frame fatale

gaga

2012-02-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

I love this project! A client arrived in the shop with an unusual item: a shopping bag from Barney's. Over the holidays, Barneys opened Gaga's Workshop--an in-store boutique featuring everything Gaga. My client's daughter happens to be a 15 year-old Little Monster, so the two of them headed off to NYC on a necessary mother/daughter shopping excursion!

We chose materials befitting the art & artist: hello black lacquer ornate! And a royal purple mat is just right :)

A great collectible item AND a wonderful souvenir from a special day.

anthropomorphilia

2012-02-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

What's not to love?

Personified animals make wonderful subjects and really lend themselves to impressive frames. Remember this favorite from a few years back?

A client brought in great prints of a handsome pair of mallards. Like my last post on woodland creatures, the illustrations--these by talented artist Ryan Berkley, also came with a few words of context. In all cases, I affixed these blurbs to the back of the frame for safekeeping.

I immediately thought oval when I laid eyes on these dapper dabbling ducks. Now I can't imagine them any other way.

We selected an oversize gold beaded frame for a bit of glitz and character, and I think the exaggerated motif is perfect here!

mirror as art

2012-02-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

Delightful clients brought in this amazing antique silver mirror with rounded corners. (Please forgive these photos, I photographed the mirror on the floor, you are seeing a reflection of the shop's ceiling : / ) It is going in their new restaurant which is a rustic farm-to-table byob (can't wait!).

I love the antique characteristics of the mirror, the round corners, the minor silver loss on the edges, some surface scuffs. It will go perfectly in a rustic environment! But then for the frame we went fine dining all the way.

This is absolutely one of the most beautiful frames in my collection. A 4" wide art deco bronze feather motif. Just stunning! I wrapped acid free foamcore custom cut angles in vintage brown velvet to fill in the corner rounds in the frame.

Please check it out in its new home:

into the woods

2012-01-31T12:07:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite clients showed up with this sweet print of these peculiar children. Daughters of the Forest is an illustration from the mind of Megan @ StudioMME, and came with the passage below affixed to the package backing.

For the framing design, we went for museum-meets-hunting lodge. A deeply saturated spruce green suede mat lined by a driftwood fillet with a goldish patina, and that wonderful Olmsted acanthus leaf frame in bronze.

#zoe10years

2012-01-17T14:59:00.001-05:00

The mister and I headed out to the Art Museum this rainy morn to view the Zoe Strauss exhibit. I am an admirer of Zoe's work and have been looking forward to this exhibit for over a year. Zoe is an artist living and making images in South Philadelphia. She is a neighbor whom I've never met.

You may recall these images I purchased at the last of her I-95 exhibits.

or this one I framed earlier this year for a client:

They all share a space in the shop's window now, as part of the city-wide celebration of her work.

display table just inside the shop

I am proud to live in a city whose world-class museum brings one of its own to the forefront. The Billboard Project, the installation by the museum of 54 billboards of Zoe's work throughout the city, and the exhibit itself, are remarkable and powerful.

La Corona billboard at the corner of EPA & Reed

Congratulations and Thank You!

hero

2012-01-13T12:51:00.000-05:00

I need to apologize for the quality of these photos. Getting the photos was not as important as getting the job done. This was the most complicated shadowbox of my career and it was an honor to do it.

The box contains 2 Purple Heart medals, a signed letter from Franklin Roosevelt, a letter from the War Department and various artifacts from a WWII soldier killed in the line of duty.

The box was challenging because the items are mounted on 4 different planes, using various methods: every trick in the book. There are adhesives, photocorners, linen tape, straps, metal hardware and even stitches going on underneath and on the surface of this mat.

I did not shortchange this design just because it came in during the holiday crunch.

I am proud just to have been asked to do this box and am pleased with the work that was done here.

askew

2012-01-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

Over the holidays, a ton of art came through here and I managed to snap a handful of pics as I was flitting about like a hummingbird.

The project featured above is just a simple mat cut to go into a customer's existing frame (yes, I do that!). Yep, just a white mat on black + white photography. What made this job interesting was that the client asked if I could cut a crooked mat. She wanted an unusual placement. She explained that she had traveled to Pisa with someone who was trying to straighten out the leaning tower in her camera's lens. Ultimately, she got a beautifully square shot! But my client wanted to turn the photo into a clever gift.

Sure!

This was easily achieved by removing the straight arm from my mat cutter and some softly penciled guidelines on the back of the mat.

i feel pretty

2012-01-12T11:21:00.002-05:00

Notice anything different? ::twirling::

Got myself some fancy new duds!

I love my new blog template designed by SrslyLiz and her new start-up design partnership: pizzacupcakes. I wanted something really stylish and personal for my business blog, and I think Liz and I have changed the industry right here!

Ok, so maybe I'm being a tad hyperbolic, but I am really pleased with this look and it is very unconventional in an industry defined by convention-- and very ME. Big hugs, Liz! Well done!

I am so inspired to blog up a storm! I think later today I'll drop a framing post (remember those?)!

I've been a little absent from the blog lately because I am REALLY REALLY busy framing stuff! I thought I would use the weeks after the holidays to reorganize and putter around the shop putting stuff back together after the craziness that was Xmas on the Ave--but these past few weeks have been just as busy! I am so grateful!

So please, take a look around and enjoy the scenery and I'll see you in a bit!

why i frame

2011-12-29T12:24:00.000-05:00

"What made you get into framing?"

I have been asked that question a lot lately--probably over a dozen times in the last two weeks--so I thought I'd broadcast my answer.

It is totally by accident that I became a framer.

I was working at some other place, some huge retailer, and very literally I received a phone call from a friend who asked me to join him as a custom framer. He had just signed up with a startup picture framing superstore, and was in charge of recruiting a staff for a new location a few miles from my North Jersey apartment. This friend and I had worked together for many years previously, so he knew I wasn't a total flake. This startup company offered a decent salary and unprecedented benefits.

But my response was something like..."You mean I'd be cutting glass and stuff? Ummm, let me think about that... NO."

I couldn't imagine anything for which I was less suited.

But you know what, I took a weekend and thought about it. I talked a lot to Mr. Fatale about it. And I decided that I really didn't like where I was with my other job, and at least I wouldn't be losing anything by trying something new. I called my friend and accepted the position as an entry level framer.

My first day on the job I was trained to do the finishing on fitted pieces by an old-timey framer. He showed me how to properly put the wire on the back of the finished frame. I learned the placement of the hardware, securing the knot, and how to wrap the wire from this seasoned senior. "Make sure to not to leave any space between the coils when you wrap the wire--make it nice and tight. You need to go beyond what the customer even expects. And I don't just mean that about framing. I mean that about all things in life."

exact words.

So I learned to swell with pride in the product I was producing--something of a shift in attitude from just trying to get through the day at my previous job.

And then I learned to cut glass, mats, wood + metal frames, while simultaneously getting a crash course in conservation, art handling, and most importantly, design.

And I will tell you, in my first month I was totally hooked. Obsessed. I began dreaming about framing (still to this day I often solve framing problems in dreams). I loved every part of it. I loved the math! The layout! Using T-squares and splitting fractions! And the design aspect was exciting to me, too! fillets + raised mats + painted bevels + rice paper--there was so much to learn and I was devouring it all! I borrowed trade magazines from work and read them at home. I examined framing everywhere I went: restaurants, hotels, museums, dinner parties (sorry friends).

It was a joy to come to work. I'd spring out of bed in the morning excited to tackle the challenging projects that waited for me. No joke.

But you know what I liked most of all? That I saw people every day who brought me their most cherished possessions. I saw their amazing art, heard their wonderful stories, and made real and important connections with people through the things that they value enough to preserve and display.

Now I've been framing for 13 years. I have framed everything from a taxidermy bat to a letter handwritten by George Washington. Last week I framed everything from a vintage matchbook to a memorial shadowbox for a fallen WWII soldier. It. never. gets. old.

There you have it.

12th day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, that. was. amazing. I totally did not expect to be so busy during my first holiday season on the Ave. Thanks so much to all you wonderful folks who brought in the loveliest things for me to frame. I haven't had to hustle this much in years.

However, my hands are in complete shambles. Paper cuts, puncture wounds--chipped, broken, gnarly little knubs at the end of these meathooks.

On my last day of xmas on the Ave I am totally treating myself to a proper manicure. And I'm going to do it at Professional Nails (1811 EPA) right next to my shop. This will be my third manicure in my entire life. (As a framer there's really not much point.) I'm going to get some really festive polish, too!

Have a great holiday everyone!

xoxo

11th Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-22T23:44:00.000-05:00

I am doing all my holiday shopping on the Avenue this year and am really glad I started this project because it brought me into Sweet Alyssa (1822 EPA). I had never been in this shop before but walk past it almost every day.

Inside I found a huge shop filled with fancy european kids clothes, but also this nice lady named Mira who makes dresses for little girls--mostly communion dresses, but this time of year she makes holiday dresses,too.

So while the dress I got there is a little over-the-top for, say...working at a frame shop, it is exactly what my little style icon is into. Poof, ribbons, ruffles. My girl is totally gonna rock this on xmas and for dress-up play.

