Masks are one of the best ways of creating texture and background interest on a project. There’s a massive range of designs, shapes and styles and a whole load of mediums to use with them, from texture paste to inks, mists and paints.
We invite you to be inspired by our design team and the projects below and try some new masking techniques for yourself – on cards, layouts, canvas or whatever! In return we've got a prize pack to give away - if you want to give it a try we’d love to showcase them in a blog post next week. Please try to use Aussie Scrap Source products where you can – we’ve got Crafter’s Workshop templates as well as ones from Art-C, Prima and others.
Email pics of your own masked projects to [email protected] by next Tuesday 18th September for a chance to win one of our fabulous prize packs!
Masks and stencils add so much detail to any mix media project. There is so much choice and so many awesome ways to use our masks. Leeann Pearce shares a favourite way that we all like to use especially for those that like to add texture at the same time. If you take a closer look Leeann has used the crafters workshop – harlequin template with some texture paste.
First things first are creating the background by building the layers up with tissue and paper then paint. Once the background has been created gather together your supplies - mask or stencil of desired design, texture paste, coloured paint and pop stick for mixing. Mix a small amount of paint with texture paste in another pot. Arrange and place mask on prepared canvas and then randomly spread the coloured paste over the desired area of mask.
Lift mask to reveal pattern. Allow to fully dry.
Add more layered detail by stamping,rub-ons and rubbing wax crayons over the dry raise texture paste.
Add more layered detail by stamping,rub-ons and rubbing wax crayons over the dry raise texture paste.
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Suz Doyle is enjoying creating projects that are completely unlike her usual style in these mixed media challenges. Here she has layers of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists and Chalkboard Sprays over her Crafters Workshop template and finishes it off with one of her favourite quotes.
The striking ‘relief’ effect was achieved by using the template with a layer of gesso over the first glimmer mist sprays and allowing to dry. Although this page started life as the rainbow you see above, Suz later decided to build up the layers of green and blue tones from her Chalkboard mists, so that there’s only a hint of the original colour in the finished piece. The beauty of the gesso layer is that it absorbs the mists differently to the cardstock, and so even though the blue and green chalkboard was evenly sprayed over the whole page, the mask pattern remains clearly defined.
Suz replaced the template once the layers of gesso and mists were dry once again and painted a last layer of gel medium. She then sprinkled microbeads and seed beads through the template to further enhance the jewelled effect. She kept some uniformity in her pages to link them with her earlier ones by using the same Prima canvas alphas on each.
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Kim Arnold has used a variety of masks and techniques to create this layout. Firstly she has inked over a 6x6 inch ledger paper mask from the crafters workshop in both the top left and bottom right corners. Secondly she has misted over a compass mask in the bottom right of the photo. Finally, she has created her title by creating a mask with letter stickers and then inking over the top. When the stickers are removed, she was left with a masked title. Kim has used the beautiful new Clippings range from Basic Grey, which has a very eclectic feel to its paper range. Perfect for mixed media projects.
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Finally Jill van Iperen adored the Prima Damask Mask and used it to "rust" her journal. She used a combination of Distress Ink and Acrylic Paint to enhance the vintage feel of the Teresa Collins Vintage Find Jounal covers.
Jill carried through the aging of the pages throughout the journal and used it to carry a theme throughout the journal.
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