I know some of you might be a little squeamish about the idea of writing directly on your photos. However, in this day and age of digital prints, you really should consider trying it. It's a great way to add some visual interest to your layouts. In some cases, it helps compensate for not so great photography.
All you need is a photo with some extra white space and a permanent marker. I like to use Bic Mark-its since they are acid free. American Crafts has a selection of slick writers markers which work well too.
There was a lot of open space in these photos which makes them a good candidate for journaling directly onto the photo. My cats are playing a game in which they stick their paws under the door. One cat must catch the other cat's paw. The story is not very obvious, so journaling is a must.Writing on the photo compensates for the stretch of ugly grey carpet.I can include more photos in the layout design and still have a lot of story written. I used a ruler to help me stay a little more even as I wrote.
The background is a grainy photo taken while we were driving in the car. I purposefully blew it up to a larger size, knowing there was a lot of white space in the sky. I was then able to layer page elements, photos and journaling over the photo. The larger photo becomes part of the background, adding visual interest.
Tips:
-If you are nervous about writing directly on the photos, consider using scrap pieces of cardstock to journal on. Then add your journal strips to the photo.
-Choose photos with lots of white space. While on outings, look for opportunities to take photos with interesting backgrounds. Include those backgrounds or large sections of sky in the photo knowing you can journal on the open spaces later.
- If you make a mistake, correct it by using journal strips for some words in your journaling. You can also use acrylic paint the same way you use white out.
Don't be nervous about writing on your photos. Think of it as another way to embellish your layout. If all else fails, you can always print another photo.
Oh wow I never thought about journaling directly on my photos. I actually have some photos that I just printed that have some white space to them. I am going to give this a try and see if I like it or not!
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