A Surprise Inside!

I tapped into my inner book-binder and made a very (very!) simple book card today for Operation Write Home. Sandy is constantly begging for Missing You cards and Love You cards. This one has a little of both, I suppose.

Here are the supplies I used.



Fiskars Shape Cutter hearts template, baker's twine, sewing
needle, threader, awl

Irrelevant aside: My cutting mat looks dirty, but it's not. Still, I want a new one. Those things are expensive though!

Here's the finished card:

I kept the outside as simple as possible. I miss you. A little baker's twine. Red and white. Lots of empty white space to symbolize the emptiness of missing someone.  Then, you open the card....

Bold, red vellum heart sewn right in with a simple pamphlet stitch! Whichever soldier, sailor, marine, or airman chooses this card to send to his/her honey can write under/around/on the heart.

In case you've never sewn something like this before and feel intimidated, here are step-by-step instructions.

1. Cut out or die cut the heart. Mine is 3.5 inches. Score it down the middle and pre-fold.

2. Slip it into the pre-folded card and center. Place a ruler and mark two spots equidistant from the edges of the card for your holes. Using the awl or a sharp needle, make holes at the marks through both the vellum and the card.

3. Measure a piece of baker's twine that is at least three-four times the distance between the holes. (Don't be stingy. It's always better to have too long a tail than too short!) Using the threader, thread the needle. (Threaders make it easier to use needles with smaller eyes, meaning you have smaller holes in the paper. Plus, they will keep you from swearing so much.)

4. Holding the vellum in place, start sewing by pushing the needle through a hole from the outside of the card into the inside, going through the prepared holes in the card stock and the vellum. Be careful tugging the twine through the vellum as it will tear easily. Leave enough of a tail hanging outside the card to tie a knot or bow...whichever you prefer.

5. Push the needle out through the remaining hole and pull the twine taut inside the card. Remove the needle from the twine, and tie a knot or bow.

6. You sewed a two-hole pamphlet stitch book!

There are more complicated pamphlet stitches (three-, four-, and [gasp!] five-hole) that will hold more pages firmly, but for holding a single small piece of vellum, this will do just fine.

I hope all you mothers out there were pampered and had a fine Mother's Day!

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments
ink: Hero Arts Red Royal
Paper: Papertrey Ink, red vellum
accessories: baker's twine (Papertrey), needle, awl, Fiskar's heart template, Shape Cutter, threader