The beauty of Italy...Revisited

 Last July, we got word that one of our favorite distributors was eliminating one of our favorite lines of mirrors. We went a little crazy and ordered....more than a few. 

In September, we heard that they were also eliminating their line of hand painted Italian photo frames. 

Another enormous shipment ensued.....and we couldn't be happier. 
   



The line is called "Bellina", which is Italian for 'beautiful' and French for 'goddess'.
 

We 
think 
they're  
pretty
fabulous.

We have lots of 

other new goodies in the shop, too. 

We are always adding to our Made in Maine products. 

 

Happy New Year, everyone. Thank you all for a fabulous 2013. 

With your help, we are proud to help Keep Maine Strong!

 

The Italian Invasion (and a sale)

John, Paul, Ringo & George, move over.  Dominic, Luciano, Salvatore & Giuseppe are in town.  In typical Italian style, they go big. We recently discovered that one of our favorite companies will no longer be carrying one of our favorite products: the hand painted mirrors they import from Tuscany.  Stop the presses! We decided to go big and get more than a few. We were feeling excited (if not a bit  elated) to take such a plunge, until they arrived and we had a small moment that went something like..... 'dear god....what have we done?' Where's Waldo? There's a framer in there....    Look at that package, though. Frah-gee-lay...must be Italian. You know what's in there.                                  Listen carefully. Come on, lean in. Can you hear the angel chorus?                                  We put the mirrors in ourselves.                         We're sort of handy with that kind of stuff.           We're swimming in them. But we don't mind getting a bit pruny...we just can't get enough. We have loads of their photo frames, too.....                                     PS Did we mention that the MIRRORS are on SALE?                                                                     For a limited time, ALL MIRRORS are 40% OFF!                                           Just the mirrors, not the photo frames. Grazie mille!

PASSION

How do you define it?
pas·sion (pash-uh n) n.

1. A powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger

2. a. Ardent love

    b. The object of such love or desire

3. a. Boundless enthusiasm 
    b. The object of such enthusiasm


So, there it is. Mirriam-Webster has put it in black and white for you. If you believe everything you read.

I saw a film recently about an 85 year old sushi master, Jiro Ono, who lives in Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. He owns a ten seat sushi restaurant with no menu, no appetizers, no alcohol. Just sushi. 
The film was easy to watch- not just because I love sushi & it was beautifully filmed, but because it really struck a chord in me. Jiro's work is his passion- but in a unique way. 
 
"I've never once hated this job. I fell in love with my work and gave my life to it. Even though I'm eighty five years old, I don't feel like retiring. That's how I feel."

My life is different that Jiro's. He worked every day from 6 am until 11 pm and never saw his children. Once when his restaurant was closed for a national holiday, his children ran to their mother, screaming, "mama, there's a strange man sleeping in your bed!" I am thankful that my children have not suffered the same experience. In every other way, however, I feel the same as Jiro. I truly fell in love with my work when I was 18. Being creative, working with my hands, working with people, and always having room to improve, explore, learn....what more could someone ask for? It was, and continues to be, infinitely rewarding.

"I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by bit. There is always a yearning to achieve more. I'll continue to climb, trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is." 

How true is that statement? No one knows where the top is. I never grow bored of endless conversations with Ryan and Liz about alpha cellulose and PH and debating about the superiority of the chemical makeup of conservation boards (we spent an hour in a conservator's office last week attempting to settle that argument). Each day I am faced with yet another opportunity to do what I love....alongside my talented staff, who share the same passions as I. Could a girl be luckier?
I think not.

"Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success... and is the key to being regarded honorably"  -Jiro Ono

Rain in Summer

How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!
How it clatters along the roofs
Like the tramp of hoofs!
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout!
Across the window-pane
It pours and pours;
And swift and wide,
With a muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars
The rain, the welcome rain!

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882).

"Spring is when life is alive with everything"

~Christina Rossetti

This week has me reflecting on motherhood. I can't help but wonder, why is my mother such an incredible person? I believe it is, at least in part, due to her own mother- my Nana, Evelyn, one of the most amazing women I have ever known. 

