Making Masks

We all know the Memory Box dies are great for cutting images out, but I've been having a lot of fun with the "outlines" that are left behind by using them as masks.  For example, I cut the Poinsettia Stem die out of the backing from Elizabeth Crafts tape.  I then put the mask (the piece that's left after the Poinsettia Stem has been cut out) back onto the exposed tape, so that the only sticky surface is the flower itself and the stem.  Next, I cover the flower with the piece I cut out, leaving only the stem exposed.  I then cover the exposed tape stem with green glitter.  Next, I brush off the excess so that it doesn't get over everything.  I then remove the flower and cover that exposed area with red glitter.  Finally, I remove the last piece of masking so that the entire surface of tape is exposed.  I cover it with Cool Highlight translucent glitter.  With Elizabeth Craft glitters, I can go back and draw in some of the flower details with a Copic marker. 

 
In this series of cards, I created a mask for the Flowering Christmas Tree by cutting a large piece of Eclipse tape with that die.  I then used a ruler and an x-acto knife to basically "connect the lines" so that I removed the inner triangle of the tree.  I can then place the mask over a piece of Robin's Egg paper and stencil a slightly darker color inside that will be perfectly framed by the Flowering Christmas Tree die (which I cut out of 24 Karot Soiree paper).  I hope these techniques help you to think about using ALL of the pieces you cut with your dies and to see your dies in a whole new way.  I will be teaching both of these workshops at Eclectica Scrapbooks & Stamps in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, October 8.  I hope you'll join me if you live in the area!