August Card Making Class – Project 3

August 20, 2025August 12, 2025 ~ Karen Young

The third project from August’s Card Making Class was this Birthday Card.

August’s class theme was Fabulous Florals, so I designed this card in brown tones.

Pecan Pie and Basic Beige are the colours for the cardstock.

Using the gorgeous Charming Day Stamp Set and Dies Bundle from the Online Exclusives range, the flower was stamped multiple times.

It was also stamped onto a separate piece and cut out using the coordinating Dies.

Three sets of leaves were also cut out using the Dies, along with a square from the Stylish Shapes Dies.

Each of the flowers was coloured using Watercolor Pencils and a Blender Pen. White and Daffodil Delight for the petals and centre, with Pecan Pie for the leaves. Wink of Stella was gently used in the centre of each flower.

A Birthday sentiment was stamped onto Basic Beige and stuck across the Pecan Pie strip.

The leaves were then stuck onto the strip and the flower onto the diamond.

Finally, the diamond was stuck across the strip using Dimensionals.

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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Last Week’s Card & Cuppa for Children – Turtle-y Awesome

August 7, 2025August 2, 2025 ~ Karen Young

Last week I held my first Card & Cuppa for Children Class for this year’s summer holidays.

I held my first Card & Cuppa for Children class back in August 2016 and some of the children I have taught over the years are now adults!

This karaoke turtle I designed for the session features the fabulous Turtle-y Awesome Stamp Set and Dies Bundle from the Annual Catalogue.

The colour combination is Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray, Poppy Parade and Basic White.

First, a background of stars from the With you in Mind Stamp Set is stamped. These are in second generation stamping to create a more muted feel.

Next, the sentiment, from the Simply Said Stamp Set was added, followed by the musical notes from the Bundle.

The microphone and party hat from the Turtle-y Awesome Stamp Set were stamped onto a separate piece of cardstock and cut out using the coordinating dies.

Using the Stylish Shapes Dies, the central diamond was cut out twice, once in Basic White and again in Granny Apple Green.

The Basic White diamond was then cut along the dotted edge to make it slightly smaller to allow it to layer with the other one later.

A turtle was then stamped onto the square and all of the items were then coloured using Watercolour Pencils and a Blender Pen.

The turtle was layered onto the other diamond and the party hat and microphone were then added.

This whole piece was raised up on Dimensionals in the centre of the project.

Finally, some coordinating Granny Apple Green bling from the Shades of Greens Hexagons were 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.

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March 2025 Card Making Class – Project 1

March 12, 2025March 11, 2025 ~ Karen Young

Last weekend I held my first in-person monthly Card Making Class of the year. It was my first in-person monthly class since before the pandemic started.

At the class, the attendees made 4 projects.

My first design was this kissing technique card, inspired by a project on the Stampin’ Up! website. It uses the Kiss of Texture Stamp Set, a new product in the Online Exclusives range.

I chose to use a colour combination of Basic Beige, Calypso Coral, Balmy Blue, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla.

To being, ‘splats’ from the Elements of Text Stamp Set, also in the Online Exclusives range are stamped tone-on-tone on the background.

Each of the shapes are then stamped using the kissing technique, where you ink up both stamps and use one as an inkpad for the other. Rather than using different colours for this, I chose to use stamping off for each colour.

The only exception was the sentiment from the Simply Said Stamp Set which was stamped in Early Espresso to allow it to stand out.

The shapes were cut out using the Stylish Shapes Dies.

Lengths of Very Vanilla Baker’s Twine were then laid across the background and the shapes were stuck down. The circle was tucked behind the twine, while the other shapes were stuck together and raised up on Dimensionals.

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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Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Christmas Friends

December 16, 2024December 15, 2024 ~ Karen Young

Last week’s Card & Cuppa project used the fun Christmas Friends Stamp Set.

This set is in the Mini Catalogue, but is currently on the Last Chance Products list, so grab it while you can.

The moose is one of four in the set and is stamped in Early Espresso. It is then coloured using Watercolor Pencils and a Blender Pen.

A sentiment from the Greetings of the Season Stamp Set is added to the bottom of the background in Old Olive and Real Red.

Strips of coordinating cardstock are stuck across the centre of the project.

Using the Stylish Shapes Dies, the moose is cut out and layered onto an Old Olive shape cut out using the same Die. A border is created by cutting around the edge of the moose square.

Finally, the moose is raised up on Dimensionals.

I couldn’t decide which design to make as my sample, so I made all four!

Do you have a favourite?

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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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.

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Last Week’s Card & Cuppa – Hand-Penned Petals Two Ways

March 20, 2023March 19, 2023 ~ Karen Young

Last week’s Card & Cuppa project was this pretty floral design.