I have been thinking about her a lot lately. Everywhere I turn is a reminder of the things she loved- Lily of the Valley, Lilacs, and soon, Peonies. What reminds me of her most, however, is how intoxicating Maine is this time of year. 

If ever there was a woman who loved our state with every fiber of her being, it was my Nana. She was born here, raised here, and simply never tired of sitting on the shore and gazing at the ocean, smelling the sea air, taking in the Rugosa. She was a prolific poet, and in one of her most memorable verses, she pined, "Let heaven be the rocky shores of Maine". I know she is there now- which means, of course, that she is with me every day.

Happy Mother's Day, Nana. 

Kettle Cove by DN Cusano, limited edition giclee´

Immortal Beloved

Ever thine   Ever mine   Ever ours  -Ludwig Von Beethoven

 

                      

 

Custom milled Herbie moulding

Vintage Valentines

Rose Cousins CDs, candles, vintage quilt, key hooks, framed art & kilim pilows

www.thevillageframer.com

 In time the Rockies may crumble

     Gibraltar may tumble           

They're only made        of      clay

But our love is here 

to 

 stay

Mounting- What's so hard about it?

Answer: Everything. Mount  (n) To attach an object to a support Simple enough, right? Oh, how we wish. When it comes to framers, this is where you really separate the good ones from the great ones.  As a framer, when that piece of artwork (which is important enough to someone to frame, therefore must be treated as irreplaceable) gets plopped down in front of you, your mind immediately goes through a mental checklist. Is it on thermal paper, which turns black in the press? Is is on sheepskin, which shrinks in the press? Is it printed with acrylic based inks, which melt in the press? Is it valuable, in which case it shouldn't be mounted at all? These are basic questions which every framer should know the answer to immediately. Wade in a little deeper, however, and the water gets muddier. A great framer knows that acrylic thread cannot be used to sew down delicate fabrics; under a microscope an acrylic thread is covered with tiny barbs, which over time will saw through the spot it is anchoring. Invisible fishing line cannot be used on heavy items, or it will sag (what is fishing line designed to do when reeling in a big one? Flex!) Cibachrome photographs must be static-mounted to plexiglass, because dry mounting them will make the surface look like an orange peel.....  I could go on forever- this list is almost endless. With the advances and continuing changes in technology, it is almost impossible to keep up with all of the possible issues (and antecedents) that could arise in your care. That's why education is so important. Know your framer. Ask questions. Are they PPFA members? Do they have a CPF on staff? Do they attend trade shows and read about the latest developments in the industry? How much experience do they really have? You have a right to know. Below is some information on mounting and mounting techniques. Feel free to come in any time to talk with us more about mounting. We are just a little obsessed. See you at the shop, Melissa Melissa Cusano, CPF, owner, framer since 1986 PS If you aren't interested in reading all of that technical mumbo-jumbo, take heart: you don't need to know anything about it, because we already do! If you are channeling your inner framing geek, read on....   Picture Frame Mounting Techniques Mounting is the technique used to secure a piece (artwork) to a substrate (backing board). There are several different methods and materials to choose from when mounting a piece. Selection is based on many factors such as cost, convenience, equipment availability, and conservation. Conservation True conservation framing dictates that the piece must be cleanly removable from the mount board. Museums must adhere to conservation guidelines, even though all acid free materials are used in these frames. Acids and other pollutants will eventually penetrate the frame from the air and walls and contaminate the frame, at which time the artwork must be removed and reframed with fresh materials. For many framers, these conservation rules are not followed. Many shops opt for less expensive materials. These items may contain chemicals that will harm your artwork immediately. This is completely unnecessary- there are several inexpensive mounting products available today that are safe for your artwork. Some products such as photo corners, mounting corners, and hinging tapes and tissues are all safe products for mounting your artwork. We don't believe there is ever an excuse for underestimating the value, and care taken with, any piece of artwork. Photo Corners and Archival Hinging Tissue One of the main reasons that pictures buckle after being framed is that the image, mat, and mount board all expand and contract at different