Help with Illustrator Clipping Mask!

Hi,
I am trying to make a clipping mask over a alot of vectors (to be specific, have made an envelope design so am trying to use the template/evenlope outline as the clipping path) however when ever I try to create the clipping mask - command 7 - all the vectors inside are deleted mostly or half dissapear.
I have tried;
Making sure the clipping path is the top layer in the layers panel
Ungrouping the vectors and selecting individually to mask all together
Putting all into a new document and clipping
Seperating the clipping path and what I want to clip into differnt layers
None of the above has worked as yet, I have done this plenty of times before but am not sure what I am over looking. I am using CS5 on a mac.
Thanks for anyones help!
here is what I am trying to do; I need all of the vecotrs to be masked by the envelope outline.

I you are using a template in AI CS 4 or 5 then it is possible thgat the template is an artboard which you cannot use as a clipping mask.
You would have to draw a rectaangle to the size of the enevelope template and use that rectangle path as a clipping mask.
Ok! Besides from that possibility if yiou are printing an envelope withy objects that have to be clipped to the edge of the front of the enevelope that is not a very good idea.
Even if you are printing and then converting the envelope it is a bad idea as you8 would definitely need a bleed and that would wrap around to the back of the envelope and in a nott so pretty way.
OK so say you are using an inkjet that can print on an envelope and it can even successfu8lly print it with a bleed feature the way thoise bleed features have to work is that they enlarge the art slightly and so whyat every you design and create will be enlarge and trying to figure that out is not going to be very easy.

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function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
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function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
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ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
Copyright 2005 Adobe Systems Incorporated
All Rights Reserved
NOTICE: Adobe permits you to use, modify, and
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Illustrator clipping mask creating white fill?!!!

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i have included some screenshots below

Hi thanks so much for that! yes i did as you asked and it seems to work if i complete a rectangle clipping mask! but as soon as i copy it over and try it with my original shape, it doesnt work.... i think there is something wrong with what i have created as i showed in my last screen shot, even when i try to create a fill for my shape that i have made and am trying to use for the clipping mask it doesnt fill,, even though t says it is "filled" pink however when i completed the rectangle it had a fill of white so i knew it was ontop and that it would work,,, which isnt really happening with my shape, as it doesnt have a fill even when it says it does

Illustrator Clipping Mask

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Hi Bob, thank you for your response—I meant to say my mask was an "opacity mask" (applied in the transparency panel) does that make a difference? Will the opacity still work in InDesign as an ai placed link?
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