Card Bee Happy 3D Bee

 

Cheery and unique card with dimensional bee 

can be used to convey “hello”, “get well”, “congratulations”

 or “hoping for better times” encouragement. 

Front panel includes two decoration options, 

either hand cross-stitched with embroidery floss, 

or with overlay that simulates the stitching. 

Slots accept the dimensional bee hull tabs. 

Bee includes semi-transparent wings with optional 

heavy thread stitched vein detail, overlay stripes and tail. 

‘Bee’ and ‘Happy’ words suggest sampler stitching, 

with floral decorations complete front decoration. 

Sentiment panel also included for card interior. 

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A accent front with bee body slots (and opt. stitching holes)

B faux cross-stitch overlay panel

C card base with vertical perforation fold

D interior sentiment panel

E bee body hull  F bee eyes and antennae

G bee head overlay, body stripes, tail overlay

H bee over wing and under wing

I "Bee Happy" individual letters

J letters base positioning guides (cut to match A)

K upper floral accents with bud overlays

L lover floral accent with bud overlays

2. Position (centered) and attach the faux cross-stitching

panel on the front of the card's front accent panel.

(Skip through the real stitching instructions which

follow in steps 3-4.)

3. If the alternative real stitched panel is being made,

cut the appropriate stitching hole punched front panel

and use the end of a bent-straight paper clip to push

through and remove any waste punch "chads".

4. Assemble stitching materials:

6-ply cream floss; 24 or 26 gauge tapestry (blunt) needles.

NOTE: the stitching is completed using 3 separated plies.

 Match up ends, fold in half to be 6 plies. 

Thread the ends (or the loop) through the needle eye,

then pull through so that the loop is the long end, 

and the short end that extends approx. 3-4 inches 

past needle eye.

4. Study the following stitching illustration.

NOTE that the first "leg" of each cross stitch should be

created with the SAME directional slant. In the illustrations,

this is the 'right' slant.

Second stitches are all made in the LEFT slant.

(FOR THIS PROJECT  the cross stitches have a stitch SPACE

in between each stitch, not consecutively stitched as shown here.)

A) Begin at the lower left edge to insert the needle

from backside UP, through the first hole of second row.

B) Pull the thread through until there is a short loop

still remaining below the panel.

C) Insert the needle down through the second hole

of the bottom row, forming the left to right stitch

of the first 'X'.

D) Pull the thread through, then pass the needle

through the end loop . . . 

. . . and pull the thread up taut. (This is the "anchor"

for the first thread run.)

This image shows the anchor stitch from the backside.

E) Begin the next cross stitch - specifically spaced for

this project's design - by moving one stitch to the left

to bring the needle up through third hole of the second row.

F) Insert the needle down through 4th hole

of first row, to complete the right slant of the second

cross stitch.

G) Continue in this pattern to create the first leg of

all the stitches across the bottom 'row', skipping one

stitch space so that stitches will be spaced.

Here is the first row completed with right slant only.

H) Insert the needle up through the FINAL hole of

the second row, then down and left to complete

the 'left' slant stitch of the end cross stitch.

I) Continue in this manner to complete the 'X's

of the bottom row.

J) When stitching reaches the left side of panel

and the first row of spaced X stitches are completed,

move upward to the next row, skip the first SPACE

and begin the first stitch in between the 1st and 2nd stitches

of the bottom row. Continue to complete right then left

stitches of the second row.

I) when loaded thread has been used up, with a short tail

remaining, pause the needle on the backside of work.

Insert the needle under a sequence of 2-3 stitches,

then pull the thread through, and remove the needle.

J) Clip the thread tail close to the surface.

K) Prepare next set of 3 plies (that become 6 plies),

anchor on with the next stitch in the pattern as shown

in steps A-D above. Complete the remaining stitches of pattern

(refer to the thumbnail at top of post as necessary),

tying off and attaching additional needle-loads 'til done.

5. Assemble the components for the floral and

letter/word details, composed of the shapes shown here,

by layering and gluing together:

A) 'pink' buds onto corresponding positions of

leaf/stem units;

B) sepal (bud leaves) onto bottoms of 'pink' buds;

C) 'Bee' and 'Happy' onto positioning bases guide shapes.

6. Locate the base "corner" guide marks cut into 

the front panel that will help with positioning of

the word assemblies, then position and attach

each in the corresponding locations.

