Contest

REWARD OFFERED

Our store has, of late, been graced with the presence of the precocious young Waldie. She’s clever, she’s quick and she is hard to find. If you can catch a glimpse of her on our website or Facebook page email us and we will enter your name for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from Wall Décor and More. 

It’s winter in Alberta. Therefore it is cold…or not, It’s windy… or not, and it’s snowing, or raining… or not. One thing that we can count on is that we are probably not getting a lot of sun, unless we succumb to the siren song of the southern latitudes. In which case I highly recommend the liberal application of Aloe Vera (have you noticed that the colours of our Canadian flag are an exact match for the tan lines of many Canadian tourists who have just tried to soak up six months of sunshine in a ten day beach vacation). The point of this narrative is that the days here are short and gray, but we have a remedy for the malady.

We at Wall Décor and More have just finished inventory and have found that our bins are full to bursting with mats! We have hundreds of mats in a rainbow of colours and we would like to share the wealth with our "Colour Your Winter" promotion.

For the month of February, on any full framing project we will include any of our in stock mats for FREE. That’s right, bring us that image or object that you have been waiting to frame and we will add a riot of colour at no extra charge. After all, wouldn’t you rather drift into that vivid holiday memory that’s hanging on the wall than stare out the window at another predictably unpredictable Alberta winter day. Hurry in, this offer ends February 28^th.    

Here it is February and Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. It’s odd how unprepared many of us are for an event that shows up on the same day of the same month every year. The big box stores try to help us out by putting candy hearts on the shelves starting mid-January. Still it seems that right about February 13 panic sets in and it becomes clear that once again Cupid is peeking around the corner armed with a quiver full of mediocrity. You know that he/she deserves better than a box of chocolates and a dozen roses, he/she means the world to you. Besides he/she is on a diet, and those beautiful flowers will be producing landfill methane in less than two weeks.

Hand Carved Kissi Stone from Zimbabwe and Kenya

May we humbly suggest an alternative? Perhaps a symbol of love carved in stone from Kenya or Zimbabwe or a beam of light captured by the hand-blown glass globes from Kitras. OR if you really want to knock it out of the park, how about taking some of your sweetheart’s favorite things or favourite memories and turning them into an art piece that will remind them what a great, thoughtful and romantic catch you are for years to come. It would be our greatest pleasure to help you become significant other of the year. 

Kitras Hand Blown Glass

 Custom Designed  Mat With Your Favorite Image

Shadow Boxes: Removable Face

Framing is a great way to keep precious objects safe, but you may want access to them in the future. Stacking frames is a unique and stylish way to show off your keepsakes, while still allowing physical contact with the item. You can also use this method to switch out various objects on a rotating basis to keep your design fresh.

A narrow shadowbox frame is joined inside out to form a box that the object will be placed in.
The top frame is joined as usual to form the front of the shadow box.

This frame is also attached sideways to the face to form a deep box around the bottom frame.

The top two frames can now be lifted off to remove or replace the item. 

This piece is framed with museum glass for optimum clarity and minimal glare. 

This post by: Megan 

The Cadillac Experience

In the 1930s Nicholas Dreystadt took over the management of the Cadillac Division of General Motors.  Cadillac was in dire straits and probably would have sunk like a stone but Nicholas took a new tact.  “The Cadillac Customer” he said, “does not buy transportation, he buys status!”  This statement would have been nothing but hot air except for one thing.  They could supply the quality to back up the claim.

A Caddy to the uninitiated looks much like any other vehicle, four wheels, seats, headlights, etcetera but it’s what’s underneath that takes the product to the next level.  I believe that there are parallels that can be drawn in any competitive service industry, so let’s take custom picture framing as an example.  On the surface most frames look basically the same: four corners, hangers and wire surrounding some worthy art piece.  But there is much more to it than that.

 

The obvious questions run something like this: Does the frame compliment the piece in color, texture and style?  Does the weight of the frame and the width of the mats or liner support the piece visually without overpowering it?  Is the whole package pleasing to your eye as the paying customer?  What’s underneath is actually more important than what is on the surface.  Cadillac would not have become an icon if it had built pretty cars that couldn't stand the test of time.

                                                                                                                                                    

Will the framing package that you are buying preserve that work of art or destroy it?  The quality of framing products varies widely and often the effects are not immediately noticeable.  Are the mats conservation quality or will they discolor and erode the artwork?  Does the glass block ultraviolet light which will damage the image?  More importantly can the person behind the counter guide you through the maze of what you need or do not need to give you the best product for the best value?