The stamping is from the Hand-Penned Petals Stamp Set & Dies, with background leaves in Pear Pizzazz.

Basic Gray has been used to stamp the floral image and cut out using the coordinating Penned Flowers dies. This is coloured using Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pens.

Using Stamping’ Blends, the ribbon is coloured to coordinate the cardstock. This is then made into a swoosh.

A circle is then cut from the Stylish Shapes Dies in Daffodil Delight.

Pearls are also coloured with Stampin’ Blends and these are then added to finish the project.

I then made another card using the same items, just in a different orientation. They were used for Mothering Sunday cards.

These are shown below. Is the portrait or landscape version your favourite?

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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Special Christmas Cards 2022 – Project 2

December 23, 2022December 21, 2022 ~ Karen Young

Today’s project is the second card from my recent Special Christmas Cards class.

For this annual class, I always make sure that one project is suitable for chidren (of all ages!). This Rudolph project is the card that fits the brief for 2022!

Shimmery White cardstock gives the project a sparkly touch.

Using bright colours of Poppy Parade and Parakeet Party, a stripey background is created.

A face is made using a circle cut from the Laering Circle Dies. Eyes are from the Tailor Made Tag Dies, these are the hole reinforcer pieces. The nose is from the Stylish Shapes Dies, with the antlers cut using the Deer Builder Punch.

By arranging multiple antlers together, these create larger ones.

Once the eye and mouth are in place, the inner of the eyes are then coloured using a black felt-tip pen, I’ve used a Stampin’ Write Marker.

A swoosh of coordinating In Color Metallic Ribbon is then added, before the face is attached using Dimensionals.

The nose is given some sparkle using Wink of Stella and also added using Dimensionals.

Finally, some Champagne Rhinestones are dotted across the project for even more sparkle.

The attendees also made an envelope from a piece of DSP for their card.

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 – For You in Balmy Blue

November 4, 2022November 3, 2022 ~ Karen Young

This week’s Finishing Up Friday uses a pre-embossed piece and some punched pieces I had in my crafting stash.

For this monochrome card I chose Balmy Blue alongside Basic White.

I cut the pre-embossed piece from the Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder into three, and added some ink around the edges of each piece using a Blending Brush.

Then I used the Double-Stitched Ribbon in coordinating Balmy Blue and White and separated it. As the thin blue ribbon is stitched to the white ribbon with a clear thread, I carefully unpicked the stitching to create two ribbons.

The white part of the ribbon is then stuck across the project before adding the punched shapes. These are cut using Bough Punch.

Next, it was the turn of the thinner blue ribbon to create a ribbon swoosh. Head to this Top Tips, Tricks & Techniques video for a demonstration on how I create mine.

A sentiment from the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set is then cut out using the Beautiful Shapes Dies and layered onto a circle cut from the Stylish Layers Dies.

Finally, some Solid Faceted Gems, also in Balmy Blue are dotted across the project to maintain the monochrome look.

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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A Sweet Sorbet Special Day

November 2, 2022November 1, 2022 ~ Karen Young

Today’s project uses the In Color Sweet Sorbet to make this ‘It’s Your Special Day’ card.

A Sweet Sorbet Special Day. Project designed by Karen at HIPPOFROG Designs

Along with Sweet Sorbet, I chose Basic Black and Basic White for my colour combination.

The sentiment is from another ‘sweet’ product, the Sweet Songbirds Stamp Set. This is the first item to be added to the Basic White piece.

A strip of the Perfectly Penciled DSP then sits across the bottom of the project, with a thin strip of coordinating cardstock across the join.

On top of this is a length of In Color Metallic Woven Ribbon, also in Sweet Sorbet.

Another section of the DSP is cut out using the Beautiful Shapes Dies to provide the pretty flower.

This is then given a touch of colour using Stampin’ Blends and sits on a shape cut from the Stylish Layers Dies.

Finally, a touch of Wink of Stella is added to the flower to give an extra touch of sparkle.

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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Countdown to Christmas 2022 – Week 4

October 29, 2022October 28, 2022 ~ Karen Young

We are now at week 4 of this year’s Countdown to Christmas series.

For this project, I chose a monochrome look with Starry Sky and Basic White.

The images are from the Mountain Air Stamp Set and the Penguin Place Stamp Set, one festive and one non festive. Penguin Place is a returning favourite from last year and can be found in the July-December Mini Catalogue.

First, a background of stars is created from the Penguin Place Stamp Set, along with the Christmas sentiment in the bottom corner.

Next, the Starry Sky strip is stamped both tone-on-tone and with White Ink for a forest scene. The trees are from the Mountain Air Stamp Set. A few more stars are added to this piece.

This is then stuck across the background piece.