Butterfly In-Lay Die Cut Technique

The intricate lines of the Monarch Butterfly Fancy Die make it a stunning image to use for the in-lay die cut technique. And paired with our new Premium Cardstock, you can't go wrong with this combo!

To create the card, I die cut the butterfly from a panel of Dove White Cardstock and removed all inner pieces, just leaving the outside frame area. I adhered this panel to a piece of printer paper that was slightly smaller, so I would have somewhere to adhere the inside pieces of the butterfly.

Next, I die cut the butterfly from Pitch Black Cardstock and adhered it inside the white frame using Hero Arts Precision Glue. This glue works great for projects like this since it has a fine tip which is perfect for detailed application.

Then I die cut the butterfly five more times from the following five colors of cardstock: Azalea, Pumpkin, Mustard, Kiwi and Paradise. I found that if I was careful, I could remove the butterfly from my die cutting machine and keep all the pieces intact so I could easily match up where to place them. I used a tweezers and Precision Glue to place all of the pieces in the butterfly. It's tedious work, but definitely worth it!

The last thing I like to do whenever I do the in-lay die cut technique is to run the entire piece though my die cut machine to make sure all the pieces are flat and secure. I'm always amazed at how this final step can make such a difference in giving the card a polished look.

For the message, I pieced together sentiments from the Mix & Match Compliments clear stamp set. This set has some small greetings that are perfect for cards where you want to add a sentiment without detracting from the main image.

This card design would be a great one to mass produce! With all of those leftover colored pieces of the butterfly, you could make at least five more cards with what you already have die cut.

Hope you have a great day!