10th Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-21T11:35:00.002-05:00

I am doing all my holiday shopping on the Avenue this year and found myself in N.R.S Boutique (1822 EPA), where Nicole Rae Styer embellishes and bedazzles clothing and accessories in her own unique style.

I went in with a 5-year-old who has a keen eye for twirly skirts and sparkles. She spotted this circle skirt with lots of trim. I had to admit, it was pretty darn cute. and on sale!

Nicole has lots of other one-of-a-kind items including hats, headbands + gloves--perfect for gifting.

9th Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-20T10:56:00.002-05:00

I am doing all my holiday shopping on the Avenue this year and I would have been totally remiss if I did not include a visit to Green Aisle Grocery (1618 EPA). This is a unique gourmet/artisan market specializing in local delicacies.

I love these gift items I found at Green Aisle: spicy cocoa mix from Cafe Con Chocolate (near 21st & Snyder) and honey from Urban Apiaries--this batch from my own zipcode--from the rooftop of Pageant Gallery (6th & Bainbridge), which you may recall as the scene of the Mikey Wild celebration in memoriam last June.

8th Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-17T13:12:00.001-05:00

I am doing all my holiday shopping on the Avenue this year--because East Passyunk is amazing and so many things are made right in the shops and sold by the very people that made them.

Fabric Horse (1737 EPA) makes utilitarian gear for urban cyclists: messenger bags, u-lock holsters, etc.

I got this nifty phone pouch for someone who is unaware that he routinely pocket-dials me. Just string it on a belt and problem solved :)

still framing for xmas

2011-12-15T11:08:00.000-05:00

It's getting pretty tight, but as of this writing we are still taking orders for completion before Christmas.

Here's an example of the gorgeous stuff we can design and create: this wedding photo in a wide white linen mat with large ornate fillet. The frame is slightly distressed and has painted gold details on its flat panel. It is finished with museum glass and spacers.

7th Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-15T10:50:00.000-05:00

I am doing all my holiday shopping on East Passyunk this year, and some new shoes for a little miss were needed for her holiday dresses and beyond--needed something warm, practical, and could take a beating--oh yeah, and be glossy enough for her to LOVE.

Sammi's Shoe Box (1916 EPA) is a wonderful kids shoe store and has been on this street for almost 75 years! And the staff totally knows their stuff and actually sit down and measure kids' feet and test the fit of each shoe. A pleasure.

So we ended up with these irresistible cherry patent clogs, a splurge but they hit all the marks and are really well made. And the company that makes them is headquartered right here in Southeastern PA.

6th Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

Another of my stops this weekend was just a whisper off the Ave at Girls Can Tell (1725 S 12th). It's a really sweet studio/shop that sells useful items with Sara's charming hand drawn diagrams silkscreened on them.

I chose her floursack tea towels (100% cotton, milled in US) with patterns some lucky folks in my world will love :)

holiday special!

2011-12-13T15:48:00.001-05:00

Grab + go stocking stuffer!

From now until Christmas Eve (or while supplies last!), we are offering a special deal: when you buy one of our unframed ORK Philadelphia maps, we will include a coupon for $20 off the custom framing order to frame it!

These clever typographic neighborhood maps come in a variety of colors and make great gifts!

Offer valid on ORK posters purchased at Frame Fatale only. Custom framing order must be $100 or over. Custom order must be placed 12/26/2011 or later. Must have coupon to receive discount.

Happy Holidays!

5th Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-13T15:13:00.002-05:00

I am doing all my holiday shopping on the Avenue this season and sharing all the lovely little things I find on my blog. And it's been really great--these shops are great and the owners are supernice and I've been getting a lot of encouraging emails, thanks everybody!

Once again: people with whom I exchange gifts should avert your eyes from this blog until December 26th!

Over the weekend I shopped at one of my favorite spots on East Passyunk, Nice Things...Handmade (1731 EPA) and found lots of great things! Yes, loads of ornaments, but also some other special gifts. I got this adorable handmade hat for my mom there (she does not have the internet, thank god).

It's a beautiful shop filled with things made by local Philly crafters.

superheroine

2011-12-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

Awesome new clients brought in this original rendering of Mary Marvel that was commissioned from Ramona Fradon, comic artist since 1950.

I love the framing choice here: wide ornate black lacquer (!), no mat, really tall spacers and museum glass.

ornament round-up

2011-12-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

1. vintage ornament from Era Atomica (1726 EPA)
2. state ornament from Nice Things...Handmade (1731 EPA)
3. soap ornament from Nice Things...Handmade
4. embellished ornament from N.R.S. Boutique (1822 EPA)
5. matryoshka ornament from Nice Things...Handmade
6. cupcake ornament from Nice Things...Handmade
7. vintage santa capsule from Era Atomica

I love everything about handmade ornaments. I love to make them and I love to gift them. Inexpensive, charming, and not off an assembly line--most of these were made right here in South Philly. I bought a bunch on the Avenue this season (many of them last night ;) and they will be special little trinkets for a variety of fine folks.

2nd Saturday

2011-12-09T19:55:00.001-05:00

December 10--A Super Sized 2nd Saturday is upon us and it is pretty amazing!

I walked past Fringe Salon (1728 EPA) and saw my frames on Alice Gonglewski's colorful paintings, if you're around be sure to check out her great HOMEBODY show.

And I would not dream of missing Nice Things...Handmade's ornament show! (1731 EPA)

This shop will be open our regular hours: 12 - 6 (at least!) and we are STILL TAKING ORDERS for Christmas!!! We've been plenty busy and our schedule is filling up fast, but if you bring your order in on 2nd Saturday we can still promise delivery in time for the holidays! And we've still got some ORK posters if you want 'em, but they're selling fast!

I also wanted to point out that there is FREE METERED PARKING on East Passyunk this Saturday and EVERY SATURDAY until Christmas.

image via girlscantell

And please don't miss the holiday lights on the 1600 block of S 13th--just a block away and absolutely FREE!

4th Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-09T13:21:00.000-05:00

Here we are on Day 4, already at the end of my first week of posting my 12 days of Xmas! I am doing all my shopping on the Avenue this year. Why? Because East Passyunk is fabulous. Truly. Just about every shop on it is independently owned + operated and many sell locally made products (myself humbly included).

Today I shopped for some beer enthusiasts in my life. I don't know about the beer people in your life, but mine are very particular--I needed something they could respect, something high quality and interesting, and preferably seasonal.

The Bottle Shop (1837 EPA) is a great little beer shop--you can mix a 6 pack of interesting beers, or buy single bottles. I went for larger single bottles for holiday gifting. The 2011 Christmas Ale is something new from Slyfox, right here in South Eastern PA! And the Rogue Juniper Pale Ale, though from the West Coast, is for someone that never met a Rogue he didn't like ;).

3rd Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-08T14:23:00.001-05:00

Today I was shopping for a stylish Philadelphia sports fan at casual men's clothier, NEXT (on the ave),1815 EPA. I knew they had these awesome exclusive shirts designed by a super-talented graphic artist who lives on the Avenue. I bought a really cute one for myself last summer, but was so happy to see these new designs for the holidays!

More designs available in the shop!

I settled on this one:

Just right to fit in someone's stocking :)

And Joel at NEXT says if you mention this blog, you can grab these shirts at $15 each! (regularly $19.99)

Thanks, Joel!

2nd Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-07T13:59:00.000-05:00

This morning I stopped in SOAP! (1742 EPA), a very new addition to the Ave (so new their Grand Opening party is this Saturday). Handmade soaps are made right here on the Avenue, right in the front window!

I have already tried their "naked" bar (<3!), but for holiday gifting I went with something pretty and wintery: glycerin bars with peppermint, eucalyptus + lavender. I know some folks that will love these!

& I spied these orange, cinnamon + clove bath bombs on the way out. Mmmm.

1st Day of Christmas--East Passyunk Style

2011-12-06T13:54:00.000-05:00

My first order of business this season was to shop for flowers for a little ballerina making her stage debut. I went to Chartreuse, 1616 EPA (you may recall they did my Grand Opening bouquet) and they made the sweetest little bouquet.

Perfect size. Beautiful details. And it smelled like Christmas. Just lovely! Thanks, Chartreuse!

(They also create great holiday centerpieces or hostess gifts.)

buying local

2011-12-06T13:31:00.001-05:00

Several years ago, while I was beaming about doing all my shopping online--never having to leave my house!, a friend of mine was already supporting the local independent effort here on East Passyunk. She challenged herself to do all her holiday shopping here and patronize the long-established family businesses on the Ave. In retrospect, I feel like an ass: I was shopping from money-making machines and having things shipped across the country to my door when a mere few blocks away from my house really unique quality items were being made and sold.

My attitude began to shift then, long before I considered becoming a business owner on this street. Mr. Fatale was already a locavore, signing our family up for various CSAs, shopping farmers markets, and preferring to do business with local merchants rather than Big Boxes wherever possible.

