Scenes from Curacao

I had a lot of photos I wanted to crop from our trip to Curacao.  I cropped 6 of my photos in 3x3 squares and layered my papers to create this somewhat geometric layout.  I like using smaller photos on my layouts when I have a lot of images I want to include.  I typically do this by doing a 'border' on one side of my two page layout and use larger photos to balance them.  I liked using them on this one page layout as I could fit a lot in without being too overwhelming... great for travel photos!!

I used a variety of the Design Team kit items on this layout- stickers, chipboard and paper.  I also used my Copic markers.  I have been using them more and more on my layouts where previously I had used them for images for cards.  I used them in several ways on this layout...

 This is a chipboard shield that I covered with paper.  You can just see at the top a thin black line around the edge of the shield.  I used my 100 Black Copic marker to 'finish' my edges.  I do this by using the chisel edge of the marker and holding the flat end perpendicular to the item I'm coloring, moving the paper, not the marker to create a solid line.  Remember to practice before doing this on your finished project as Copic markers will bleed on many papers so you may get some uneven lines if it touches one spot longer than another. 

Another way I used my Copic markers was to enhance the depth on this sticker flower.  I used W-3, Warm Grey No. 3 around the edges of the flower and leaves and in the center. It is a little hard to see but you can take a closer look in the store at the actual layout.  Again, the marker will bleed into the edge if you let it sit too long-- I actually used this to my advantage in some spots on this piece.  The sticker has a 'slick' finish on it so working in slow, short strokes works much better than long quick ones.

If you haven't used Copic markers before- or even if you have and want to join in on the fun, I'd encourage you to join us for Copic Club on Wednesday, August 17th at 6:30 to learn more about these fun tools!!