A kaleidoscope of butterflies

Did you know that a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope? I didn't, either. There are other labels, too, including a swarm or a rabble, but kaleidoscope seems much more fitting. It makes me think of a clear blue sky filled with colorful butterflies in ever-changing patterns, much like the optical instrument.

The card I'm going to share today isn't quite as colorful as that, but it does include a group of butterflies:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Mint Macaron, Very Vanilla card stock; vellum (Pretty Paper); The Thrift Shop paper pad (October Afternoon), vintage sheet music (unknown); gold foil paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Mint Macaron marker, Project Life journaling pens
Accessories: Cork sheet (unknown), burlap page (Canvas Corp), wood sheet (unknown), Butterflies Thinlits dies, gold metallic thread, gold sequin trim, rhinestones, 1/8" Basic Black taffeta ribbon, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, color spritzer tool, Dimensionals, Glue Dots

For my inspiration, I used the Valentine's Day card I made earlier this year. I love this layout, and using a repeated element, such as the butterfly shape here, is a great way to unify different textures, patterns and/or colors.

For this card I decided to use a neutral color scheme with pops of gold. For the background I spritzed the Mint Macaron card base with Mint Macaron ink and then used a black marker to doodle a border around the edges. From there it was just a matter of choosing the different textures and patterns I wanted to use.

The three natural-colored butterflies (burlap, wood and cork) are adhered flat to the card, and the other three butterflies are adhered just along the middle, with the wings pulled up slightly. (More precisely, the sheet music of the middle left butterfly is adhered to the card, and the vellum layer is adhered along the middle.) To finish the card I embellished a few of the butterflies and added a banner with a birthday sentiment.

So now I've used this layout with hearts and butterflies -- I wonder what shape I should try next. Thanks for stopping by!