Week Two: The Inverted Matte

[Nevermore]

Yes, I am posting a bit early in anticipation of being behind. My friend Ruth gave me frame on one of her visits and told me to put the glass in over the layout but to put the matte on top of the glass. Then, the matte could have all kinds of things layered and adhered to it. I was so pleased with the way this turned out, I have decided to use the technique as the next project here. I have bought another frame and will do another one in the next couple of weeks. (I was so darn pleased with the first one, I actually gave it to someone as a gift. Trust me. Most of my hybrid projects are not giftable!)

You can't go wrong with this one. If you do something terrible to the matte that you dislike, you can cover it up. On my first project, I used a wee metal photo corner, buttons and stickers.

Here is a link to the layout I chose and to the first finished Inverted Matte I did.
Layout (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=5953&cat=500&perpage=18&ppuser=47)
Framed (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=6990&cat=581)

Please play along and be sure to post your projects in the Off Screen Gallery.

[Nevermore]

This is nuts! My little niece is visiting tomorrow so I thought I would give her a copy of water's edge done with the inverted matte thing. Well, you should see my office!!!!! This one is simpler than my last one. Just some chipboard alphas and some stickers (I gussied up the alphas to match the stickers). So why does my office look like a Level 7 Tropical Storm just hit it? No matter what hybrid project I try to do, it so spirals out of control I am gobsmacked! It is depressing me just sitting in here. Going to go do some laundry (for that "in control" feeling), make a fresh pot of coffee and put this studio to rights! I am going to print out the layout (never an easy job for me) and I can't even attempt it in this mayhem.

[kygirl]

I really love this project. I'm envisioning a piece where certain parts of the art (flourishes or branches or flowers) extend out of the picture onto the mat.

I'm also trying to figure out a way to actually print onto a mat. Would that even be possible? Thinking out loud here, I have some printable canvas. I wonder if I could print on it and adhere it to the mat.

I think I'll head out to Hobby Lobby and see what I can find.

[Nevermore]

water's edge (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7013&cat=581)

I am not as fond of this as my first one: I ran out of both goodies and time. But I still say two thumbs up to this project as being easy to do and as cheap as you want to be (up to you how much/how expensive the bits on the matte are).

Donna, I can't see printing on the mat but you could probably use the Tshirt transfers or the like to transfer on to it?

[kygirl]

Kim, I discovered that I can print on mats. All I need is an Espon Stylus Pro 4880. (http://www.epson.com/proimaging/StylusPro4880.html):)

Seriously, though, I picked up some mats yesterday (half price at Hobby Lobby) and I think I've figured out how to get the effect I want. Wish me luck.

[Nevermore]

that printer is to lust for; however, a friend of mine has it and the inks alone are enough to put you in the poor house. Better you should come up with an alternative! Sounds like you did and I can't wait to see it!

[kygirl]

Here's mine, Kim, http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7046&cat=500&ppuser=50.

So I learned a lot with this one. First of all, you lose a lot of detail and saturation when printing directly onto fabric, so you need to be careful when picking a pattern. I lost all of the detail in Maya's lovely paper when I printed it. Second, make sure you pick up embossing glitter instead of regular glitter when you're fumbling around in your stash. (I kind of like the glitter on my frame, but it wasn't the look I was going for). Third, you really should measure you mat instead of believing what's written on the package. I wasted a sheet of very expensive paper because I didn't measure first.

That said, I had a lot of fun with this, and plan to try again when I find a suitable piece of art.

[Kazadoodle]

Very neat idea.

Donna, haven't you heard - measure twice, cut once. They say it all the time on the how-to shows I watch :)