Mask-Embossing Tutorial
Create your own masks and stencils using die-cut shapes for contemporary card designs
Kim Dellow makes this advanced technique super easy - grab some dies and texture stamps from your stash and give it a go!
Using masks with stamps when you are heat embossing is a really fun way to make something unique and to stretch your stash at the same time! You can make your own masks from ordinary paper using dies. Then place the die-cut shape over a stamp, ink it up with an embossing ink like VersaMark, remove the mask then stamp and heat emboss the image as you would normally.
It works particularly well with any of your background, pattern or texture stamps and is a great way to give those stamps a new look. Don’t forget that you can use both the positive die-cut shape and the negative shapes and frames left over after die-cutting. So you can make bespoke embossed frames and shapes by just matching up your dies and your die-cut shapes.
In addition, think about using the pattern on your stamp to help guide your mask. So if there is a specific area of the stamp that you can mask off to give it a new use, such as a patterned frame design, then also try that. You can see examples of how to use that with the Hello Floral and Best Wishes cards. Have fun trying this out and giving your stamps a new lease of life!
Die-cut a piece of white paper – you can use both the positive and negative die-cuts to be sure to keep both
Place either die-cut shape onto the stamp then ink up the exposed areas using VersaMark ink. Remove the paper mask and stamp the image
Add embossing powder to the image, tap off the excess and heat set the image
You will need
- white 12.5x16cm card blank
- black & white cardstock
- white paper
- Creative Stamps Backgrounds Collection – Halftone Spots A6 stamp
- Creative Dies Plus Stitched & Pierced Nesting Hearts die set
- My Favorite Things Die-namics Hello There dies
- VersaMark inkpad
- Floride Sunset & Rose Gold WOW! Embossing Powder
- anti-static powder
- tweezers
- heat tool
- 3D foam pads