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 

Shadow Boxes: "Cooky Book"

Shadowboxes are a great way to show off your precious items or to pay tribute to your favourite family memory. Framing your Grandmother’s cookbook and her favourite recipe will add a personal and unique touch to your kitchen area.

This recipe book is attached in a conservation manner with Mylar film. The film is cut into straps and wrapped around the back of the book and all pages. The adhesive only contacts the Mylar and is attached to the bottom mat.

The recipe is photocopied from the book, raised up with foam core to the height of the book and framed with acid free mat board to give it more definition.

The offset spatula is sewn down using fishing line at two anchor points. No adhesives are used.

The sides of the frame have also been lined with the same mat board that is used for the backing to give clean edges. 

Museum glass is the best option for shadow boxes as it provides the greatest reflection control with the most clarity. 

This particular piece is glazed with regular clear glass, which provides 48% UV light protection. If your items are very fragile or valuable, conservation glass would be recommended. Clear Conservation glass blocks 99% of UV, but has no reflection control. Non glare glass is not recommended for shadow boxes, as the farther the glass is placed from the objects, the foggier the contents will appear. The ideal glass for shadow boxes is Museum glass. Museum glass blocks 99% of UV light and is coated with an anti-reflective layer that allows less than 1% of light reflection and over 97% light transmission. This provides the optimum protection and viewing of the object. You can learn more about museum glass at www.tru-vue.com. 

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. 

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

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

Shadowboxes: Fragile Clothing

Last week we showed you how we preserved a 100 year old drawing. Paper isn't the only thing that you can showcase in a great frame. We often frame clothing such as hockey jerseys and boxing robes. These pieces are quite durable, but some materials can be just as fragile as paper and are just as susceptible to damage from light and other materials within the frame. A shadow box is a great way to preserve your precious items that would otherwise hide away in closets and cardboard boxes. For this project, we were asked to frame a piece of clothing; a baby's coat, also dated at over 100 years old. The item is a treasured family possession and of high sentimental value. From the outside, this is a simple shadow box. There is only one mat opening and only one item. There were, however, many factors to consider when assembling this project. 

1. Fragility
For most items of clothing, like a hockey jersey, we simply sew the fabric down to the mat board and it hangs in place. For fragile items, the framing should make as little impact as possible on the item. To make as few stitches as possible and to reduce the pull of gravity on those stitches, a sloped support for the mat board was made and attached to the inside of the frame. This slope causes the coat to lie back just slightly in the frame and reduces the vertical pull on the stitches holding it in place. 

2. Acidity:
Mat board is available in two materials – cotton and wood pulp. Cotton mats are naturally acid free and are of the highest conservation value. Cellulose (wood pulp) products carry a natural acidic value and contact with such materials can cause fading or damage to paper and fragile items. Because of this, these mats are coated or chemically treated to remove the acidity. For this project, the coat is mounted to a cotton core mat with alkaline buffered surface paper.

Frame: Wood inherently carries an acidity that can “gas off” into the frame over time. For the majority of framing setups, this is not a concern. However, to protect fragile items, the inside edge of the frame is sealed with a specialized Frame Sealing Tape.

3. UV Protection
UV Rays can cause fading in nearly all materials over time. Regular glass will block 48% of UV light rays. Conservation grade glass will block 97-99% of UV Rays. Both of these glazing options are available in clear and non-glare options. Non-glare glass is never recommended for a shadow box as any distance between the subject and the glass of more than 2-3 mat board layers will cause the contents to look foggy. The ideal glass for optimum protection and clarity is Museum glass. Museum glass blocks 99% of UV rays and has the highest colour neutrality. Its specialized optical coating allows light to transmit through the glass rather than bouncing off. This reduces glare much more effectively than traditional non glare glass, without the "foggy" effect. The photograph below was taken with the glass on the frame and it appears nearly invisible. 

This combination of conservation mats, mounting and glass will protect this piece and keep it looking great for years to come! 

This post by: Megan 

Edit: Originally posted on August 20, 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