<a href="https://codepen.io/ARS" target="_blank"><span>button</span></a>
@import "compass/css3";

$width:  220px;
$height: 70px;
$border: 4px;

$violet: #6559ae;
$orange: #ff7159;

$deg:  120deg;
$size: 400%;
$dur:  3s;

@mixin clip-frame($width, $height, $border) {
  -webkit-clip-path: polygon(0% 100%, $border 100%, $border $border, $width - $border $border, $width - $border $height - $border, $border $height - $border, $border 100%, 100% 100%, 100% 0%, 0% 0%);
}

@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Squada+One);

body {
  background: #344557 url(https://unsplash.imgix.net/photo-1423683249427-8ca22bd873e0?fit=crop&fm=jpg&h=700&q=75&w=1050) 0 0 no-repeat;
  background-size: cover;
  &:after {
    content: '';
    @extend .absolute-centering;
    background: rgba(#344557, .85);
  }
}

a {
  display: block;
  @extend .absolute-centering;
  width: $width;
  height: $height;
  @extend .text-formatting;
  z-index: 1;
 
  &:after {
    content: '';
    @extend .absolute-centering;
    background: linear-gradient($deg, $violet, $orange, $violet);
    background-size: $size $size;
    @include clip-frame($width, $height, $border);
    @include animation(gradient $dur ease-in-out infinite, border 1s forwards ease-in-out reverse);
  }
  
  & > span {
    display: block;
    background: linear-gradient($deg, $violet, $orange, $violet);
    background-size: $size $size;
    -webkit-background-clip: text;
    -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;
     @include animation(gradient $dur ease-in-out infinite);
  }
}

/* helpers */

.absolute-centering {
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  margin: auto;
}

.text-formatting {
  text-transform: uppercase;
  text-decoration: none;
  text-align: center;
  letter-spacing: 2px;
  line-height: 70px;
  font-family: 'Squada One', cursive;
  font-size: 28px;
}

/* motion */

@include keyframes(gradient) { 
    0%   { background-position: 14% 0%; }
    50%  { background-position: 87% 100%; }
    100% { background-position: 14% 0%; }
}

@include keyframes(border) {
  0% { -webkit-clip-path: polygon(/*1*/ 0% 100%, /*2*/ $border 100%, /*3*/ $border $border, /*4*/ $width - $border $border, /*5*/ $width - $border $height - $border, /*6*/ $border $height - $border, /*7*/ $border 100%, /*8*/ 100% 100%, /*9*/ 100% 0%, /*10*/ 0% 0%); }
  25% { -webkit-clip-path: polygon(/*1*/ 0% 100%, /*2*/ $border 100%, /*3*/ $border $border, /*4*/ $width - $border $border, /*5*/ $width - $border $height - $border, /*6*/ $width - $border $height - $border, /*7*/ $width - $border 100%, /*8*/ 100% 100%, /*9*/ 100% 0%, /*10*/ 0% 0%); }
  50% { -webkit-clip-path: polygon(/*1*/ 0% 100%, /*2*/ $border 100%, /*3*/ $border $border, /*4*/ $width - $border $border, /*5*/ $width - $border $border, /*6*/ $width - $border $border, /*7*/ $width - $border $border, /*8*/ $width - $border $border, /*9*/ 100% 0%, /*10*/ 0% 0%); }
  75% { -webkit-clip-path: polygon(/*1*/ 0% 100%, /*2*/ $border 100%, /*3*/ $border $border, /*4*/ $border $border, /*5*/ $border $border, /*6*/ $border $border, /*7*/ $border $border, /*8*/ $border $border, /*9*/ $border 0%, /*10*/ 0% 0%); }
  100%  { -webkit-clip-path: polygon(/*1*/ 0% 100%, /*2*/ $border 100%, /*3*/ $border 100%, /*4*/ $border 100%, /*5*/ $border 100%, /*6*/ $border 100%, /*7*/ $border 100%, /*8*/ $border 100%, /*9*/ $border 100%, /*10*/ 0% 100%); }
}
View Compiled
/*

Pure CSS experiment with gradient borders and text on transparent background.

Background photo by http://unsplash.com

*/
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External CSS

This Pen doesn't use any external CSS resources.

External JavaScript

  1. //cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.3/jquery.min.js