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Nichol Spohr LLC

Vintage Valentine Card | Distress Ink Layering, Stamping & Collage Background

January 10, 2026January 11, 2026 by nicholspohr

This vintage-inspired Valentine card is all about building layers and texture from the ground up. Starting with a plain white sheet of cardstock, I created a warm, distressed background using ink blending, ink smooshing, subtle text stamping, and splatter. The Lots of Hearts stamp set was stamped in two complementary shades of red to add depth and visual interest, then finished with a collage of mini tags and layered hearts. This project is a perfect example of how thoughtful layering and intentional distressing can completely transform a simple background into something rich and timeless.

Affiliate links are used throughout this post at no additional cost to you. This allows me to keep bringing you content. Thank you all for your support! 

Video Tutorial

Vintage Valentine Card

Simon Says Stamp products featured:

  • Lots of Hearts Set
  • Heart Suite Set
  • Rounded Tags Dies
  • More supplies linked in the supply list at the bottom of this post

Supplies

Simon Says Stamps and Dies Lots of…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Clear Stamps Lots of…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Lots of Hearts Wafer…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamps and Dies Heart…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Clear Stamps Heart…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Heart Suite Wafer…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Rounded Tags Wafer…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively…
[ SSS ]
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad…
[ SSS ]
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad…
[ SSS ]
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad…
[ SSS ]
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad…
[ SSS ]
Tim Holtz Distress Mini Ink Pad…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Perfect…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Cardstock 100lb…
[ SSS ]
Neenah Classic Crest Ultra Thick 110…
[ SSS ]
Lawn Fawn Red Hemp Twine lf3458
[ SSS ]
Lawn Fawn Latte Hemp Twine lf3552
[ SSS ]
Lawn Fawn White Hemp Twine lf3539
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Dazzling…
[ SSS ]
Waffle Flower Cream Background…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp 7 x 7 Pawsitively…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Brush Powder Tool…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Place and Pierce…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Place and Score…
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Reverse Tweezers st0106
[ SSS ]
MISTI Precision Glue Press mistipgp
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp 3D Foam Strips st0153
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp 3D FOAM SQUARES…
[ SSS ]

Giveaway

Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop from the blog comment section. SSS will choose winners and post on the Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday, January 14th of December where winners can find out how to redeem their prize.

Keep Hopping

  • Simon Says Stamp Blog
  • Nichol Spohr <<<< you are here
  • Barbara Tarayao
  • Emily Midgett
  • Lisa Addesa
  • Tina Smith
  • Keisha Charles
  • Heather Ruwe
  • Barb Engler
  • Lea Lawson
  • Charlene Madrid
  • Maggie Haas
  • Maura Hibbitts
  • Sandi MacIver
  • Cathy Zielske

This post is part of the Simon Says Stamp Heart to Heart Blog Hop Day 2:

Exclusive Gift with Purchase
This gift with purchase is available through 1/11 at 11:59 pm EST or while supplies last.

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96 thoughts on “Vintage Valentine Card | Distress Ink Layering, Stamping & Collage Background”

  1. Michelle Noto says:
    January 10, 2026 at 7:44 am

    Love, love, love this!!

    Reply
  2. Rhonda says:
    January 10, 2026 at 8:19 am

    Your cards are always wonderful!

    Reply
  3. Bonnie says:
    January 10, 2026 at 8:38 am

    This is a perfect card for a guy, Nichol! Kudos on all that ink blending in the background! And those little tags add wonderful dimension!

    Reply
    1. Shelley F says:
      January 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

      Love the diff patterns, sizes and shapes in this heart set!!

      Reply
  4. Lori says:
    January 10, 2026 at 8:39 am

    I just watched your video and LOVE your vintage look card!
    Thanks for walking us through your creative process .

    Reply
  5. Amy Tsuruta says:
    January 10, 2026 at 8:48 am

    Oh I love this! It reminds me of a box of chocolates. Thanks for the gorgeous inspiration.

    Reply
  6. Jessica Vasher says:
    January 10, 2026 at 9:10 am

    Nicole, this is a lovely distress masterpiece! Loving the brown and reds.

    Reply
  7. Kathy Eddy says:
    January 10, 2026 at 9:25 am

    What a gorgeous Valentine! Love this!

