A Vintage Journey #23 Use a Portrait

Welcome to the A Vintage Journey's next challenge!  Every two weeks one of the Creative Guides posts a challenge and this week it's S@ndy and her challenge is to Use a Portrait. 

Here is the challenge in S@ndy's words.  "Tim provides us with some excellent portraits with his Found Relatives, but, of course, it could be a photo or portrait of your own."

I decided to use some Christmas photos of my darling grand-nieces and nephews - they are my constant inspiration for projects!

I used Tim's Tinted Fragments technique from page 55 of his first Compendium of Curiosities book for my projects. To color each Facet, I squirted the Adirondack Alcohol Ink colors onto the applicator felt attached to the Blending tool and dabbed it all over the back side of the facet. I used  Mushroom, Cranberry, Pesto and Butterscotch. I added more color one at a time until I had the look I wanted.  Then I put Alcohol Blending Solution on a new piece of applicator felt and dabbed it just around the center of the Facet to remove the ink so the photo shows through.  You blow on it to stop the alcohol from spreading out to the edges. If it's not the look you want -  you can continue to add color and take away from the center until you are happy with it.  

On the photo below - you can see the Facets on the right are covered in ink- and the two on the left have the color removed from the center. 

I measured each Facet to determine how small my photos would need to be.  I copied the 4 photos from my computer onto one page in Microsoft Word and sized to to either 1"x1", 1 1'2" x 1".   At first I cut them out right on the edge of the photo - but then realized I should cut them to the size of the Facet.

Luckily I had printed 3 sets of the photos (just in case I made a mistake on something! WHAT??? things don't always work out the first try??!!)  Here you can see how I traced around the photos by placing each Facet over the photo.  To attach the photo to the Facet - I ran Glossy Accents around the outside edge of the back of the Facet and then laid it over the photo, trimming away any edges sticking over with scissors.

I made sure the Alcohol Ink was dark on the sides, top and bottom so that the white part around each photo wasn't obvious.  (Next time - I would probably not crop the photo to the exact size and it would give me more colored background around my subject and I wouldn't have to worry about the white!) I also decided to cover the backs with a piece of felt to finish them off.  I just traced the shapes again - and cut slightly inside the line.

I used a piercer to make the hole through the photo once it was attached to the Facet (there is a hole at the top of each Facet).  I made the holes in the felt (which was a little harder given the density of the felt) before I attached it to the back of the Facet.  I first pierced the felt with a big needle (sharper than my piercer) then put the piercer through the hole to make it larger - then I glued the felt to the back of the Facet with Glossy accents.

So, here they are all completed - now I just needed to decide what to do with them!  I could have just put a magnet on the back of each one and let the kids play with them on their refrigerators! -  but, instead ......

I made Mila's photo into a necklace by simply stringing it on a piece of  Idea-ology Trimmings - Naturals, Red/Cream.

I made Landon's into a pin using an Idea-ology Wire Pin and a knot of Linen Ribbon that I sponged with Wendy Vecchi Archival Orange Blossom Ink

 I strung Madelyn's onto a silver chain I had from another necklace!

 

I hooked James' Facet to an Idea-ology Hanger Clip that I had embossed using Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink and WV Embossing Powder, both in Leaf Green.  This could also be hung on a chain - or hooked over something on the wall.

Here are the photos that I used for my project -  Mila with her Christmas fairy wings on.

With so much visually going on around her and it being darker altogether -  Mila's photo came out the least clear when seen through the Alcohol Ink on the Facets - but I just adored this sweet photo!  It can be seen better IRL.

Madelyn's photo was taken at her first visit to Santa at the Mall - don't you love her fuzzy blonde hair??!!  She's 8 months old and just starting to crawl.

James photo was from the same visit to see Santa

And the photo of Landon was taken on Christmas Day - hamming it up for my camera - we take SO many pics of these kids - they are totally used to us snapping away all the time!

Here's a close up of his pin.

I had so much fun using Tim's technique with these Facets and using my own photos with them!

I got this cool little paper mache hand in the jewelry dept of Jo-Ann's a couple of months ago (on sale for $3) - my plan was to decorate it somehow which I will when the spirit moves me (!) - but for today it worked perfectly as a prop for my Portrait Creations!

I hope you will join us at A Vintage Journey by creating a project for the Use a Portrait challenge!  Our challenge sponsor is Country View Crafts.  They are offering one winner, chosen by the Creative Guides, a £10 voucher to spend in their on-line shop.  

You will find all the details of the challenge, all of the wonderful inspiration from the other Creative Guides participating this fortnight-  and the link up over at A Vintage Journey

Thanks so  much for stopping by today!