Portrait Pages by Kim Brady

Portrait pages are among the simplest to make and a good place to start if you’re new to scrapbooking. Your pages don’t have to be made with formal portraits, you can use any special pictures of friends or family members that you’d like to preserve. Many of my early scrapbook pages were made from very old portraits I had scanned, restored, and printed as conventional photographic prints. Two years after receiving some discarded prints at a family reunion, I returned to the annual get-together with a scrapbook full of portraits to pass around, as well as CD’s full of edited pictures to hand out. It was a great way to share these special family memories.

Choose a Format
One of the benefits of contemporary scrapbooking is the flexibility you have in choosing page sizes and album formats. In the last installment “Tools and Supplies” we saw that albums come in practically every shape and size, so we’re no longer bound to the old-fashion scrapbooks once sold in five-and-dime stores. Today’s “standard” scrapbooks range from 8x8 to 12x12 inches, with a number of variations in vertical and horizontal formats.

When I made my first few books several years ago, I chose the 8.5x11-inch format, primarily because I thought it would be the most economical. I had already discovered that Sam’s Club sold boxes of 200 8.5x11-inch plastic page protectors for about $7, which was significantly less expensive than the 12x12-inch protectors I saw at the craft stores. Therefore, I decided that I’d make my family scrapbooks — the ones I wanted to share with family members — in the smaller, standard format.

Fortunately, 8.5x11 inches turned out to be the perfect size for portrait pages, especially for someone new to “21st Century” scrapbooking. It taught me to focus on the image rather than the embellishments and I didn’t have to spend a lot of time deciding how to fill empty space.

For those readers who feel comfortable starting with the 12x12-inch format, it offers lots of opportunity for creative color and design. So we’ll look at samples in both formats with tips on how to use the space to its best advantage. At the end of the article, you’ll find step-by-step instructions on how to assemble a complete portrait page.

Ready-made Portrait Paper
One of the first things I discovered while shopping for scrapbooking paper was that many printed papers seem to be tailor-made for portraits. In other words, they’re balanced in such a way that you can frame your photos with little or no effort. For example, the paper I used for my Uncle’s graduation picture (below), called “Blue Vine Collage,” has a partial border in the upper right corner that is not only decorative, but also creates the illusion of an antique frame — suitable for masculine subjects. I used this paper in my family scrapbook for two uncles. On the left side, I turned the paper upside down, so the vines are in the lower left corner. When displayed side-by-side, the two pages look like one large frame encompassing two people.

This classic picture of my Uncle’s graduation from medical school called for an equally classic paper design. “Blue Vine Collage,” made by Hot Off the Press (http://www.paperwishes.com/categories/Scrapbooking/), is one of the many Paper Pizzaz “Collage” papers I found while searching the paper bins at craft stores. I double-matted the 5x7-inch portrait with light blue and dark blue to help it stand out from the background.

“Blue Line Collage” comes from a line of collage papers made by Hot Off the Press under the name Paper Pizzaz. Craft stores like Michaels and JoAnne’s are good resources for buying Paper Pizzaz and other portrait-friendly papers by the sheet, because they typically buy their scrapbook papers in bulk and distribute them to the stores in their chain. Consumers who have trouble finding specific papers in their area can also search for distributors on the Internet.

Another paper design that works beautifully for instant portrait pages is “Burgundy Collage,” also from the Paper Pizzaz series (below). Available in 8.5x11- and 12x12-inch formats, Burgundy Collage looks a little like elegant velvet wallpaper, with accent runners along the top and bottom. The subtle mixture of colors in the pattern makes it very versatile, especially when choosing mat colors. Because I used so many of these pages in my family album, I designed a caption block in Adobe Illustrator with space for names and dates. I grouped the captions in 4x6-inch JPEG files and had them printed at the photofinisher, however they would have looked just as good (perhaps better) if I had output them on textured paper using a color inkjet printer.

“Burgundy Collage,” also sold by Paper Pizzaz, is another of my favorite portrait papers. It reminds me of the elegant velvet wallpapers used in old mansions, which is why I chose it for a series of old family portraits from the turn of the century. This page could be enhanced with a small embellishment — silk flower, old button, or wood cutout — but I decided to keep it simple with just a color-coordinated mat and digitally designed caption block.

Teamwork: Photos and Mats
Nothing dresses up a picture more than a well-chosen mat. It separates elegant images from busy backgrounds and helps blend strong images with their surroundings; and although matting is not required in scrapbooking, there are very few instances in which a mat would not benefit your layout. Of course, it means adding extra steps and more materials, but it’s well worth the time and effort. (You can minimize the cost by keeping a “scrap box” of leftover papers and trimmings to draw upon for difficult-to-match colors or patterns.)

