Hello from Crystal Palace

[Tangent]

Hello everyone

I am a 50 year old female driving instructor in London and I enjoy lots of creative activities such as cross stitch, dressmaking, card making, dancing, jewellery designing and web site designing and now looking forward to adding picture framing to the list.

I'm completely new to framing and have just started a course at East Surrey College.

I am very excited and can't wait to get stuck in and have so many pieces planned for my flat. Hoping to get lots of input from you all.

[Keith Hewitt]

Welcome Tangent
You will find a mass of info on this forum
Many very knowledgeable framers who give their advice freely to encourage newbies like your self.
Before posting a question, please use the SEARCH facility, as often it may have been asked already
Then if still stuck ask here.

Good luck with your ambition, and do consider a subscription to Art Business Today.

http://www.fineart.co.uk and go to Art Biz Today magazine button.
Only £30 for 5 copies - good investment!

[Tangent]

Thanks Keith. And yes I have already been doing that in order to make sure that my decisions on the stuff I buy are right for me. Still not sure about the Titebond as the tutor told me to get Evo-stick wood glue but as it's an inexpensive item I have got one small tube of Titebond and one of Titebond III to try out.

[prospero]

Welcome Tangent.

I would be interested to hear about some of the methods they teach at the college. The guy was right about the Evo-Stick though.

[Tangent]

Thanks prospero

I found so many people on the forums recommending Titebond III
I will get some Evo as well then.

He thought my plans for my first 4 pieces were too advanced for a beginner.
A friend just drew me a portrait and I'm going to frame that instead as my first attempt in a more traditional way than my plans for the botanical prints for the bedroom.
I am planning a triple mat but surely if I can cut one mat I can cut three!

I'd love any comments on the proportions from any of you more experienced peeps!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

[Tangent]

Oh and so pleased to see the 'Humphrey' thing!
Almost anyone I ever mention this to who are my age and older just don't have any recollection of those red and white straws LOL

[Roboframer]

Facebook link no good - "The page you requested cannot be displayed at the moment. It may be temporarily unavailable, the link you clicked on may have expired, or you may not have permission to view this page" - Probably down to what you share with who in your settings. Try uploading an attachment here.

Are you practicing on your own stuff for your flat with a view to starting a framing business? Welcome to the forum anyway.

[Tangent]

Thanks for letting me know Roboframer (love the name!)

I uploaded it to my server
Here is the link:
http://www.pallister.co.uk/display/portrait.jpg

I am not intending to set up a framing business although I may well do a bit for friends etc.

I have a LOT to get framed for the flat and simply wouldn't be able to afford to get it done professionally and I also am just a tad of a control freak when it comes to stuff like this and love how much more control I have over the finished article by framing it myself.

I have 24 pieces to frame for the bedroom - 6 for each season
And many more than that for my hallway.

I am making videos at the moment on all sorts of crafts for YouTube and hope to make a very small income from that and intend to write books too at some point.
I have a website for this venture which I am calling 'Colour It You' but it isn't finished yet.
So once I have some experience I may well do the odd video but they will mostly be inspirational rather than instructional.

I want to encourage people who like creative activities to design a 'whole' rather than just do an embroidery, have it framed and hang it on a wall where it doesn't quite fit. I want to inspire them to take up more crafts and be able to create their own surroundings as they really want them. For example, with the embroideries I have designed for the winter bedroom I want to do triple mats with the centre one covered in the Black Watch Tartan that I am using to make the curtains and valance etc.
Not sure if that makes any sense LOL

Anyway the tutor warned that many beginners go for a mat that is not big enough so would love any input in the proportions.
I have bought the stained black moulding and the mount boards - the yellow just represents my living room wall

Apologies for writing a book here! And thanks

[Tangent]

Oh, I should add that the black mount board is the same colour as the stained moulding.
I made it paler in my rendition so I could see the frame and the proportions

[Roboframer]

I've attached it

tangent.jpg (247.46 KiB) Viewed 5680 times

Well, the eye certainly goes straight to the image, it's like a spotlight, so that's OK I suppose but I think either the frame is too wide or the mount is too narrow, not by much though and also I like contrast between frame and mount so you could keep the contrast going; working from the image out, well, the paper out, it's going - white, black, white, black, black. I'd go white, black, white, black, silver ... or gunmertal, or ..... something. I might even get a bit scary and add a thin reveal of unrelated colour somewhere, but I like living on the edge

Have a peep at our website if you're in to crafty things >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Tangent]

Thanks for the input.
I'm keeping the black mount board and frame
It's going in my living room which is saffron coloured and all the hinges on the outside of the units I designed and the light fitting and switches etc are black

I can't go too mad with colour cos I have enough of that from my dragons
I collect them
The room has a medieval theme but modern units and furniture
So black and white is enough
I do have a dragon print that is in a gold frame but there will be gold in the beading I'm doing to trim the curtains and blind and lampshades etc
So that should be okay

I can see what you mean now about the proportions
The moulding is about 3.5cm wide
I was going for the inner mat at 6cm
So do you think I should make it 7cm instead?
Funny enough that was my original plan but then I changed it

[Tangent]

Great web site.
I will bookmark it.

I love the hares!
But no room in my flat for those.