For this piece, I used the pen tool to trace a png image of a house (which was a simple house vector). I then used text over that and adjusted the text to fit the house by individually changing each word to different sizes. I then grouped the text and image, and dropped it into the background image. I inverted the color of the house and text (it used to be a black house and white text). I then used the screen option for the text so you could see the background through the text. I also used a color filter by just filling a rectangle the size of the background and used lighten for that layer and brought the opacity down so it gave a vintage effect to the background.
I was interested in creating something like this because I like to create collages and would interested in making collaged text and shapes in illustrator over my own photography in the future.
The tutorial I followed along with is here (although I did simplify it for my own image).
Digital UConn 