    Reply
  8. Donna Moran says:
    January 10, 2026 at 9:38 am

    Such a pretty vintage card- love the Heart Suite “Love” in the center!

    Reply
  9. Ginger McDonald says:
    January 10, 2026 at 9:52 am

    What a fantastic way to start “hopping” along today on the SSS Blog Hop. Nichol, you set the tone for a great trip hopping along, I LOVE your card, but that was a given, Vintage, Grunge and Hearts, everything in that trio makes my heart happy. This new Lots of Hearts, S&D set is pure perfection for those that love hearts. Thanks Nichol for starting my hopping journey today off on the right foot.

    Reply
  10. Donna Degen says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:11 am

    Love the vintage feel!

    Reply
  11. Siti says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:12 am

    Wow, how beautiful. I will definitely look for that video.

    Reply
  12. Karen Stout says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:17 am

    Loved the card! The hearts just pop with all rich beautiful background!

    Reply
  13. Robin Mermer says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:22 am

    Oh WOW – totally love this card – the colors and vibe are awesome! Thank you for the inspriation!

    Reply
  14. Fran Smith says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:29 am

    Nichol I absolutely adore your card. Really love the colors and vibe to it. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  15. Patti Bailey says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:36 am

    Nichol, I absolutely adore this card and you explained your technique so well! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  16. Nancy says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:41 am

    Love the vintage look

    Reply
  17. Cathy jo Corso-Plank says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:48 am

    LOVE this card!! The contrast between the red, white and brown is a Fabulous combination!

    Reply
  18. Helen Langlais says:
    January 10, 2026 at 10:51 am

    Love the card. The colors you picked are perfect. Love all the hearts.

    Reply
  19. Linda Kleback says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:10 am

    This is an outstanding valentine!

    Reply
  20. Dorinda says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:13 am

    Love this card…you have a very unique and creative card ideas!

    Reply
  21. Gayle I. says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:26 am

    Love this vintage card design; so creative!

    Reply
  22. Lauryne Cunningham says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:32 am

    This vintage card is absolutely gorgeous! Wow, love it!

    Reply
  23. Tina Mangles says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:33 am

    What a lovely card! It’s so creative!

    Reply
  24. Louise Mozealous says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:39 am

    Love this card so great for a valentine

    Reply
  25. Nandini Karmarkar says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:51 am

    Gorgeous card!

    Reply
  26. Daria Zender says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:57 am

    What a perfect and elegant masculine card! I love the layers and your ink blending is amazing, Nichol!!

    Reply
  27. kathy dumpert says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:58 am

    I like the vintage look to your card!

    Reply
  28. Cindi F says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:08 pm

    Gorgeous card! I love the vintage look.

    Reply
  29. Rebekka Reed says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:14 pm

    Stunning! Love the vintage look.

    Reply
  30. Jackie Parkins says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:18 pm

    Gorgeous card!

    Reply
  31. Maureen Reiss says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:32 pm

    Oh Nichol!!!! I love this card sooooo much!!!! Absolutely Gorgeous!!!!

    Reply
  32. Karen Shuster says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:32 pm

    WOW! Such a new & refreshing take on a Valentine’s Day card.

    Reply
  33. Holly M says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:39 pm

    This is GORGEOUS!! The red hearts pop against the rich brown background. Love it 😍

    Reply
  34. Mary Brown says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:49 pm

    I love how you distressed the tags!

    Reply
  35. kathy finnegan says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:51 pm

    Just like always Nichol creates a fabulous card. Well done!

    Reply
  36. Susan Pens says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:54 pm

    You do vintage so well. This card is absolutely gorgeous.

    Reply
  37. Janice Stovall says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:56 pm

    I LOVE this card! it looks like wooden pieces! I’ll definitely copy your technique!
    And this stamp set is perfect to go with it!

    Reply
  38. Meghan Kennihan says:
    January 10, 2026 at 12:57 pm

    I LOVE the vintage feel and how the red pops from the brown background!

    Reply
  39. Susan Pens says:
    January 10, 2026 at 1:14 pm

    Love that you chose a shirt with hearts on it to do this gorgeous card!

