Pearlised Custom Patterned Card

Gift box and card featuring pearlised custom patterned card by Neil Burley

I love monochromatic themes - they take away all the stresses of what paper goes with which embellishment, do the colours match, what colours go with what... But then you run across the problem of not all reds are equal - hues and saturations don't match. How about creating your very own monochromatic pearlised custom patterned card stock, so you can be sure your projects keep a consistent colour tone? Read on to find out how you can use WOW! Pearlescent Powders to add your own pearl sheen to your creations.


Here's how to make your pearlised custom patterned card:

First, cut your card to size - I used a 21x21cm piece ready to make my box lid. Tear a length of low-tack masking tape into strips and stick down to the card in a random order to create an irregular pattern. Overlap the edges. You'll find it easier to lift the strips if you fold over one end to stick down to itself. Using your choice of colour of distress ink, blend an even tone of colour across the exposed card. If working on a small piece, dry a little using a heat tool.

Peel up all the strips of masking tape, and put them back on in a new random order, overlapping some of the inked areas. Apply more ink.
Repeat once more.

Finally, take all the masking tape strips off and throw them away. Blend more ink across the whole page. The translucent ink builds layers of tone, creating the custom pattern.

Whilst the final ink layer is still sticky, cover the whole piece with a coordinating WOW! Pearlescent Embossing Powder. I used WOW! Violet Pearl to cover the Dusty Concord distress ink.

Tap off the excess and return this to the pot. Heat set your custom patterned paper to complete the transformation!




To make the gift box/card set:

1. For the box lid: using a template/score guide/good old fashioned measuring, score lines 4.5cm from each edge of your custom patterned pearlised card
2. Cut away most of the corner squares, leaving just a tab to fold in and stick to the next side piece with double sided tape to make the lid
3. Using a circle punch, cut notches on two sides to allow the lid to be easily taken off the base.
4. For the base: score lines 4.7cm from each edge (to make the base slightly smaller) of a 21x21cm piece of white card stock and complete as for the lid.
5. From the tab offcuts, cut three pieces of your pearlised card 4cm square
6. From white card, cut three pieces 5cm square and using the ink pad direct to paper, colour the edges with your chosen distress ink. Mount the pearlised squares on this.
7. From the white card stock, punch or die cut flowers and shape with an embossing tool. Colour the edges with the distress ink. I mixed WOW! Purple Puff Ultra High Powder with WOW! Magical Mauve Embossing Glitter in equal proportions to give some texture with bling to the middle of each flower.

Other monochromatic combinations to try:

Dried Marigold with WOW! Orange Pearl


Peeled Paint with WOW! Green Pearl


Pumice Stone with WOW! White Pearl


Barn Door with WOW! Red Pearl


Faded Jeans with WOW! Blue Pearl


NB: The metallic pearls are opaque, so will not work for this technique.

WOW! Shopping List:

WOW! Violet Pearl

WOW! Purple Puff Ultra High Powder

WOW! Magical Mauve Embossing Glitter