This year I am determined to do all my shopping on the Avenue. And it will be so much easier this year--have you seen all the great boutiques that have sprung up recently? Let me show you what I find. Beginning today I am doing a series of posts on gift items found on East Passyunk.

People with whom I exchange gifts may want to look away ;)

Posts will roll out on these days. 12 days of Christmas. East Passyunk Style.

tattoo collage

2011-12-05T23:19:00.000-05:00

A client arrived at the shop with this wonderful tattoo by Shawn Dubin on her arm: an image of Robert Smith from The Cure in an Edward Gorey-esque frame. LOVE!

She had three of the artist's preliminary sketches for the tattoo and wanted to frame them together in one frame.

We decided it should be 3 ovals, and a framed in a dark Victorian style (ok, goth).

The frame is a very wide ornate imperial frame with a sable rag mat. I also used tall spacers for no particular conservation advantage, but just for effect here. I wanted to really recess the art like a shadowbox. And in working the piece, I soon discovered that the ovals had to be three different sizes. This actually worked better visually--I think the layout & design are now reminiscent of Victorian botanical/insect specimens and recessing the art only enhanced the effect.

holiday special!

2011-11-30T16:01:00.002-05:00

PARC will be hosting a holiday party Thursday night, 12/1, at the fountain from 5:30 til 8:30 pm!

We will be open late ('til 9) and offering a 10% discount on your TOTAL ORDER!

and a fresh selection of unframed ORK Philadelphia maps will be available! ~the perfect stocking stuffer!

*This will our ONLY discount offered before Xmas--bring it all in early & save!

Offer good all day 12/1/2011 on all custom tickets and unframed art.

Black + Blue Saturday!

2011-11-25T14:10:00.000-05:00

Stop by for our first ever scratch + dent sale this Saturday, 11/26!
Frames made from remaindered moldings, miscuts, and/or slightly imperfect frames will be sold at crazy-low prices!

Prices starting at $5!

hours: noon 'til 8.

Shop the Avenue's independent boutiques for other Small Business Saturday specials!

November 2nd Saturday

2011-11-13T10:30:00.002-05:00

Artist Pam Cole

soup vixen & birthday girl

thanks for coming out!

Pam-a-rama!

2011-11-09T16:07:00.002-05:00

The day is fast approaching for the opening reception for Holiday PAM-A-RAMA!

see Event page for details.

Artist Pam Cole is debuting her line of greeting cards at the opening reception. Over a dozen images available printed with Pam's inspiring messages.

Learn more about Pam here.

or here

holy molas

2011-11-08T12:51:00.001-05:00

A client brought in these colorful molas: souvenirs from her trip to Panama. Molas are executed using layers of fabric: the more layers, the finer the work. This last one has about seven layers. I love that there is variety here: of art sizes, frame colors, and mat widths, but I would say all the frames have a tropical handmade quality about them. Three received suede mats which just have a great saturation of color--all together this is a really fanciful display.

before & after

2011-10-26T14:53:00.000-04:00

Aren't these sweet? Cut paper silhouettes from the 1970s. They're very detailed, too--note reflection in eyeglasses in portrait on the left, and eyelash in the portrait on the right.

This is another job for my MIL, and the portraits are of Mr. Fatale & his brother. They were never protected with any sort of glazing, and they've suffered a bit from exposure. I had a clear picture in my mind of how I wanted these to look when finished: I wanted a really ornate mat, an intricate black & white design with an oval fillet. Nevermind that I don't have a CMC (computerized mat cutter) in house, and oval fillets don't exist.

However, at some point in my storied career in framing, I became a certified Wizard operator/trainer. (Wizard is a brand of CMC.) I can install, maintain, and operate these things, and I am certainly aware of their capabilities. I sat down with the software and came up with a 3-tiered design of shapes there were not intended to go together.

I printed out my idea and found a place with machine in this town, and some nice industry folks willing to help a framer out :)

the machine

bottom layer

And just as my idea was coming together, Crescent Cardboard began to test market a new product: Flexible Accents. These can be used in ovals like a fillet! They're not available to frame shops yet, but I was able to get some samples to test.

I sliced some up before removing the adhesive film.

backview

And fit it into my oval.

raised middle layer

top layer

I wanted these to look like an illuminated story book, with a garden feel. That's why I chose this acanthus leaf motif frame.

the completed project

before & after

psychedelia

2011-10-26T12:53:00.000-04:00

This was a great project! It is 1969 early blacklight poster, Sweet Cream Ladies. There are some serious condition issues, but the poster has great sentimental value. It was framed as a special gift for the person who values it most.

The item arrived torn & crumbly. The paper was so old and the ink so heavy and saturated that it threatened to deteriorate with any more handling. I used the same method of mounting as I did with that vintage silk square a few months ago, by first getting the fusion film on the art face-down, and then carefully trimming it out and and mounting it face-up. In this way, the art is mounted all over, to the end of every jagged edge, and future deterioration is prevented. UV glass and spacers complete the conservation.

I think this manner of framing displays the art as an item with history--well-traveled and well-worn. <3

in situ

2011-10-26T11:01:00.000-04:00

These photos of the oversize Lik photo just came in via email from the pleased clients. I always enjoy seeing the art I've framed in situ, and it looks great here! Fits great between these two windows and at just the right height. :)

glass trap

2011-10-22T14:36:00.000-04:00

I know in the past I have said that dried flowers and taxidermy are my least favorite things to frame, but I should clarify now that properly pressed flowers are a joy to work with (untreated baby's breath was another matter entirely). A bride came in with these she'd saved from her bouquet. We worked for a while to come up with the above design. No weird angles, nothing to too fussy--just an elegant design like you'd find in an illustrated botanical guide.

These were done as a glass trap, sandwiched between two sheets of uv glass. The wall color will provide the background color.

We chose a simple pewter frame with some natural details, and I used some framing tricks to hold the glass in place behind the rabbet of the frame. Hanging hardware is out of the viewing area. I think the end result is fresh and modern because of the simplicity of the design and its perfect-squareness.

yup. ketchup :)

2011-10-20T18:57:00.000-04:00

This is an uncut sheet of ketchup packets! 2 foil-backed layers of material adhered together. Definitely a new one for me. It is retro-packaging no longer manufactured. The project was brought in by a dear friend who is also a ketchup enthusiast.

We floated it on a sliver of green matboard, and put it in a chrome satin frame--50s diner-style!--with shallow spacers so the glass wouldn't touch the art. This will be so great in her kitchen!

window change

2011-10-18T15:21:00.000-04:00

Come and see these lovelies in my new Halloween window! (Images courtesy of Tsirkus Fotografika.)

East Passyunk Ave's Spooky Saturday is this Saturday! See you at the fountain.

And please check out the new event I've added to the Events Page--A Holiday PAM-A-RAMA reception on November's Second Saturday :)

high drama

2011-10-15T15:41:00.000-04:00

This is a canvas purchased in Costa Rica by a well-traveled client. I gallery wrapped it on shallow stretcher bars and then sunk it in a 2" deep solid maple floating frame, allowing 1/4" space all the way around the canvas. The effect is very clean and soothing.

panorama

2011-10-11T11:16:00.001-04:00

Solace by Peter Lik

A lovely couple brought in this fantastic photo by Peter Lik. It came in a tube, and it was very exciting to unfurl!

It came with its own cotton gloves and inside was a note to framers about how to mount it. The image is a processed Fuji Flex photo, a specialty finish which is very archival and superglossy. And the photo is five feet long.

Items this large are a challenge. This one exceeds most oversize materials and we wanted a sleek, modern design with a nice wide white mat which would increase the overall size even further. We wanted to show the gorgeous luster of the print with UV protectant, non-reflective museum glazing. And so I sourced superoversize materials including museum plexi, a 72" long mat, and special cold mount material as directed by the photographer.

What are you looking at here? It's not a sheet of glass. This is the print after I mounted it. It is so unbelievably glossy that it looks like a reflecting pool. Below is the mounted image at a better angle for viewing.

24 hours later, after the mounting adhesive had cured, I called in a special assistant to help me fit the piece. Thanks, Robert! Above he is removing the film from a 6 foot long piece of museum plex. Museum plexi has recently been reformulated to be anti-static and scratch resistant. If you have ever worked with oversize plexi before you will understand what important advancements these are. Robert said he even saw a demonstration where steel wool was rubbed all over this stuff and didn't leave a mark. Craziness! This would have been unthinkable just 6 months ago. My official product review: AWESOME. REVOLUTIONARY. And it looks beautiful.

This is the moulding the clients selected and I love it. It is a simple profile with a little bit of an inward angle and a rounded lip, but it has a unique finish. Very stone-like and rough, with a natural unevenness in color. It's a great complement to Lik's modern, natural style.

the completed project

Finished size: 75 x 35.

candy

2011-10-08T14:49:00.007-04:00

This frame is joyous. Ornate. RED. Lacquer. Insane.
and perfect.

Had to show you :)

before & after

2011-10-08T14:47:00.000-04:00

A client arrived in the shop with this modest previously framed document. It is the original 1877 deed to her home, handed down homeowner-to-homeowner. The document is large, beautiful, and hand-calligraphed. It is also double-sided.

