March Card Making Class – Project 4

March 27, 2026March 18, 2026 ~ Karen Young

Today I’m sharing the 4th and final project from my recent Card Making Class.

The theme for March’s class was Backgrounds and more, so I chose a project where the attendees could grunge as much as they liked.

For this design, I used various shades of brown to create the grunge effect and used Basic Beige instead of Basic White or Very Vanilla to achieve a more muted look.

All of the background stamping used the Swirled Designs Stamp Set from the Online Exclusives range. Basic Beige, Crumb Cake, Pecan Pie and Early Espresso are all used and stamped onto Basic Beige cardstock.

Then, Blending Brushes, Sponge Daubers, Crumb Cake and Pecan Pie ink are used to add some extra colour across the piece.

Lengths of coordinating Crumb Cake Baker’s Twine from the Essentials Pack were then added.

The Fabulous Sayings Stamp Set, a Product of the Month (POTM) offering provides the sentiment. This is raised up on Dimensionals.

Do you have a favourite project from the class?

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.

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March Card Making Class – Project 2

March 20, 2026March 17, 2026 ~ Karen Young

The second project from the weekend’s Card Making Class was this sunny Birthday card.

With the theme of the class being Backgrounds and More, this ombre beach scene is just perfect.

A combination of Balmy Blue, Crushed Curry, Azure Afternoon and some Blending Brushes create the sky, sand and sea.

The sun and boat are from the Choose Happy Stamp Set. Both are coloured using Stamping Blends, with the boat cut out by hand. Care is needed to avoid cutting the sail from the boat!

In the bottom corner, a sentiment from the Banner Saying Stamp Set is stamped. This Stamp Set is in the Online Exclusives range.

Although I used Crushed Curry for the sun and sand, I chose to combine Daffodil Delight with Azure Afternoon for my card layers. This gave the project a much brighter look and feel.

Finally, the boat is raised up on Dimensionals to look like it is sailing by!

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

Happy crafting

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

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Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Under The Moon

June 26, 2024June 25, 2024 ~ Karen Young

As I was still in holiday mode after a lovely week away in Cyprus, last week’s Card & Cuppa design reflected that!

It is a CASE of a project in the new Annual Catalogue.

This new Under The Moon Stamp Set is great as it does a lot of the hard work for you, so you can make a project really quickly. Plus there are some great images in the Annual Catalogue to use as inspiration too.

I chose to combine Azure Afternoon, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight and Calypso Coral for this design.

All of the images, apart from the boat, are inked up using Sponge Daubers. This gives a more subtle effect and allows you to create darker and lighter areas.

After inking up the sea image with a Sponge Dauber, I used my Grid Paper to ensure I stamped a straight horizon.

Next, the moon image is carefully inked up with both colours using the Sponge Daubers and lined up with the sea below.

The boat is then added to the side to finish the stamping of the scene.

Finally a few white sequins from adhesive-backed sequins trio are dotted across the sea to look like water droplets.

For my project, I decided to leave it sentiment free as I think it makes a great any occasion card. Alternatively, there is white space where a sentiment can easily be added as needed.

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.

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Finishing Up Friday – Remembrance Poppies

November 11, 2022November 9, 2022 ~ Karen Young

This week’s Finishing Up Friday is all about remembrance.

I had some pre-cut leaves from the Poppy Moments Dies in my stash, so I set about recreating this previous project. It seemed perfect for the time of year.

My colours are obviously Poppy Parade, along with Garden Green, Basic Black and Basic White.

The background ‘splats’ are from the coordinating Painted Poppies Stamp Set.

Lengths of Basic Black Baker’s Twine are wrapped across the project.

Rather than cut the inners and outers of the flowers and leaves in different shades of red and green, I used just the one shade of each. I then darkened the top layer with the corresponding Ink Pad and a Sponge Dauber, before sticking the layers together.

The leaves and bud are then stuck down onto the background. Using Dimensionals, the two flowers are then attached.

As I wanted this project to be sentiment free, a bunny ears bow is added to the Baker’s Twine for a finishing touch.

Which pre-made items are you going to use from your desk?

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.

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Punch Art Pumpkin

October 17, 2022October 16, 2022 ~ Karen Young

As there wasn’t a Card & Cuppa class last week, I’m sharing this fun Halloween project instead.

As I don’t have any Halloween products, I have made my own pumpkin.

My colours are obviously Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black and Old Olive with Basic White.

I began by stamping the ‘boo’ in the corner using the Alphabest Stamp Set and Tuxedo Ink.

Next, I used three of the colours from the Glitter Washi Tape pack from the July-December Mini Catalogue. These colours coordinate with my project colours.

If you know me, you’ll be aware that I don’t like glitter, so this Glitter Washi Tape was a good compromise for me.

Next, it was the turn of the pumpkin. This was made by cutting 5 ovals from the Double Oval Punch.

They were then given some extra definition with a Sponge Dauber before being stuck together. The stalk and leaf are from the Cherry Builder Punch.

Using Dimensionals, the pumpkin is raised up.

Finally, as I wanted some sparkly gems to coordinate with the Washi Tape, I coloured some Rhinestones with a Basic Black Stampin’ Blend and stuck these to the project.

I think this is a great project to make with children, but it is also a bit more grown up 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.

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Finishing Up Friday – A Wall of Daisies

October 14, 2022October 13, 2022 ~ Karen Young

This week’s Finishing Up Friday uses pre-made items from this previous Card & (Your) Cuppa project.