Framed $100 bill, Museum glass,Suede mat with debossing, Double frame with fillet.
An investment in status

The Cadillac experience begins on the showroom floor, where the customer is treated as a person of status.  Sales people are expected to be knowledgeable and courteous.  The product should please the eye while resisting the effects of time.  The entire experience should be completed as a dialogue that enables the customer to make an informed decision that satisfies the wants and needs of the purchase.  Every customer deserves that same experience whether buying a car, a picture frame or simply investing in status.
This post by Scott

The Framer’s Wife

Official Blog #2

The Art of Shopping

Eco Fair Trade purses and Salad Forks

As the wife of a framer/gift store owner I get a fantastic opportunity to shop.  Shop till I drop and not spend a dime of my own money…. Now that being said, I also don’t get to take any of my purchases home.  Well…I guess that is not entirely true, I purchase unique items for the store that I happen to love as well and maybe an item or two does find a way home!

Every year the Framer and I go to gift shows to find the most unique items to sell in our store.  Always on the hunt for handcrafted, distinctive giftware from Canada and the rest of the world, we drift from booth to booth – quite literally through thousands of purveyors eager to promote their latest and greatest items.

The first year was the most overwhelming!  We had blisters on our feet, cramps in our calves and headaches.  What to purchase?  Our store is only so big.  What will Lethbridge and area love?  Now 8 years later, we have honed our “shopping” experience.  We know which areas to concentrate on and have developed a way to see the most booths without getting the dreaded shopper’s blister!

Kitras Art Glass

We purchase with you in mind, our wonderful customers.  We invite you to come and see our latest lines of giftware like Kitras Art Glass which is proudly hand crafted in Canada!  Each piece shines with beauty catching the light and sharing its rainbow of colors on the world.  Guess I kinda like them!  I wonder which one will find it’s way home??????

this post by Melina

Oversize Framing: City of Lethbridge Maps

Scott peeks out from behind the City of Lethbridge

This large map of the City of Lethbridge measures in at 74” x 66”. Because of the size, the map was actually printed in 2 pieces, then dry mounted to foam core. We carefully trimmed the overlapping areas and taped them together from the back. To give this framing proper stability, the two map pieces are attached together horizontally and then two additional pieces of foam core are attached vertically and placed behind them as backing.

The piece is glazed with an acrylic called Lexan; a strong, lightweight plexi glass, and  hangs with 2 sets of metal security hangers.

This post by: Megan 

The Working Man

Have you heard the words of the working man? The humble man? The quiet man? No grandstanding for him, his politics are his own, his beliefs rock solid. No need for debate. 

Lethbridge High Level bridge

The sales call, the cold call, the margin call, these are for other men. Not in his wheel house, not on his wish list. No chrome spinners, no loud exhaust, the spot light holds no allure. In by 8 and home by 6, snow shoveled, hedges trimmed and everything in its place. 

Stark master circuit analyzer in glass display case

But still, he does play the game. As a living, breathing human being the need to be noticed is the nature of the beast. Head down, nose to the grindstone his hands speak for him. His legacy will not be some polished soliloquy, some candy coated breeze. What he does is who he is. 

Tools of the Trade. 

Metal, wood, leather and wires, transistors, chips and a million other things molded by his touch, bent to his will, these are his voice, the mirror that reflects what you might not have noticed before.  Quite literally the ghost in the machine.

This post by Scott. 

Oversize Canvas

Artwork that is painted or printed on canvas must be stretched around a wooden bar, known as Stretcher Bar.  Stretcher bar is available is various thicknesses and quality levels. It is always important to use a good quality bar, but the issue is of higher concern on larger size. Oversize pieces can become heavy and put a lot of strain on the bars. When artwork is very large, it is important that the stretcher bar is braced correctly…or THIS can happen!

We received this canvas from a customer who had recently moved to the city. Even though this canvas was of regular weight, the original braces were weak and when the artwork was transported, the braces broke apart.

It is important to note, that in this case, it was not just the braces that failed. The fragility of the wood used for the stretcher bar may have gone unnoticed by the original framer or artist. Even small knots or imperfections in the wood can be exacerbated by a change in temperature, especially in our dry climate! Using a strong, high quality stretcher bar is every bit as important as constructing and correctly placing solid braces.

We removed the canvas and a new stretcher bar was built with extra braces at key pressure points. We then re-stretched the canvas around this frame.

This second piece is the largest canvas that we have ever framed! It is also the heaviest, not just due to its size, but the material itself was thicker than normal. We built braces for it as described above and cut triangles from a strong board and attached them at each corner for added strength.

This beautiful canvas by local artist, Amy Dodic, provided a fun challenge for us. It was a team effort, requiring two people to stretch it and maneuver it around in our, suddenly, very small work area!

An additional factor for this canvas was the frame size. The standard length for framing material is 10ft - 12ft. Because the frame is cut at 45 degrees, wider frames require more length beyond the inside measurement. We made sure to select a frame available in a 12ft length and just barely made it!