She said she wanted a frame to show significance, to give it more importance, while preserving the document. In our consultation we decided that this would be done with no mat, but use spacers to elevate UV glass over the document, and rest it on another layer of UV glass on the back. No adhesives. And a wide multi-paneled frame would provide the visual weight.

We looked at a lot of frame samples, but this beauty won out. At nearly 5" wide, with 3 distinct components, and a broad flat panel in the center, the beautiful hand-painted gilt detail is an amazing choice here.

the completed project

before & after

And the flipside:

How to Light Art Up!

2011-10-04T11:43:00.002-04:00

a guest post

I don't know if I've made it explicit on this blog, but I welcome guest posts. Especially from other framers! I love to see what you guys are working on! Recently someone from a lighting company approached me about doing a guest post. I asked if she could write about something I am very interested in: how to best light art. She came back with these beautiful ideas and examples. Please keep in mind that all types of light have an effect on art, so be sure to protect your art with uv protectant glass before installing any of these fixtures.

Today’s guest post is from Susi, a writer for Arcadian Lighting.

Art is a great addition to a home's walls. Whether your artwork is a masterpiece or decorative, a single work or a gallery wall, you'll want to light it correctly. Frame lights, lighting fixtures that attach to the top of frames, and track lights are two very good options for highlighting the artwork on your walls.

Cabbage Rose

Track lighting, mounted on the wall or ceiling, offer a sleek minimalist lighting for the art in this contemporary space. Love the low wall mounted wall sconces for the low painting.

Restoration Hardware

Frame lights bathe these art filled walls with soft light. Frame lights can be hung above a single work of art or in a row above a collage wall.

Pottery Barn

A trio of small frame lights highlights certain works of art on this gallery wall. The frame lights also create nice ambient lighting for the space.

Dwell

Track lighting is great for spotlighting different works of art. A pair of track lights can light art on two different walls from a single source.

Haute Indoor Couture

Cabled track light fixtures offer a more contemporary look than traditional cans. Halogen or LED lights can be placed along the cables to best highlight artwork.

Censational Girl

This wall sconce is a combination of vanity light and track light used as a frame light. With their typical downlights, vanity lights could be used as frame lights.

Gadget Grid

Frame lights for single works now come in LED and cordless options. These lights dramatically focus on a single work of art but can also be grouped for walls or bookshelf lighting.

Garden Web

While frame lights and track lighting are fantastic solutions for lighting art, sometimes something different works as well. Wall sconces can also be used to light art in place of frame lights. Look for wall sconces with adjustable or swing arms to pinpoint light on the artwork.

Image credits: { 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 }

back to work!

2011-09-29T11:32:00.000-04:00

--Just back from a GREAT vacation. Let me flip the sign around...

Yep! Back to regular hours from now 'til the holidays. I am newly energized and really excited about the next few months at the shop--I scheduled a fantastic art show for Nov - Dec (official info coming soon), am putting a new window display together for October, have a bunch of interesting new projects to show off --and there's some other things in the works that I can't tell you just yet.

A little postcard from my trip:

ttyl

2011-09-22T13:25:00.001-04:00

Hello all!

The shop will be closed from 9/23 until 9/28 for a long overdue family vacation.

Regular hours resume Thursday 9/29.

See you then!

synchronicity

2011-09-19T10:01:00.000-04:00

noun /ˌsiNGkrəˈnisitē/

The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection

- such synchronicity is quite staggering

This might be my most illustrative moment of synchronicity ever, and evermore. And it was a Shepard Fairey moment :)

Wonderful new clients showed up with excellent things, among them 3 Shepard Fairey signed 18 x 24 silkscreens.

We made all the decisions for framing: black frames with subtle red accents, the art to float on a neutral color mat, spacers, and uv glass.

AT THAT VERY MOMENT another new client came in with a Shepard Fairey signed 18 x 24 silkscreen. This time the image is of George Harrison. The clients actually interacted with each other. Crazy, right? And you know what else is weird? I have never framed any Shepard Fairey images before except for his famous Obama posters (of which I framed many).

George got a similar treatment: black frame with subtle red accents, the art floating on a neutral color mat, spacers, and uv glass. However we went with a different frame style. I have this sweet daisy embellished frame, very India-influenced, that seemed the perfect touch here with the print's border.

roundup

2011-09-18T00:31:00.001-04:00

Please forgive this format. Each of these items deserves its own individual post, but what can I say? I'M BUSY! (it pleases me to tell you :) In no particular order here are some wonderful things that came through lately.

1. Glass Trap! This small slip of canvas is impossible to stretch as there is nothing to pull on--no margins exist and it is cut purposely uneven and the image extends right up to the edge. The client wanted it done as a glass trap. This means that the item is floated between two pieces of glass, and the glass gives the illusion of a mat. It allows the wall color to be the color that surrounds the art. These are tricky for a number of reasons: a framer must show no visible attachments, hold the glass under the rabbet of the frame, and secure hanging hardware that is not visible from the front (can't use wire).

2. Siouxsie! This is a charcoal rendering of Siouxsie Sioux (The Creatures, Siouxsie and the Banshees) that a client did in High School art class. Boy, did he come to the right place ;) We went bold with a wide vivid RED mat, raised above with an invisible layer of acid free foam underneath. This is the proper way to frame pastels & charcoals, and other powdery mediums: a drop-bottom mat. This way, if any of the powder is inclined to fall due to gravity, it will not fall on the crisp white bevels of the mat, but rather in the channel under the mat. Never put pastel or charcoal in direct contact with glazing.

3. Che. Love this graphic painting on newsprint! We chose to do this in an awesome floating frame: chunky walnut with a gold lip and contrasting black interior. I stretched the canvas on super heavy-duty stretcher bars even though the art was smaller than 11 x 14. I did this so that the canvas would almost be as tall as the frame. The canvas was placed 1/4" out from the frame for maximum drama.

4. Vintage Mummers Parade poster. Okay, so it's from 2004. But I love the design--it's typeset and mechanical--and look at the pre-digital graphic! And they make posters for the parade? The client informed me this was the last year it was ever done. We framed it gallery style with a wide white mat and neutral blue frame.

5. Original 3D art from Nice Things...Handmade. This was from one of the great shows at Elissa's shop. This was a challenge because the art is sooo tall, but a solution always exists. We chose to float it on a soft grey suede mat, with sidewalls made from the same stuff, and a matte black gallery frame.

6. Original art by Doug Boehm, a wonderful local artist/illustrator. Check his blog to track all the interesting places his work is popping up. The client and I looked at a bunch of frames, but so glad we ended up with this distressed walnut rope. UV glass and spacers finished the job.

design trend

2011-09-15T12:01:00.002-04:00

collage walls, part 4
salon or curated walls
collections

I've saved my favorite for last in my 4 part series on collage walls. Folks are referring to these as salon walls, or curated walls, and it just means an interesting display of meaningful things. There's lots of freedom here: art doesn't have to have a theme or be the same medium, framing doesn't have to be uniform, and there's no rules to spacing. And I've recently had a language epiphany--curators do the curating. We regular folks do the collecting. "Curating" is really a popular word these days (I have been a guilty participant of its overuse--but no more!), and deserves more respect than the way we've been throwing it around.

source

I love the off-kilter look of these displays, they are clearly designed, but not too design-y. But more than that I love that each collection reflects the people that live in the space.

kismet

2011-09-08T18:24:00.001-04:00

A lifelong friend showed up at the shop with this authentic 1973 theater poster--a birthday gift he'd received that needed framing. I know nobody asked, but Equus also happens to be one of my favorite plays and this art is fantastic.

The art is in great condition but requires a mat. Registration marks are visible on the margins and the margins are not equal in width. I would never have suggested trimming the margins off--whatever monetary or collectible value this poster has would be compromised by trimming. So a mat was required as far as I was concerned, which would also serve as a platform for the glass to rest on so the glass would not be in direct contact with the art. And a wide mat would also make the piece more substantial and significant.

Now we just needed to select a frame. I immediately grabbed for my matte black frames with lines (top 2) to complement the style of the art.

But wait! What is this other frame on the bottom? Why that's a style that I received by mistake 2 days before. (For the record I ordered the right moulding, but this style was picked incorrectly at the distributor.) This one has a 70s retro feel to it and the lines are running the width of the frame, rather than the length.

And look! When we put it on the art, the lines were running the same way as the horse's mane. And it was the *perfect* frame. And it somehow knew to show up at the shop before the art did. :)

instagram!

2011-09-07T11:47:00.002-04:00

I'd like to take a moment now to talk about something really important: instagram!

Passyunk Ave Balcony by Adam Wallacavage

Instagram is a free iphone app that very easily puts a variety of retro effects on iphone photos and just as easily outputs them to your flickr, twitter, facebook, and email, and also shares them with your instagram friends & followers.

So, I recently figured out that the shop's ipod can instagram and the world unfurled before me. People are REALLY into this app. The images it creates are perfect little stylized squares--little romanticized glimpses at our lives with the suggested permanence of an analog photo. They really are very precious.