A single photo mat—ranging in size from 1/8 to 3/8 inch wider than the image on all sides—is sufficient for most photos; however double, even triple, matting a portrait adds distinction to the subject and a touch of elegance to your layout. Using three mats may seem excessive, but in professional picture framing, matting is considered an art form. Contemporary framers go to great lengths to buy the best handmade papers and use the latest matting techniques to create award winning framing projects. You don’t have to go to those extremes, but you should keep a ruler and paper cutter handy as you blend color and texture to enhance your pictures.

Some scrapbooking companies sell pre-cut papers for matting and decorating. Die Cuts With a View (www.diecutswithaview.com) was among the first to explore this concept with its “Mat Stacks” sized to use with 4x6 and 5x7 prints (left). Mat Stacks are sold as colored cardstock, with color themes like earth and pastels, as well as mulberry and printed papers. Several other companies sell pads of printed and handmade mat papers, like Provo Craft’s “Bitty Scrap Pads” (www.provocraft.com), and K&Company’s “Life’s Journey” (http://www.kandcompany.com/) pictured above.

One of the most challenging aspects of matting a picture is finding colors that blend well with your layout. If you plan in advance, you can match papers while you shop. Many paper companies make products that are color-coordinated to be used together in a layout. There are also a number of companies that make pre-cut mats for scrapbooking. These are great for speeding up the matting process, especially if you can find mats that match your layouts, but don’t expect to find any single collection to meet all of your needs.

I love the textured cardstock and colors in the DCWV Mat Stack (above, left), because they can be used for many things in addition to matting. But while some of the colors are used up quickly, others take a while to find the right layout. That’s why I consider Mat Stacks a long-term investment in quality scrapbooking materials. On the other hand, Provo Craft makes dozens of Bitty Scrap Pads (above, center). The paper is regular weight, printed on one side, and each pad has a mix of “cute” prints and “blended” colors — the latter of which are easy to integrate into layouts, especially as photo mats. The outdoor theme packs were particularly useful for scrapbooking pages for my son’s Boy Scout troop.

Another good resource for matting paper, especially when working with large photos, is to explore the craft stores and mega-marts for 8.5x11-inch combination packs of (acid-free, lignin-free) colored cardstock. Distributed by many different paper companies, most 25-sheet packs are economically priced at about $3 to $5, and each sheet can be used to mat one oversized print, or multiple small prints. With a little investigative shopping, you’ll find some great “texture” prints that are excellent for matting pictures. For example, I used the light-blue, marble-printed cardstock below for the inside mat of my uncle’s graduation picture. It worked exceptionally well because the blue marble was light enough to make the image “pop” off the page and the dark blue outer mat added yet another layer of contrast, separating the light blue frame from the background. Combining contrasting colors like these not only gives a touch of elegance to the portrait, it also creates a three-dimensional look, with different hues adding to the paper’s collage effect.

The marble card stock used on my uncle’s graduation page (above) comes from a pack of reversible papers made by Westrim Crafts (http://www.westrimcrafts.com/) under the name “Memories Forever.” These color-coordinated solid and marble papers come in a variety colors that are dark on one side and light on the other, or light and lighter as shown above. The marble texture is perfect for mats, caption blocks, and even complete layouts. This paper came from a pack of “Pastel Parchment” papers in blue, green, gray, pink, and brown.

The next set of layouts demonstrates how you can use colored cardstock—without printed paper—to create simple, but effective scrapbook pages. The pages below are from a series of portrait spreads I made for the siblings in my family. In each spread, the left page has a picture of the subject as a baby (with name, date of birth, and city of birth) and the right page displays a picture or portrait of the subject in later years. I chose this image of my brother as a toddler, because it’s a family favorite, and it’s conducive to theme embellishments.
By using only shades of brown and tan cardstock, the layouts are essentially monochromatic, but they give the impression of integrating several colors into each page. The technique works well with black-and-white subjects, but can look even better if you add a sepia tone to the prints, like the baby picture on the left page. To add variety to each of the spreads, I started with a different base color, from light for my sister to dark brown for my brother. Then I tied them all together with a handmade copper nametag and a rustic heart.

These pages depend completely on color and matting to create an eye-catching design. For example, the baby picture on the left is backed by a skewed mat, which adds a little color and contrast in an unexpected format. The second page returns to standard matting, but uses some unusual embellishments, including a picture of an old fashion toy boat printed directly on cardstock. The different hues of tan and brown (not necessarily color correct in these reproductions) were selected from colored cardstock sets made by several scrapbook companies, including Paperbilities by Westrim, The Paper Company (www.anwcrestwood.com), and Paper Reflections, all of which are sold either at craft stores or mega-marts like Wal-mart.

