What’s a Master Board?

I came across the concept of master-boards a few years ago in a Somerset Studio magazine. And I just went wild. It’s a great way to re-purpose (very environmentally correct) your scraps that are too precious to toss. And I have quite a collection of those.

So the idea is you tear up papers (plain, patterned and/or previously stamped) usually in a color scheme. Let’s say you choose pink. You find scraps in light, medium and dark shades of pink. It’s more interesting to have a variety of papers. Then you glue them to a piece of cardstock (I usually use a standard 8 1/2 by 11 piece). I do them like a jig-saw puzzle and start by building the border, alternating the light, medium and dark pieces, and then fill in the middle.

After the entire surface is covered, I add small images (also from my scrap pile, but not limited to that) that coordinate or contrast with the master-board or words that have been stamped or cut out of a magazine. Sometimes I stamp onto the plain colored patches just to give them a little more interest. And the final part is to glue contrasting strips of paper or cardstock into the design. Let it dry.

Then you can photocopy it and use it as a background for other projects. I sometimes just cut them up and use the original. It’s up to you. But the master-board concept is to use it as a basis for something else and that it can be used over and over.

And here’s a warning: Master-boards can be habit-forming. But oh, so much fun. Below is a Master-board made from items from my scrap basket. It consists of hand-stamped and printed pages, torn and glued to an 8-1/2 by 11 piece of cardstock. I have then copied it and used it for many projects, including Artist Trading Cards. I may make art journal pages from it, too. Enjoy!

Advertisement