Transportation was the final issue to address and we waved goodbye to this piece as it drove away in a horse trailer to its home at Fort Whoop Up National Historic Site, here in Lethbridge AB. 

This post by: Megan

NO! The end.

No! It makes a short story, doesn't it? 
No is the beginning of a relationship so short that it can be lost within the content of a tweet. No is the word that is never spoken in improv because there is nowhere to go from there. The same can be said in business. Why would you ever say no to a customer that is requesting something different!

Six frames attached together to make a single six foot by six foot wall hanging.

 Of course we can’t stretch time or circumvent the laws of physics. YET. We are looking in to it. However, we have ten years of experience, a closet full of power tools and a small library of books on the subject of framing. Books brimming with new ideas as well as strict guidelines on the care and handling of materials of all types. So we will find a way. We may even check out the internet to find the idea that will help an art piece sing its own unique tune. (All internet suggestions will be cross referenced with the, common sense / what were they thinking, sliding scale).

Whale Baleen in a black wood frame with acid free mats

In the end it is the project that stretches our imagination, tests our creativity and lurks in the back of our mind long past closing time that becomes our badge of honor. It is the building block for the next triumph, and how can you say no to that! 

The pitch was captured in ten frames across the top.
The memory captured will last a lifetime

This post by Scott

The Framer's Wife

Blue. Ardent Blue? Flemish Blue?
Balmy Blue? FOG?!

The year was 2003.  The date was July 2. The time 9:30 am. The frame store was ready to open for business for the first time.  Ever.  But where was the framer?  How could I possibly unlock those doors and (gasp) let in customers?  Would I pick the right mat and frame combinations?  Would "Sam I Yam" orange matting work or should I go with "Electric Blue", or "Water Fall"….(yes these are actual mat names!  Whatever happened to blue, dark blue, light blue I’ll never know!)  Did I choose the right glass – and seriously who invented this many types of glass!  Would the Wizard automated mat cutter work for me?  

The Wizard Computer Mat Cutter
flying through its paces. 

So many questions that first morning, but I survived.  The Wizard decided to take off and cut a mat while spinning it and getting stuck and making the most horrific bull moose mating call ever!  But, I survived and cut another mat.  The framing orders did come in and I chose with the help of our amazing and patient customers, some great framing combinations, with all types of glass.  Did the ordering computer program cause mental breakdowns?  Well, of course it did!  Did I lose any hair?  Well maybe a little....But I survived!

Now… about that framer…well he was attending classes; studying and aspiring to be the best picture framer around!  It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since that first scary day and now when it is 9:30 and time for the store to open, if the framer is at a meeting I’m not afraid to greet the day and paint it and mat it and glass it and frame it……….

We have over 650 mat board samples to choose from.
That is 72 different shades of black or white and
72 different shades for each color of the rainbow!

This post by: Melina

Welcome!

Thank you for reading the very first blog post from Wall Decor and More! 

We are a small, family owned business in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, that specializes in custom picture framing. We also carry a selection of local art and gift-ware from around the world. You can learn more about our journey to custom framing in the "About" section of our website: www.walldecorandmore.ca. 

We are pleased to be celebrating ten years in business this year and look forward to another ten years. To celebrate, we have started this blog to share with you the knowledge that we have gained over these years and keep you up to date on the new things that we learn each day. The world of custom framing is exciting and ever changing. Although there are many methods that are time tested, each new project brings with it a new challenge and we are committed to creating a piece that is uniquely YOU. 

We are excited to continue this journey and through this blog, we hope to give you greater insight into our craft and to help you make informed decisions about your framing choices. There is so  much more to a framing package than meets the eye. If you'll forgive the saying, we want you to know what you are really getting with "that perfect frame." 

Every framing project is unique. The style and colour combinations are one consideration, but behind the scenes are a number of factors that will determine the performance of the framing package. A poster of a teen heart-throb or favourite movie may not require the museum quality mats and backing or conservation glass that will help an expensive, original art piece stand the test of time. We will post about these differences and share examples of our favourite projects with you. We will also let you know how you can frame more than just paper!

We hope that you will enjoy the blog, but we would also love to see you in person! 

You can visit us in the historic Connaught building in Lethbridge, AB. 

309 10th St. S. 

Lethbridge, Alberta

930am - 500pm 

Monday - Saturday 

We would pleased to guide you through the options available to give your art piece or collectible a framing package that is appropriate in style, performance and price! Visit our website where you can read artist biographies, check out new gift-ware and subscribe to our newsletter. You can also visit us on Facebook by clicking HERE.

This post by: Megan 

Edit: Originally posted on July 13, 2013