Jerry and Kay: Bookmarks

Sunday, March 17, 2013

St Patricks Day Bookmarks

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!

This past Friday, March 15, Jerry got home early much to the delight of me, Henry and Corey. We had been enjoying a restful afternoon after school was over. We watched Spiderman movie, ate popcorn, read books....so we were getting a little restless, and then Jerry, otherwise known as Papa came home!

Jerry teaches Special Education and had done a St. Patrick's Day craft with his students. We all decided we wanted to do the same craft.....make some St. Patrick's Day bookmarks.

There is a very simple supply list:

A great boy like Henry to pick some fresh clover and the pretty yellow clover flowers. and then bring them to the craft table.

Some packing tape, scissors, green construction paper cut to the size of the bookmark you want to make.

First, place the clover leaves and flowers on the green bookmark in the design you prefer. Corey is showing how she placed her leaves and flowers. I really like how she split one leaf into the two hearts.

Then cut the packing tape to be longer than the bookmark and very carefully put it over the decorated bookmark leaving extra on each edge, keeping it smooth as possible.

Then wrap the tape around the ends and add extra to cover the back of the bookmark.

How simple is that!!!!!......Yes, very simple and here are the completed St. Patrick's Day Bookmarks

And the fantastic trio that created them, Papa Jerry, Corey and Henry

Wishing everyone a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Valentine Bookmarks

I am so excited with the Valentine Bookmarks I have made for my grandchildren Evie and Canaan who live in England. Their mmom is my daughter Jessica who has the incredible blog SunnyStitching. Evie and Canaan said they would like bookmarks so my brain started creating. They do really LOVE books....Their parents have really taught them the enjoyment of reading.

I will say I did create these with no visible inspiration and was also excited about that. Oops....I was inspired to embroider them by Justine of Kerr-afty Creations. She does beautiful embroidery, click here to see some!

On to the Valentine Bookmarks by Nanny (my "grandma" name)......

There are very few supplies needed. Embroidery Thread, Embroidery Needles (not pictured), Rotary Cutter or Scissors, Heart Templates, Felt, Template for Bookmark, Ruler and Pencil (not pictured).

I began by putting paper bookmark template on the edge of the felt. I use Eco-Fi Felt which is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

I placed the edge of the felt along the straight edge of the cutting board and put the ruler along the edge of the paper template.

Then used the rotary cutter (or you can use scissors) to cut out the felt bookmark. I cut two each of blue and pink ones. One of each is used as a backing.

Next, I cut out the hearts from felt using the paper heart templates and pinned the hearts where I wanted them on the bookmarks. Then started embroidering the designs on them I have included a photo of how I pinned a smaller paper heart onto the larger felt heart. This was a guide to embroider inside the larger heart onto the bookmark to keep my stitches in the shape of a heart. ( I hope this makes sense).

Now...time for the fun....embroidering the design on.

For Canaan's blue and red bookmarks:

I used the basic running stitch around the inside of the larger hearts on both the red and blue bookmarks. The stitches on the red center hearts are done with red thread so it is hard to see.
The running stitch also for the sun and the cloud on the blue one.
The chain stitch for the "C" in blue thread on the red one and for the rainbow on the blue bookmark.
I used the twisted running stitch for the top and bottom of the hearts on the blue ones in red thread.
I used the blanket stitch around the edges of the blue one. I added another piece of felt to the back of the pink bookmark so the stitched on the back of the front piece would not show.

For Evie's pink and red bookmarks:

I used the basic running stitch around the inside of the larger hearts on both the red and blue bookmarks.

The chain stitch for the "E" in pink thread on the red bookmark; in purple thread for the inside top and bottom of the three pink hearts on the pink bookmark; and in green thread for the stems of the flower.

The daisy stitch for the flower in the center heart of the pink bookmark and french knots as indicated in photo.

The blanket stitch around the edges of the pink one. I Iadded another piece of felt to the back of the pink bookmark so the stitched on the back of the front piece would not show.