Masquerade Ball at the MMC this Friday!

You are cordially invited to a Masquerade Ball this Friday night - July 25
at the Subic Bay Convention Center.


We enjoin everyone to joyfully come to the Celebration in God's Kingdom in their BEST formal attire. Our Chapter's theme is "royalty" so come in rich deep colors such as burgundy, navy blue, wine red and the like.

For women, come in your long gown. For men, come in your suit or tuxedo. Long sleeves and slacks are ok but lets go the extra mile to celebrate with our Lord in a manner befitting our stature as Knights and Princesses, Sons and Daughters of our King!


Since this is a Masquerade Ball, bring your "masks"! See samples below for our theme. Of course, if you already have a mask and would want to just use that, feel free to do so. But for those who will make their own, these are the guidelines so we have a common look for our chapter. Prizes will be given the most creative, most beautiful masks!

If last year we dressed to impress, this year, let's Dress our Best! All for our King who deserves our best!

PS. Bring delicacies, choco candies or snacks to share at the Banquet of the Lord on Friday Night. For more info ask your HH head or Unit Rep.

What is a Masquerade Ball?

A masquerade ball (or bal masqué) is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. (A masque is a formal written and sung court pageant.)

Such gatherings, festivities of Carnival, were paralleled from the fifteenth century by increasingly elaborate allegorical Entries, pageants and triumphal processions celebrating marriages and other dynastic events of late medieval court life. Masquerade balls were extended into costumed public festivities in Italy during the 15th century Renaissance (Italian, maschera). They were generally elaborate dances held for members of the upper classes, and were particularly popular in Venice. They have been associated with the tradition of the Venetian Carnival. With the fall of the Venetian Republic at the end of the 18th century, the use and tradition of masks gradually began to decline, until they disappeared altogether.

Masquerade balls were sometimes set as a game among the guests. The masked guests were supposedly dressed so as to be unidentifiable. This would create a type of game to see if a guest could determine each others' identities. This added a humorous effect to many masques and enabled a more enjoyable version of typical balls.

A new resurgence of Masquerade balls began in the late 1990s in North America and are still held today, though in modern times the party atmosphere is emphasized and the formal dancing usually less prominent. Less formal "costume parties" may be a descendant of this tradition.

Making Papier-mache Masks

Papier-mache is cheap, lightweight and strong for mask-making
Wanting to make masks that fit better and where I could design all the facial features, I turned to papier-mache to make my mask bases. Since I was taking a mask-making class in college, I got to make a plaster cast of my face.

Once I had the cast sculpture of my face, making a mask form became a case of putting plasticine on the casting and then sculpting it into the face I wanted the mask to have. By working on a form of your own face, you automatically have the fit working.

Once the sculpture part was done, the papier-mache was made using torn brown paper grocery bags and a mix of 50/50 Elmer's Glue and water. You want to tear the paper bags into small pieces. DO NOT CUT THE PAPER BAG. You really need the torn, rough edge to make successful mache, a cut edge won't dry flat and your mask will have little ends curling up all over it. By overlapping these little torn bits of paper, you actually wind up building a very strong and lightweight structure.

Papier-mache masks can then be painted with gesso and sanded (you'll need to do a few coats) which will make the surface totally smooth and blank, ready for any sort of art finishing. I've also done masks where I used tissue paper, and the mask coloring forms naturally with the application of the colored tissue paper. Masks like that take a LOT of layers to be strong enough. Handmade papers from Japan and India are fantastic for mask-making.

The half-mask here was built of grocery bag papier-mache and then painted with an acrylic paint to seal it against moisture as well as decorate it. A tiny round of feathers, meant for hats, was cut in two and the pieces were glued into the deep eye sockets to make the wild eyelashes.

I will mention one mask I made this way where I didn't hardly build up the features much from my own. The finished mask fit so tightly to my own face, I couldn't move it hardly or talk while wearing it, so don't be afraid to exaggerate those facial features a bit more. It makes for a much better mask wearing experience....

Source:
Mask-Making Made Easy

How to Make a Masquerade Ball Mask

by Teresa Greene

Before starting any project, read through all the instructions first so you will know exactly what you will be doing. Take note of any places where you will have to make a decision between one thing or another, and how those decisions will affect the process. Once you have done that, you are ready to lay out all your tools and supplies.

