Tropical Masking Magic

 Masking is one of those techniques that can truly transform a design, and this class: Masking Unleashed from AECP level 2 reminded me just how powerful it can be for creating seamless, layered looks. For my Tropical Masking Magic card, I combined vibrant stamping, detailed masking, and a little shimmer paste experimentation to make the scene come alive.

Supplies Used:

• Tropical Vibes Craft Your Life Project Kit
• Shimmer Relief Paste (Pearl)
• Parrot Green mica powder
• Forest Trail, Sun-Kissed Delight, Shades of Purples, Lapis Lazuli Fresh Dye Inks
• Printer paper & masking tape

I started by stamping the images from the Tropical Vibes set onto printer paper, then fussy cutting them to create my masks.

For the main focal flower, I stamped it in Sun-Kissed Delight and immediately covered it with the coordinating mask, securing it by wrapping a small piece of masking tape on itself so it stayed in place. I continued stamping the surrounding leaves and branches in the same way, masking each element as I went to achieve a clean, one-layer composition.

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Next, I stamped the parrot using Shades of Purples and Lapis Lazuli, blending the inks directly on the stamp to create a beautiful ombré effect on its wings. For the sentiment, I die cut it with the shadow die, then used the shadow as a mask and positioned it exactly where I wanted it before working on the background.

With all the focal images and sentiment masked, I pulled out the Tropical Vibes background stencil. I inked the first two layers with Forest Trail, keeping the pressure light for the first and deeper for the second to create dimension. For the third layer, I decided to experiment: since I only had pearl Shimmer Relief Paste, I mixed it with Parrot Green mica powder to create my own custom color. The mica blended in beautifully, keeping all the shimmer intact. I applied this over the stencil and carefully removed the masks before the paste dried.

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Finally, I lined up my sentiment and stamped it in Obsidian Pigment Ink. The custom shimmer paste was the star of the show—it catches the light perfectly and adds a tropical, almost magical finish to the card.

    

Masking can take some patience, but the result—a clean, dimensional design with no layering bulk—is so worth it.

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