Masking Tutorial

I have had a few people tell me that they just don't "get masking, so I'm going to post a step by step tutorial for it. Masking is one of the easiest, most effective technique a stamper can know. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

The tools you will need are very simple. All you need are your stamps, cardstock, ink, paper snips or other small detail scissors, and post it notes.
Next, stamp your image onto your piece of cardstock. In this card I am using the truck from the SU! set "Loads of Love."

Now, stamp the same image onto a scrap piece of paper (a post it note works best because it has the removable adhesive on the back. Stamp it near the adhesive strip, so that as much of your image as possible is sticky on the back. Take your Paper Snips or other small detail scissors and carefully cut your image out of the post it note. This is your "mask."

Now you need to place your "mask" (the image on the post it) over your cardstock image, completely covering it. Ink up your other stamp, (in this case the chicken that I am putting in the truck bed). Stamp the image where you want it on the original image, overlapping some part of it onto your post it note (in mine you can see his little feet on the post it). Remove the post it, and your 2nd image should appear to be inside or behind (whichever the case) your original image.

Another reason you may decide to mask your image, is if you want to use your Color Spritzer Tool, and don't want to get ink sprinkles on your stamped image. In this case you would do basically the same thing, you can put the mask over your stamped image and then use the spritzer around your image. When you remove the mask, your image will be clear, and the spritzing around it. In this case I used the masking and the color spritzer to make a dirt road under my truck.

Once my image was finished, I just completed the card. I colored the images in with Watercolor Pencils and a blender pen. The bg is done with the Weathered BG stamp and some direct to paper technique around the edges. I tied a piece of black grosgrain and a scrap of red gingham ribbon around the outside. The sentiment from "Warmest Regards" in Chocolate Chip ink and mounted the image over the ribbon.

I hope that this tutorial helped you. If you have any questions on masking, or have a suggestion for another technique tutorial, please drop me a line!