Many interesting ways to display instagram photos have sprung up. Sure you can show them in a free online gallery, but if you prefer a hard copy to display in you home you can print them as a poster like this:

image via printstagram

and then frame them up like this:

source

or do a collage wall like this:

source

or try something like this:

source

where images are held onto a magnetic surface in a frame! Images can be easily switched out and rotated. Instagrams are now easily transferred to magnets!

Not an iphone person but love the effects? Here is the closest thing I've found to it online and it's free! Click here.

design trend

2011-09-06T12:20:00.001-04:00

collage walls, part 3
When you NEED to be matchy-matchy.

source

There are lots of different kinds of people in this world, and sometimes you don't truly know a person until you meet them at the design table. Some folks get visibly disturbed when I start talking about weighted bottoms on mats. For them, the idea of any unevenness in placement makes them bananas. That's cool. I totally get that. And I have experience designing all types of collage walls. Above is a collage that uses identical frames in identical sizes. Perfect order for those who prefer it.

source

But even America's favorite perfectionist (above) can handle different sized frames, as long as the items are in the same style and meticulously spaced.

source

Above is an approach that looks a little more modern at first glance, but really is very conventional in its spacing and uniform frame styles.

OCD people may want to look away now.

source

Above is a unique wall that uses frames united in color, but in a variety of styles and crazy spacing.

source

And above the frames are all different styles, but the art unites the grouping.

source

And finally here the frames are unmatched, the style of art is all over the place, but the collage is successful because of its spacing and amusing theme of portraits.

i heart my hood.

2011-08-31T22:53:00.024-04:00

Mr. Fatale and I moved to Passyunk Square in 2004. We didn't know a lot about the city and we looked at dozens of houses. Eventually settled on ours because it was on a clean tree-lined street, in a safe walkable neighborhood, and very near mass transit. Little did we know that a plan was already underway for making this neighborhood better than we could have imagined.

A great moment of community pride occurred earlier this summer when PARC unveiled the restored singing fountain on Passyunk Ave. The space was transformed into a really lovely space for everyone to enjoy. So when a client came in with this gorgeous unique photo of the new fountain by Jeff Dal Porto, I was thrilled! And I was told the image was purchased at the fabulous store up the street, Nice Things...Handmade--a boutique that sells local handmade gift items created by a legion of Philly crafters.

The framing design for the photo was a collaboration. I suggested a white circle-cut mat and an orange frame (I will declare orange to be the official color of the Avenue--I'm looking at you, Cantina! ;) But the client suggested a raised mat, elevating the mat above the art by using a layer of acid-free foamboard, and selected and elegant red maple hardwood frame. It is a rich orangey color, but not candy coated. Just stunning.

Seriously, I think everyone in the neighborhood should have one of these. It has been really exciting time in the hood and worth remembering!

Click to see other nice things.

absolution lab

2011-08-31T22:21:00.000-04:00

...and he's at it again!

Butch Cordora, a regular on this blog, is showing a new group of work at Ven & Vaida (18 S 3rd St) beginning this Friday, 9/2, 6 - 9pm. The Absolution Lab already has the city buzzing.

The Bath (1951) by Paul Cadmus

Butch is known for homage--his interpretations of iconic works. The above painting is reimagined by Butch below.

But this new show, The Absolution Lab, is more varied than his previous shows. ( I know because I framed the framables and stretched the stretchables! ;) There are a variety of formats including some large scale vivid canvases as well as black & white and color photography--but all linked by a singular vision.

On view until October 1st, with an artist talk on 9/21, 6 - 8pm.

design trend

2011-08-25T14:30:00.000-04:00

collage walls, part 2
mirror collages

Ok, so I love mirror collages for a bathroom--a great alternative to one big mirror over the sink! And a variety of interesting frames makes it even better.

source

And also a great idea for over a dresser!

source

But here's a beautiful look for more formal spaces: using mirrors as a surface to display antique frames hung from ribbons. Lovely!

source

Did you know I can cut mirror? Yep. I have flat mirror in stock, and can order bevel mirror in standard and custom sizes. I am happy to fit a mirror into an existing frame, or help select a new frame. Frame design + consultation = always free :)

updates

2011-08-25T13:56:00.001-04:00

There's been lots of exciting stuff going on at the shop, and hopefully I'll be able to show off some of the fabulous projects in the next few weeks. Really awesome stuff.

I have increased my product line by a bunch! Hundreds of new mouldings have arrived and I'm super happy with the collections. Above is some sparkley glittery goodness from Bella Mouldings. Oh, they had to go straight to the front window--they are far too glam to hide away.

...and the LUCITE is here! Prisma frame samples arrived as well as the box of color tiles!

Love! Better than candy.

In other news, the shop celebrated its 6 month anniversary (already!), survived an earthquake (nothing fell off the walls--but everything flapped around a bit!), and the Hotlist results are in:

and I came in 2nd place! Not too shabby for a first time out :) Thanks to everyone who voted. And congratulations to the winner, The Frame Shop of Conshocken. I happen to know you've got a great staff over there. Frame on, sisters!

remembering brigit

2011-08-19T14:17:00.000-04:00

a collection of ephemera

Doesn't everyone have a 7 foot tall transgendered superhero in their life? Mine passed away last week while she was cooking dinner. I am a better person for having known her, and the world is worse for her no longer being in it.

photo by Eleanor Kincaid

"They're gonna need to raise the ceilings in the afterlife now."--Len9

photo of Rochelle & me by Brigit. photo of Brigit by me. 1993 Oakland, CA.

1996 club pass for that time she played in New Brunswick, NJ
(Need to hear Led Zep on cordless drill? Click here.)

still from Hollywood Nights

Brigit was pioneer in everything she did, and to me she was a superstar, a sister, a parent, and BFF. Miss you, girl :'(

design trend

2011-08-09T18:25:00.001-04:00

collage walls, part 1
EMPTY FRAMES?

For the record, this is not typical design for a framer's house (I've been in plenty of them.). But actual normal people are doing this.

source

The sources of these photos are from a variety of places, from Martha Stewart to fancy Euro designer sites to DIY crafty blogs. Hmmm. (Thanks, Pinterest!)

Not ready to go completely art-free? Here are some semi-empty frame collages:

source

And before I go, please let me remind you that voting ends at 11pm on August 12. Please send a click my way for Philly's Best Custom Framer on the Hotlist. (Thank you.)

father/hero/mentor

2011-08-06T10:07:00.000-04:00

a WWII Memorial box

These types of boxes are serious business and are designed with respect and produced with pride. A client gave himself a Father's Day gift this year and decided to frame these up right in memory of his father.

The first step always in dealing with military medals is to confirm the order is correct. There are numerous websites to help--simply click the medals received and the software will arrange them properly. Here is the model I generated with US Army Awards Rackbuilder.

This is how to display them if they were to be pinned on a uniform. When presenting them in a framing package spacing can be more generous so all the detail can be enjoyed.

Once the order of the medals was determined we could design the rest of the box which includes a formal uniformed headshot, and a candid shot in fatigues. Also, the client had a custom plaque made in the soldier's honor.

The framing had to be done in a specific order, too. A lot is going on behind the scenes of this mat. We chose a beautiful suede mat in a color reminiscent of Army Green. First I cut the openings for the photos and installed gold beaded fillets.

The way I like to hang the medals is to mark the mat where the pin bar hits. Then cut a slit and feed a strap through. I make the straps with two lengths of acid-free framer's tape affixed sticky-side to sticky-side.

The strap goes around the pin bar and back through the mat and is secured on the back.

This way no adhesives are necessary. These medals can come out of the box completely unscathed and that is the job of a conservation framer.

The design is finished with tall spacers, museum glass, and a handsome walnut burl frame.

sneak peek

2011-08-05T10:26:00.001-04:00

Is it Christmas around here? This week I began carrying mouldings from THREE new manufacturers. Everything is beautiful and I am so excited to use them in framing designs! I am most excited about this group:

Gorgeous lucite Prismaframes! I saw them in person yesterday and I was so dazzled and impressed!

These are high-quality (with a satisfying heft!) totally customizable contemporary gallery frames.

There are endless combinations of shapes, widths, colors, patterns, and finishes--or leave them clear!

These are seamless, continuous closed-corner frames built to order.

I was so taken by these samples I busted out my camera and snapped these photos right from the Rep's display case! My samples should arrive in the next few weeks, but I am full of product knowledge and can do pricing until then. Let's talk lucite!

cross-stitch

2011-08-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

sort of a tutorial

My method for stretching cross-stitch work has evolved over the years. I was taught one way, read about another, and then settled on a third way I invented for many years. However, I'm finally ready to proclaim yet another method superior to the others, and it just took a little common sense to arrive at it.

There are two schools of thought when designing for cross-stitch. The first way is for purists. Simply stretch the cross-stitch and frame. No mat, no glass. It's a style that has worked for centuries. A more contemporary approach is to stretch, mat, and glaze the work as one would a fine print or watercolor. Either way the work is presented, the stretching method is the same.

