Happy Birthday Abe Lincoln

This February 12, Springfield, Illinois is celebrating the birthday of our 16th President in a big way. Though born to humble beginnings in Kentucky, Springfield is where Abraham Lincoln lived and worked as a lawyer. We are all familiar with the legacy of honesty and integrity that Mr. Lincoln imparted. But he also taught us that we should keep believing in ourselves, keep working to overcome our defeats and rework ourselves to fit our new dreams. It is no wonder that Springfield would want to honor this great man on his 200th birthday. They are hoping to receive handmade greetings for Mr. Lincoln from all around the world. For anyone who would like to send birthday greetings to be displayed during the Springfield bicentennial, here is the address:

Abraham Lincoln
Old State Capitol

1 Old State Capitol Plaza

Springfield, Illinois 62701

In honor of this occasion, I made a folding screen card and am rather proud of myself for figuring out the design without the benefit of a template or directions. If you would like to make a folding screen card like this, I can break it down for you.

1. The main part of the card consists of 6 panels that are 3 1/4 wide each. Choose a sturdy peice of cardstock and cut it to 19 1/2" x 9". Score every 3 1/4 inches and accordion fold.

2. Cut out a 10" x 5" square from the center. This should fall directly in the middle of the four center panels.

3. Cut slits in the center of each panel, top and bottom, for the inside card to fit into. Each slit should be 1/2" deep.

4. The inside of the card is made from a 13" x 6" peice of cardstock. Score and fold into 4 panels - each panel is 3 1/4 inches wide.

5. Decorate your card and assemble. It's as easy as that and the whole thing will easily fit into a legal size envelope! Have fun with it and show me what you come up with.