Hearts Stitched Centers Card

Small hearts cut from fifteen paper prints 

are arrayed in three rows. 

Center needle holes on each align 

with card front overlay so that they can be 

stitched in place with perle cotton or floss. 

Contrast card base is slightly offset, 

measures approx. 5x7 when top folded. 

ASSEMBLY: 1. Cut the shapes:
card base (gray in this sample)
card accent front with stitching holes
15 hearts with stitching holes & perf lines

If a gradation color sequence is desired,

consider this method:

Select 15 or more print papers to use,

then line them up in light (no. 1) to dark (no. 15)

order. Step back and "squint" to see if the order

needs adjustment. Select the 15 best,

then cut one heart from each.

One way to arrange the hearts for gradation

from light upper left to darker lower right

is to place the print order hearts as shown.

Switch hearts around as desired or preferred.

2. Bend each of the hearts face-to-face

along the center perforation/holes line.

3. Begin with the first (no. 1 position) heart,
apply a thin line of adhesive at the fold
on backside . . .

. . . then position it in over the accent front with

holes aligned, and hold in place until secure,

but take care that only the fold area attaches.

(NOTE that the TOP of the front accent card

has a slightly wider margin.)

4. Thread a 36-40 inch length of perle cotton
(no. 5 recommended) or 6-ply floss into a blunt
tapestry needle. Anchor the tail end with
a small strip of "paper" tape on backside
near the no. 1 top hole.

5. Insert the needle into the top hole,

push through to front . . .

. . . and pull through completely.

6. Insert the needle into the next lower hole
and push through to backside, then draw
thread to backside completely. This is
the first stitch.
Continue in the same fashion to complete
the following three stitches to attach heart no. 1.

Also complete the stitch below the first heart

as shown.

7. Position and glue heart no. 2 in place . . . 

. . . and complete the four stitches plus 

the between stitch to attach second heart.

Bend the heart sides upward slightly to make

sure that only the ridge is attached to card front.

8. Continue to add the next heart, complete
stitches to finish the first column of hearts.
Work the next column bottom to top, then
continue until all hearts are in place
and stitching is completed.

9. After the final stitch is complete, draw

the remaining thread fully to the backside,

clip excess leaving approx. 1" tail . . .

. . . and anchor with a small piece of tape. 

Here is the completed hearts panel.

(Quicker than you might think!)

10. Position and attach the front panel
to the front of the card base to complete the card.

Here is the finished card.

Change the hearts color to make this card

fit any occasion: green for St. Patrick's Day,

pastel for Easter, red white and blue for

Independence Day, etc.

Skeleton Halloween Card with Moving Eyes Assemble

One-of-a-kind card (a7 5"x7" size) for Halloween greetings.

Dapper skeleton head with moving eyes

(left edge slider tab allows you to shift them slightly side to side)

sends a ghoulish equivalent of a wolf-whistle

with the sentiment your are "fab-BOO-lous!"

ASSEMBLY:

1. Identify and cut the shapes.

Not shown: card base shape, card front with slider slots, decor card  front & it's twin reinforcement shape.

Shown here are the pre-assembled decor shapes, excluding the skull base and accent shapes. and the phrase shape.

NOTE the slider base shape also has a rounded-edge rectangle reinforcement shape, here glued to the slider front. It can alternatively be glued to the back. Eye contrast (white) base shapes with black shapes are attached over the corresponding slider areas.

2. Insert the slider's finger tab end down-and-up through the pair of slots near the finger hole of the card front layer.

(Sorry about the glare from this guy's shiny eyes. He practically has X-ray vision!)

3. Insert the slider end tabs into the horizontal slots pair at the right end of the  front shape, flexing the slider end slightly to get the tabs into place.

Test the slider by moving back and forth. The range of movement is not great, by design.

This is the card front as seen from the back, with the slider tabs in place.

4. A reinforcement shape is provided to add stiffness to the decor front shape, which will assist the slider to work more easily. Apply glue to the shape's backside, then align edges that correspond and glue in place on slide assembly panel backside. 

5. Apply adhesive to the decor front assembly, but taking care to keep glue away from the slide action area. Glue is applied ONLY to the reinforcement shape area.

6. Position and center decor card front over slider card base with offset edges evenly spaced all around. Glue in place.

Test the slider action to make sure the mechanism has not been glued in place.

7. Layer the skull base and upper, lower decor shapes, taking care to line up corresponding edges and eye holes.

8. Position upper and lower teeth behind mouth opening, with adhesive applied to the narrow margin at top or bottom only, then center and align (teeth sections do not overlap) and glue in place.

9. Apply adhesive to the skull backside. Position skull over decor card front and center it, with chin bottom center edge aligned at card front bottom edge, and skull top center aligned at tiny position dash on card front, and glue in place.

10. Position and attach hat assembly over top of skull with top highest tip at card edge, right brim tip at card side edge.

11. Position and attach phrase pieces over hat. It may be helpful to "dry fit" the shapes first, and also to position and attach "fab" and "lous!" at edges, then fit the "BOO" in between.

12. Finally, position the card front assembly over the card base shape front, aligning edges that correspond, including finger tab opening at left edge.

DONE!