.

First a splat design from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set was stamped tone-on-tone on the background piece.

Next the lengths of Parakeet Party Metallic Woven Ribbon were added.

Then, punched circle shapes were covered with strips of the Bright & Beautiful 6×6 DSP, with the overhang carefully trimmed away. This leaves lots of scrap pieces to make some more baubles.

These were then stuck over the lengths of ribbon, with the central bauble raised up on Dimensionals.

Finally, a bunny ears bow was added to the top of the central bauble.

The process is then repeated for the second card.

If you want to join us and make a future Christmas Card Club project, make sure you have booked your place by the 9th of each month.

Join me at one of my 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

Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Quiet Meadow Stamp Set & Dies Meets New Colours

May 29, 2023May 28, 2023 ~ Karen Young

At last week’s Card & Cuppa, I chose a similar theme to the previous week in combining a previous Stamp Set with new colours.

This time I chose some of the new blues of Azure Afternoon – new colour, Blueberry Bushel – returning In Color and Balmy Blue, along with Basic White.

Using the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set and coordinating Meadow Dies, I took inspiration from Page 66 of the new Annual Catalogue for my project.

The words and splats are both stamped in Balmy Blue for a background, with the words using second generation stamping.

After stamping the large floral image in Blueberry Bushel, a Blender Pen is used to move some of the colour around and to soften the white. Wink of Stella is then dotted in the centre of each of the flowers.

Azure Afternoon cardstock is used for the stem that is cut out using the Meadow Dies.

An inkpad in the same colour is used for the sentiment.

A ribbon swoosh in silver from the Gold & Silver Trim Combo Pack from the Online Exclusives range sits behind the sentiment that is raised up on Dimensionals.

Finally, some silver Festive Pearls are used to coordinate with the ribbon.