As you lay out all the tools and supplies you will need to complete the project, note what things you will need based on the decisions you are asked to make. Double-check to be sure you have everything needed to finish the project. If you need 15 of some item, be sure you have all 15 of them.

For this project you will need:

Supplies:

Material from which to cut the mask form—this can be cardboard, card stock, or other stiff paper material. A favorite material is craft foam, sold in 8 ½ X 11 inch sheets at your local craft store,

OR

A purchased plastic mask form from the craft store or on-line craft supplier; can be half-face or full face.

Decorative items—can include silk or satin fabrics in a variety of colors, netting, sparkle tulle, other decorative fabrics, feathers, glitter, etc.
Flat-back rhinestones
Strong craft glue (E6000 is a favorite)

One chopstick (for hand-held mask)

OR

Round elastic cord (for hands-free mask)
2 buttons, preferably with two holes instead of four

Tools:

Sharp craft scissors
Tweezers
Toothpicks


Step 1:

(If you are using a purchased mask form, skip this step and go to Step 2)

Decide what shape you want your mask to be. Using a plain piece of paper, draw the shape of your mask and cut it out. Put it up to your face to be sure it is just the way you want it to be, that it is the right size, and that it covers the full portion of your face you want covered. If it is not right, continue to draw and cut until you get it just as you want. Be sure to cut eye holes in your pattern and check to see if their shape is also right. Once you have your pattern correct, use it to cut the mask form from the cardboard, card stock, or craft foam. If it is a full-face mask and it is not going to be hand-held, be sure to cut nose holes so you will be able to breathe while wearing the mask.

Step 2:

(If you are making a hand-held mask, skip this step and go to Step 3).

If you are going to make a mask that is to be worn without being held, you will need to use the buttons and the elastic. Using your scissors, carefully punch a hole on either side of the mask form where the elastic will be attached. Thread your elastic piece through the hole from the back to the front. Thread it through one hole of the button, coming through the back of the button, then back through a different hole, coming through from the top of the button. Thread the elastic back through the same hole in the mask it came up from. Grabbing both pieces of elastic that are now on the backside of the mask form, pull it tight so that the button lays flat against the front of the mask form. Tie an overhand knot with the two pieces of elastic in the back of the mask form so that it is tight against the back of the form. For a more decorative and secure knot, tie a buntline hitch, following the instructions at this link (if it doesn’t work when you click on it, copy and paste it into your browser and hit enter):

http://www.animatedknots.com/buntlineboating/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Do the same on the other side of the mask. Check for fit and adjust accordingly. When you are satisfied with the fit, saturate each knot with a little glue so that you can be sure the knots will hold securely.

Step 3:

You will decorate your mask in layers. For the first layer, begin gluing decorative materials onto the mask form until the entire form is covered. Use the plainer pieces of decorative material that you have because these pieces are going to be largely covered up by the second layer. The purpose of the first layer is to cover the mask form completely so it doesn’t show through anywhere. You will want to cover the buttons as well (if you used them) so that they don’t show. Don’t worry if they show through right now. As you add layers you will be able to cover them completely so no one will know they are there.

Step 4:

Once you’ve laid down the first layer, start gluing pieces on for the second layer, using your more decorative pieces. Try working from the center of the mask to the outer edges. Continue with a third layer of pieces if needed and add as many layers as you want, until you are satisfied with the design. Save long feathers to glue onto the sides by the eyes to give a mysterious, cat-like look to the mask.

Step 5:

Add the flat-back rhinestones anywhere you want a little sparkle. They are particularly effective when placed in an outline around the eyeholes, or try putting a cluster of them in the middle of the forehead. Use the tweezers to hold onto the rhinestone while using a toothpick to apply glue to the back of it. Still holding the rhinestone with the tweezers, place it on your mask in the place you want it to be. Continue until you have as many rhinestones on your mask as you want.

Step 6:

(If you used the button and elastic method in Step 1, skip this step and go to Step 7).

A chopstick makes a great handle for a hand-held mask. You can paint the handle, wind ribbon around it, gluing the ribbon in place as you go, or you can just leave it plain. Once your chopstick is ready to go, place the skinny end (the end you pick up food with) at the side of the mask form on the backside, and glue into place. You can also glue on ribbon streamers in the same place to give it a more festive look. Set the mask aside in a place where it won’t be disturbed. Hold the handle in place until the glue starts to set.

