10.28.2010

Use Masks to Create Custom Backgrounds

Hi, Ladies! Nancy Doren here guest blogging at SFTIO today to show you how to create a masked background that looks like you spent hours on it... in minutes!

This month's kit contains the super-useful gears masks from Tim Holtz.

Gather your supplies: Cardstock, masks, spray paints (this photo shows a Glimmer Mist spray in addition to my gold spray paint, but I actually ended up using another green spray paint. You can use any kind of spray ink for this project: Glimmer Mists, Shimmerz, plain old spray paint)




















Place your masks on one side of the cardstock.



















Lightly spray over them with gold spray paint (if I did this tutorial again, I would use the dark paint first; the lighter paint second. Live and learn!).



















Let the cardstock dry for a few seconds, then peel up the masks. Place them back down in an overlapping fashion on the other side of the cardstock.




















Spray again with the gold spray.



















Remove the masks again, and place a few of them overlapping the first masked gears.




















Spray with a second color of paint. You want this layer to be very faint, so hold the spray ink at least 12 inches back from your cardstock, so you get a very fine mist.




















Now you have a double masked background! I love how layered it looks:
















Now you can create on top of your custom cardstock!




















P.S.: A word on cleaning your masks: When I first used a Tim Holtz mask last year, I made the mistake of washing it with water... now it's no longer sticky! I find it's better to just let whatever paint is on them to air dry, then stick them back down onto their adhesive sheet. If the ink won't dry, carefully wipe it off the top of the mask with a tissue. Your masks will stay sticky for a long time if you take care of them!

Have fun with those masks you've been wondering about!

Nancy

1 comment:

Cherie said...

Looks fabulous Nancy. I love masks, paint and playing so will have to give it a try. Layout is fab too.