Bamboo Tiles & Masks

Hi All....

Well, I had planned on sharing this technique with you yesterday but for the majority of the day we had storms...nope, not snow this time...THUNDER storms! Eeek! I'm a chicken when it comes to thunder and lightening...because sometimes they are accompanied by tornadoes!!! I know silly but what can I say. It's a childhood phobia that has never lessened. Anyway, these were particularly nasty storms and there WERE a few tornadoes here in Indiana...one not too far from where I live!!! (see, sometimes phobias aren't so far fetched after all - LOL!!) Nobody was injured too badly but prayers go out to those folks who lost their homes....such a frightening thing ~ one minute you're sitting at home watching tv and then next you don't have a home! Makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it.

Anyway, weather is better today but they are calling for more storms tomorrow (slap my forehead!!)...hopefully those will yield only rain.

Today I wanted to share one last bamboo tile technique with you...I know there are many many more but well, I don't want to bore you to death with tiles ;) This technique again involves items that you probably already have in your stash....tiles, alcohol inks, acrylic dabber (or paint & a brush) and something to use as a mask.

Let's talk about masks for a sec....of course if you have pre-made masks that's great, they will work wonderfully.

If by chance you haven't jumped on the mask bandwagon, no fear there are many things you can make masks from.....

First one of the easiest materials to use as a mask is sequins waste, sometimes called punchenella (why it's called that I have no idea...anybody know?). It's usually made from some pretty flexible Mylar sheeting around 3" wide. It's great for creating dots or "beeswax" patterns. Another benefit from using this material is it can be wiped clean and used over and over again. I love using the sequins waste paired with the Ink Blending Tool but then you all know how much I LOVE my IBT!

Another similar material is Dottie Anne. This self-adhesive mesh with tiny dots is a great alternative to the sequins waste offering up a mini polka dot pattern.

If you're like me, you've got something else hidden in your stash that will make great masks - paper punches! Yep, pull em out of those drawers they've been residing in and put them to work. Actually, they can be used in a couple ways...you could use the positive punched piece or the "negative" - the paper you punched the shape out of. Either works very well as you will see.

Die-cuts and die-cut machines are excellent for creating masks too! Quick-Kutz offers up many many smaller detailed designs which can easily be turned into mini masks while electric cutters offer a range of sizes to make the perfect sized mask for your project.

Now, no matter what you choose to use as a mask it's important that you use a temporary adhesive to hold the make-shift mask to your project. It's no fun to almost finish painting when the mask slips! Trust me on this...I am speaking with the voice of experience here. I like to use the Tombow reposition-able adhesive but there are loads on the market. I'm sure you probably already have a favorite.

On to the masked bamboo tiles....

Apply the alcohol inks prior to beginning and gather your supplies.

I used the Dottie Ann type mesh for this example. It's really great because it's already got adhesive on the back. To make it a bit less sticky so it's easily peeled off after you're finished, simply press it on your jeans or other article of clothing a couple times. Works like a charm.

Pounce the dabber onto the mask/tile making sure to get the paint in the crevices.

Next, carefully peel off the mask to reveal the results!

You can go through the same steps using most masking materials....

Negative paper punched paper -

Paper punches -

And this is what you'll end up with... Just think of all the great patterns you can come up with by mixing and matching your paint/ink colors as well as the huge variety of masks available at your fingertips!

These make great charms as is or add a collage or found image.

Now wasn't that fun and easy?

Told ya so!!

Just doesn't get much better than that huh?

Well, be sure to check in tomorrow as I've got a couple sets of St. Pattie's day stamps to give away :)

See you then!