These embellishments from the sibling pages were handmade from relatively uncommon scrapbooking materials. Bob’s tag (left) started with a standard craft shipping tag purchased at an office supply store. I glued brown cardstock on top of the tag and sewed on the smaller tag, with the rust-colored heart, with a button. The small rustic hearts, which appear on all three spreads, are sold by Darice Inc. (http://www.darice.com/) a crafts distributor that sells “Rustic Accents” in different shapes and sizes. (Since they’re not considered archival, it’s best to keep them from touching your photos directly.) I also spelled each sibling’s name with copper craft wire. Melinda’s name was easier to “write” than Bob’s because I could shape it vertically in a cursive style. Finally, the third embellishment is a heart-shaped tag protector made for Ty plush animals. It was a special addition to my brother’s family album, because it contains his original baby bracelet from 1944.

The portrait page below was made for a 12x12-inch book of historical photos. The picture of Bruce Robinson had been kept in an oval frame for so many years there was distinct fading in the shape of an oval around his head. While I was able to fix it in Photoshop, I realized that I preferred the oval framing, so I borrowed this mat from an old-fashion period portrait. (As long as you don’t sell copies, you can scan goodies like these and keep them on file for future scrapbooking projects.)

I framed the oval mat with a dark brown paper cardstock and surrounded that with hand-torn paper made by DCWV. If you look closely, you’ll see that this is an example of the color-coordinated papers I mentioned earlier. The hand-torn mat and background paper are made with the same “Script” design, they just use different color combinations: Olive on Fossil and Clove on Cream. Even the torn edges of the mat are color-coordinated to the background paper (see detail at right). Framing the entire page with the same dark brown cardstock I used for the middle mat holds all the elements together.

This portrait of my great-grandfather was scanned, edited, and printed to fit in an oval mat that came with an old-fashion period portrait of my family. The background and hand-torn mat are textured papers from a series of “Script” patterns made by Die Cuts With a View. The detail on the right shows how the center of the mat paper “Olive Script on Fossil” is colored to match the background paper, “Clove Script on Cream,” making it perfect for hand tearing. The trim down the left side serves as a subtle, but decorative, border and an anchor for the two masculine buttons. The nameplate tag at the bottom, made by Paper Reflections, is a glossy gold cardstock that matches just about any color scheme. Small copper-colored brads are used to attach the tag to the page.

Decorative Elements
The vertical line of trim on my great-grandfather’s page is a design element I used throughout the scrapbook to give it continuity. Different pages are accented with different materials, such as medium or wide strips of ribbon adorned with flowers, bows, or decorative buttons. The page facing Bruce Robinson — my great-grandmother’s portrait — is assembled with the same materials except for a strip of cream-colored satin ribbon down the right side with pearl button accents. “Designer” buttons make great embellishments, but the ones sold in matched sets at the fabric store can be expensive and you usually have to remove the shank on the back to create a smooth surface for attachment.

As an alternative, check the craft stores for Blumenthal Lansing or Jesse James Company products. Both offer a series of inexpensive plastic buttons sold in small bags, packaged by theme and/or color. Blumenthal’s line is called “Favorite Findings” while Jesse James distributes “Dress It Up” and “Memory Mates.” Targeted at the craft enthusiast, these buttons are made in dozens (even hundreds) of shapes and colors, and come in packets of six to 45 pieces, depending on the size and detail of the buttons. Individual packets contain everything from Victorian filigree buttons, to colored hearts, flowers, or molded shapes that fit a theme (like dogs, cats, camping, holidays, etc.). At less than $2 a pack, they’re an economic alternative to expensive scrapbooking embellishments.

Here’s a small sampling of craft buttons and shapes made by Blumenthal Lansing under the name “Favorite Findings” (http://www.buttonsplus.com/products/favorite_findings.html) and Jesse James Company under the names “Dress It Up” and ”Memory Mates” (www.dressitup.com). Most of these buttons are made without shanks on the back, but you should check before buying. The shapes on the left are usually sold in packets of colors, such as a combination of light, medium, and dark purple. The items on the right are typically sold by shape or theme. Either way, the possibilities are endless for decorating pages.

In the portrait page below, I used plastic corner decorations made by Jesse James Company and I drew upon another craft resource that makes great embellishments: ribbon flowers. These are sold in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, making it fairly simple to find one that matches your page design. In this case, I selected a small ivory bow with a heart made of pearls to accent the wide satin ribbon down the right side. My goal was to choose embellishments that fit the subject, but in this case I didn’t know my aunt well enough to choose an item that fit her personality, so I chose one that fit her outfit.