Step 7:

Let the mask dry for 24 hours. After that, wear and enjoy!

Source:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art39545.asp

Tips and advice for making masks

In the dark shrouds of a long summer night,
The shades and forms of midnight shake off the last light of day,
And arise to dance an endless night away.

(The following was written with masquerade masks in mind, but generic enough for most mask making I guess.)

Part One: Tips for the Beginner

• The golden rule for first-time mask-making - be prepared for the mask to end up looking nothing like how you intended it, but _don’t_ make the common mistake of thinking that because it fails to look how you intended, it fails to look good. Everyone else sees your mask, not the design in your head. During a spate of mask-making for a ball a while back, most people making their first mask made this mistake and thought their masks sucked yet everyone else’s were cool, everyone else disagreeing of course, because _their_ mask was the one that sucked and the rest were good…
  
• As indicated above, getting the design you want can be difficult. For this reason, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by planning an asymmetrical mask rather than a symmetrical one. Attempting a symmetrical mask commits you to trying to make each side the same, which can be difficult, time-consuming and frustrating. Fortunately, this problem is easily avoided, as deliberately asymmetrical masks, if anything, tend to look more interesting and more creative, and wildly asymmetrical masks can achieve very distinctive or extravagant results.
  
• Leave extra-large holes for your eyes. As well as usually looking better than eye-sized holes (IMHO), you are guaranteed to be able to see out of them. Eye-sized holes can be seen through fine when you start the mask, but by the time it has been added to and finished, then worn for a while, it can become a major nuisance. Giving the eye holes plenty of height is the main thing, as the most common problem is the mask interfering with your eyelashes.
  
• Plain plastic face masks make a good cheap base to work from or work on. They are sold in craft shops, costume shops, toy shops, etc. Some fit better than others (many are designed for children), and many are more flimsy than desirable, but they provide and easy start - cut them to the desired shape, add the features you want, and the result will sit comfortably on your face.
  
• When you paint your mask, shade it - paint the recessed areas darker and the protruding areas lighter. The absence of shading is one of the most distinctive signs of mass-produced cheap rubbish, and not shading a mask can often make even a masterpiece look like $3 vacu-formed plastic.
  
• When wearing a mask for an hour (let alone several), you can forget you’re wearing one if you made it well, or it can ruin your night if it’s uncomfortable or restricts you or your vision. As you make a mask, continually check that it fits comfortably, will stay on, and try to keep it light.
  
• The weight of a mask can greatly affect its comfort. When choosing materials, give preference to light ones. If you are going to be building prominent features, avoid extremely heavy materials like most modelling clays. If building huge features (eg a long nose), use some wire and make it hollow :-) I know a lot of people automatically think paper mache, but it takes days to dry and isn’t very flexible, so I tend towards nasty chemically things that set quicker :)
  
• Don’t forget that there are heaps of things that can be incorporated into masks. Obvious ones include feathers, stones, jewellery, ribbon, chain, glass fragments, beads, etc. Unusual items can inspire the entire mask design…
  
• Make it reinforced and strong enough that you don’t need to worry about breaking it on the night.

Part Two: Tips for the More Experienced

• Masks are worth keeping - the look great on the wall, and can be lent at the next ball, but they do wear and get damaged. The most visible sort of damage depends on the mask. The way I make mine, knocks and scrapes can damage the painted surface. This sticks out like a sore thumb when the surface is dark, but the underlying material is light (or vice versa). To minimise this, make you construction materials the same colour as you intend to finish it. Eg, if you use some sort of filler compound, put some paint in the mixture before you apply it.
  
• A better way to minimise wear and tear is to make the mask more resistant to it - make them light and flexible. A plastic cup survives a drop better than a china one. (And a light and flexible mask is more comfortable). So look for and investigate potential materials, experiment with them. Find a method you like.
  
• Once you have a flexible mask, remember to paint it with flexible paints :-) Fabric paints are not only very flexible, but extremely hard-wearing, and I know at least some brands have a really good finish.

Part Three: Tips for the Expert

• Send me your tips.
  
• As an expert is probably much more experienced than me, my advice would be of limited use to you, so you’ll just have to wait until someone acts on the previous tip and I can add some. Send me your tips.