Masking

[scrappin scientist]

Hi All,
I am very new to stamping and I wanted to know how you mask your stamp. I have masked my paper to avoid stamping along a particular line but haven't masked out features on the stamp directly. I am particularly curious about masking in the center of a stamp. For example, if I want to stamp a background and leave space to stamp another image within the background how do I do it? Does that make sense?


Thanks!

[Stampin Wrose]

Hi, Scientist!

If you want to stamp, say, a bunny in the middle of your background, first you stamp the bunny where you want it. Then you stamp the bunny on a post-it note (or something like that - you can use thin paper and temporary tape). Cut it out, JUST inside the line. Put the post-it over your original bunny stamp. Now stamp the background over it. Peel off the post-it, voila, bunny in background!!!

[scrappin scientist]

Thanks a lot! That makes perfect sense. Looks like I will be having to invest in some post its. Such a great place to find out about these things when I am getting started - I am sure that will always be the case no matter how experienced one gets!

[imastampaholic]

You mentioned "masking" your stamps...

You can do that, too. I use low-tack masking tape and cover the part I don't want ink to adhere to. Then remove the tape and stamp. That doesn't really work well for assembly line though. After two or three times you'll be wanting to throw that tape through the window, but for just one or two, it works great.

I have also cut a "paper blocking" section from CS. Example, the leaves and stems in Fresh Flowers. I love every piece of that set, EXCEPT for those curly lines coming out of the leaves. So, I cut a long piece of CS, trimmed to block the ink from those lines only and hold it in place while inking the stamp, then stamp as usual.

I did this for an assembly line type and it wasn't too bad. It did need to be done twice because eventually the ink saturated the CS but it was quick and easy.

HTH - Stampin' Hugs - Linda T