HEART in HEART is a carving project that inlays a carved heart inside another carved heart using contrasting wood.  In the examples of the heart jewelry pin and necklace a carved basswood heart is inlayed into a butternut heart. The other example is a standing plaque with a basswood heart inlayed into a mahogany heart.

The photo below shows examples of a heart drawn on a small block of butternut ~ a butternut heart being carved ~ a basswood heart carved ~ a heart drawn on a small basswood block.

The photo  below on the left is the small basswood heart being carved with the photo on the right shows the mortice shape of heart carved in the butternut heart and the carved basswood heart ready to be inlayed into the mortice.  The process of sizing the mortice opening is to position the carved basswood heard on top of the butternut heart and while holding the smaller heart tightly against the larger heart carefully trace a pencil line around the smaller heart. With the tip end of a small blade of knife make a stop cut along the outline of the heart on the larger heart and then slice inside the scored stop cut to remove the wood inside the mortice.  Repeat the process several times while at the same time inserting the smaller heart for a trial fitting.

Once an appropriate depth is established for the mortice with a tight fit when the small heart is inserted, then glue can be applied inside the mortice, the small heart pressed into the mortice with a clamp as illustrated in the photo on the left below.  The photo on the right shows the glue used for this project.

The first photo below illustrated the progression used beginning with the heart drawn on the wood through the final stage of carving the two-heart assembly into its final rounded shape.

The second and third photo below are another example of the glued assembly followed by the beginning of carving the assembly into the heart shape of a Heart in Heart. Abrasive mesh with 320 and 400 grit is used to create a smooth surface.  Boiled linseed oil and Deft were used as the final protective finish.