Get tools handy: flathead pins, thimble, straight edge, granny glasses. Cut acid-free foam to 1/8" shy of intended overall size for to allow for fabric thickness.

Protip: Cross stitch people work in very small detail and think about design that way, too. One time I asked a cross-stitcher how far out from the stitches she's like me to position the mat. I was thinking maybe an inch or half an inch. "5 stitches out," she said. And she brought a stitch gauge out of her purse. I think of that conversation everytime I stretch a cross-stitch. In my centering process, I always count rows out rather than solely relying on my straight edge.

Above, I have located the centers on all four sides, and used low-tack framer's tape to follow specific rows so I don't get all slanty in the stretch. Below, I locate the center on the acid-free foamboard. The cross-stitch will be pinned to the sides of it.

Like canvas-stretching, tacking begins from the centers and radiates out...

...following rows in the fabric.

Voila!

The client here chose the purist's approach and went with a perfectly matched slender whitewash ornate frame.

new mouldings!

2011-08-03T15:10:00.000-04:00

I am pleased to welcome Omega Mouldings to my selection! I am still unpacking boxes but could not wait to get these up on the wall. Omega makes distinct and unique mouldings and somehow prices them competitively. I grabbed the ones that called out to me and my framerly ways, but they offer a full range of styles including some great diploma-styles and gallery matte blacks.

Welcome!

sepia tones

2011-08-03T10:38:00.000-04:00

A client brought in this wonderful 1976 photo of her dad playing the banjo. The photo is permanently affixed to an aged matboard, and has a hand-calligraphed photo credit. Clearly that needed to show.

We came up with a design that uses the aged color of the matboard as a highlight. Just a sliver of it shows--just enough to reveal the calligraphy, and then we went dark and monochromatic with the rest of the package.

The photo received a dark beaded fillet, a greenish/brownish linen mat which is an extension of the tone of the photo, and a slender textured aged walnut veneer frame.

The design is earthy and rustic, yet formal at the same time. The photo is so iconic and the framing needed to convey its significance.

Car Show!

2011-08-02T12:54:00.000-04:00

Wow! The Car Show was crazy! And packed! We had such a great time here at the shop, and Tsirkus Fotografika caught a lot of great images. I managed to snap photographer RA Friedman in action a couple of times, too. Enjoy!

the G(u)ild

2011-08-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

I love that I am able to pull this off! When I was curating my selection of mouldings I only wanted high quality wood or metal products--no composite mouldings wrapped in contact paper, no inferior thin aluminum. However, I do have an awesome value line of wood mouldings that was put to great use here!

This is a poster from the web series The Guild, brainchild of writer/producer/actress Felicia Day represented above with Wil Wheaton. The romance novel-style art, Highland Sextasy, was just screaming for a gilded frame. We wanted to make it look like a museum piece, like an original oil painting (no mat).

And so, we found just the moulding that fit the part and didn't break the bank!

<3

design trend

2011-07-24T15:43:00.001-04:00

photobooths with frames!

Ok, so I knew about the photobooth trend at events, but it wasn't until I got myself an account over at Pinterest that I realized how widespread and fabulous an idea it is.

And they're not just for weddings, folks! I've seen these set-ups everywhere from small dinner parties, to corporate events, to children's birthday parties. Awesome!

And check this design firm's many frame-centric events :)

source

Vroom!

2011-07-21T11:43:00.001-04:00

new window!

Crazy, right? I just put a new window up two weeks ago. Can I help it if the summer is chock full of events on the Avenue? I am glad for it. And I do like to coordinate.

So despite not knowing a whole lot about cars, I attended the car show on the Ave for the past few years and HAD A BLAST. These events were very well attended by some really cool folks--the whole community was out from seniors to infants. Vendors and cars lined the streets, a craft fair around the fountain and good times were aplenty. I am really excited to take part in it this year as a Passyunk Ave business owner!

This window is hot! And it went up in a jiffy thanks to some nice folks who loaned me their framed classic car art! The large pieces are some that I framed myself a decade ago for a special car enthusiast in my life. And they are still looking MY-T-FINE! (Car people: do not panic, these are protected from the damaging effects of uv rays by conservation glass :) But the window also serves as a testament to framing things right the first time. These images look as great today as the day I framed them, and will continue on that way indefinitely.

And on the day of the East Passyunk Avenue Car Show and Street Festival here at the shop, Tsirkus Fotografika will be here snapping authentic vintage portrait photos under a tent out front! And doing it at crazy-low special price of $10 per photo!

On hand will be his marvelous trunk of unique props, and photos will be shot against a backdrop of glamorous, beautifully kept classic cars.

Save the date(s)!

Sunday July 31, noon - 5pm

Raindate Aug 7.

before & after

2011-07-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

New clients brought in these two vintage Parisian street scenes purchased from a local flea market. The art is original stenciled watercolor and spray paint circa 1950s. The original frames are showing some age and the mats (though spray painted, interestingly enough) are cracked and definitely not acid-free.

The clients wanted a more refined look for these lovelies, so we went with a speckled linen neutral mat (representative of the period of the art), and an ornate champagne frame for a Parisian sensibility :)

the completed projects

before & after

synchronicity

2011-07-20T15:50:00.000-04:00

syn·chro·nic·i·ty

noun /ˌsiNGkrəˈnisitē/

The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection

- such synchronicity is quite staggering

In the past I have written about retail coincidences: things coming in waves. For instance, a sports jersey might come in after I haven't had the pleasure of working on one for months. And then six more of them might show up from all different customers. Weird. And then there was that time when I framed my first Maasi necklace, only to have another unrelated one come in for framing a few days later. It just happens that way sometimes, and not just for me, but many of my framing colleagues report the same thing. So, I'm calling it synchronicity and will report on it whenever worthy of note.

A delightful couple arrived in the shop with two miniature watercolors purchased on a recent trip to Italy. We selected gorgeous framing materials, and since the items were so small (about an inch and a half tall), it was easy to go over-the-top with the design without breaking the bank. Each of miniatures received a fillet (the thin strip of moulding that fits inside the mat--a frame within the frame), an ornate gilded frame, and museum glass.

Senelar frame in water-gilded gold

A few days later, another delightful couple turned up with their pair of watercolor miniatures from Italy! And lo, they chose similar materials, this time with natural silk mats.

All are timeless and beautiful mementos from wonderful trips, well preserved and displayed to their fullest.

xo, causally unrelated clients!

philly original

2011-07-19T22:05:00.002-04:00

With great pleasure I present to you a Mikey Wild original "marker painting" framed here in the shop. You may recall the exhibit of similar works last month.

This one was purchased at Gleaners--they have had quite a few of them on display this month--proceeds to benefit the family (I could not resist the rendering of Jesus vs. Iggy Pop), and last I checked there weren't many left. I am so glad a client scooped this up as a birthday gift (as it turns out, for someone I know!).

portrait of Mick Jagger by Mikey Wild

The client chose materials very similar to what I will select for my own piece! A black vienna-esque moulding and a red linen mat. Not over-the-top, not boring, but classic and a little bit dark.

Happy Birthday, lady!

(and to the rest of you: don't forget to bring in your Mikey Wild originals by 12/31/11. 15% of your framing ticket will be donated to the family.)

eep opp ORK ah-ah!

2011-07-19T18:20:00.001-04:00

Been swivelin' all day!

Guess who became an official retailer of ORK posters today! Why it's ME!

Ork designs clever typographic neighborhood maps of great cities, Philadelphia among them.

A great modern alternative to the requisite antique Philadelphia map and a bit easier on the pocketbook. I will carry all varieties of the Philly map which include signed screen prints (yay!!!).

Choose custom framing materials for them from my fabulous selection OR buy them preframed and ready to hang! I should have a bunch ready to go in time for the car show, July 31 (raindate Aug 7).

Paper Dreamscapes

2011-07-11T10:33:00.000-04:00

photos from the opening

textile shark

2011-07-07T19:16:00.000-04:00

Mounting textiles = shooting pool.

Learning physics is great. But it means nothing without frequent tactile experience.

So a client brings in this beautiful fine silk square from 1940s Japan, a family heirloom. There are some condition issues, the dye has run in spots and upon very close inspection there are some tiny tears, but in all this is a beauty. I love the bold geometric pattern and the personalization. I note that silk has no elasticity, and silk this fine cannot be sewn down to the backing (as would be done to more sturdy fabrics) without damage. Most other methods of mounting would cause sagging.

I turn to fusion film. This stuff is completely reversible and invented primarily for fabrics. What a glorious day it was when I discovered it could be used to mount Indian silk paintings! (I am something of an expert in those, too :) But I wanted to float this item in the center of a mat, not cut an opening in the mat...

There is a way. And in the last big shop I managed, we referred to it as New York Style. I have taught this method to many framers. It is a great trick to have up one's sleeve.

Step 1. Put item face down on release, kraft, or other inconsequential paper. Layer fusion film on top of upside-down art. Then a layer of release paper and release board on the top. Put in drymount press on regular settings.

Wait 5 minutes.

Step 2. Remove item from press. Carefully score around the outside edge of the art with a sharp blade. Item will lift off the paper leaving excess fusion film behind.

