I recently had the pleasure of creating a tutorial for the Ranger Ink YouTube channel, and I am so excited to share all the details with you here on the blog! The video focuses on three different ways to use Distress Crayons with stencils to create beautiful backgrounds, and today I'm walking you through how I finished off the cards with layered embellishment clusters. These cards have such a gorgeous vintage botanical vibe and I think you're going to love them!

Watch the Background Techniques on the Ranger Ink YouTube Channel

Before we dive into the finishing details, you'll want to head over to the Ranger Ink YouTube channel to watch the full background tutorial. I cover three techniques — applying Distress Crayons directly through the stencil, lifting color with a baby wipe, and monoprinting with the stencil. Each one gives you a completely different look and they're all so fun to try!

[RANGER INK VIDEO LINK] 

Stamping the Images

For the focal images, I used the Tim Holtz Botanic Collage Stamp set, stamping onto Distress Watercolor Cardstock with Black Soot Archival Ink. I stamped each image twice — once to have the individual flower and butterfly images to color and die cut, and a second time to keep the full stamped image intact for layering.

Watercoloring with Distress Crayons

To add color to the flowers and butterflies, I used Distress Crayons in Peeled Paint, Peacock Feathers, Rusty Hinge, and Fossilized Amber, with Black Soot for the butterfly bodies. I picked up the color directly from the crayon using a water brush and painted in the images. This is such a beautiful way to use the crayons — the colors blend so naturally and the watercolor cardstock handles the water beautifully.

Die Cutting the Images

Once the watercoloring was complete and dry, I cut out the individual flowers and butterflies using the coordinating die sets, available exclusively from Simon Says Stamp.

Creating the Ephemera Pieces

For additional layering pieces, I also stamped images from the Tim Holtz Field Notes Stamp set onto Distress Watercolor Cardstock using Black Soot Archival Ink, then cut them out using the coordinating die sets, also available exclusively from Simon Says Stamp.

To give both the Botanic Collage full stamped image pieces and the Field Notes ephemera pieces an aged, distressed look, I used the ink smooshing technique. I smooshed an Old Paper Distress Ink pad onto my craft mat, spritzed it with water, and then pressed the paper into the ink. After drying with my heat tool, I trimmed the pieces down to size. For even more texture, I tore some of the edges of the paper and inked the non-torn edges with Distress Ink in Walnut Stain.

Film Strips and Photo Frames

I die cut the film strips and photo frames using the Tim Holtz Vault Picture Show Die Set, cutting them from Black Kraftstock. I then lightly sanded them to create a distressed effect — such a simple step but it makes such a difference!

Sentiments

For the sentiments, I used the Tim Holtz Vault Handwritten Celebrate Die Set, cutting them from copper/rose gold metallic cardstock. The metallic finish adds a beautiful pop against all the layered textures.

I'd love to hear from you — which of the three Distress Crayon stencil techniques from the Ranger Ink video are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments below!

Supplies

Below you will find links to the supplies I used to create these cards. When you shop through these links—whether you purchase that exact item or something else entirely—you're supporting me at no extra cost to you. The commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, and allows me to continue providing you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement HERE. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Now that Metamorphosis is out in the world, I wanted to show you what you can actually do with it. I made four cards using the A2 size papers and ephemera from the collection, each one building on the last. Whether you're new to mixed media or you like to layer it on thick, there's a card here for you.

All four cards use the A2 size papers as the base layer. On all of them, I inked the edges of the papers and ephemera with Ground Espresso Distress Ink and added white splatters with Dr. Ph. Martin's Bleedproof White.

Card No. 1 — Keeping It Simple

This one's a good starting point if you're new to the collection or to mixed media. Just an A2 size paper as the base and two pieces of ephemera on top. Sometimes simple is all a card needs.

Card No. 2 — Adding More Layers

This card adds more ephemera on top of an A2 size paper base. In the video, I walk through how I choose which pieces to use together and how I layer them for balance — one of the questions I get asked most.

