With the myriad of patterned papers available in the market, it’s easy to find inspiration for that next project of yours, whether it’s a gift box, a wall hanging or, in this case, a greeting card. What’s great about using patterned paper is that the color scheme is already there for you. Simply pick out one, two, or even three colors from the patterned paper and use those colors for the other parts of the project.

This greeting card, for instance, was inspired by a sheet of floral patterned paper that was predominantly yellow and pink, with splashes of pale green and white. The rest of the card – like the die cut butterflies, the card base, the ribbon and the pearl brad – were all chosen to match the colors of the patterned paper. Depth and texture were added by layering embellishments.

You will need:

* Floral patterned paper (like Autumn Leaves’ “Spring Fling”, Rhonna Farrer - Paris In Spring)
* Two die cut butterflies, roughly 4 by 3-1/2 inches in size, in colors to match the patterned paper (These butterflies were made with a Tiny Creatables die from Marianne Design)
* Velvet ribbon, 8-1/2 inches (rose red, raspberry or similar color)
* Pearl brad
* Cardstock (rose red, raspberry or similar color)
* Pencil
* Ruler
* Craft knife
* Cutting mat
* Scissors
* Needle and thread
* Foam tape
* Glue runner
* Hot glue gun

Mark, measure and cut a piece of cardstock measuring 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches. Score and fold this in half to make a side-folded card. Set aside.

Mark, measure and cut a piece of patterned paper measuring 5-1/4 by 4 inches. Set aside.

Mark, measure and cut a piece of cardstock measuring 2-3/4 inches square. Cut five pieces of foam tape and attach it to the back of the square, one at each corner and one in the center. Peel off the backing and adhere the square to the patterned paper, about half an inch from the top.

Stack the butterflies and glue together only the bodies (leave the wings and antennae free). You may want to offset the butterflies very slightly before gluing them together. Attach the butterflies to the square using a piece of foam tape. Gently curve the wings of the top butterfly with your fingers.

Cut a piece of ribbon 5 inches long and, using the glue runner, attach it across the lower part of the card, about half an inch below the square. Glue the ends of the ribbon behind the patterned paper.

Cut a 3-1/2 piece of velvet ribbon. Stitch the ends together, then gather the ribbon in the middle to form a bow. Knot the thread and trim off the excess. Attach a pearl brad to the middle of the bow, then glue the bow onto the ribbon with hot glue.

Attach the patterned paper – butterflies, ribbon and all – to the front of the card using a glue runner. You can add a sentiment below the ribbon, if you want.