paperinkme: Heritage Layout: Jackson

This photo is of grandfather as a young man. He was always called Jackson, even though his name was John.

Jackson was a man of two worlds. He came to Canada from Ireland with his mother, father, and siblings as a young man. The Graphic 45 papers were the perfect backdrop. I think the image of the young man on the patterned paper looks very much like my grandfather - they both have that same far-seeing expression on their faces.

My ancestors landed, like so many others, in New York City, and I kept the Statue of Liberty prominent for that reason. If you enlarge the next image, you can see where I've layered an image of an ocean liner to commemorate the voyage:

My grandfather was a quiet and strong guiding presence in my life, right up until my teens. He worked as stationary engineer in those days, and I can still remember his collection of wrenches, awls, and gauges that used to fascinate me as a child. That is why the metallic embellishments seemed just right for this layout.

Inner Grunge-Punk
I didn't want the metal pieces shiny and new-looking - I wanted them to have the patina of age. To accomplish this, I ventured on to the wild side and channeled my inner grunge-punk. I used distress inks and glimmer mists, and then eventually covered everything with Distress Embossing Powder and a heat gun. Here is the result:

Jackson was a great heart of a man. I wanted the heart to look strong and shining, in contrast to the machinery he worked with. I detail cut the watch images from Bo Bunny Timepieces collection. As you might guess, he always wore a watch in the pocket of his vest.

In the layering of papers and elements, some things got covered up, despite my original intention. What's hidden is where it says "Perfect Gentleman"; Jackson's photo is resting right above those words. An accidental yet perfect placement.

We have had tons of rain here lately = lots of scrapping getting done!
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