Card No. 3 — Embossing and Luster Wax

Here I used an embossing folder on one of the A2 size papers, then Sizzix Luster Wax to make that embossed design pop. I share tips for getting a clean embossed design, plus how to distress ephemera pieces with a sanding disc and Distress Ink. I also show a few different A2 paper options for the base layer.

Card No. 4 — Texture Paste for Serious Texture

This one starts with Clear Gesso on the printed A2 size paper, which helps it hold up to mixed media techniques. Once that's dry, I add texture paste through a stencil for real dimension. Same as the others, I talk through how I chose the ephemera to finish it off.

Watch the Full Tutorial

I walk through the full process for all four cards, including my tips on ephemera selection and placement, in the video below.

If you haven't grabbed the Metamorphosis collection yet, you can find it in my Podia shop. You can also read more about the story behind the collection in my Metamorphosis launch post.

Coming up next, I've got an art journal page and a junk journal project using this same collection, so keep an eye out for those. Thanks so much for reading and watching along today — I hope these cards gave you a few ideas to try with your own Metamorphosis papers.

Until next time, stay crafty my friend!
Juliana

Supplies

Below you will find links to the supplies I used to create these cards. When you shop through these links—whether you purchase that exact item or something else entirely—you're supporting me at no extra cost to you. The commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, and allows me to continue providing you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement HERE. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Hey friends! SBC Fest is back on Friday, September 11th, and while I'm not teaching this round, I still have some fun things to share with you about the event. This is an all-day virtual paper crafting event with loads of tutorials, techniques, and inspiration, taking place right on the Scrapbook.com YouTube channel.

About SBC Fest

SBC Fest is an all-day virtual paper crafting event hosted by Scrapbook.com, packed with tutorials, techniques, and inspiration. This year's lineup includes talented instructors like Simon Hurley, Mirisha Dean, and more, each bringing their own styles and techniques to the table, so there's something for everyone.

In total there are six instructors and each one has a kit that contains the main items they'll be using for their class. You can purchase each kit individually or get all six of them as a bundle. The items are only available in the kit and will not be available individually until after SBC Fest. Personally, I recommend getting the kit if you are interested in any of the items in the kit as you will actually get the best price if you purchase the kit as compared to buying any of the items separately.

SBC Fest will be taking place on Friday, September 11th 2026 on the Scrapbook.com YouTube Channel. The replay will be available to watch at any time, however I really recommend joining live if you can. That's when you get to chat with the instructors, ask questions in real time, connect with fellow crafters, and enter giveaways throughout the event. You can find all the details about SBC Fest using the buttons below.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SBC FEST

The Card I Made with Laura Graff's Kit

For months, I've been working on something I've shared with only a couple of creative friends and my husband. Today however, I'm finally sharing it with all of you: my first ever digital paper crafting collection, called Metamorphosis!

Yes, it's about butterflies. But it's about so much more than that too. It's about me, and the journey I went on creating this collection.

Why "Metamorphosis"

Many years ago, I did graphic design work for a scrapbooking company. When I left, I stepped away from digital paper design entirely and focused on the card making and mixed media work you've come to know me for here. But digital design never really left me — it stayed quietly in the back of my mind as something I loved, even though I didn't yet have the confidence to pursue it entirely on my own.

Recently, inspired by another artist in our creative community, I started thinking hard about where I wanted to go next. Designing this collection — every step of it — became its own journey of rediscovering that confidence and creativity. When you hear the name Metamorphosis, I want you to picture butterflies, of course. But I also want it to represent my own creative journey: becoming someone who trusts her own voice enough to put something entirely her own out into the world.

This collection contains all the things I love — the colors, the imagery, the little details — and I hope that comes through in every piece.

Watch the Full Story

I made a full video sharing more about Metamorphosis — the story behind it, and a complete walkthrough of everything included in the collection. I'd love for you to watch it the reveal video! 

