Best of You

Vintage Neutrals

HI everyone! This week’s page is a little less bright and more subdued thanks to the gorgeous products I received in the latest Cherry Box from A Cherry on Top Crafts. It contained quite a few products from the 49 and Market Vintage Artistry Essentials collection which contains lots of sepia-toned elements. They were so easy to mix, match and layer to create this striking page.

I used a photo from a recent trip to the Salton Sea. It was my first time there and it is a really interesting place. It was created by accidental flooding and a small resort town sprung up around it. Unfortunately, agricultural runoff finds its way into the lake every time it rains, adding salt and fertilizer every year and making the conditions more and more hostile to local wildlife. Most of the buildings around the lake have long since been abandoned. I discovered that the sand around the lake doesn’t appear to be sand at all but decades worth of crushed fishbones from the dead fish that would constantly wash up. Due to the (possibly indefinite?) drought conditions in Southern California, the lake is evaporating and receding more and more each year, concentrating the toxins in the lake even more. To draw awareness to this environmental issue, an art installation has sprung up along its shores, making it an interactive outdoor experience. I brought a long green dress and took some photos with some of my favorite art pieces. I especially love this armchair in a driftwood forest. If you’re in the area, it’s worth taking the afternoon to visit because experts believe this lake is going to disappear entirely one day.

I started with some sturdy Avocado colored cardstock by Bazzill and placed some trimmed down Golden Dream paper on top. I then used 49 and Market’s Vintage Plaid Fabric Tape in two 9 inch stripes. I was skeptical when they claimed it was “repositionable” because I was sure it would tear my paper if I tried to remove it. Sure enough, I had trouble putting down such a large piece without air bubbles the first time. To my surprise, I was able to peel it up effortlessly and reposition it without any trouble with paper tearing or getting it to re-stick. Absolute wizardry! I then added some ephemera from the Tim Holtz Thriftshop pack which matched the color palette perfectly. 49 and Market chipboard stickers, washi stickers and some laser cutouts (look at all the detail in that paper lace!) were so easy to coordinate. I had so much fun making this page!

I used Becky Fleck sketch 287 over at Cherry on Top for this page. The layout allowed me to showcase a nice, big 5 X 7 photo. Instead of 3 little photos, I used a chipboard film strip sticker instead which was a perfect substitute. Another chipboard sticker made for a big, bold title.

That’s all for this time. I just received a fresh batch of prints to scrap so I’m eager to sit down and make a new page as I continue to play with these new Cherry Box products! See you soon!