When Will It End?!

When will it end?!?! It’s been winter for so long so very very long! These four walls are my protection from the biting cold but also the cage that I pace as I muter observations and accusations in the vernacular of the intoxicated sea goer. Beyond the window lies  frozen drifts, lakes of ice and frigid winds so treacherous that life would be untenable without these four walls. Somewhere on the distant horizon is fleeting spring, summer is a flash in the pan and autumn, autumn heralds the fall of leaves, plunging mercury, diminishing daylight and the ushering in of winter most foul.

I’ve never become friends with the coldest season. So I shut the blinds tight and turn inward to my cage, my gilded cage. These walls may protect me and confine me but they are so much more. For these walls are adorned with the visions of the artist, the soul of the dreamer. On these walls are memories of the moments that define me and images of places that I have not yet been. They hold family and friends, the past, the present and the future in a riot of colour that I can always count on, no matter what prevails beyond these walls.

So try your best winter, I will never embrace you, but you will never defeat me. These four walls have been fortified and energized to carry me far beyond your icy grip. They quiet my mind, they warm my heart and they soothe my ragged soul.

Buddha Shrine

Have you ever thrown caution to the wind and jumped into something that you knew was ill advised, but looked like so much fun you just could not say no?  The id kicks into overdrive and common sense is a casualty on the side of the road! This is how the story unfolded when the nice man walked into Wall Decor and asked if we could frame his 14th century Buddha statue. There was no way that I could say no. (What did you think this story was about anyways, we are picture framers that’s what gets us revved up!) So we calculated a price that we hoped would get the job - which we did! Then we took a deep breath and dove right in. We went on line to study shrines that would look authentic with this beautiful piece , we amalgamated several styles, threw in some of our own parameters, spent a few early mornings redesigning , too excited to sleep, laid out all the tools that we own and got to work. First step is off to the hardware store to pick up two 5 foot planks of Bolivian mahogany, a bucket of stain and some random hardware. 20 hours later we have the base and pedestal built, the door is assembled with Plexiglas and a pivot post instead of hinges and we are having a blast.

The statue would sit in an alcove with a light above it so we went with UV blocking Plexiglas on the top, the door and the two sides. We used a 6mm. mirror on the back and on the pedestal that the statue sat on. It turns out that the Burmese architecture of the appropriate time period favored octagonal pillars so we built them.

 We added some brass hardware that we antiqued using ammonia, and sanded all the edges to give a slightly worn, aged effect. At this point in the project we have come to realize that we have grossly underestimated the hours involved and we are actually working for the love of the challenge and Karma credits. Our profit and loss spreadsheet is extremely disappointed with us but the experience was priceless, and the end result is one of a kind.

 This post by Scott

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 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

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

Congratulations!

You have searched high and low to find that perfect piece of art. As you gaze at this new found treasure you can feel your heart rate slow as you are immersed in the peaceful scene that has touched your soul (or perhaps your heart races with the unbridled excitement that the artist has injected into the image).Either way this piece is an extension of your psyche, a statement of the ideology that makes you who you are. You let your eyes drift through this masterpiece, finally wandering to the outside edge. Hmm… Could be better. It’s true that the artwork is a reflection of you… But that frame? Really? Really is that what the artist had in mind to complement this labour of love? To cap the hours of toil and the years spent honing creative ability and technique? Well it was handy. And the price was right. It was lying right there, behind the furnace or maybe in that Big Box bargain bin. Maybe it doesn't match, or fit quite right, but it was handy. The clothes may make the man, but does the frame define the artwork?

A simple silver or black frame
will look good...

...and go with any decor,
but it isn't the only option. 

Let’s assume for a moment that you are the artist. Or perhaps you are. Perhaps it is your own mastery of the camera, the palette and paint, the needle and thread, or the paper and paste that you are putting on display. You probably know exactly the mood that you are trying to convey, the best way to compliment the essence of the piece.

Using "Integrated Framer" simulation software, we can
project the look of many framing options....

With hundreds of styles and colours of frames available, combined with even more choices in liners and mats, there are mathematically millions of choices available to frame any given image. But there are usually not that many perfect options. There will be a lot of bad choices, some good choices and a few that are very good. It is in the artists’ blood to think of the balance of materials, of composition and of colour. Everyone has some degree of artistic ability and with the proper investment of time and patience anyone can dress this image to impress. But if you don’t have the time to study the science that supports the art, then perhaps working with a professional picture framer is the best way to get that image on the wall in a timely and elegant fashion. 

...From bold colours to simple and traditional, you can
"try on" any frame to make sure it fits "just right."

 The right choice of framing will not make the picture sing, but it will help it carry the tune. If care and attention are given to the presentation, that carefully chosen image may become a part of you that outlasts the curtains, the carpet, the couch and the chair.

If the piece holds meaning it deserves to look its best. It’s an investment that will pay dividends for many years to come. And most importantly it is a reflection of you. 

"Made to Last"

Stuart Peterson

This framing combination consists of 2 frames layered 

together with a shiny black mat around the image. 

Museum glass sits between the two frames, 

adding depth to the image without a loss in clarity. 

This Post By: Scott

Edit: Originally posted on August 30, 2013

Is it "Art"?

I don’t know why I like it, but I want it on my wall! Art by its very definition should evoke an emotion. If it doesn’t make us feel something, then the artist has missed the mark. What we adorn our homes with is a tangible extension of who we are.

That 50 inch flat screen may be quite handsome when it is turned off, but give it power and it reaches into your head and tells you what to think, what to buy and who you are (or should be). Art is a meeting of the minds; with art the mind reaches out and embraces the warm glow of Van Gogh’s Café Terrace, or dances in the strange and exciting world of Salvador Dali.

"House at Auvers"
Vincent Van Gogh

Some will find their bliss in the image of a tropical beach where they spent time with someone special, others on the shores of Lake Como where their spirit can wander until the day that their body can follow. Still others will find tranquility in images of prairie icons or majestic Rockies.

Branding irons from the family farm

Perhaps you are the type of person that thinks outside the box, creating an art piece that centers on the doll that grandmother carried from the old country or the branding irons that were the signature of father’s ranch. Even the ticket stubs from the concert that brought so much joy may be the visual cue that keeps you smiling all day long.

Preserve your child's early artwork

An image is worth a thousand words and it loudly proclaims “This Is Who I Am!” Whether it is a charcoal sketch of the last great hunt, or a happy family Sunday captured in Crayola it is a glimpse of who you are. If it speaks to you, speaks of you, makes you feel something, then it is of value and it is art. 

This post by: Scott

Edit: Originally posted on July 26, 2013