Artsy Layered Template #125 https://www.oscraps.com/shop/Artsy-Layered-Template-No.-125.html
Delicious Artsy Transfers https://www.oscraps.com/shop/ArtsyTransfers-Delicious.html
Slide Carrier: Whizzo Artplay Palette https://www.oscraps.com/shop/ArtPlay-Palette-Whizzo.html
DottedKornerNEdges Brushes (retired)
WoodWords: Arrive Artplay Palette https://www.oscraps.com/shop/ArtPlay-Palette-Arrive.html Hygge Artplay Palette https://www.oscraps.com/shop/ArtPlay-Palette-Hygge.html

My first annaLift of this week made me want to do another so here it is. Finishing up my Southwest Album from last year before we start on this year's travels.

Photoshop Elements 14
The challenge here was fitting the photo of the Holiday Inn Express into the classic vibe of the Grand Canyon's El Tovar Hotel, where we were lucky enough to snag weekend dinner reservations. I added my kachina photo and then jiggled the template's black paint layer so I could strategically tuck in the Holiday Inn; we do what we have to do to capture the memory--sometimes the visuals can certainly be a challenge. Other than that, the layout went into the template smoothly. I added an Artsy Transfer for texture and topped off the layout with a coral color gradient fill layer, to tie the diverse colors together.

Journaling reads:

Ever on the lookout for kachina dolls, we were delighted to find full-size paintings of many of the classic characters lining our hallway at the Holiday Inn Express in Tusayan. Once again, because of our late booking, we were shut out of the classic Grand Canyon lodges, but it worked out well because we werent all that taken with the parks Disneyworldish vibe and it was nice to be able to retreat. In the Holiday Inns breakfast area, we had the pleasure of meeting Fred and his assistant, Navajo men who ran the room with efficiency and grace. Fred carried a chefs thermometer in his breast pocket and it was fun to watch him sereptitiously circle the hot foods to ensure they were always up to snuff. He would have been right at home in the dining room of the historic El Tovar Hotel in the park, where we were lucky enough to snag reservations on a weekend night. I have always wanted to visit the hotel--when it opened at the end of the railroad line in the early 1900s, it was considered one of the most elegant hotels west of the Mississippi. There was actually a little exhibit on this at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, where I later snapped a shot of a travel poster. I swooned over the china,cutleryand food, which showcased Southwestern influences. I loved the murals in the dining room, reflecting the customs of the Hopi, the Apache, the Mojave, and the Navajo.