Now this is Fabulous!! The Art Handling Olympics!

I found this article in the New York Times and it made me smile. What a fabulous and funny idea :)

It seems from the photos that everybody is having a wonderful time and enjoying the competition. I wonder if the Art Handlers of England would welcome a similar event with such fun and gusto?

Clink on the link for the great article : http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/arts/design/23handlers.html

My little helper, erm... kind of !!!

So it’s the weekend and I’m thinking it’s about time I photographed my growing stock of handmade reclaimed frames, so I can list them for sale and find them loving homes.



I have moved house since last photographing a batch of frames, and therefore had to spend a bit of time trying to find a good location in the afternoon light. On settling down, sorting out my camera, frame stands, frames, etc, I set to work, inspired and ready to photograph at least ten frames and get them listed by the close of the weekend.

HOWEVER…..I was then joined by my little helper, whom, on seeing the camera, took the opportunity to have a few portrait shots done!! Now I was trying to capture the loveliness of the little white frame, but it got slightly over shadowed by the kitty! After a few shots, he then got up and sat ON the frame, ensuring he was not going to be cut out of the photos!! Cheeky little monkey….

I moved the frame to the window sill on the end, as it was only way it was going to be captured without a little furry friend :)

So in failing light, I got one photo of a partially sat-on white reclaimed frame to list for sale!!! Hope you like it….if you do you can buy it here: http://www.myehive.com/Product.aspx?ProductId=1827

P.S. Sorry, kitty not for sale!!!

Selling Online

I’m not sure if you have ever sold anything online before, I certainly had tried a couple of sales on EBay, but nothing too crazy, however I have been testing the water with online handmade/craft sites and think I’m finally ready to jump in.

When I started to make a range of handmade reclaimed picture frames, I wasn’t really sure how the promote and market them, and focused initially on my first idea, of storing them in a box (!) and then using them to sell at craft fairs. All well and good, and attending and selling at fairs is great fun, but I now have many boxes in my home, and the craft fairs tend to be periodic in nature.
So I started thinking: What can I do with my frames to showcase and sell in between fairs?

Well, I had a little snoop around the internet and was amazed at the possible outlets for my handmade products. There are so many craft sites and online selling sites dedicated to promotion and sales of handmade lovely stuff. After carefully review of many sites, I set up two shops last year to test to water with my frames, one on http://etsy.com/ and the other on http://www.myehive.com/.

Who and why? Firstly Etsy.com, which is a massive worldwide, established website, stuffed full of stunning craftsmanship, ranging from handmade glass, furniture, jewellery, clothes and many beautiful designs to woo you into parting with your money. All the products are handmade and showcased and sold by the makers and designers. Etsy is an American site and sells in Dollars, but it has a nice contemporary feel and is easy to use. However it is heavy subscribed and I wasn’t sure that my little frames would be found and loved in such a vast marketplace.

So that leads me onto MyEhive.com. This site is relatively new and it is run here in England. As it was new when I found it, I now have become one of the more established sellers on the site. Again it’s very easy to use and provides me with a great, cost effective way to sell my reclaimed frames to everybody. I am able to list up each frame, providing a description, how is made, and what it’s made from. To back this up, I tend to provide two or three images of each frame so the viewer can see the product clearly and hopefully fall in love with it :)
This site covers Europe only, which can appeal if you want to keep postage costs down or if your items are fragile.

I am also able to work on commissions and then list them for payment through these sites, which is very useful. The sites also have forums and blogs, so you can become part of an online selling community, which is a good resource, and MyEhive even have meet-ups once a month if you want to have a coffee and meet other sellers.

All the frames I make are individual and unique, so to be able to list each one separately is fabulous. I have found online selling very enjoyable and beneficial and this year I will be listing and selling even more reclaimed frames on my online shops :)

Please check out my two online shops http://emeraldreclaimedframes.myehive.com/ and http://www.etsy.com/shop/emeraldframes and let me know what you think :)

Mirror Mirror on the wall......

So who’s the fairest of them all?

Did you know that you can get a mirror custom made by your local picture framer?

It actually quite a good option to consider, as there is much greater flexibility in your choice of not just frame, but also the mirror glass itself.

Firstly, you may not be aware, but mirror glass can come in different thickness (normally the larger the mirror, the thicker the glass should be for safety) it can just be flat mirror glass (normally slightly cheaper), or it can have a bevelled edge.
Bevelled mirrors are available in a wide selection of standard sizes, and if you are in need of a very specific size, maybe to fit exactly into a tight space, you can get a mirror custom-made to any size down to the last millimetre. (However, this option can be more costly than selecting a standard size pre-made mirror!!!)

And so, to think about the frame, mirrors do tend to be heavy, especially if they are large, so normal you need a strong frame to surround them. Many people will choose quite a large ‘feature frame’ with a strong colour or detail to the frame. If you select to get a mirror made at your local framers, you can frame it in any of the framing samples that you could frame any picture in.
I recently framed a large mirror for a client, using the same frame that she had already framed all the pictures that hung in the same room. By choosing this frame for her mirror too it created cohesion in the room and a stunning result. This is often a favourite of interior designers, and can be a good idea if you want something a little different in your home.

So why settle for a framed mirror from John Lewis or Habitat, which you can see in any house on any street?
Step outside the box, for the same money could get something that makes a statement, is truly unique to you and your home, and costs a similar price?
Check out your local framer and see who’s the fairest of them all?

Standards!

At my workshop, as a Guild Commended Framer, I have high standards to meet for every order that I complete. As a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild, I will assist every customer to find the best frame to enhance their artwork for the appropriate level of conservation for each piece. I only use acid natural materials for all my framing work, and I offer a selection of glass options such as reflection control and conservation clear glass for perfect viewing, and the option of a UV filter to help protect your work from sun damage.
My bespoke framing service includes a friendly consultation by appointment, to ensure the optimum choice is made for anything you might want to hang, be it for photographs, posters, original paintings, needlework, medals or sentimental keepsakes and treasures. With over five years framing experience and a focus on providing my customers with a frame to enhance their artwork, I ensure my framed products are always produced to the best standard.

So to meet the standards that I provide, despite just being a picture framer(!), for my commission work I following the Fine Art Trade Guild’s standards of framing and use my qualification as a guild framer to ensure I am providing the best and most appropriate framing solution to each piece of work that I complete. For more information on the Fine Art Trade guild check out : http://www.fineart.co.uk/

Better late then never.....

So it’s fast approaching the end of January and I am super busy. As part of my goals this year, I will be blogging more frequently!!
I have had such a busy end of year, that on checking, I haven't updated a blog since November (which is terrible!!) Christmas, of course is a busy time for us all, and life as a framer is no exception. I had lots of wonderful people who visited me to buy works of art for Christmas presents, to get treasured pictures and photographs framed as gifts, and many commissions that were wanted up on walls before Christmas arrived.
I had a lady who had a collection of photos, dating back to cover four generations of her family. She wanted them framing in a periodic collection, and hanging in time for Christmas, so that her extended family could enjoy them during their visit for Christmas lunch.
My collection of reclaimed picture frames proved popular too. The ideal handmade gift to use as stocking fillers!! I attended many events and craft fairs in December and my frames sold like hot cakes. I hope they all went to happy homes :)
So onward and upwards into 2010 I guess. The New Year is proving popular for framed mirrors, maybe people or transforming their homes as a New Year resolution?
I have lots of ideas and projects to focus on and plan to share these with you as my year progresses, so I promise to blog more frequently and look forward you following my adventures.