So what do you do when you make something, love it and then struggle to recreate it? Well, that’s what happened when I was creating these three projects with the Stampin’ Up! decorative masks.
Well, the first thing I do is say Ugh!!! (LOL!) and then I have to decide if I’m motivated to figure out what was different, and do I want to be able to share the project with others? When I love a project I usually want to be able to share it and that was definitely the case here! So, I move into that sciency, inquisitive side of my brain, that wants to isolate the variables that produced one effect vs. another. So, that’s what I did and that’s what I’ll share with you today!
Now I want to be very clear about two things:
1) The thing that did not work when I was trying to recreate my projects was, to me, a few important technical difficulties, not just another creative outcome that was good in and of itself. When I’m teaching I want to minimize the chances that others making the same project don’t have the same problem(s), by sharing my experiences. That way you get to the fun faster! and…
2) Especially with projects like these, no two will ever come out exactly the same and that’s part of the fun! I don’t ever expect, or want, students to think they should be making a copy of what I made. I want to inspire people to make their own beautiful creations based on what they love so that it becomes a unique expression of YOU!
So… with that said, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of how these were made!
These projects use the Stampin’ Up! decorative masks with heat embossing and pigment sprinkles. The card you see here was the first one I made. I used the Bermuda Bay and Gorgeous Grape pigment sprinkles for this focal piece. I love how these two colors mixed to create some sections that are blueish.
These are the steps for making the focal pieces for all three cards:
- My first step was to attach the watercolor paper to my work surface with temporary adhesive and rub the embossing buddy over the whole surface.
- I then placed the mask over the top, positioning it so the pattern was centered and symmetrical. I used some washi tape to hold the mask in place.
- Next, I applied Versamark, pressing the ink pad onto the mask, so the ink would get onto the watercolor paper just through the openings in the mask. When I went to recreate this step on subsequent focal pieces this is where I ran into a technical difficulty! See below for an important tip about this step!
- Remove the mask and pour Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder over the whole surface and heat emboss with a heat tool.
- Wet the whole surface of the watercolor paper by spritzing with water or use an Aqua Painter to wet the surface. I like to use a tiny bit of one color of the pigments sprinkles to create a very light watercolor wash over the whole surface at this point too.
- Sprinkle with two coordinating colors of Pigment Sprinkles over the whole surface. Spray with more water or use an Aqua Painter to spread and blend the colors. I wanted some color everywhere to help expose the clear heat embossed shapes which for mine covered the whole surface of the paper. See below for an important tip about this step!
- Allow the focal piece to dry and then using a damp paper towel rub over the surface to remove excess color that is on the heat embossed shapes. This will help make the heat embossed shapes show up more clearly. Use the focal piece on your card as desired.
For this next card, I used the Gorgeous Grape and Melon Mambo Pigment Sprinkles.
For this last card, I used the Granny Apple Green, Bermuda Bay, and the tiniest bit of Mango Melody Pigment Sprinkles.
Generally, I wouldn’t recommend using three colors at a time as it can produce a muddying of the colors. That said, I used the Mango Melody very sparingly here and I love the result.
Important Tips!:
Step #3 Tip: When applying the Versamark, make sure to firmly press the Versmark pad onto all parts of the mask so that it really squishes into the openings and you get a complete shape created by the ink through the mask. This will ensure that the full shape of the mask really shows up.
Step #6 Tip: If you use a lot of pigment sprinkles you’ll see spots where it almost looks black. On these spots, you can spray with more water or use an Aqua Painter to spread the color. You can also dab up the extra color with a paper towel.
For additional tips and examples of the “technical difficulties” I spoke about earlier, you’ll want to watch my video which you’ll find later in this post.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my projects today featuring these Stampin’ Up! Decorative Masks! You’ll find project dimensions and a complete supply with links to my online store at the end of this post.
Thanks for spending some time with me today and Happy Crafting!
Melissa 🙂
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The project demonstration begins at around 3 minutes in case you’d like to jump ahead.
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Project Dimensions:
Card #1: Bermuda Bay & Gorgeous Grape
- Gorgeous Grape Card Body: 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″
- Bermuda Bay Layer: 3-7/8″ x 5-1/4″
- Watercolor Paper: 3-7/8″ x 5″
- Gorgeous Grape Sentiment Backing: 15/16″ x 2-15/16″
- Highland Heather Sentiment Piece: 3/4″ x 2-3/4″
- Whisper White Inside Layer: 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″
Card #2: Melon Mambo & Gorgeous Grape
- Highland Heather Card Body: 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″
- Gorgeous Grape Layer: 4″ x 5-1/4″
- Melon Mambo Layer: 3-3/16″ x 5-1/4″
- Watercolor Paper: 2-15/16″ x 5-1/4″
- Gorgeous Grape Sentiment Backing: 15/16″ x 3-3/16″
- Highland Heather Sentiment Piece: 3/4″ x 3-3/16″
- Whisper White Inside Layer: 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″
Card #3: Granny Apple Green, Bermuda Bay &
- Granny Apple Green Card Body: 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″
- Shaded Spruce Layer: 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″
- Watercolor Paper: 3-11/16″ x 4-15/16″
- Shaded Spruce Sentiment Backing: 15/16″ x 2-7/16″
- Whisper White Sentiment Piece: 3/4″ x 2-1/4″
- Whisper White Inside Layer: 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″
