An awesome lady from church asked me to frame a couple of really cool posters for a special gift for a special someone (shhh, they are a surprise!)  I was so excited to get started!

As I started the process of choosing mat colors, I knew I wanted to keep some consistency between the two and yet give them each their own 'flavor'.  I chose a neutral top mat that would be a good fit for both posters, as well be soft enough to match any paint colors that she may have in her home.  In choosing the inner mats, I wanted something that really brought out the colors in the posters.  Or made them 'pop'!  The rusty red and the navy blue work had to work well  together as well so they wouldn't clash with each other if they were hung side by side.  Finally I chose with a wood frame with a subtle blue stain on the slope of the moulding, with black around the edge.  It really seemed to pull out a little more of the blues and grays from each poster.

I have to say I was overjoyed with the end result!  They looked so good!  I dropped off the finished pieces on Tuesday and was so happy to hear she loved them as much as I did!

Happy November!

Today was the day of our big drawing with Jenny Hoke Photography for the free custom framing.  Congrats to our winner, Holly Lederer!  She will receive a free framing of one of her beautiful Jenny Hoke Photography portraits.  I am looking forward to meeting her and seeing what she chooses! 

Here is a portrait of Jenny's girls that we framed to advertise our drawing.   Now you have an idea of what we'll be doing for Holly.  She will get to customize her mats and frame for her own special portrait.

Finally, I would like to say a BIG thank you to Jenny!  It is a pleasure working with her and I look forward to framing many more Jenny Hoke Photography pictures in the future. 

Check back after the first of the year for more special coupons and promotions.  Until then, I have a couple of openings left for holiday framing jobs.  Call me anytime to set up an appointment!

I can't believe the end of October is so rapidly approaching!  I've still got to get the kid's costumes finished for Trunk or Treat with our church!!  And then to think about getting ready for Thanksgiving and traveling.  Wow-and then Christmas!  I haven't even begun to think about Christmas gifts and yet everywhere I look I see Christmas stuff showing up!  Where did the time go...

Have you thought that far ahead?  Framing up those gorgeous family portraits or portraits of your kids make great Christmas presents for grandparents!  And I bet we all wouldn't mind having one on the wall of our own home! For me, its nice to have pictures of my kids on the wall all when they are clean and smiling and quiet.  On days when they are none of those things, I can stop and look up there are remind myself that they really can be angels!  In other words, when they are driving me up the wall, I can look at the pictures and fall in love with them all over again!

Do you have something you might like to have framed as or a gift for someone special or as a treat for yourself?  I would love to help!  It would need to be in by December 1st so I could have it done in time for Christmas. 

Stay tuned to hear who the lucky winner is for the Jenny Hoke Photography drawing for the free framing! 

Have a Happy Halloween!

Happy Monday!
Its amazing that fall is already here.  I think I might be a fan of this time of year in Indiana.  The trees are so beautiful!

Thank you Jenny Hoke Photography for your awesome introduction!  It has been so much fun working with Jenny during this short time.  I had such a blast framing the picture of her beautiful girls.  I can't wait to see more of her work!

One of the conveniences of having a blog is to be able to show you the many types of artwork that can be framed.  Since I don't have a store to display work out of, I wasn't sure how to go about this, so another thank you to Jenny for taking pictures of my pictures so I could show them to you!

So often we have stuff sitting around our house that we may have picked up here or there and we're not sure what to do with it.  I can honestly say right now I have 3 or 4 things that I need to get on the walls of my home.  Take a look at My Gallery and see some of the things I have framed and you can get an idea of the possibilities.  Although I don't have pictures of everything, here are some more ideas: diplomas and tassels, sports jerseys, antique photographs, family photos, cross-stitch/needlework, prints, shadowboxes of collectibles, as well as custom mirrors.  The possibilities are endless!  Keep checking back - I will be posting pictures of the work that I will be doing over the coming year.

Thanks for checking in!

How'd I get here? 

Hi there!  Many of you may not have heard my story - what led to the beginning of my business.  Well, here it is.  It's a bit long, but a cool story.

I am a mother of 3; twin boys and a girl, all under the age of 3, and 11 months apart.  Crazy, huh?  I was anxious to be back in the work force after I had my daughter 2 years ago.  I had been out of work since December of '07, when the boys were born, and I was wearing thin!  In February of '10, I was hired on at our local library, working 20 hours a week.  This was my sanity, my break, my calm.  I worked with some amazing ladies and really began to feel like Michelle again.  Not the stressed and exhausted mom that I had become.  I began to have the strength to be a better mom and wife.

Then, in April of '10, my husband, Josh, began school for his PhD. in accounting.  He would be in school while he taught accounting full time at a local college.  Life got a little busier, but we were no strangers to chaos!  In August, Josh came home from being away for a week at school and broke some sad news to me.  He had received his doctorate schedule for August through May '11 and, unfortunately, there would be no time for me to work outside of the home.  What?!  I have to tell you, I cried.  I was so bummed!  I'd made some great friends at the library and felt like I was connecting again with adults outside of church and Bible study and it was a huge deal for me!

Josh and I began to talk about ways for me to work from home because I had to have something in my day that would give me a break for my sanity.  We prayed for clarity regarding my job at the library and what to do next.  Josh come to me on a Tuesday and asked what I thought about framing pictures.  My mom has been in the business for a long time and I worked for her in high school and in college and really enjoyed it!  But, no, I said, there is no way I can afford all the equipment needed to start a business.  I threw out a few numbers, and being the businessman/accountant that he is, he agreed it wouldn't be feasible.

On Friday of that same week, I spoke with my mom and asked for her prayers as we decided what to do.  Her response to me was, 'Have you ever thought about framing?'  Whoa!  Where'd that come from?  Neither Josh or I had told her what we had just talked about.  So, I shared my concerns about equipment and she offered to sell me her duplicate items very cheap so I could get going.  Well, that was a start.  But what about the rest of the supplies?  She gave me some websites to search for used equipment but I didn't find anything.  I hopped on craigslist that night (for those of you who know us, you know how we live on craigslist!) and found a lady in northeast Chicago who had been in the framing businesses for over 27 years and was in the process of retiring.  I emailed her that night, and a few hours later I had a list of equipment and prices, great prices, I might add!  We called my mom to have her review the offer, and by the end of the next day we had a u-haul trailer hooked on the back of our truck to go pick up my equipment early the following day!

So here I am.  A little over a month down the road.  My shop is set up.  My samples are in.  And I am open for business!  Part of the fun of working for my mom was to see the different types of art that came in.  I saw Picasso's, signed NFL jerseys, antique quilt's, beautiful family portraits and so much more.  Now, running my own business, I am excited to see what I will have the privilege to frame!