Portrait of Billy!

I was so pleased to find this in a new folder on my desktop the other day! Hubby has been transferring old photos onto the computer so I found this folder that says 'Chris - pre 1995' - the year I moved in with him! In it there is a photo of my Grandad and my Mum at my wedding to my first husband. I have quite a few photos of my Mum and my Mum and Dad but none of my Grandad so I put a copy of it into 'Print Shop' and cropped it! 
If it is blown up it looks too grainy but fortunately the inspiration from various sources,( I love the way Tim uses his found relatives - now I have one of my own!) meant I could do something with it!There also just happens to be a challenge at A Vintage Journey that requires a portrait!

Some time ago I was lucky enough to win some amazing blog candy from lovely Alison and there were a couple of little hangings so I decided to use one of them - I covered it with torn up book paper and then coated it in a combination of Snowflake and Little Black Dress PA Frescos - quite streakily, then when it was dry used a dry brush to stroke on some Irish Cream.

 I then stamped it with a TH film strip and used the edge of the stamp to distress the photo

I found it easier to put the edges of the photo onto the stamp.

I crumpled some paper from a Tim pad and used some Remnant Rubs - Botanical set - bought last year but put away(err…to look at?)
I'm really impressed with these, I bought them, as I had tried them at Tim's workshop last year, I also used one of the word bands, painted with LBD and then partly wiped off!(I wanted it to look a little grimy) I used some twine from the scrap box on my desk to tie it on. The words sum up how I felt about my Grandad.  

Now, it's here I need to tell you about my Grandad! He fought in World War I and then worked on a farm and then for a firm of nurserymen in Lincoln until he retired! He was known as Billy and when my Dad went to work there too - also a William - my Dad had to change his name to Ken(his middle name so as not to be confused with his Dad) After his retirement Billy took to visiting the local tip and rescuing items he thought could be useful (yes, up-cycling is not a new thing)My first grown up bicycle was one such item - put together with an assortment of bike parts - hand painted in a lovely shade of sky blue! My Grandma though, wanted nothing to do with this 'hobby' and he had to enter through the back gate with his grubby finds and go straight to his shed!
My Grandad always had a twinkle in his eye and I loved visiting, especially as his garden led to the riverbank where there were swans who would wait for their daily treat!

I wanted the words to be at the centre of the hanging, the rubs represent his nursery life.

The next thing was to add something to represent his scrap metal finds - Cogs and buttons again painted in LBD and rubbed off lightly.

I used some more TH paper, used a distress tool around the edge and added Black Soot Distress ink, to mount the photo.

The twine at the top got the LBD treatment too as I thought it looked better!

I would like to enter in the following challenges

A Vintage Journey - 'Use a Portrait'

Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge blog - 'Choose your Challenge' - ink, paint,twine, stamping,distress tool, ephemera, button,brad.

Try it on Tuesdays - 'My Favourite Things' - easy - Texture and Embellishments(and Grandad!)

Craft Stamper Magazine - 'Take a Stamp' - the stamped film strip is to focus the eye on the photo.

Thanks for looking, Chris