DESIGN DIARY: May's Mask

May's mask marks a shift from the previous masks, which have been a lot more colorful.  With the birthstone being Emerald and the stems being green, it was going to be an interesting challenge!

Reference Gathering:
 I gather my references on Pinterest where I find multiple views of the flower from the side and front. I also wanted to find reference of the bright colored seeds, which I knew would add a burst of color to this monochromatic mask.  Flower Note: All parts of the Lily of the Valley are extremely poisonous!  On the other hand, the red berries of the Hawthorne flower, the other flower for May, can be used for medicinal purposes.  Life and death berries!  I love that.

Design:

I tried out a couple of layout variations and decided I liked the more symmetrical one so I could show different angles of the blooms for more visual interest throughout the mask.

Work-in-Progress:

Here are a few peeks at the mask in progress!  By the end, I decided on a dark green to help set off the bright green stems and white blossoms, which resulted in a much darker mask than usual.  I brought a little subtle shine back to the mask by adding a few tiny rhinestones in key places.  In the end, I think this mask is one of the most elegant masks yet!

You can also watch a time lapse of the mask in the making here:

The Finished Mask

This mask is available at my Etsy shop!

Remember, you can pre-order one of these unique limited edition masks at the Ladies' Patreon.  Only TEN of each mask in this birthstone series will ever be made!

For more in-depth instruction with complete step-by-step narration, a materials list, etc., check out this Premium Video Tutorial featuring the creation of February's Mask.

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