Creating cards is always an adventure, and today’s card was an exciting experiment with ink distressing. I had so much fun playing with color and texture to create a unique design featuring the Beautiful Butterflies dies and stamps.
To start, I die cut the large butterfly from the Beautiful Butterflies die set and placed it on my Basic White art piece as a temporary mask. With the Pretty Peacock ink pad, I swiped color across the card in one direction, then followed with Fresh Freesia ink in another direction. To complete the effect, I added Lemon Lime Twist ink from yet another angle, creating a dynamic and layered blend of colors. Once I was happy with the distressed ink look, I removed the die-cut butterfly to reveal the white silhouette beneath. In that open space, I stamped the large butterfly image from the Beautiful Butterflies stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, making the image stand out boldly against the colorful background.
The card base is Basic White, and to frame the focal piece, I added a layer of Basic Black, which really makes the colors pop. For extra texture and interest, I dry embossed strips of Pretty Peacock cardstock with the So Swirly Embossing Folder and adhered them at the top and bottom of the art piece.
The sentiment, “Thinking Of You,” comes from the Greetings For All Mix & Match Ephemera Pack and was attached with dimensionals, allowing it to slightly overlap the embossed strip, the ink-distressed art piece, and the black frame for added depth. To finish the design, I placed three black Adhesive-Backed Sparkle Gems around the sentiment, providing just the right touch of embellishment.
Inside, I carried the color theme through by layering a Basic White panel onto Pretty Peacock cardstock. This thoughtful detail ties everything together and ensures the card feels complete from the inside out.
This card is making its way into several challenges! I created it for the Color Throwdown Countdown #827 Challenge, featuring Aqua, Pink, and Lime, which is why I chose the colors I did for the ink distressing technique. Additionally, I followed The Paper Players Sketch Challenge #726 for the card layout.
The theme from A Place To Start, which is Things in the Sky, fits perfectly with the butterfly as a focal point. Lastly, I entered the Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge, which is always Anything Goes with a twist of Masculine. With its bold and vibrant color blending, I think this design makes a fantastic card for a young boy while still being artistic and fun.
I also have a video showing step-by-step how the card was created on my YouTube channel and linked here for you:
I truly enjoyed making this card and experimenting with ink distressing to create a striking yet playful look. I hope this inspires you to try something new with your inks and explore the endless possibilities of color blending. If you’ve never tried ink distressing by swiping your ink pads directly onto cardstock, give it a go—you might be surprised by the stunning effects you can achieve!
Measurements (in inches):
- Card base (Basic White) – 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, scored at 4-1/4
- 1st Layer (Basic Black) – 5-1/4 x 4
- Art Piece Layer (Basic White) – 5 x 3-3/4
- Strips at the top and bottom of art piece (Pretty Peacock) – 3/4 x 3-3/4
- Inside the card – Basic White: 3-3/4 x 5; coordinating cardstock (Pretty Peacock): 3-7/8 x 5-1/8
Supplies Used:
Beautiful, Julia! I love the inked distressed background you created. The bold sentiment looks fabulous with the bold butterfly, while the embossed Pretty Peacock panels add lovely texture. Thank you for playing with The Paper Players this week!
Thank you so much, Ann! I had so much fun creating this background, and I’m thrilled you liked the bold elements and texture. I always enjoy playing along with The Paper Players—such a great source of inspiration!
Beautiful card, like a piece of art! Thanks so much for joining our challenge at
Can You Handle The Pressure! Diane CYHTP Co-Owner
Thank you so much, Diane! I really appreciate your kind words. I had a great time creating this card, and I always enjoy participating in the Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge
The colourful background is a lovely foil for that bold black and white butterfly. The texture embossed background is lovely too. Thanks for sharing with us at The Paper Players.
Thank you so much, Jan! I’m so glad you liked the colorful background and texture. I always enjoy playing along with The Paper Players—such a wonderful challenge!
I just LOVE this card. So bright and cheerful! Thanks for playing along with us this week at the Color Throwdown challenge!
Thank you so much, Susie! I had a blast creating this card, and I’m so happy you loved the bright and cheerful colors. I always enjoy playing along with the Color Throwdown challenge!
The best fun I’ve had making cards is when it has been an adventure, so I applaud your experiment with ink distressing, Julia! It certainly is a beautiful result and I totally love how you paired the panel with the embossed peacock background. Thanks so much for joining in at the Paper Players this week!