This page also illustrates a unique matting technique. Instead of using two or more colors to frame the portrait, I picked one color for the outer and inner mats and added a sheet of colorless printed vellum in between. As you can see in the detail below, the outer (bottom) mat is full size, with the vellum cut slightly smaller and layered on top. The top mat is the smallest, attached directly to the back of the print and centered within the vellum. By laying the colorless printed vellum over the solid gold mat, it reproduces the subtle color variations of the striped background paper, with different shades of muted gold. All I have to do is change the pattern of the vellum mat, and I can create a completely different look for each page, without altering the color scheme.

Another scrapbook page from the Robinson family album illustrates how you can use small craft buttons and bows as embellishments. The four decorative corners are made from molded plastic and sold in packets of three or four different colors. It may be necessary to buy two packets to assemble a full set of one color, but at less than $2 per pack, it’s about the same price as a single set of metal corners sold by scrapbooking manufacturers and you get more than one set. The bow in the upper right corner is made by Wrights (http://www.wrights.com/) a popular sewing product company. The paper “Beige Striped” is made by K&Company.

Beyond the Ordinary
As I mentioned at the start of this article, portrait pages don’t have to be made with “formal” portraits, nor do they have to be designed in a formal manner. Some of my favorite scrapbook pages are appealing because of the memories they invoke and the little “spark” of imaginative that precipitated their creation. For example, I made the equestrian-themed page below as part of a Father’s Day spread. The picture of Nickolas was taken in Ocala, Florida, next to one of 52 equestrian statues painted by local artisans. The statues were such an important event in Ocala, and Nick looked so happy in the photo, he asked for extra prints to send to friends and family. It didn’t take long for me to envision this layout to add to my mother’s family scrapbook.

The background paper is another design by Paper Pizzaz, called “Barnwood.” The simple, dark brown mat surrounding the photo is made with the same cardstock that frames the page. The result reminds me of a barn door, with Nick seen holding onto the horse through the window. If I stretch my imagination a little more, the strip of brown ribbon could be anything from the leather of a horse’s bridal to a horizontal beam across the door, but it works perfectly with the two horseshoes planted on top (perhaps an attempt to kick down the door?). Like many of my page titles, I printed this one on clear vellum and waited for the ink to dry completely before tearing out an organic shape that fit comfortably in the caption area. Needless to say, Nick was very pleased with his page.

“Horse Fever” is constructed like many of my scrapbook pages by trimming the printed paper (“Barnwood” by Paper Pizzaz) just enough to leave a small border attached to a solid sheet of cardstock. Not only does the cardstock make the page sturdier, it also frames the layout. I used another sheet of matching cardstock to frame the photo. The nylon ribbon is one of many “Special Values” I picked up at a Michaels craft store, and the two horseshoes (also sold at Michaels) are wood cutouts sold in the woodcrafts aisle. Michaels sells dozens of wood cut designs, including flowers, animals, and holiday items. Although they’re not labeled, these cutouts are identical to packaged wood cutouts sold by Provo Craft under the name “Home Accents” in Hobby Lobby stores.

Another “fun” portrait page (below) recalls the days when my son was a serious skateboarder. This image was capture by professional photographer Don Emmerich, after completing a posed portrait session on the streets of New Orleans. Because the page was going into an 8.5x11-inch scrapbook, I had to fit a lot into a relatively small space, so I used shades of cardstock, instead of printed papers, to keep clutter to a minimum. The terms printed on cardstock and scattered down the left side should be familiar to skateboard moms — as well as the bruises that come with them. The only three-dimensional elements are in the title, which is an abbreviated spelling of “Skate.” Each circle started as a metal-rimmed tag sold at office supply stores — vaguely suggestive of skateboard wheels. I cut three circles from the same cardstock I used to print the skateboarding terms, glued them to the tags, and applied letters from a sticker alphabet. Four years later, I’m working on a 12x12-inch “grunge” version, which I’ll cover in a future column.

“SK8” was a page I made as part of a Father’s Day scrapbook. This may not look like a conventional portrait page, but it achieves my goals for the perfect layout: It preserves an important time in my son’s life, using a picture of what he loved to do most. The journaling on the side is not only a decorative element it also provides a list of popular skateboarding terms. Finally, it has a short, catchy title (which my son says is now Old School) that reminds me of how computer texting began to invade the English language. Photo Copyright Don Emmerich, Oklahoma City.