Let's Mask!

For the next few days, we're MASKING!!! Specifically, we're masking backgrounds. I needed an excuse to use some big background stamps, and using these masks makes big backgrounds your CAS-style friends.

Consider today's card. The slightly weathered look of the balloon (Papertrey's Up, Up and Away) is enhanced by the fact that the edges of the masked cloud stamp (Hero Arts) are imperfect. I absolutely love how that turned out!

To make this card, I used the mask on the left (well, the one on bottom with the smaller opening).  

I've made all these masks with outer dimensions of 4.25" x 5.5"--the standard card size. This allows me to line them up perfectly on the card. It's worth taking the time to prepare these masks and store them for repeated use.

These masks are all made of very thin paper, but even so, there's often a bit of unevenness right around the edges when you stamp a big, solid background over them. The cloud stamp is a nice, crisp design, and uneven edges would ordinarily look like a mistake. But by pairing it with the distressed look of that particular balloon, a negative is instantly transformed into a positive. Squeee!

To make the card, I used temporary adhesive to attach the mask, and stamped the clouds over it. I placed my card and stamp on the floor (on a small piece of smooth plywood just for this, actually, since my floor has carpet) and stand on the stamp. I forget where I heard that tip, but seriously, it means a LOT less wasted paper from poor impressions.

The balloon basket was stamped directly onto the card, and the balloon itself was stamped on a scrap, cut out, and popped up.

Hope you like it!

Supplies 
stamps: Papertrey, Hero Arts
paper:  Papertrey
ink: SU bashful blue, real red; Memento black
accessories: dimensionals, mask