Satellite locations, framing class coming soon

Hello, art lovers--Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here at Black Iris Custom Framing, we are Irish and proud of it!

Things are really starting to happen now. I have ordered street and building signage for my two new satellite frame shop locations at The TimberShed in Stone Lake, Wisconsin, and at Homestead Embroidery & Gifts in Danbury, Wisconsin. The moulding and matting samples are on the way, and in the April I'll be training staff at both places to design framing packages and price orders. Watch this space for more details to come!

My framing class, set for Thursday, April 10, 17, and 24, is starting to fill. If you'd like to sign up, please call me for details or visit my class link. You will need to come to the shop a week before your first class so that you can choose mats and frames, and, if necessary, I can order them for you. That way you'll have the materials you need on the first night of class.

This class will most likely run in an "Open Shop" format--students can come and go as they make progress on their framing projects. I will be in the shop to assist you with questions and techniques every step of the way. I'll see you there!

Please contact me if you ever have questions at 715-635-4548 or joann@blackirisframing.com, and thanks for reading!

JoAnn

Below are pictures of my SUCCESSFUL and TALENTED framing students with their framing projects - Congratulations (L-R) Kevin, Rob, & Dawn!

Mat-Cutting 101 was a hit!

Hello, art and framing lovers!

Last night (Thursday, March 6, 2008) I taught my first mat-cutting class, which was open to the public. I can tell you this: as a former English teacher, I haven't been that rejuvenated after teaching a class in a very long time! The best part: no papers to grade.

It was exhilarating, actually. The students arrived early at my gallery & frame shop. They were raring to go. They listened. They asked excellent questions. They asked even better follow-up questions. They practiced mat cutting. They made mistakes. They fixed their mistakes. They helped one another, and they applauded each other's successes. It was an amazing, uplifting, and emotionally "high" experience for me. I loved it! And I realized that of course what I miss about teaching are all the good parts.

Our second class is next week on March 13. We'll finish cutting our 8 x 10 "practice" mats and then we'll do the real thing on a 16 x 20 mat. Each student gets to bring one piece of artwork from home and cut a mat for it. They all seem really excited about it! One person is going to mat a portrait for her husband's birthday. What a great gift.

After last night's class, several students asked some very in-depth questions about mounting artwork and cutting frames. That gave me the perfect segue to promote my upcoming framing class in April. Unofficially, I'm calling it "Open Frame Shop Night" for the four Thursdays in April. "Graduates" of my mat cutting class can come in, choose mats and frames, and then work on the project with my help. I'll let you know how it goes!

JoAnn