    Reply
  40. Krista E. says:
    January 10, 2026 at 1:16 pm

    The dimension, depth and richness of this vintage design is next level! It highlights the red elements so beautifully.

    Reply
  41. Von Marie says:
    January 10, 2026 at 1:47 pm

    So beautiful I love the Vintage look!!!

    Reply
  42. Berina says:
    January 10, 2026 at 2:18 pm

    Such a beautiful card. Love the vintage look.

    Reply
  43. Mona says:
    January 10, 2026 at 2:39 pm

    What a great card – love the vintage look! Great ink work.

    Reply
  44. April Zderad says:
    January 10, 2026 at 2:55 pm

    What a beautiful card! The vintage look is so pretty.

    Reply
  45. Lisa Simpson Lutts says:
    January 10, 2026 at 3:03 pm

    I love this look. So different than most valentine’s cards.

    Reply
  46. Denise Bryant says:
    January 10, 2026 at 3:12 pm

    Love the style and colors! Fabulous Valentine’s Day card!

    Reply
  47. Monika Davis says:
    January 10, 2026 at 3:51 pm

    What a great design Nichol. Love the warm brown with the pop of red! The sweet little tags look awesome!

    Reply
  48. Kathy Raker says:
    January 10, 2026 at 4:03 pm

    Love the dark background! Makes everything else pop off the page.

    Reply
  49. Alma Dirpaul says:
    January 10, 2026 at 4:28 pm

    Such a pretty card Nichol

    Reply
  50. Shari says:
    January 10, 2026 at 4:34 pm

    Love the vintage look..deep & sophisticated

    Reply
  51. Ellen Robinson says:
    January 10, 2026 at 5:27 pm

    Beautiful!

    Reply
  52. Joann Bedsaul says:
    January 10, 2026 at 5:50 pm

    Love your vintage valentine card!!!! The reds are perfect! I so enjoy your videos ! Thanks for sharing your amazing talents and for all the inspiration!!

    Reply
  53. Jade says:
    January 10, 2026 at 6:32 pm

    Amazing! What a fantastic and creative card. I was blown away. Terrific idea

    Reply
  54. Joy Meadows says:
    January 10, 2026 at 6:40 pm

    LOVE this card, Nichol! I don’t think there will be any other card to top this one in this hop #2. Kudos to you!!!

    Reply
  55. Judy Inukai says:
    January 10, 2026 at 6:40 pm

    What a great vintage card. Love all the details. Thanks for the great video.

    Reply
  56. Kate O'Connor says:
    January 10, 2026 at 7:06 pm

    Love your card. The wood is so realistic!

    Reply
  57. Patricia Cooper says:
    January 10, 2026 at 7:20 pm

    Nicole….this card makes me want to distress cards more. You are always an inspiration.!

    Reply
  58. Karen Thorne says:
    January 10, 2026 at 7:21 pm

    Love the vintage feel, stunning. I could never in a million years come up with this design.

    Reply
  59. Lisa H says:
    January 10, 2026 at 7:39 pm

    Lovely card, nice design

    Reply
  60. Jaime W says:
    January 10, 2026 at 7:42 pm

    I love everything about this card! This hearts set is so cute and I love the ‘love’ sentiment!

    Reply
  61. Tracy says:
    January 10, 2026 at 7:52 pm

    Lovely!!! You can never go wrong with red & brown as a base.

    Reply
  62. Marisela Delgado says:
    January 10, 2026 at 9:04 pm

    Nice card and technique

    Reply
  63. Sharon Gullikson says:
    January 10, 2026 at 9:33 pm

    the natural background looks so great with the red and white. I have never tried anything like that…

    Reply
  64. Terrie D. (StarSpry) says:
    January 10, 2026 at 9:46 pm

    What a cool card!

    Reply
  65. Connie Hostak says:
    January 10, 2026 at 9:49 pm

    I love the way the red pops against that gorgeous, grungy background!

    Reply
  66. Brenda J Lee says:
    January 10, 2026 at 11:17 pm

    Gorgeous!!

    Reply
  67. Melissa Leftrick says:
    January 11, 2026 at 1:06 am

    Oh wow! Love the vintage vibe!

