Valentines for Veterans - February Workshop

Traditionally, at our February Workshop we create Valentines for Veterans, and I send them all out in time for Valentine's Day. In years past, we've received lovely thank you letters from the local Veterans Administration Hospital. This is definitely a tradition worth keeping and repeating!

Using the new Sweet Heart Maker, we made an adorable border, two greeting cards and tags. (Instructions below.)

Sweet Heart Border:

Supplies - 12" Decorative Trimmer, Sweet Heart Maker, Scissors

1. Cut a 1/4" wavy strip with the 12" Decorative Trimmer.

2. Use scissors to cut a "V" into each end of the wavy strip.

3. Punch 7 hearts using the Sweet Heart Maker (4 dark, 3 light).

4. Thread the hearts onto the wavy strip as shown.

Greeting Card (left):

Supplies - Cardstock and patterned paper, Sweet Heart Maker, Tape Runner, Precision Point Adhesive, Hole Punch, Eyelets and Setter

1. Cut white cardstock to 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and fold in half to form card base.

2. Cut patterned paper 2" x 5 1/2".

3. Cut solid dark pink cardstock 1/2" x 12" and cut in half. Adhere each 1/2" x 6" piece to back of 5 1/2" side of patterned paper. Trim excess to card base. (NOTE: This is a paper-saver technique you can use to mat along two sides of any piece of paper!)

4. Cut two light pink hearts using Sweet Heart Maker. Set lacy hearts aside. Cut shorter heart lobe off each of the two small hearts. You will have a rounded piece about 1/4" wide by about 1" long. Fold this in half so it's 1/4" x 1/2" folded, and we'll call it a "tab."

5. Adhere the "tab" to matted patterned cardstock, one about 1" from top of the right side and one about 1" from bottom of left side. Use a hole punch through the 'tab" and set an eyelet in the hole.

6. Adhere the matted patterned piece to the left side of the card base, about 1/4" from the fold.

7. Cut light pink cardstock 2" x 2 1/2" and cut dark pink cardstock 2 1/4" x 2 3/4". Use Tape Runner to mat light pink block onto dark pink block.

8. Use Sweet Heart Punch and white cardstock to cut one lacy heart with inner heart. Adhere with Precision Point Adhesive to light pink block. Adhere this block to card base as shown.

Voila! It's really much easier to do than to write out the instructions!

Greeting Card (right):

Supplies - 12" Straight Trimmer, Square Maker, Sweet Heart Maker, Cardstock, Ribbon (optional), Tape Runner

1. Make a card base (light blue) as in #1 above.

2. Cut dark pink cardstock 4" x 5 1/4" and mat onto card base.

3. Cut white cardstock 3 3/4" x 5" and mat onto pink cardstock on card base.

4. Punch three light blue 1 1/2" squares using square maker. Adhere as shown to card front.

5. Cut two dark pink hearts using the Sweet Heart Maker. Adhere to light blue squares.

Optional: Cut ribbon 6 1/2" long, adhere to card front just to the left of the three light blue squares, OR use a strip of paper 1/4" x 5" long.

Optional: Rearrange 1 1/2" squares in a diagonal format across card front. Adhere hearts to diagonally-placed squares.

Tags (left to right):

Supplies - Tag Maker, Sweet Heart Maker, Tape Runner, Precision Point Adhesive

Left: Punch patterned paper using Tag Maker. Punch two hearts out of two colors of cardstock using Sweet Heart Maker . Adhere to tag, add ribbon.

Center: Punch one tag out of scrap cardstock. Punch two tags out of coordinating patterned paper, tear each in about half and adhere to scrap tag. Punch coordinating heart, adhere to assembled tag, add ribbon.

Right: Similar to "Left." Thread the taller lobe of the small heart through one of the slots on the lacy heart.

I hope you've enjoyed my February Workshop! I'd love to hear if you tried any of these projects, and how they turned out!