Combine pastel colours with gold hues to whip up this fab selection of fun greetings

What you need...

• Stamps, number
  
• Pigment ink, gold
  
• Embossing powder, gold
  
• Heat gun
  
• Acrylic block
  
• Hole punch
  
• Pencils, coloured
  
• Cotton buds bright pink
  
• Bells, gold
  
• Ribbon, pink, turquoise
  
• Cord, gold
  
• Foam pads
  
• Craft glue
  
• Card, gold mirror, bright pink
  
• Paper, pink, turquoise
  
• Candles, small, gold

instructions

1. Candle Card - 1. Cut a blank, 12.5cm x 9cm, and trim the front to 4cm wide. Make the candle motifs from three pieces of pink patterned paper, 9cm x 4cm, then fix to a piece of scrap card, and trim.
   
   2. Glue the first candle to the front of the blank. Adhere a strip of card, 14cm x 5mm, centrally across the back of this and the other two motifs. Leave a 3mm gap between each. Trim the card strip and round off the top two corners of each candle.
   
   3. Fix a number ‘3’ stamp onto an acrylic block. Apply gold pigment ink and print onto thick, white card. Sprinkle gold embossing powder on top and melt using a heat gun.
   
   4. Shade in with colouring pencils. Working on one area at a time, rub with the tip of a cotton bud to soften the colour. Once complete, cut out and punch a hole either side of the middle and thread with ribbon and gold cord.
   
   5. Embellish with seed beads fixed in place using tiny spots of craft glue. Secure the number to the middle candle using foam pads. Cut a slit in the centre of the fold. Take the ribbon and cord over the edge of the blank, round the inside, then thread them both through the slit. Tie in a bow at the front.
   
   6. Trim three flame shapes from card, each 4.5cm high. Stamp with pigment ink, sprinkle gold embossing powder on top and melt using a heat tool. Repeat this process twice to create the other two. Tape the bases to the back of the candles. Glue a gold bead at the bottom of each flame.

2. Cupcake Card - 1. Fold and trim a white blank, 18cm x 10.5cm. Cut the front to 8cm wide, then cover this section with patterned paper and round off the corners.
   
   2. Stamp and emboss a ‘2’ as previously described for the '3' Candle Card greeting. Trim out and colour in. Embellish with beads. Fix to the front of the blank using foam pads. Tie the fold with ribbon and cord.
   
   3. Trim two gold cupcake bases, 4cm x 2.5cm each, and glue side by side on the back of the blank. Cut the toppings from bright pink card and fix above the bases. Stick gold seed beads around the edge. Trim the wick off two gold candles and glue to the top of the motifs.

3. Flower Card - 1. Take a blank, 13cm square. Draw a simple flower on the front. Make sure the top petal is joined by at least 3cm along the fold. Trim around the bloom shape and cover with patterned paper. Decorate the inside using a contrasting coloured sheet and round off the corners.
   
   2. Fix a gold circle, 8.5cm diameter, in the centre of the flower. Tie the fold with ribbon and cord. Stamp and emboss ‘1’ and ‘8’ as previously described. Trim out and colour with pencils. Add sead beads for decoration. Use foam pads to fix the numbers in the middle of the bloom.

4. 50th Anniversary - 1. Fix a number ‘5’ stamp onto an acrylic block. Apply gold pigment ink, then print onto thick white card and sprinkle with gold embossing powder. Melt with a heat gun. Trim out using sharp scissors. Repeat this process to make a ‘0’.
   
   2. Shade the numbers with pencils as previously described for the Candle Card. Smudge the colours using the tip of a cotton bud and embellish with seed beads. Fix the digits on pink patterned card, 10.5cm square, and round off the corners.
   
   3. Trim a blank, 13cm square, and cover the front with turquoise patterned paper. Draw a 10.5cm square on the back of gold mirror card. Use scallop-edged scissors to cut around the border. Attach in the centre of the blank with foam pads, then stick the pink section on top.
   
   4. Glue gold beads around the scalloped edge. Tie turquoise ribbon in a bow and stick to the left-hand corner. Thread two gold bells onto cord, create a bow and fix on top.

Patchwork Number Stamps by Jayne Nestorenko, Crafter’s Companion, 01524 848833, [url=http://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk]http://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk[/url]