    Reply
  68. Valerie Hayden says:
    January 11, 2026 at 1:21 am

    That’s a beautiful card!

    Reply
  69. Anna Given says:
    January 11, 2026 at 4:52 am

    Love this distress vintage look. So beautiful

    Reply
  70. Ritva D. says:
    January 11, 2026 at 6:32 am

    I love that this has maybe an unusual color for valentine’s day card (brown) but still feels quite traditional with the red hearts. ❤️

    Reply
  71. Peggy J. McKinley says:
    January 11, 2026 at 6:45 am

    Love this vintage card! Great inspiration!

    Reply
  72. Mark Given says:
    January 11, 2026 at 7:23 am

    Beautiful card

    Reply
  73. Donna Phelan says:
    January 11, 2026 at 7:36 am

    This. Is. Gorgeous. Such a beautiful creation, adore the Vintage Vibe and I loved the video! TFS!!!

    Reply
  74. Carol Doggett says:
    January 11, 2026 at 8:42 am

    I love the color combo, the tags, all of it! I love all your art!

    Reply
  75. Elizabeth says:
    January 11, 2026 at 10:37 am

    I am completely in love with this card. The colors, the layers, the vintage look! It is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this with us ❤️

    Reply
  76. Lucille Kearin says:
    January 11, 2026 at 10:57 am

    Wonderful vintage background on your card. Love the Love die too 🙂

    Reply
  77. Michele Lee says:
    January 11, 2026 at 12:13 pm

    What a beautiful card! Totally love the love font!!!!

    Reply
  78. Mirella ROGAN says:
    January 11, 2026 at 12:36 pm

    Beautiful design, I love how the red pops against the background!

    Reply
  79. Orit Viderman says:
    January 11, 2026 at 1:55 pm

    Beautiful card.

    Reply
  80. Cheryl S says:
    January 11, 2026 at 3:04 pm

    Great masculine card.

    Reply
  81. Linda Miller says:
    January 11, 2026 at 3:16 pm

    Wow! This is gorgeous!

    Reply
  82. Lynn Chan says:
    January 11, 2026 at 5:40 pm

    Nichol, you always creates so amazingly beautiful cards! Extra extra beautiful!

    Reply
  83. Alma Dirpaul says:
    January 11, 2026 at 11:02 pm

    Love your vintage card

    Reply
  84. Beth Merrill says:
    January 11, 2026 at 11:07 pm

    Love the mixed media look of this card. How much fun to create all these elements!?

    Reply
  85. rebecca stevenson says:
    January 12, 2026 at 1:07 am

    Awesome card. The black soot really added depth

    Reply
  86. Pauline Godfrey says:
    January 12, 2026 at 5:51 am

    Absolutely gorgeous Nichol! Love your design and the vintage feel to this.!

    Reply
  87. Valorie Brown says:
    January 12, 2026 at 6:31 am

    Wonderful, creative card!

    Reply
  88. Jeanne Beam says:
    January 12, 2026 at 10:51 am

    Such a unique card! Love the colors.

    Reply
  89. Kristen Snoozy says:
    January 12, 2026 at 2:20 pm

    Great vintage take on creating this card

    Reply
  90. Gina M. says:
    January 12, 2026 at 4:41 pm

    Great make, Nicole! I always love your color palettes! Thanks for the inspiration and tutorial.

    Reply
  91. Tee Hall says:
    January 13, 2026 at 1:20 am

    Clever design with the distressed tags and layered hearts! I want to try this layout! Love.

    Reply
  92. Wendy Nicola Jackson says:
    January 13, 2026 at 2:43 am

    I loved your video and watching you create this Nichol. So fabulous with the crisp red and white but the rustic vintage base. Just all so delish together! xoxo

    Reply
  93. Rosemary D says:
    January 13, 2026 at 9:02 am

    Beautiful card! Love rich, deep colors you used.

    Reply
  94. Brenda Katrein says:
    January 13, 2026 at 5:53 pm

    This is gorgeous with all the tags and layered elements! Love the color as well.

    Reply
  95. Mary-Anne V. says:
    January 14, 2026 at 8:01 am

    Love the rich vintage look!

    Reply

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Hello friends! I'm Nichol Spohr and welcome to my blog where I share my love of creating!

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