 WATCH THE REVEAL VIDEO 

What's Inside

Metamorphosis is a printable paper collection inspired by antique specimen books, pressed botanicals, and the delicate beauty of transformation. It features:

• 32 original designs, delivered across 40 printable pages
  • 32 pages in Letter size (8.5" x 11") — one design per page, full size
  • 8 additional pages with those same 32 designs resized to A2 Card size (4.25" x 5.5"), 4 designs per page for easy printing and cutting
• A muted palette of purple, teal, olive, terracotta, and espresso, layered with genuine aged book page textures
• Vintage naturalist illustrations, botanical engravings, and hand-crafted textures throughout
• 300 ephemera pieces, including butterflies in multiple sizes, botanical images, tickets, labels, and sentiment strips
• High-resolution 300 dpi JPG files, delivered as a ZIP via Podia, ready to print at home or through a commercial printer

This collection is designed with cardmaking, junk journaling, art journaling, scrapbooking, mini albums, and travelers notebooks all in mind — it's meant to be a starting point, not a finished product. Every paper leaves room for you to layer in your own embellishments, stamping, stenciling, or handwriting and truly make it your own.

A Note on Printing

Since this is a digital collection, you'll need to print it yourself — either at home or through a local print shop. Once it's printed, you can use it in all the same ways you always have. If printing digital files at home is new to you, there's lots of great information out there already on printing at home versus through a print shop. If you do have questions about printing or digital papercrafting, do not hesitate to reach out to me with your questions and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Where to Get It

Metamorphosis is available now in three ways:

• Printable Papers — $16
• Printable Ephemera — $20
• Full Collection Bundle — $30 (save $6)

 SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE! 

What's Next

I'm not going anywhere with my regular mixed media videos — those will resume shortly. As you can now understand, I had to take a break from them to focus on this new path in my creative journey. I will also have some new project videos on the way using Metamorphosis, including a cardmaking tutorial, an art journal page, and a junk journal project, so keep an eye out for those.

Thank you so much for being here for this. It means so much to me to finally share this new branch of my creative journey with you.

Come see the butterflies... and witness the wonder of becoming. It's true for them. It's true for me. And I hope, in some small way, it's true for you too.

The Sizzix 25th Birthday celebration continues, and today I'm sharing some inspiration using the Word Wafers Birthday die set designed by Seth Apter. In true Seth Apter fashion, these dies have a wonderful grunginess built right in, making them absolutely perfect for creating a grundy industrial birthday card.

Creating the Background

For this card, I did something I don't normally do — I dug into my scrap bin and found a background I hadn't used yet. Because of that, I'm not 100% sure of the exact colors, but I believe it started with a piece of black cardstock. I used a brayer to lightly apply acrylic paint in what look to be Distress Paint colors of Rusty Hinge, Salvaged Patina, and possibly Walnut Stain.

I took that piece of cardstock and embossed it with the Seth Apter Dot Matrix embossing folder, then rubbed Sizzix Luster Wax in Gold over the surface to bring out the textured design and enhance the distressed effect.

Creating the Sentiment

For the sentiment, I used the Celebrate die from the Word Wafers Birthday set. I cut the base layer from Distress Watercolor Cardstock and ink smooshed it into Old Paper Distress Ink, then inked the edges with Ground Espresso Distress Ink. I die cut the detail layer from Tim Holtz Black Kraftstock and lightly sanded it to reveal the kraft-colored core underneath, adding even more to that distressed feel. The numbers are from the Seth Apter Borderlines die set — I cut those from Kraftstock, sanded them the same way, then trimmed them into several pieces and tucked them behind the focal image.

Finishing the Card

To finish the card, I layered everything onto a piece of Sizzix Sandable Cardstock in brown and burnt orange, then sanded the edges to reveal the lighter core color underneath.

And there you have it — a grungy industrial birthday card perfect for anyone who loves this style or color combination! I hope this gave you a bit of inspiration using the Seth Apter Word Wafers Birthday dies as we continue celebrating 25 years of Sizzix. I'd love to see what you create if you give this style a try — feel free to share in the comments or tag me on Instagram!

Happy crafting! ~ Juliana

Supplies

Below you will find links to the supplies I used to create these cards. When you shop through these links—whether you purchase that exact item or something else entirely—you're supporting me at no extra cost to you. The commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, and allows me to continue providing you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!