Masked Damask

Have you seen the current challenge over at Moxie Fab World, "Diggin' on Damask?" Damask is one of my favorite patterns to play with, so this challenge was right up my alley! I decided to change things up a bit by using a mask to create a stamped shape on my cardfront, rather than use a shaped piece of patterned paper. I decided a damask butterfly would be elegant but fun:

To make the mask, I used a 3x3 cuttlebug die with some very thin cardstock (if your cardstock is too thick, you'll have a hard time getting a crisp outline when stamping over the edges of the mask). 

This particular die has a pair of antennae that I don't really care for; to remedy that, I simply used an x-acto knife to cut a V-shaped notch continuing with the curve of the wings, dissecting the antennae from the rest of the body. After removing the butterfly body, I taped the antennae securely back into the mask, like so:

I used a Zig 2-way glue pen to trace around the backside edges of the butterfly outline and at the four corners, and set aside to dry for a temporary adhesive. I then lined up my mask on my cardfront, made sure all the edges were securely adhered, and started stamping. I stamped the center damask first, then worked out from there. Easy peasy! After I finished stamping my butterfly, I carefully removed the mask, stamped my sentiment (clear stamps make lining things up so easy!), and added two rhinestones for balance. (Here's a secret: I didn't have black rhinestones in the right size, so I used a black Sharpie to color two clear jewels. Shh, don't tell!)

The mask can be saved and reused for future projects. You can add even more depth to your masked image by first sponging inside the mask with a lighter ink, then stamping on top with a darker color. A big impact in just a few easy steps!

Card Supplies:
Stamps: Prima "Cantaria," Hero Arts "Everyday Sayings;" Ink: ColorBox pigment "Roussillon," Brilliance "Graphite Black;" Accessories: Cuttlebug / 3x3 Butterfly die, small corner rounder punch, adhesive rhinestones, Zig 2-way glue pen