As a parent we have seen them progress from scraped knees to borrowing the car to graduating.

I’m not sure who is prouder, them or us.

Linda T framed her son Grady’s recent U of C degree.  A black textured mat with a slightly distressed gold accent gives a it very professional and masculine look.

Framing a degree along side a photo or memorabilia of the event/journey makes it extra special.

Something you can take pride in.

With my daughter getting married this August, I definitely have wedding on the brain.

Cake, flowers, entertaining out-of-town guests . . . details, details.

But my biggest detail now is how am I going to lose the 10 pounds I need to fit into the dress (well dresses actually) I bought last month for the wedding. Can’t exchange them because I bought them when visiting my daughter who lives in Sydney, Australia. Yes, I know, buying them for the size I am now would have been the smart thing to do but you know me, I like a challenge!

Anyway I’m digressing. . . where was I?  Oh yes, wedding on the brain . . .

So much time is spent on the wedding details that it is well worth the effort to preserve them.

Cindy B. brought in some photos and memorabilia from a family wedding to frame as a gift.

Pink “Smarties” decorated the tables at the reception. Framing actual “Smarties” was not going to work so I bought some decorative round pebbles and some real “Smarties”. I painted the pebbles pink and ate the box of the real “Smarties”. (Now you can see why I have a slight weight issue!)

Details complete our memories.

Why not consider custom framing for your special wedding or anniversary this year?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this . . .

The types of decorative details available are endless.

Have you gone overboard on the details? You will know you have just the right amount if your eye is drawn to the artwork or photography first.  The details should sound something like this: “oh, and look at that . . .“

In this black & white flower girl photo we chose to add dimension with some of the bridal detail from her hair clip.

Simple, subtle, elegant detail.

The “and look” in Custom Framing.

Check out the full story here.

So what can you do about these items? (funny you should ask)

The answer is a little character building : Simply change the way the item is presented to add character and charm.

Here is Diane’s story . . .

Diane T has been a client of mine for years and has become a good friend. She is a very caring individual and is always looking for ways to display and preserve history.

Diane brought in an old framed needlework (found in a second hand store) for a character building session. (It certainly had seen better days!)

We re-stretched the needlework canvas to eliminate any sagging and to straighten the image.

The slightly worn frame was touched up. An additional frame, base and hardware of sentimental value were added.

And the redesigned was complete . . .

A charming piece, a functional serving tray, a conversation piece with a story to be told.

Many of us have objects that can be turned into artwork or, like Diane, artwork that can be turned into a useful object.

Is there something in your life that needs Character Building?

To add more character and interest into the piece, we added matboard to make it look more like the men where contained in a box and where looking for a way out.

To add a little touch of humor, a metal “mouse” was placed on top of the frame itself.

You can not help to look at this piece without looking up . . . looking way up!

Opa! and break it into more pieces.  Well actually . . . strategically break it into several pieces and then put it all back together again.

Yes we had fun breaking the plate apart and somewhat less fun (but still fun none-the-less) using tile grout to put it back together again.

Now the history of the piece is preserved and displayed to peak the interest of all house-guests!

Well first of all, here are some facts about China’s Great Wall:
It is estimated that 1.9 million people visit the Great Wall of China yearly. National Geographic estimates that the wall, which dates back to the 7th century, extends approximately 3,100 miles.

So what can you do with that little tidbit of information? Well . . .  probably not a lot. (But I thought it was interesting information and it makes me look intelligent!)

But seriously, here is how to create a Great Wall of NYC . . .

You can make any wall a “Great Wall” by simply using your travel photos and memorabilia.

After a recent trip to New York City, Jeri-Lyn Z. brought in a unique piece of artwork. Purchased from a street vendor, it is graffiti art on a New York City subway map. Not something you see everyday. It captures the unique experience of the subway system and the pulse of this extraordinary city.

So next vacation or night out on the town, keep an eye out for something that catches your eye; a restaurant menu, a photograph, a road map, a bus ticket, a wine label, a t-shirt, a table cloth; the options are endless. It is never too late to start building your own great wall.

You may not have 1.9 million visitors (unless, of course, you have lots and lots of friends) but it will be a great wall simply because it reflects who you are and your life’s journey. It will bring back great memories and make your room feel warm and inviting.

Like Jeri-Lyn, why not start your own “Great Wall” today?

Typography (the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible) is a big trend in art decor today.

We framed the event poster using simple narrow mats matching to the colours within the poster.  The barn wood frame was chosen to reflect the style of music and to continue the monochromatic look.

The overall framing treatment allows the lettering the visual space necessary to make a bold graphic statement.