 |
|
Figure 1 |
Simple, fast, efficient, and
awesome. Those are a few of the buzzwords in scrapbooking today. We
want to use tools we have on hand and make fantastic pages. We want
to speed up the pace a bit and still have a coordinated look to our
albums. Do you know you can get 12 photos on a 12x12 page? (See
figure 1 above) You can do it using the simple Coluzzle cutting
templates and swivel knife that you may already own! We all know
how FAST these sturdy cutting tools are. Now let's look at how to
get MORE creative power for that page using them! Let's color block
with Coluzzle style templates. And yes, you can use other similar
acrylic templates in the same manner.
|
|
|
Step One: Mark your Templates |
|
|
|
The templates are made of
sturdy plastic/acrylic and have open grooves in them. The
swivel knife cuts the photo or paper through these grooves and
saves you the step of measuring and marking for your color
blocking. |
|
|
|
Mark the numbers 1 thru 8 on your plastic
Coluzzle templates starting with number 1 as the smallest and
innermost groove. I use a fine Sharpie permanent marker to mark
mine. Most templates have between 4 and 8 grooves. |
|
|
| Note: I am using the
square template and the primitive heart template for the
layout above. But I went ahead and marked all my Coluzzle
templates at the same time with this system. Always start
with the smallest groove being number 1. |
|
|
 |
|
Figure 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Step Two: What Size Shape do You
Want to Work With?
|
| |
|
 |
|
Figure 3 |
|
| As you can see in figure 3
to the right, each groove of the coluzzle creates a
different sized shape when cut. You can see where this
variety of sizing would be very versatile in color
blocking a page! |
| |
| And surprisingly, all of
the number 1's (smallest shapes) in the Coluzzle shaped
templates are fairly close in size to each other. Below is
an example of how all the Coluzzle templates that I own
look in the number 1 size. What does this mean for our
page planning and color blocking purposes? It means we can
mix and match shapes on a page if they are the same size
number. MORE versatility!!! |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Figure 4 |
|
|
In figure 1 above (top
of page), I used the primitive heart as an alternate shape.
I wanted to add the family love theme to the page and at the
same time break up the monotony of having only small squares
on either side of the central photo. I could have added any
small accent, sticker, die cut, or any pre-made page
addition that was the same basic size as the numbered shape
for that color block spot. I could also substitute a title
for any color block or combination of blocks. |
|
| |
|
|
Step Three: Plan sYour Page Format. |
|
|
|
Using your Coluzzle shapes to plan a color block a
layout can be done with any sized album page. You are not limited to
a large page or a small page. Here are two examples of the same
basic design. One is 8.5x11 and the other is 12x12. Both make
optimal use of lots of photos per page and are simple to cut using
the templates. Again, using the swivel knife and template relieves
you of the standard three step color-blocking hassle. You no longer
need to measure, mark, and freehand cut. With the clear acrylic
templates and the swivel knife, you simply plan how many of each
size photo you need and cut them. |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| Figure 5: 8.5x11 color block format |
|
Figure 6: 12x12 color block format |
|
|
|
|
You can keep track of the various color blocking
formats much like page sketches. Here are a few Coluzzle layout
plans that my friend Shelly Hawk did recently. She keeps her format
ideas together with her Coluzzle template for easy page inspiration.
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Figure 7: sample format |
|
Figure 8: sample format |
|
|
|
|
Step Four: Cut Photos and
Create a Page. |
|
|
|
The great thing about color
blocking is that no two pages look alike. Different themes, photos,
papers, and accents make each page unique even if the same format
was used! Combining all the sizes and shapes available on your
templates will give you endless possibilities! Sketch out the
Coluzzle layout formats that look especially good together. Use
them over and over. And did you know that if you rotate a
color-blocking format just a quarter turn to the right, the new page
will look completely different! |
|
|
|
Look at this series of Cardinal baseball pages that
Shelly did using her templates to block a page set in the team
colors. Fantastic! |
|
|
|
|
|
Figure 9, 10, and 11: Cardinal Baseball pages |
|
|
|
Any technique that gets more photos into my completed
album and still allows me to pick and choose according to my layout
needs is a winner. The clarity of an acrylic template combined with
the speed of swivel knife cutting mean this classic tool can be a
big hit in my book. I love the versatility and symmetry of color
blocking. Add the ability to fit oodles of photos on one page, and
I am sold on this new color blocking technique using a tool I
already own. I hope you will try it today! |
|
|
| NOTE: My sincere
thanks to my dear friend Shelly Hawk for allowing me to use
her photo images and format concept for color blocking with
Coluzzles in this article |
|
|
|
|
Happy Scrapping! |
|
Rockester |
