Pursuit of Craftyness: When you hear the word "MASK", what comes to mind?

A costume?
Halloween?
Mardi Gras?
How about if we want to use this word in a crafting sense?

In a way it is the same idea as the others, we want to place a shape OVER an area that we want to "hide" or protect, so-to-speak, from our paint or ink. Webster's Dictionary gives one example: "a pattern of opaque material used to shield selected areas of a surface "

Linda here and I get to share my masking projects with you today.

It can be as simple as a Post It note placed over the area you want to shield but what I used on my projects is a decorative mask by Heidi Swapp. She has a number of really neat designs that are created for the purpose of being masks for a craftying project. I'm going to use this Damask shape because it is the perfect size for a card. These masks are made to "cling" to your project and then they can just be peeled off when you are done without the adhesive harming your paper and they are made of a vinyl kind of material that is non porous so the liquids you use don't go through to your paper.

There are several products that work great with these masks. I have gathered the products that I used. Spray Tsukineko's Walnut Ink, Clearsnap's Fluid Chalk stamp pads and a stamp.

I decided that I wanted the Damask design to "appear" to be going off of the edge of my card so I cut my paper to the size of card that I wanted and determined where the fold would be but I didn't fold it yet. That way I could place the mask on a flat piece of cardstock and it was in the position where, when my card is folded it will be on the edge. I also decided that a fun and interesting look would be to have my finished design go around to the back of the card, so I incorporated the whole design.

The mask is placed across the middle of the card and on the first card I used my Fluid Chalk stamp pads to "rub" a couple different shades of inks around the edges of the mask. I also stamped my "dictionary print" stamp over the mask while it was still in place and across the rest of the front of the card. So in this case, the mask served to keep the area under the mask to be free of the inks and stamping that I did. I took a fine line pen and did a quick and uneven outline inside the masked area after I removed the mask to help give my design more definition.
For this first card, I used a patterned paper by We R Memory Keepers. This particular paper is a 12" x 12" piece with four designs on the piece. You can see that the pattern changes on the back of the card. Just something that adds even more interest to the back of the card. For my second card, I used a solid piece of textured cardstock. This piece happens to have one edge that has a scallop cut to it. The only product I used to add color over the mask is the spray Walnut ink in the Java color which is basically black. All you have to do with this spray is give a couple quick spurts until you have the amount of color you want. DO PROTECT YOUR WORK AREA though! This stuff will go everywhere! Again, after I removed the mask, you can see that some of the spray ink seeped under the mask, so I took a fine line pen to help give a little more definition to my design and I also decided that an "imperfect" image was just fine because that is what I think "art" is about.
And added note for the chipboard word "love", I stamped over the word, rubbed the edges a little bit with a stamp pad and coated it with Aleene's Paper Glaze. OK, are you ready for the ADDED bonus???? When I sprayed the Walnut Ink on the mask for my last card, there was alot of ink that "sat" on top of the mask. I sure didn't think I should waste that, so I grabbed a piece of watercolor paper from a little spiral bound book that I have. I blotted all of that ink that was on top of my mask with this paper and I now I had an additional design and of course, had to create a card from it! ALWAYS card - Materials: Patterned paper – We R Memory Keepers
Heidi Swapp Damask mask
Epoxy word – Creative Impressions
Eucalyptus Walnut Ink spray
Fluid Chalk stamp pads – Clearsnap
Rhinestones in a circle – Heidi Swapp
Dictionary stamp – Stampers Anonymous
Scor-Pal for the embossed lines

BLUE/BLACK DAMASK card - Materials: Solid cardstock – Core’dinations
Heidi Swapp mask
Chipboard letters – Rusty Pickle
Java Spray Walnut Ink
Writing stamp – Crafty Secrets
Flower – Making Memories
Rhinestone – Darice
Pen – American Crafts
Clear Paper Glaze – Aleene’s®/Tulip

SECRET-CONFIDENTIAL card - Materials: Solid cardstock
Heidi Swapp mask
Chipboard letter – Thickers/American Crafts
Java Spray Walnut Ink
Various stamps – Art Declassified
Glitter Fabric Dimensional paint – Tulip
Sticker labels – Scenic Route
Rub-on words – Making Memories
Machine sewing