Get Outside Your Comfort Zone - Eclectic Ellapu

Big NEWS!!! >>> I am not the only one who didn't know how to do masking <<<. A couple of weeks ago, I featured the masking guru herself, Miss Laura Jane Head, on my blog and I had to CASE one of her cards. So I set out to learn how to mask. 

Honestly, I love the effects but it is a very time-intensive, perfection-required, un-Becca-like thing to do. (Hello, Damsel of DISTRESSED anyone?!)  

However, I got to choose the challenge theme over at Eclectic Ellapu this month and I have chosen:

"Outside Your Comfort Zone".

We want to you try something you're not entirely comfy with. Something you haven't mastered yet. Get outside that space that makes you relax and get really really worried that your project is going to turn out like a Picasso print (except for not worth as much money). 

Which brings me back to masking. After seeing my CASE of Laura's card, my awesome, gorgeous, talented, amazing (have I thrown enough good adjectives out there yet) cousin asked me if I would show her how to mask. 

My first thought was, WHYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyYYyyyy?!?! Now I have to do that whole shindig all over again?!? Definitely outside my comfort zone! And my second thought was to sigh in resignation and start working on a masking tutorial. Since my cousin lives in North Carolina, that's the only way I can "show" her. 

Step One:

The key to masking is to choose which things you want in the forefront and to stamp those images first. For example, I knew that I wanted a frame for my sentiment in the forefront, so I stamped that and then I stamped the image again on a piece of scrap paper and fussy cut it. 

 

Then I positioned my frame over the frame I'd already stamped on the card. 

TIP: If you use sticky back Post-Its, this is much easier. Since I haven't invested in those, however, I just used scratch paper. 

Step 2:

Stamp the next image you want. This image will be behind the foreground image. 

 

Repeat the process of stamping on a scratch piece of paper, fussy cutting it, and masking the stamped image already on your card. You can see that the area over the frame would have been ruined if I'd stamped directly onto my card. By masking, the frame is protected from any unwanted ink. 

Step 3 through 9,123

 (at least that's what it felt like in my head) 

Continue stamping and fussy cutting as needed. Remember that each layer you do will be BEHIND the images already stamped. For me, I was using the same stamp over and over again (From STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches). Because of this, I was able to use the masks I'd cut and move them along my design as I went, so I really only had to cut out the two daisy masks. 

I colored my daisies all in with some BRIGHT neon Spectrum Noir markers, stamped a sentiment from STAMPlorations SENTIMENT BUILDERS: Celebrate and...

VOILA!

I've got an incredibly bright, fun springtime card. It was super fun to do something outside of my normal wheelhouse, AND it's sort of doubly outside my wheelhouse because you will notice that it is only >>>ONE<<< layer!! Unheard of. I painted in the centers of the daisies with perfect pearls for extra shine. 

What new thing can you add to your bag of tricks? Or what old thing can you give a second chance? Show us over at Eclectic Ellapu!

As for me, I will be linking up to these incredibly cool challenges:
Inkspirational - Neon Colours 
Sentimental Sundays - Spring plus a sentiment
Pile it On - Easter/Springtime
Corrosive Challenges - Hop into Spring
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes


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