Some projects don’t arrive with noise or urgency.
They come softly… almost like a pause.
After the richness of my last set, I found myself wanting something lighter.
Something that felt like air rather than earth.
So this time, I reached for a gentler palette:
- Tumbled Glass
- Shaded Lilac
- Squeezed Lemonade
Soft blues, muted violet, and just a touch of yellow warmth.
The background
I used the smooth blending technique to build the base, letting the colours drift into each other rather than forcing them to meet.
No harsh edges.
No strong contrast.
Just a quiet wash of colour that felt almost like sky… or the kind of light that sits in a room on a slow afternoon.
Once that was in place, I added subtle texture using stamps from the Papercraft Society Box 8 by Bee Crafty.
Not to take over… just to give the background a little history.
The butterfly
I knew quite early on that this piece didn’t need more colour.
It needed space.
So instead of adding another focal image, I chose a large, intricate butterfly die from Crafter’s Companion and cut it in plain white.
No colouring.
No embellishment.
Just shape.
Placed gently off to the side, it allows the background to show through, almost as if the butterfly is made of light rather than paper.
The inside
I kept the inside simple.
“You are loved beyond measure.”
Nothing complicated. Nothing layered.
Just words that needed room to be felt.
The butterfly detail continues softly inside, tying everything together without overwhelming the message.
What this piece taught me
Not everything needs more.
More colour.
More layers.
More detail.
Sometimes the most powerful choice is to stop.
To let the paper breathe.
To let the design rest.
This card feels different to my previous work.
Quieter.
Softer.
More deliberate.
And I think that’s exactly what I needed.
A small reminder to myself:
Light has its own kind of strength. 🖤