Step 3. Position art rightside-up on the matboard selected for the frame package. Layer release paper & release board on top, like usual. Put in drymount press.

Wait 5 more minutes.

Now add frame & glass. Voila!

In this case we chose a vivid orange metal frame with tall spacers. I love how simple and modern it looks.

You may observe that the scarf is not perfectly square and the edges have some waves.

Yes.

Silk is one of those fabrics that if you pull it square one way, then the opposite edge goes out of square. The very best way to handle it is to let the fabric do what it wants. Get it as square as possible without pulling and just let it lay naturally. The fusion mount is an all-over adhesive so this scarf will never sag, ripple, or do anything other than be suspended in this manner. It can, however, come out of this framing package completely unscathed, and that is the job of a conservation framer.

window change

2011-07-06T14:15:00.000-04:00

I am really excited for Paper Dreamscapes this Saturday! Can not wait to see the new work by Ellen Bischoff! Her stuff is just beautiful.

So, I wanted to do something special in the window to announce this installation. And I wanted it to express three points: beautiful paper, dimension, art nouveau.

settled on font & size

framing trick for dimensionality

old school layout

Ok, so it reflects Ellen's work only in a most amateurish way--

Ellen = fine artist
Me = ~~sign maker~~ off-duty picture framer

but I am pleased enough with the result.

completed window

dual sided! inside view

See you Saturday!

tearing. it. up.

2011-07-02T15:08:00.002-04:00

Wow! Can you believe this?

Did you catch it? Let me blow it up for you:

THANKS, VOTERS!
I am #1 on the Hotlist!
(click through to vote if you haven't yet :)

I know, it's so early into voting and there are some real bigwigs on the ballot, but for this one brief shining moment I am the Best Custom Framer in Philadelphia according to this very accurate poll. And I must say I am enjoying it.

Oh rest assured that I will totally hit you all up again and campaign as the deadline approaches, but now it is time to turn my attention to other things in the shop...like framing!

And also, I've got a great event on the schedule!

Next Saturday, July 9, is 2nd Saturday on the Avenue and I have a wonderful art installation going up. Paper Dreamscapes: Three Dimensional Mixed Media Collages by Ellen Bischoff. Ellen is an incredibly talented artist and also a fellow framer. Her art incorporates classical forms, gorgeous textures and impossible dimensionality.

And the good folks from Magners Cider will be here for the event offering a pairing of their pear cider with various cheeses! Be sure to check it!

travel bug

2011-07-01T12:58:00.000-04:00

Some clients returned from a trip to Portofino, Italy with these two signed watercolor images of a monestary interior. The images were vastly different in size, but the clients were very clear in their design directive: they wanted them framed out to the same size, and large, as this would be most aesthetically balanced for the intended wall and room.

Usually in custom framing, the art dictates the size of the frame, but there are some occasions--this being a great example, where the frame size gets established first.

We chose beautiful materials, a heavy wide rustic whitewash frame, blue gray linen mat, and museum glass.

I was able to come up with mat exposures that were pretty close to even all the way around while exposing the signature on each. The smaller image has about 4" mat exposures and the larger image has about 2 1/2". The overall finished sizes are identical at 21 x 25.

new mouldings!

2011-06-30T14:52:00.002-04:00

Welcome new frame families! Love you both!

I don't normally post every time a new product is born, but I adore these two new lines from Larson-Juhl.

First is Olmsted, an acanthus leaf motif inspired by the gardens at Biltmore, George Washington Vanderbilt's magnificent estate in Asheville, NC. This family of frames is named for Franklin Law Olmsted, the original landscape architect and designer of its grounds.

Next up is L7, no, not named for the girl band of the 90s, but they did both arrive at their names from the same idea: L and 7 when next to each other resemble a square.

This is a family of simple clean lines and an elegant finish. Love the floating styles (top 3) with contrasting interiors, especially the silver/white combo in the middle. A stunner! And these are water gilded! And Craig Ponzio Signature Collection! omg.

Got something these would be perfect for? Bring it in and we'll try 'em on!

hotlisted

2011-06-30T11:52:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I LOVE framing and as it turns out, I also love being an independent local business owner. But what you may not know is that I am really into awards, accolades, and bragging rights. (It's true.)

Yesterday I entered Frame Fatale for consideration for Philly's Best Custom Framing on the 2011 Philly Hotlist, and in one evening I went from dead last to 2nd place--all because of online voters! It is still early on in the voting process, there are 44 more days to go (voting ends August 12), so if you are one of my regular readers please click below to cast your vote. It only takes a sec!

thanks!

The Royal Theater

2011-06-25T14:17:00.000-04:00

The Royal Theatre, a photo by Sherrinemae on Flickr.

This city is great for a lot of things: history, art, people. This project hit the spot for all of these.

A new client brought in 3 large format photographs of images he had taken of the mural on the Royal Theater, 1524 South Street. The mural was completed in September '05 by serial muralist Eric Okdeh. The Royal Theater has been abandoned since 1970.

As I was not familiar with the Royal and its history, my client directed me to Hidden City Philadelphia, a project that sheds light on historic abandoned structures and locations and installs temporary art or perfomances in them. The Royal Theater was included on its 2009 location schedule.

Hidden City's historical data and timeline on the Royal are comprehensive, below a direct link in the reprinted text.

"The Royal Theater, called "American's Finest Colored Photoplay House", upon its 1920 opening, was the first black-run theater in the city. The theater became a beacon for the African-American entertainment sector on South Street. Patrons regularly filled the theater's 1,200 seats to see acts like Fats Waller and Bessie Smith. Patrons also loved the films at the Royal, which included films shot at local Colored Pictures Film Corporation. The first staff of the theater went on to become the nucleus of the Negro Motion Pictures Operators Union. The community was closely tied to the theater. Neighborhood residents were the Royal's most loyal patrons and participated in talent shows and radio broadcasts. Business owners received increased foot traffic after Royal shows. But by the 1960s, the threat of the construction of an expressway in the neighborhood (that never materialized) and Civil rights legislation, which allowed blacks to move freely and patronized other entertainment venues, decimated the Royal's neighborhood and attendance. The Royal closed its doors in 1970. The Royal deteriorated quickly: trees sprouted from its masonry and moisture destroyed the interior. Urban decay took hold of the neighborhood by the 1980s, with drugs and empty lots becoming staples of the neighborhood. By the early 1990s, the Royal was up for demolition. But the demolition request spurred new interest in the Royal: but for years, an owner was hard to come by. Finally, by 2000, native Philadelphian Kenny Gamble purchased the theater; Gamble hopes to rehabilitate it. Meanwhile, the resurgent neighborhood has new small businesses and homeowners. Perhaps the Royal's resurgence will follow."

Images of the interior as it appeared in 2009 courtesy of Kevin Derrick:

Right, so as my client is giving me all this wonderful food for thought, we had a project to design! We selected a slightly patinaed bronze frame with large beads. Gilded and very jazz. Perfect. That and an off-white mat is all they needed.

and here they are in situ in the client's home :)

Design of the Week

2011-06-23T18:34:00.000-04:00

Graduation Box for a young Sports Star!

Proud parents arrived in the shop with this high school jersey and a career's worth of meticulously collected clippings and senior year mementos for their star athlete graduate. They arranged the items on my design table like this:

Okay. That looks cool, but how am I going to attach all those little slips of paper to the fabric of the jersey? No matter. That's for me to figure out. Later. I took the job and promised it on time for the big graduation party. What a great thing to have there!

I turned to my trusty fusion film and fused everything onto a 4ply solid core black mat. Then I carefully trimmed everything out, taking care to bevel all the sides out for a more finished look.

Then I hand-sewed the jersey to the linen backing mat we selected (it matches the text) using clear heavy-gauge monofilament.

And then I did figure out how to get all those little clippings on the jersey. And I did it with out using any adhesives whatsoever on the jersey. Yes I did. Bully for me, and I'm not telling! :P This jersey could come out of this box one day completely unscathed, and that is the job of a conservation framer.

So, I made the frame (44 x 34!), cut the glass, and made sidewalls to complete the box. I always use two methods of adhesion: glue and super ATG.

And finally, put on the recommended hardware: wall buddies. Yeah, I know the name is really cutesy, but these really are the best for pieces of this size and weight. They put the least amount of stress on the frame joints and also hold the frame close to the wall without the annoying slant that sometimes happens with wire. They're pretty easy to install, too.

I love how this turned out!

Congrats, Grad!

happy father's day

2011-06-23T18:04:00.000-04:00

This project is a gift from daughter to father on Father's Day. The art is authentic vintage postcards (not reproductions) of the Greetings From... variety. I would say these are from the 40s or 50s, souvenirs from early Interstate travel by car.

The client and I were on the same page regarding design. They should totally be done as a float collage with photo corners for that antique scrapbook look.

I cannot take credit for the layout--the client came up with this clever one. I love how CA and NJ are mirror images and of course MD is over VA.

