Just because I can

I actually have something to share that is not a Daring card or a Quirky Kits layout (most of my layouts tend to be for this awesome kit club and you can see them here or buy the kits from here)
I have been itching to start documenting this years summer holiday so have made a start with two layouts.

This actually comes right at the end of the holiday so I will need to stick it near the back of the album for now. I was suffering from toothache so didn't have a meal out with everyone else (sad face) but they took ketchup and wine in real glasses to have chips on the quayside. Very refined!
The inspiration for the layout comes from Victoria Marie - after I watched this Youtube vid - not hugely the same but that is where the photo placement comes from

As it happens almost all the papers are from old Quirky Kits apart from the diagonal stripe which is Crate Paper. I think all the embellishments are from old Kits as well. Leo has started putting the embellishment kits in handy see through pouches and I try to stick all the old embellishments in there as my first go to place for finishing touches. Feel free to play spot the kit!
Quite a lot is from the last one as there was quite a foodie theme but the stars, brads, hearts and arrows go back further.

I did lots of outlining as is my wont. I am such a huge fan of stark black and white with lots of colour in between and I can't see that changing any time soon. It was only when I finished the page that I felt it had too much white space so I added in the yellow splotches with a Tim Holtx stencil and two yellow distress inks. It meant I could also make "mushy" look a little more like the actual peas (bleurgh, I am not a fan)

Here are some close ups

 lots of layers

 finally using little cut apart cards! (I don't know why I find them difficult and always feel ridiculously excited when I put one on a layout!)

Cute little brad...

The second layout is based on an old sketch from Sketchnscrap, as I have been feeling that my layouts are a bit samey at the moment - although as usual it ended up quite different from the sketch - probably because of the orientation of my photos

I wanted to add something down the right hand side but not too dark so pulled out an old Hambly transparency. I have a few of these hoarded and really ought to use them! 
Almost all the rest of the papers are from a 6x6 pad - the Simple Stories Say Cheese 2. The pale blue honeycomb is from 24seven by the same company. As well as diving into my Quirky folder I went right back through my stuff and unearthed some Fancy Pants stickers, Basic Grey alphas and those metal diamonds - I have a whole bunch of those tags and really must use a few more!

The gold and red embellishments are from Crate Paper Poolside

I added a black outline and some Wink of Stella pen to the heart on this cut apart paper

My camera didn't like the mix of the transparency, the colours and the journalling (most of which is on top of gesso) so here is a close up

(a bit bright cos it was still hard to get in focus this grey morning)

I'm hoping to squeeze in a bit more crafty time this week, although there is a lot of work to be got through as well :)