Have you ever had an element you wanted to use on a card but could not find just the right patterned paper to match it? Or instead, maybe you have gorgeous paper, but don’t have a subtle background that complements it. When this happens to me, I like to turn to masks. With the right ones, I can make my own background in whatever color I need that will pair perfectly with my papers and other elements. In this post, I’m going to show you how to use one particular set from Stampin’ Up!, the Artistic Mix Decorative Masks currently available in the 2022-2023 Annual Catalog.
Masks are more commonly known as stencils. In other words, those plastic sheets with cut outs that you use to paint designs on practically anything. For card making, think ink, markers, pastels, paint, texture paste, resist sprays, and so forth… you’re really only limited by your imagination.
To create the cards in this post, I used just standard ink pads and Blending Brushes. You could instead use sponge daubers, but I find the brushes really give you better control and the best coverage without lines or blotches. Additionally, true to their name, they are ideal for blending two or more colors together. Stampin’ Up! offers two sizes of these brushes now, the regular Blending Brushes and Small Blending Brushes for more detailed coloring and blending.
Generally, you want to start with the lightest color first if you’re blending colors. But if you’re using layering masks, it doesn’t always matter. It really depends on the design of the masks themselves. So, my advice is to experiment first on “scrap” card stock. Try the combination of masks putting one down first, then do the same combination again, this time putting the other mask down first. After that, alternate between light and dark colors, try different color combinations, and so on and so on until you find what you like most.
This particular set has two pairs of “layering masks”, two stencils that can be used individually or together to achieve different looks. For example, the next picture is of six card fronts I created, three of each mask pair. Some color combinations work better than others, but overall, they each have their own unique appeal. It is really just a question of personal preference.
Personally, I like how each one turned out, so I had no problem using all six. I paired them with the “Garden Birdhouses” stamp set currently available in the 2022-2023 Annual Catalog. (Pg. 96)
As you can see, I often just repeated colors from the background onto the birdhouses. Don’t you just love how it can all tie together like that. Here are a few more cards I made using the Artistic Mix Decorative Masks to create the backgrounds. I tried some with just one of the combo masks, and blended multiple colors on others. I even used one on the inside of a card.
The possibilities are endless, truly. And this was just ink. We didn’t even get into other mediums. You may have noticed I also did not use the fifth mask, the labels. I will do a follow up to this post because I wasn’t inspired to use them… until I started typing this. (Ha, ha! Ain’t that the way it always goes?!) Now that I have some ideas, however, it gives me a perfect excuse to carve out some more crafting time over the next couple of days. May I suggest you do the same? Find some time to craft this week. Just for you.
I hope you enjoyed this and it inspired you in some way. I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And make sure to sign up for my newsletter and notifications of when I’ve posted to my blog. Have a wonderful rest of the week, everyone. Peace to you, and keep on crafting. ~Steve