We chose a great robin's egg blue backing mat, used spacers, and put it all in a weathered VT frame.

lately

2011-06-22T20:49:00.000-04:00

I have been terribly remiss in my blogging. I've been pretty busy in and out of the shop, but I'm gonna try to blog my brains out next week, somehow. Lots of cool stuff is coming through.

Here are some things I've been up to:

I helped hang a show using paperclips.

I wore a green dress.

I framed a whole show.

I framed the joker in vivid technicolor.

I said goodbye to this old friend.

this weekend

2011-06-17T17:42:00.000-04:00

MIKEY WILD: a celebration of his art and music
Saturday, June 18th 5:00pm
Pageant: Soloveev Gallery
607 Bainbridge

image source

I am so lucky to have been very minutely involved with the installation of this show (thanks, Amber!). I totally got a sneak preview and it's wonderful. Mikey Wild is a great outsider artist and local punk hero who died last month after battling lung cancer.

Grabbed this slideshow just by doing a search on flickr.

There will be music, video, a silent auction, beer, buttons, nice times, and crazy art. What else do you want?

*I am donating 15% of sales tickets for the framing of any original art by Mikey Wild to the Deluca family. Offer ends December 31, 2011.

ITA

2011-06-10T12:03:00.000-04:00

Text-only poster with gallery style white mat, 3" top & sides, 4" bottom. Chartreuse taffy frame! <3

the Butch is Back

2011-06-03T17:21:00.001-04:00

Remember Butch? He's the host of local tv show In Bed With Butch and creator of Straight & Butch, a provocative series of photographs. Since the last time I blogged about him he debuted his documentary film at Qfest, had a successful solo gallery show at Ven & Vaida, and now his film has been released on DVD!

Also, I am pleased to tell you, this week is the opening reception for his show at Soho Photo gallery in NYC!

Break a leg, Butch! xo

a tale of two murals

2011-06-02T13:53:00.000-04:00

A few basic rules have evolved in my few years of frame bloggery: no names or prices, always with the client's permission, and always after it has left the store. I'm going to do my best here to preserve anonymity...

So there's this organization in Philadelphia that puts fabulous murals all over the place. And that organization may have held a splashy event this week that required the presentation of framed images to esteemed honorees.

This first one is an image of an existing mural on an oil tank at the refinery near the Philadelphia International Airport. It serves as a welcome to visitors or residents returning home.

The photography is fantastic with its saturation of color in the night sky and dramatic lighting of the tank. We chose a wide white gallery mat and vivid metallic frame in a color value that is spot on. Cool and modern.

The second is an artist's watercolor rendering of a mural that never quite happened. It was ultimately rejected by the community for which it was designed. It is beautifully executed and so wonderfully nostalgic. We chose an antique white neutral mat and a handsome walnut burl frame. Warm and traditional.

This organization chose to honor the art as well as the honorees by selecting materials specific to the art, rather than doing them identically in classic "award style." (but of course!)

Congrats to the honorees!

Design of the Week

2011-06-01T12:13:00.000-04:00

First floating frame in the new shop!

A client came in with an adorable small square still life by a local artist and requested a white floating frame. He had a similar one already, and showed me a photo of it on his smartphone. Very prepared! I had just the style to coordinate with his existing piece.

Floating frames are for canvases or other types of art that don't require glazing. They are great in that they allow every bit of the canvas to be seen. In more tradional frame styles, the edges of the canvas would be covered by the rabbet of the frame by 1/8" or so.

And floating frames are versatile in that there are are a variety of positions in which the canvas can be placed. If the sides of the canvas are unfinished, the canvas can be placed flush against the floating frame so those edges don't show. Like so:

If the canvas is gallery wrapped, and you can allow the finished edges to show, you can decide on how much space there should be between the canvas and the floating frame. Below is the standard 1/4" margin.

But this client was bold! and he went the full 1" out. This is the max the moulding would allow and gives a really dramatic effect on this small piece. It is very much in keeping with the clean white-on-white look that is so crisp in galleries or modern designed homes.

the completed project

I have a variety of floating frames from which to choose: in wood tones, gallery black or white, or even gilded styles. They come in different depths and face widths, and some with contrasting colors on the inside. And they can even be stacked! Any traditional rabbeted moulding can be cut to fit the outside, making the possibilities endless.

snapped stick hockey box

2011-05-31T14:06:00.000-04:00

This is a game stick used and signed by Scott Hartnell, #19 of the Philadelphia Flyers!!!! Shhh, it's a gift to a sweet young hockey fan. A family friend of the boy was able to get it from the player at the game--however that is done.

The client and I worked on a terrific design that has texture, depth, team colors, and drama.

Above the stick is mounted to black suede mat. I used two different methods to make doubly sure these stay put. Passed a stress test.

Below is completed design before glass went on. Two mats are raised above the surface, using an insert box I made out of acid-free foamboard. I lined the inside of the box with black suede. The frame is a 2" high black shadowbox with slender silver pinstripes.

Finished box is nearly five feet tall!

A refined, sophisticated sports box? Yes indeed!

before & after

2011-05-31T11:43:00.001-04:00

This one is a family affair!

My MIL brought this in--an illustration of her rural hometown (Rye, NY) by Lauren Ford that once hung in her childhood home.

Here is the art as it came in:

She also brought in this photograph . In it, you can see this framed art in situ! (My MIL is the baby in her mother's arms.)

While carefully unframing the art, I found this note from the artist tucked in the back.

Over the years, I've found lots of things in old frames--clients always joke, "Let me know if you find any money back there when you take it apart!" But I've never found money. It's mostly been old newspaper used as backing material, but every once in a while there is some notation from the artist or original framer that was previously unseen. This letter in my MIL's antique frame is amazing provenance and very out of the ordinary.

So here's how we reframed it:

the completed project

A detail from the art:

I love all the scratch lines on the ice and the unusual coloring of the print. I found a great natural silk mat with subtle striations in a color that was this print's neutral. You can just barely see these striations in the mat detail below.

The frame is one of my favorites: Bolshoi with handpainted detail. This one has a pale yellow-green base. The distress on it is completely intentional--the finish is even chipped in spots. We chose a fillet (a thin strip of moulding lining the mat opening) that coordinates, but is a simple patina with no ornamentation. The bottom exposure of the mat is weighted slightly --which in this case made the whole piece a perfect 16 x 20.

The photo and letter are nestled safely in a pocket on the back.

before & after

I am proud of the work I did on this, particularly in regard to the condition of the art. It arrived in the shop a little bit ripply and quite fragile. I was able to get it really flat in the press (sans adhesive) and use a mounting technique that would cause no stress to the paper. And I think the style of the framing is classic and could be just as at home in a farmhouse or a penthouse or anything in between.

before & after

2011-05-18T12:16:00.000-04:00

Usually Before & After posts are about items that arrive in the shop having been previously framed. In this case, there was no frame, but we ended up changing the art from its original state.

Above are front and back views of a vintage 60s brochure for an affordable senior housing high-rise building in Center City. This is the only known copy of the document. My client wanted this to be displayed in the building, but wanted to show the whole document. We talked about framing one side of it and reproducing the other side, but eventually decided to reproduce both sides to keep paper color and inks uniform for a more polished look.

Print reproduction is not a service I offer, BUT I do know a high-quality digital output printer/photoshop service provider and can happily outsource at no inconvenience to my clients.

The project was completed with the reproductions in a sepia 3-opening collage mat, with an elegant charcoal veneer frame.

I made a pocket on the back of the frame to store the original, unharmed document.

before & after

Design of the Week

2011-05-17T14:19:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay, it's really Art of the Week, but the framing design is pretty good, too.

This is a great piece that turned up recently at the shop. It is one of a very limited run (just 100 were made) of Maurice Sendak's illustration of a scene from Dracula.

The scene depicted above is one that finds the recently betrothed Lucy sick from a mysterious illness that befuddles Dr. Seward (R) and is just becoming clear to Dr.Van Helsing (L). The Count, unnoticed, looks on.

My client, formerly a curator of the Rosenbach Museum, informed me about the Dracula exhibit it had done over a decade ago. The museum is home to Bram Stoker's notes for the novel.

"Sendak did this image as a cover for an exhibition catalog -- the exhibition happened back in 1997, around the time of the 100th anniversary of the publication of the novel. Sendak has long had a close relationship with the museum, and the director asked if he would do this image. Sendak loves old horror books and films, and was happy to illustrate it.

The numbered prints were made for a special "collector's edition" of the catalog & were snapped immediately up by Sendak collectors."

We chose beautiful materials for the framing of this image, a dark Victorian frame, a wide linen mat the color of wine--rimmed in gold, and uv protectant glass.

collage walls: kids art

2011-05-13T18:14:00.000-04:00

So the new window went up this week and already I've had a few folks pop in just to tell me how much they appreciate it and how it's made them smile :)

But the display is just one example of how to style a kids art collage. I noodled around the interwebs and found some inspiring variations.

lots of kids art was scanned and made into a photographic collage

I found several examples of symmetical designs...

white-on-white

gallery maple

And some more ecclectic groupings...

Some even incorporating chalkboards, like my window...

And some were empty, allowing for a quick change of scenery!

What's your style?