I chose a soft colour combination of Petal Pink, Crumb Cake and Basic White.

Using a Blending Brush, I began by running some Crumb Cake ink over my pre-embossed wall piece to add highlights to some of the bricks. This piece is from the Brick & Mortar 3D Embossing Folder.

Next, the daisies are stuck together in pairs. I had to punch a few more of these using the Medium Daisy Punch to add to those I already had in my stash.

Then, each daisy is given a touch of colour in the centre using a Sponge Dauber, and a touch of Wink of Stella for some sparkle.

Background leaves are cut using the Bough Punch.

My sentiment is from the Sending Smiles Stamp Set and cut out using the coordinating Sending Dies. These are available as a Bundle in the Annual Catalogue.

Finally coordinating embellishments from the Elegant Faceted Gems pack provides a touch more sparkle.

Which pre-made items are you going to use from your desk?

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

Finishing Up Friday – Orange Flowers

October 7, 2022October 1, 2022 ~ Karen Young

This week’s Finishing Up Friday uses leftover pieces from this recent Card & (Your) Cuppa project.

To begin with, I shaped the edge of my cardstock pieces using the Very Best Trio Punch from the July-December Mini Catalogue.

Next, I stamped an image from the Flowers of Friendship Stamp Set and coloured the leaves with my Pear Pizzazz Ink Pad and a Blender Pen.

An additional large flower shape was cut out using the same Flowers & Leaves Punch. All of the flower shapes were then given some colour on the edges using a Mango Melody Ink Pad and Sponge Dauber.

The flower pieces were curled with a Paper Folder and layered together in pairs with a Glue Dot and stuck to each stem.

My sentiment is from the Go To Greetings Stamp Set stamped onto a shape from the Beautiful Shapes Dies.

This sits on a length of the Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon coloured with a coordinating Stampin’ Blend.

Finally, some Adhesive Backed Seasonal Sequins, also from the Mini Catalogue were added to the centre of each flower.

Which pre-made items are you going to use from your desk?

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.

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Finishing Up Friday – Aspen Tree Dies

September 9, 2022September 9, 2022 ~ Karen Young

This week’s Finishing Up Friday uses pre-cut pieces from this Card & (Your) Cuppa project.

The tree cut out and embossed leaves are from the Aspen Tree Dies from the July-December Mini Catalogue. Other leaves are cut from the Forever Flourishing Dies and Poppy Moments Dies.

Splats from the Quiet Meadow Stamp Set are stamped tone-on-tone onto the rear Crumb Cake piece to create a background.

I then used a Sponge Dauber and added some colour to the trees and also to the leaves.

When sticking the tree piece to the background piece, I only used glue around the edges. This then shows more depth through the trees.

Three of the leaves are tied together with a piece of coordinating Baker’s Twine from the Essentials pack, with the other two leaves stuck to the side.

A sentiment from the Nuts About Squirrel Stamp Set is again stamped tone-on-tone and this is attached to the leaves.

Finally, the whole leaves and sentiment pieces is raised up on Dimensionals.

Which pre-made items are you going to use from your desk?

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

Last Week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa – Shades of Orange Flowers

August 8, 2022August 3, 2022 ~ Karen Young

Last week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa project used various shades of orange to create this floral any occasion card.

Pale Papaya, Mango Melody and Pumpkin Pie provide the oranges, with Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla. I do like an orange, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla colour combination.

The background is created from the Timeworn Type Embossing Folder and a Sponge Dauber. This gives it a more antique feel.

Each of the flowers is made by sticking two flowers cut out using the Flowers & Leaves Punch together, in an offset way. Before being stuck together, the edges are curled using a Paper Folder and also given a touch of Wink of Stella around the centre.

A length of coordinating In Color Ribbon sits across the project.

With the flowers arranged in colour order, they are then stuck to the project using Glue Dots.

The ever versatile Art Gallery Stamp Set once again provides the sentiment that is stuck to the ribbon.

Finally, Opal Rounds provide the centre for each flower, with some Brushed Brass Butterflies flying to the edge of the project.

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

Last Week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa – Delicate Daisies and FREE SAB Cards & Envelopes

August 1, 2022July 27, 2022 ~ Karen Young

For last week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa project, I created this project that used the FREE SAB Cards & Envelopes for the basecard.

The project takes inspiration from the design on Page 56 of the Annual Catalogue.

Rather than creating a basecard as I normally do, I chose to use the FREE SAB Cards & Envelopes instead. These basecards are pre-printed with a delicate leaf pattern and also come with matching envelopes.

Using the Brick & Mortar Embossing Folder for my background, this was cut down to size. It was then given some colour using a Sponge Dauber and Crumb Cake ink.

Blushing Bride Daisies cut using the Medium Daisy Punch were then created by again using a Sponge Dauber to add colour to the centres, and then gluing two together.

Lengths of the gorgeous Natural Finish Ribbon were stuck the wall piece before the daisies and leaves, cut using the Bough Punch in Mint Macaron and Crumb Cake were added.

A sentiment from the Art Gallery Stamp Set has Linen Thread looped behind and is then stuck to the project.

Finally, some of the new Festive Pearls from the July-December Mini Catalogue are added. These 3mm Pearls come in a pack of 200 with 50 each of Cherry Cobbler, Soft Succulent, Silver and Gold. Gold are the ones I chose to use on this project.