Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Altered Playing Cards, Week 23: Masks

For Week 23, Claudine at Claudine's Art Corner used masks with her APCs.  Now I have NO dies, and no way to make anything even similar to what Claudine made, but I DO know how to use a mask.  I've even made a few of my own, which is easy if you have some packing tape and are able to tape both sides of the image you are using.  I also stamp extra images, cut them to size, then use these as masks.  So, although mine won't look anything like Claudine's, I will still use masks to create this week's APCs.

I started by painting the slightly gessoed playing cards with a light color, but the pale yellow didn't cover as well as I'd hoped.  You were still able to see the Tasmanian Devil image beneath the paint.  So, I added the darker color to hide the card's original image.

I used the masks to determine placement before I began altering the cards.  I was a bit surprised that I had not cleaned the head, because I always try to clean my stamps before I put them away.

Leaving the silhouette mask in place, I stamped the bird directly on the playing card. 

With both the bird mask and the head mask in place, I applied the second color acrylic paint using a paint brush.

I returned the bird mask to the stamp, where I knew it would be the next time I needed it.  I had originally (a LONG time ago) applied a product called Wacky Tac to it, so it stays in place when I apply the mask.

For the second card, I didn't get a very good image because I couldn't find my acrylic block.  I tried to stamp the image without any support.  It was a disaster because I have the same Wacky Tac on the back of the rubber stamp, and the Wacky Tac stuck to my hand when I tried to lift the stamp from the playing card.  Live and learn.

Not much I can do now, though, because I have no backup cards I can use when things don't go right.  So it was time to add the mask

and stamp the foreign text stamp on the card.  When I removed the mask, I was quite pleased.

For the "head" altered card on the left, I outlined the image using a red ink pen.  Not sure if I helped or hindered it.

The "bird" playing card was even worse.  When I tried to add words, the white pen Claudine sent me when I won her first giveaway, cut through the blue paint and the quote was scratched onto the original card.  It reads "A bird on the head," although I had planned to add "is worth two in the hair."  If only I had taken time to computer generate the text, this would have been a much better card.

Thankfully, there are only four more weeks and these will be finished.  Thanks for visiting, especially because, as with most weeks I have NONE of the products Claudine uses.  As always, your comments mean the world to me.

11 thoughtful remarks:

Karla B said...

Love this my friend!Thanks for teaching me a new tecchnique!

Divers and Sundry said...

I read about all these art challenges, and sometimes it seems to me that the biggest challenge might be getting all the required materials :/ I look at all the supplies y'all have and then hear that even y'all don't have everything you need to complete the challenges and I just have to admire what you end up creating. I tip my hat to you :)

Krisha said...

For the first time I jumped over to the challenge blog, because you are always saying you "don't" have the same supplies. Oh dear E, you do such a good job with what you have.

The APC with the stamped head really caught my attention, but both turned out really well.

Only a few more to go and you will have a full deck of altered playing cards.......well done for keeping up and at least giving it all you got!

froebelsternchen said...

They look both fabulous.. and what a cool technique!
Thank you for sharing Elizabeth!
xxx
Susi

massofhair said...

Thanks for your comment Elizabeth it is much appreciated. I have accumulated a lot of supplies over the years and the sorting is bringing some of them out from hiding lol.

Am way behind on the APC's, no chance of finishing them in time for the end of the Challenge so will catch up as and when.

I do admire your ingenuity and how you manage to produce such amazing APC's, you really don't need the supply list just your wonderful imagination :-) xxx

Dreaming of Vintage said...

Very cool Elizabeth! Thank you for your sweet comments on my blog!

TwinkleToes2day said...

I always admire how well your APCs turn out even tho' you are rarely happy with them. We are all our own worst critics. You do amazingly well with the products you have and as Krisha said, you will have a full deck of wonderfully altered playing cards when the challenge is over. {{Hugs}} :o)

Darla said...

You never fail to surprise me with something new when you show us how you create. Making a mask this way is SO clever.

Darla

~*~Patty S said...

Working with what you have is an art of its own.
You did good E!
Your bird on the head made me think of an Italian saying about it being good luck.
I find that putting something like a mousepad under a piece that I am stamping helps the contact a bit.
Your phrenology head with the masking looks cool.
oxo

pearshapedcrafting said...

Love how you made your own masks! I am so impressed with your patience on these challenges that seem to be product led - I'm not sure i could do what you do do - in fact I have not taken part in a couple recently because they specified a product - just couldn't get my head around doing without and certainly wasn't up for buying them as I probably would not use them again!! The styles are so different and your quote made me smile! Hugs, Chrisx

Craftymoose Crafts said...

This is one of those times where I wish I had read your post before completing or trying to complete my cards. I didn't have masks either and didn't have much luck making them. I think I just ran out of brain power this week.

I'm still enjoying the challenge, but I might be happy when it ends, too. :)

Have a good weekend!