* Winner Announced* *CLOSED* Challenge - Creating a clipping mask | Christmas in July 28

**Winner: @AlyciaIN - CONGRATULATIONS!!**

Hi everyone , Ona here to share a quick and easy tutorial with you on how to create a clipping mask using brushes, and to challenge you to make a page using it. While it is a Christmas in July event, your clipping mask and page do not need to be Christmas related.

There are plenty of clipping masks available in our store, created by our very creative designers, but sometimes I like to just play around with brushes and create my own. They are super easy to do and what I love about them is that there are no rules to follow, just go with whatever inspires you!

The one I created below is very much a Nature inspired mask. While I didn’t have a particular photo in mind when I started creating this, I knew that I wanted to use one of my many bird photos with it so I went with a lot of organic soft leafy brushes.

Creating the Nature mask:

1. Simply start by opening several png brush files OR using your brush tool to stamp a few different nature inspired shapes onto separate layers.
   
   
2. I ended up with 5 layers.

Credits: Layer 1 - I Am Enough (Elements) | LiLi Wee; Layers 2 & 3 - artCRUSH No8 (Brushmix), Layers 4 & 5 - artCrush No11 {artsy Swirls} | NBK Design; Layers 6 & 7 - Carefree {Bundle} Urban Masks | NBK Design

3. Masks typically are darker in the centre, radiating out into lighter/feathery edges.
Move your individual layers into a composition that you like, paying attention to the edges of your mask as these parts will be the parts that really stand out when you merge all your layers together.


4. With my initial five layers, the centre area of the mask had a lot of gaps which would not have shown my photo too well. To fix this I added two more layers, using actual clipping mask shapes from one of NBK Design's kits (see layers 6 & 7 above). Move/resize them to fit OR, on a new layer you can simply use a soft brush and paint in those gaps with a solid black colour.


5. BEFORE merging your layers together use layer masks to hide the parts of any of the layers that you don’t want, as I have done in my screen shot above.


6. To merge your layers, hide the white background (if you were using one), click on the top layer and use CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+E to merge. Go back and hide the original layers below your new merged mask or if you like, move them all into a folder and then click the layer eye to turn it off.​

7. You are now left with your clipping mask. (It helps to save this file as a PSD layer file so that if you need to, you can come back to it to make any changes. However, if you are totally happy with your mask at this point, you can save it as a PNG file.​

8. After saving it, trial some photos by clipping them to your new clipping mask, then go ahead and finish your layout by adding papers and embellishments and saving your layout. Your original clipping mask file will still be available if you saved it at Step 7.


Tip: If your photo needs a bit of brightening, duplicate it and then change the layer blend mode to Soft Light and play around with the opacity to suit your own photo.​

My layout: I HEART THIS | I kept my page simple as I wanted the photo + mask to take center stage so I only used a couple of embellishments.



Credits: Eucalyptus Mixed Media Papers; Pocket Art: Signature Kit 4 (Messy Threads); Pocket Art: Signature Kit 1 (Wordstrip, button & flower) | Rachel Jefferies.

I was going to create a Christmas clipping mask but ran out of time, so I will play along with you guys to do it. Exactly the same steps as above, just use Christmas type brushes etc.

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Reminder: Your page must contain at least 75% current Lilypad product. Your page should be posted in your Lilypad Gallery and linked to this thread. Use the BBcode Code next to your page in the gallery and paste it in when you 'Post Reply' to this thread.

You have until 11:59 pm EDT on July 31 to complete this Christmas in July challenge. There will be one random $3 winner!

Have fun and looking forward to seeing your pages!!

 

Reserved for any Q&A

 

oh goodness, what amazing additions!!! off to the gallery I go!!!