Posts from — March 2008

So, I know that I have been teasing you all a bit about these new ideas and inspirations that Jaime and I have for new frames and products . Well, we’ve been working hard in the studio getting ready to take all of these ideas and inspirations out of our mind, and put them onto our frames .

We’re excited beyond words when we are able to spend a FULL day just in the studio, plugging away. Jaime is usually the one who does all the cutting. We both have our “things,” you see, that we tend to do more than others. She just works the saw easier and faster than I. Here she is cutting wood in the shop for a few of our orders. We use salvaged & new wood, moldings and other vintage items.

Here is a sneak peek of a few of the things we’ve been working on. One of the frames below was for my brother in law, who lost his only brother. I stumbled upon this quote and immediately knew what I would do with it and who I would use it for. Since then, we’ve received several request for this frame.

More often than not, we are usually multi-tasking in the studio. So while Jaime was plugging away making our frames from scratch, I was prepping a chest we are giving a makeover for one of our loyal clients.

People often give us their heirloom pieces of furniture, hand-me-downs, or pieces they have found while thrifting to re-do so that it will go with their personal style. It’s always so fun for us to see the look on our client’s face when they see the piece of furniture, that used to be such an eyesore, and now it goes perfectly in their home.

We’ll be posting more pictures of our new frames this week, so be sure to check back with us !

I just adore the subtle painted stripes painted by Colorado artist Paul K. Smith in Oprah Winfrey’s guest house. The colors he choose are a perfect combination.

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(Good Hope Pitcher and Sweet Shrub Bedding by Antrhopologie; Easter Table Setting by Heather Bailey)

Well, today is officially the first day of Spring! It’s finally here… time to open your windows, sip your coffee on the back porch, clean your house from top to bottom, plant flowers and prune your garden. [Read more →]

Jaime and I so enjoyed meeting and working with our most recent client, April. I know I say this a lot, but it bears repeating, we are so blessed to have the opportunity to do this for a living. But every once in a while, God blesses us even more with wonderful clients, who become more like friends.

April had a vision for her kitchen to go with the style of the rest of her home. She has done such a wonderful job taking this older home, and updating it with her own personal style. It’s inspired with a Spanish theme, yet is totally her own. Her cabinets, which were once solid, bright white, now have an antiqued Spanish look. Her island stands out on its on with a painted blue faux finish to resemble a piece of Spanish furniture. Once we finished the kitchen, she remembered a pair of chairs she had gotten from Pottery Barn. They started off green, however, they need that certain [Read more →]

In honor of St.Patricks Day, here are some of our favorite green frames. You can check at our full collection by going to our website.

Chapter 2 : Ask Yourself, What’s The Big Idea?

Martha’s Rule #2: Focus your attention and creativity on basic things, things that people need and want. Then look for ways to enlarge, improve, and enhance your big idea.

This is one idea that Jaime and I really thought long and hard about. There are several faux finishers in our area, so we are constantly asking ourselves, what set’s us apart from the rest? There are lots of people who make picture frames, quote plaques and the like for people to buy, but what makes ours different?

As a business owner, this rule is an important one to remember. If Jaime and I offered a service that no one needed, would we really be able to make a living doing what we do? If we were making picture frames, but no one was taking pictures any more, would people buy our frames? The answer is obviously no… however, so many people often take something they love and try to offer it or sell it, but quickly find out that no one needs it.

As faux finishers, it’s EXTREMELY important to us that we fulfill the dreams and exceed the expectations of our clients. If this means, that a year later, we go back to that clients home to fix a bathroom vanity door that they spilt nail polish remover on… then that is what we do. Sure, we shouldn’t have to. Sure, it wasn’t OUR fault or OUR mistake. But when you are making the client or customer feel valued and special, this creates a certain level of loyalty, it builds a relationship. They will start to talk about you to their friends, and recommend you to others. When a friend is complaining about not being happy with their kitchen cabinets, the client will think about you.

Do you have a BIG IDEA? How is it different from other’s?

Jaime and I have had a busy couple of weeks working on some faux stuff. Here is a picture of a fireplace mantel after we got a hold of it. We’ll have more pictures later of the kitchen cabinets and walls, but for now you can get an idea of the finish on the walls in these pictures. Take a look at the before picture and let us know what you think. For more ideas for fireplace mantels, check out our online portfolio by going to our website.

Recently, Jen from JLC Studio tagged us. Now, according to the law of the Blog World, I must provide all of you readers with 7 random facts about me. Hey, I’m not one for breaking the law, so here you go:

1. My favorite TV show of all time is Friends. That’s right, I’m not ashamed either. I LOVE this show!

Put me on a sofa and turn on Friends, I am instantly in a good mood and laughing my head off. It’s not uncommon either, if you hang around me for long, to hear a few Friends quotes slip out of my mouth every now and then. [Read more →]

“Feeling guilty about wasting time on computer solitaire? Join the growing guilt-free multitude at FreeRice.com, an online game with redeeming social value.” - USA Today

I just discovered this wonderful website, FREERICE.COM . Click on an answer that best defines the word given, if you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word. For each word you get right, 20 grains of rice is donated.

Yes, I know, you may be wondering what this has to do with art, design, and home decor, however,

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Well, Spring is almost here and you know what that means… Wedding Season. That’s right, the most amount of weddings take place this time of year, and chance are you will be invited to at least one. One of my best and dearest friends, Libby, is getting married this weekend and I have the honor of being a bridesmaid. So, in honor of Libby and Wes, I am doing a special post for wedding gifts.

Need some gift ideas? [Read more →]