Friday Focus: Masking

It's been quite awhile since I have done a Friday Focus - it's just a post dedicated to a tip or technique - often quite basic.  Today, I am focusing on various ways to mask images.  Here's my masked card!

Why would you want to mask an image?

Here are two stamped scenes.  The first is cute because the stamps are cute, but I like the way the second one becomes one scene with the cat at the forefront and the rest becoming a backdrop.

How do I mask my image?

First, stamp the image you want to be in the front.

Then mask, or cover up, the image (more on this later).

Finally, stamp your background image.

When you remove your mask, you will have your scene!


What are my masking options?

1. Post-It notes are handy things that you probably already have around.  If you use a standard Post-It note, be sure that part of your image is on the sticky part.  NOTE: Do NOT use Super Sticky Post-It notes. When they first came out I read on various blogs that they were too sticky for masking, but of course, I had to try it for myself.  When I used it on watercolor paper, as I pulled it up, fibers from the paper also came up leaving it fuzzy and missing pieces of the image.  When I used it on Stampin' Up Whisper White cardstock, it was so hard to get up, I left marks and depressions from trying to pry it up with my fingernail and even a craft knife.

2. Recently, they came out with Post-It Labels - absolutely perfect for masking!  They are sticky on their entire surface so you don't have part of your image "rolling up" like in the above photo.

3. If you do a lot of masking, I would highly recommend Art Masking Fluid.  It's fairly expensive but it's at all the big box craft stores so you can always find a coupon.  It's an "art supply" so you can usually find it near the good paintbrushes and other art supplies. With the fluid, you do NOT have to do any fussy cutting - yeah!!

Simply use a small paintbrush to paint a light coat on your image, then let it dry.  If you keep it a light coat - it just takes minutes to dry. (Note: some of the masking fluids claimed to be colorless - but I avoided those because I wanted to see where I had painted.)

Stamp your background image, then simply use an eraser - the masking fluid comes off easily and cleanly.  I do keep a clean eraser around dedicated to this use.

One important thing to remember.

No matter which method that you choose, you do want to be careful to NOT mask to the very edge of the image.

If I cut a mask around the outside of the image, leaving the outer line, like this:

The post it note is just thick enough to leave a gap in your second image - the stamp is ever so slightly raised by the post it, so it takes a small space before it touches the paper.

This may not seem like much on my lined image, but if you are trying to do solid images, you get a white "halo" where the stamp doesn't touch:

So just make it a habit to cut inside the outer line of the image.

Hopefully I made this all quick and simple for you - have fun masking!!

Details on my card:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Touch of Kindness
• Ink: Staz-On Black, watercolored with Pumpkin, Daffodil, Melon, Caramel, Wasabi
• Paper: Stampin' Up watercolor paper, Melon, Wasabi, Daffodil CS and dsp
• Accessories: Arctic Ice Stickles, Stampin' Up circle and scalloped circle punches, Wasabi ribbon
• Challenges:



Stampin' Royalty Color Challenge



Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge

A Verve Kind of Day #5

After a number of days of bold and bright cards, I had to go running back to my preferred calm and mellow colors!!  Here's my fifth and last card for the Viva La Verve sketch challenges for May.

• Stamps: Verve Believe
• Ink: Versamark
• Paper: Stampin' Up Blue Bayou and Porcelain Prints dsp, Papertrey Fine Linen
• Accessories: Stamp-n-Stuff Classic Pewter Embossing Powder, brads (that I heated and then dipped in the embossing powder, then reheated to change their color), Stampin' Up Border Punch, Papertrey Fine Linen ribbon

A few weeks ago, I did this post with a picture tutorial on Magic Cards.  I mentioned that we were planning on mass producing these cards at a church service day for use by a family services agency.  This morning, as I was reading the Splitcoast Weekly Inklings, I saw that they had pointed out an older tutorial on Magic Cards and seeing this reminded me that I had never shown you the final results.  Here's a small sampling of what my wonderful group of cardmakers (and even non-cardmakers) accomplished that day.

ColourQ and i{heart}2stamp Challenges

This is my second post today and this card is even brighter and bolder than the first card.  On my earlier post I freely admitted that I was way out of my comfort zone with the colors - I can't believe that I have done it again!  Of course, it isn't something that I would have ever attempted without some amazing inspiration from colourQ!

Their inspiration photo is so darn cute, my card won't measure up!!  (Actually, I am really happy with my card and I am wondering if I am turning into a "Brights" kind of gal in my old age?)

The layout comes from the i{heart}2stamp monthly sketch challenge, and check out the date - once again I have waited until the last day.  Their sponsor this month is Your Next Stamp.  I like to try to use that company's stamps on my card but I actually don't have any.  After browsing their site, I definitely have a wishlist.

Then, to totally top off my descent into the world of bold and bright colors, I had a card from last week mentioned in two different challenges.  Here's the card (details here).  It's as bold and bright as my last two cards and it is a colourQ courtier and a Paper Player Cut Above.

