Use a Portrait at A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone and welcome. As promised on Wednesday I'm back with a new challenge post for A Vintage Journey. This time Sandy is our host; Tim provides us with some excellent portraits with his Found Relatives, but, of course, it could be a photo or portrait of your own. Create whatever you like with it - a card, an ATC, a canvas, an altered project, a tag, oh the list is endless and incorporate your choice of portrait! Of course given that this is a Tim Holtz focussed challenge we need to see/know what Tim has inspired in your project. And remember, as this challenge is generously sponsored by Country View Crafts there's a gift voucher for the overall winner. Three 'Pinworthies' will also be featured on our dedicated Pinterest board.

I adore Tim's 'Relatives' but figured you might see a lot of them. On principle I don't add current/recent family photos (having a bit of a thing about safeguarding - a hangover from my days working in education) so that ruled that option out. Time for option 3 - a stamped/inked portrait...

So this is my take on 'new fangled' early 20th Century portraits; in times gone by the rich and famous would be recorded for posterity in a painting, but with the advent of photograph it became possible to capture those faces on plates and then film to make as many copies as you liked. The idea caught on in such a big way that it became an affordable option for the middle and lower classes too. And thank goodness for that! Those of us who love to research our genealogies a picture can paint a thousand words and hold so many clues to the past. Now we take our own portraits, or 'selfies', but back then you had to take a trip to the local photography studio (unless of course you could afford the photographer to come to you)!

Step forward my self-made man and famous US industrialist "Gordon H. Booth"...

You'll see that Mr Booth had several shots taken using the same pose with the intention of selecting the most imposing one. Over the years the reel itself has deteriorated (alcohol inks/Distress Spray Stains on the stamped images) but his Distress Stain painted image remains intact.

Captured for posterity with his image, some of the (Tim Holtz) ephemera retained from his 'journey to the top' - even a hard-nosed industrialist could have a sentimental side - including the stamp attached to the letter confirming his acceptance into the 'City Fathers Guild' and the ticket to the circus show where he took his wife to be on their first 'date'. And now this collage comes together to celebrate the momentous day he was born in 1877...

So how will you 'Use a Portrait'... still not sure? Head on over to A Vintage Journey to see lots more wonderful ideas from some of my fellow Creative Guides. For now I will bid you farewell and hope you take care of yourselves as this weekend approaches. Jenny xxx

All Tim Holtz products available from Country View Crafts.