SEAHORSE STAMPS

Stamps can be purchased through all good craft stores and by mail order. They are easy and fun to use, and you can make the design as basic or as complicated as you choose. This is an ideal card to make with children. simple repeating patterns on bright backgrounds often work best. FUNKY ECLECTICA

1 Using the stamp and ink pad, stamp seahorses on a piece of orange card, leaving a gap between them. Put to one side to dry.

                   YOU WILL NEED
                       
                    Seahorse stamp
                    Turquoise ink pad
                    Orange card,approx. A5
                    Purple and turquoise handmade paper or textured card, approx. A5
                        Steel ruler
                        Craft Knife
                        Glue stick
                        Scissors
                    Greetings card blank, 250 gsm,
                      13.5 * 13.5 cm (5 1/4 * 5 1/4 in)
                    Turquoise tracing paper, 26.5 * 13 cm
                      (10 3/8 * 5 1/8 in), folded in half
                     Silver cord

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Try using different kinds of handmade paper, such as petal or rice paper in varying colours, for unusual effects.

2 Cut nine 4 1/2 cm (1 3/4 in) squares from the handmade paper - five of one colour and four of the other. Glue them onto the greetings card blank, starting in one corner with the colour of which there are more squares, continuing using alternating colours to achieve a chequerboard effect. Textured card is easier to use than flat card as it covers up any gaps between the squares.

3 The stamped seahorses should now be dry. Cut each one out with the scissors, following the shape of the seahorse and leaving a small orange border. Glue the seahorse shapes onto the card, one in each square.

4 Insert the turquoise tracing paper into the card and tie a coloured cord around the spine to hold it in place. Trim off the ends of the cord at the bottom of the card or tie it in a bow to sit centrally on the spine.

5 This technique can be adapted to suit special occasions or themes, using many combinations of coloured card and stamp designs. The stamp should be small enough to fit the paper squares. Contrasting colours make an eye-catching design.

    BIRTHDAY GALLERY

A taste of the country

This collage of hand-picked pressed flowers and a wonderful combination of purple papers will be a joy to receive.

FUNKY FISHES

Holographic fish stickers and squares of funky foam create a seaside flavour. Funky Eclectica

Space odyssey

Silk painting at its best! This great rocket image is a perfect birthday surprise for all ages. Rowena Burton

Fimo fun

Various textured, layered papers, torn edges and a varnished fima square make a bright background for a fima detail. Jana pana

Unusual stamp collection

This made-oriented card with bird feathers, foreign stamps and toy garden tools is ideal for Father's Day as well as Grandad's birthday Funky Eclectica

Birthday parcel

This 3-D dangly parcel was made in the same way as the stork mobile. Tracey Anne Turner

Dreamy daises

These daises in a row on coloured tissue paper are ideal for a cute card or a special gift tag.

Sweet honesty

Honesty and black-and-white graphic details say "good luck" feng shui-style to those fashiion - conscious friends! Lucinda Beatty

Pandamonium

Press me and I squeak! The cuddy felt panda on this fun card is hand-sewn, and the number is embossed on metal. Funky Eclectica

NO 4

Balloon stickers and carefully  dotted ink from an acrylic pen in subtle combinations of colours make a stunning child age card. Julie By Design

  QUILLED FLOWER

This intricate quilled flower card makes a lovely "thank you". The traditional craft of paper lace can be used to create stunning, delicate patterns and motifs. This project is perfect for nimble fingers.

ARTIST ANKE UEBERBERG

1 Score and fold the yellow card. Cut out a square 2 cm (3/4 in) in from the edges all round to make a frame. Score and fold the blue card and trim 3 mm (1/8 in) off all open sides. Apply a thin line of glue along the fold
line of the blue card and stick down just to the right of the fold line inside the yellow card.

          YOU WILL NEED

      Yellow card, 250 gsm,
        9 * 18 cm (3 1/2 * 7 in)
         Steel ruler
        Craft knife
        Pencil
        Eraser
      Blue card, 250 gsm,
       9 * 18 cm (3 1/2 * 7 in)
       PVA glue
      Quilling tool or round pencil
       White, orange and yellow
           quilling paper
           Toothpick
           Tweezers

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If you want to send the card in the post, use a padded envelope or cushion the flower design with a piece of bubble wrap. If you present the card in person, you might want to embellish the envelope with a tiny quilled flower on the flap.

2 To make the petals, tightly wind a 15 cm (6 in) strip of white quilling paper around the middle of the quilling tool. Ease off and leave to unwind to the desired size.

3 Pinch one end of the loose coil to make a teardrop-shaped petal. Fix down the loose end of the strip with a dab of glue - use a toothpick or matchstick for this. Make another five petals in this way.

4 Make the orange curls by bending the ends of a 3 cm (1 in) strip of quilling paper in opposite directions using you fingernail, then roll tiny curls between thumb and forefinger. Finally, make the centre of the flower out of a 1 cm (1/8 in) strip of yellow quilling paper, rolled tightly between thumb and forefinger. Stick down the loose end with a dab of glue.

5 Starting with the centre coil, pick up each quilled element with the tweezers,dab sports of glue on the underside using the toothpick and position on the blue background within the yellow frame. Next, position the orange curls at even intervals, radiating out from the centre. Finally, stick down the white petals.


FELT CHRISTMAS TREE

   Christmas time is not complete without a tree! This three-dimensional felt cut-out appeals to children and adults like, and you can personalize the tree with the materials you have to hand. Instead of bells, you could use gold buttons or gold-coloured confetti, hole-punched from gold foil or paper.

             YOU WILL NEED

            white card for template
                 Template
              Craft knife
         Dark green felt, 18 * 9 cm (7 * 3 1/2 in)
               Biro
               Scissors
         Needle and light coloured thread       
      Wadding or foam
        Pencil
      Small piece brown felt
       2 * 1.5 cm (3/4 * 1/2 in)
         Gold bells
     All-purpose glue
      small piece red shiny card
       Green greetings card blank,
        280 gsm, A5, folded in half
           Gold star

1 Using the template, draw a Christmas tree on a piece of white card. Cut out using a craft knife.

2 Fold the green felt in half to make two layers, place the template on top and draw around it with the biro. Cut out the double-layer tree shape using the scissors.