Details on the first card:

• Stamps: My Cute Stamps Elegant Birds
• Ink: Memento Black and copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Soft Suede, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry
• Accessories: Stampin' Up lattice embossing folder, Soft Suede ribbon, Nestabilities circles and scalloped circles, Stickles in Glam Pink, Yellow and Orange Peel



A Verve Kind of Day #4

I saw this morning's Splitcoast Color Challenge and walked away - definitely out of my comfort zone.  But...there is a reason they are called challenges.  So I decided to give it a try.  I forced myself to fully embrace these colors (vs. finding subtle patterned papers that matched) and I also went for a bold use of the dessert option: summer!!   Although I am happy with the final card, every decision and step of the way was painful!

The layout is from a May Viva La Verve Sketch.  Just one more to go for May and, for the first time, I will have finished that challenge!!

• Stamps: Verve Miracles Blossom
• Ink: copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil CS and dsp, Pacific Point dsp
• Accessories: Mark Richards Yellow Glitter Domes and Black Nailheads, Stampin' Up Daffodil Grosgrain and Scalloped Border Punch, Nestabilities Pinking Circles, Papertrey Ink Fillable Frames and Clouds dies

A Verve Kind of Day #3

I had promised this post yesterday and I was all ready to go, but my family insisted we watch a History Channel special together.  No problem - I figured that I would just write up the words after the show.  But I fell asleep, I'm embarrased to tell you how early it was!  It was just so cozy curled up next to my husband and the kids weren't arguing - just quietly watching the show.

Of course, this is the kids earlier on their Memorial Day holiday!  The "lump" under the blanket is the teenager!

Here is my third card for the May Verve Sketch challenges:

• Stamps: Verve Dare to Be
• Ink: Stampin' Up Early Espresso
• Paper: Kaisercraft Secrete Bird Society, Stampin' Up Early Espresso and Shimmer White, Papertrey Aqua Mist, misc vellum
• Accessories: Spellbinders Tag (cut in half so it peeks out from each side of the square), Spellbinders Beaded Oval, Clear Spica pen (on each bead), Martha Stewart butterfly punch

SCS CAS: Folded or Scrunched

Today's Splitcoast CAS Challenge was to fold or scrunch your ribbon.  I really like the folded ribbon look - I did a quick tutorial here (scroll past the shimmer paint instructions).

I pulled out the retired Kiwi Kiss for this card since I had ribbon, buttons, ink and paper in that color.  Since I had retired colors out - I also used Ruby Red and Cameo Coral, one of my favorite combos!

As a total sidetrack - how many of my Colorado readers are being invaded by miller moths?  I thought the cold weather might stop them - but apparently not.

For non-Colorado readers - I found this brief description of what it is like in Colorado during miller moth season:

Multitudes of Moths

by LAH at Mountain Plover

As I unlocked my  mailbox to retrieve my mail, a cloud of wings billowed out of the opening. My bedside lamp is surrounded by a throng of fluttering insects leaving dark smudges on the lampshade. Every windowsill is littered with gray bodies. The final straw came a few moments ago when I opened the lid on the toilet and discovered a moth convention assembled on the seat. Yup, it’s Miller time.

There aren't particularly scary or creepy - except that they are EVERYWHERE and they are dirty.  They come and go in a week or two, but in those weeks they are overwhelming.  Even my cats are tired of chasing and eating them!  Here's what we are resorting to now - my youngest with a vacuum cleaner!

Here's what happens if you simply use a fly swatter.  That's the "dust" from one of them smeared across my computer screen!

Although I really ought not complain as I just read about this Bermuda blogger's giant centipedes and flying cockroaches!!

I will have more posts today as I am finishing up the Verve May challenges and I have three to go!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Bold Blossom
• Ink: Stampin' Up Kiwi Kiss, Ruby Red, Soft Suede
• Paper: Stampin' Up Kiwi Kiss, Cameo Coral
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Kiwi Kiss ribbon, Butterfly embosslist, Playground buttons, gems

Featured Stamper: Rosie

Today's Splitcoast Featured Stamper has a wonderful gallery.  I spent so much time studying Rosemary's cards and clicking the Favorite Heart, that I ran out of my morning "alone-time" so it took much longer to get a card made than usual!

I CASed this card.  Rosemary uses a lot of stamps that match nesties.  Her card uses an extra large stamp from Heartfelt Creations.  I have a number of stamps by them, but I had never ordered the extra large flowers - I may have to after seeing her card.  I used a similar set of stamps by Sparkle n Sprinkle that coordinates with Spellbinders Blossoms 3.  Since I didn't have an extra large flower, I used an arrangement of three flowers in place of her single flower.

• Stamps: Sparkle n Sprinkle Blossoms, Papertrey Signature Greetings
• Ink: Stampin' Up Melon Mambo
• Paper: Stampin' Up Melon Mambo dsp
• Accessories: patterned black brads from Oriental Trading, Nestabilities Blossoms 3