7. Position and attach the upper side bud stem

units on each side of bee slot locations,

and the lower bud assembly centered below

'Happy' word unit.

8.  Prepare the body dome shape by bending back

on all perforations for body panels, segments and

inner wedge tabs, and forward for edge tabs.

9. Join head end seams by bending segments inward

to overlap head top side straight edge over adjacent

wedge tab to perforation and gluing in place.

10. Bend the snout head end panel downward so that

straight side edge overlaps the adjacent narrow tab

to perforation line, and glue seam.

11. Bend the top and side tail segments inward to 

overlap tab and align straight edge at perforation line,

and glue seam.

12. Repeat steps 3-5 for the other side of body. 

13.  Prepare the body accent, stripes (body top stripe

not shown here; see step 12), and tail/stinger overlay by

bending back of all perforation lines.

14.  Prepare the head overlay shape by bending

back on all perforation lines for segments and

narrow wedge tabs at upper sides.

15. Complete each of the two upper side seams

by overlapping the inward straight edge across

the wedge tab to perforation and gluing in place.

16. Apply glue to the underside of the head overlay

then position over head end area of body dome

align perforations and edges, and glue in place.

17. Position and attach the top body accent, aligning

punch hole, front edges with body perforation lines,

and contour perforations.

18. Position and attach the top body stripe on

the adjacent dome panels at panel edges.

19. Position and attach the tail overlay where it

fits the body contours and edges, then . . . 

. . . position and attach the mid stripe halfway

between the upper body stripe and tail overlay.

20. Insert antennae tab through head slot, then . . . 

. . . bend tab back on underside of dome and

glue in place.

21. Position and attach eyes forward on 

side head panels.

22. Prepare the underwing by partially bending along

the medium length perforation lines. This will give

the wings assembly some shape and "lift". 

(Follow these next steps ONLY if adding stitching

detail to the optional punch holes wing shape.)

23. A) Study the following stitching detail illustration

that indicates where the stitching thread will connect

punch holes. NOTE that the semi-transparent vellum

that is recommended will allow thread passes on

the underneath side to be slightly visible from face side.

B) Refer to the following stitching hole numbered diagram

as the following stitching steps are described.

C) Thread a 20" length of button thread (thicker) on

a sewing needle that will fit through the stitching holes.

D) Hold a short tail on top of the wing at the center

brad hole, then insert the needle DOWN through base hole #1,

at bottom of array, and pull thread through. 

E) Stitch UP through hole #3, then DOWN

through hole #2 to complete the first "stitch" line.

Pull up thread completely between each stitch

insertion, then finger press thread to encourage it

to stay straight, flat, and avoid loopy-ness that shows

through wing.

F) Stitch UP through hole #4, then DOWN through

hole #2.

G) Stitch up through hole #5, then . . . 

. . . DOWN thru hole #6; UP thru hole #5,

then DOWN thru hole #7; UP thru hole #5;

DOWN thru hole #8.

H) UP thru hole #9, then . . . 

. . . DOWN thru #8; UP thru #10; DOWN thru #8

I) UP thru #11.

J) Complete the center stitching by stitching DOWN

thru #8, UP thru #5, DOWN thru #2.

K) Complete the first wing stitching run by returning

needle and thread UP thru center punch hole.

L) Repeat steps D-K to complete stitching on second

wing. With thread tails at center, apply a dab of glue

to secure them neatly near center hole. Wait until

glue dries, then . . . 

. . . trim excess even with top edge of wing.

(NOTE: tails should be further secured and hidden

by wing-to-body brad insertion.)

24. Layer over wing atop under wing, center

with brad punch holes aligned, adjust for balance,

then secure in place with a dab of glue near punch hole.

25. Position wing assembly over body assembly

so that holes align, then insert a black nail head brad

through all layers, and bend prongs back on inside

of body dome.

26. Position the bee hull assembly over the front card

panel with tabs aligned at corresponding slots,

and insert tabs through slots.

On backside of panel, bend tabs outward

(taking care that each is worked through the slot

fully so that perforation line aligns at slot edge),

and glue each in place.

27. Prepare the front card base by bending back on

vertical center perforation line.

Open, then position (centered) sentiment panel on

inside back panel and attach in place.

28. Position the front panel centered over front portion

of folded card base, and attach in place.

Here is the completed card.