rates with changes in temperature and humidity. For this reason it is important to leave the image as free as possible to move within the picture frame. The two primary ways of achieving this are mounting with photo corners & hinging tissue. A key component of conservative framing is that the image can be completely removed from the frame with no change to the image. To allow the image to freely expand and contract beneath the mat, it should only be hinged at a couple of points along the top edge of the piece. Larger images may require 3 points. How conservative the hinging method is depends on the type of adhesive used in the hinge. For true conservation, there is a special Japanese paper that is used with a water-soluble wheat or rice starch adhesive. Ideally, this is applied using the 'hook' side of velcro, so that only tiny dots of adhesive are applied to the artwork, making it much more removable- the goal of archival framing. This is called a 'micro-dot hinge'. Picture mounting – hinging pieces to the substrate. Many framers mount pieces by attaching them directly to the mat. It's so easy... perfect, right? Wrong! The weight of the artwork pulls on the opening of the mat, which over time can lead to sagging. It also increases the possibility that the mounting of the mat to the substrate (backing board) may fail due to extra weight. Don't cheat, people. Art gets mounted to the substrate. Period. Picture mounting – hinging mat to mount board You will need to hinge the mat board to the substrate so the mat will stay centered over the image on the mount board. It is recommended that you use an archival linen tape or ATG. The gummed version requires water activation and it is more difficult to use. This version is recommended for more valuable art work. Lay the mount board face up, and the mat board face down. Position them next to each other with their tops touching. If the mount board is thicker than the mat board you will need to place something under the mat board so it is even with the mount board. Cut a piece of linen tape almost as long as the mat board and place it along the seam between the two boards. Now simply fold the mat board up and over so that it is positioned right side up on top of the mount board. We recommend mounting the image to the substrate AFTER the mat has been mounted to it for optimal accuracy. Picture mounting – using photo corners The two primary ways of mounting the image conservatively is with hinging tissue or photo corners. Photo corners will provide a little more support but they generally require that the image have a border around it on the paper it is printed on. The border allows the mat to cover up the corners. There are a variety of different types of photo corners. 5/8 inch photo corners require a ¼ inch border. The regular 1 ¼ inch photo corners require a 5/8 inch border. We also carry full view 1 ¼ corners that have a cutout that allows them to be used on photographs with a little over a 3/8 inch border. Photo corners are a great archival photo mount for picture framing since they allow you to do your photo mounting without any chemicals coming into contact with your picture. Not all photo corners are created equal. Make sure you do not use photo corners that contain PVC plasticizers or acidic compounds. The two most common types of archival quality picture corners are made from polyester film, more commonly know as Mylar (Dupont Mylar Type D) and polypropylene. Mylar Photo Corners are the first choice of museums and provide the clearest plastic. Polypropylene Photo Corners are not as clear as Mylar but are also inert, acid-free, safe and also widely used for mounting. Plastic clarity and archival ability are more of a consideration for photo albums and sleeves since photo corners are generally not visible in frames and have little contact with the piece. I have read that Mylar is good for centuries and Polypropylene is good for decades (I have not verified this). When storing pieces under plastic care should be taken to keep the relative humidity below 80% other wise the print can stick to the plastic. This is more of an issue with the albums since photo corners to not have much contact with the print and typically and may only cover the white border if available. Mylar, Polypropylene, and Polyethylene are all safe plastic materials and they are all odorless. This is a good indication they are not out gassing harmful chemicals. If you have your pieces stored in plastic albums or sleeves that you are not certain about, a quick test is to simply smell them. An example of a harmful plastic smell is that of a shower curtain. An alternative to photo corners is Mylar See-Thru Mounting Strips. They are used to mount the edges of the artwork instead of the corners. Picture Mounting – hinging the image to the mount board There are many types of hinges, but we most often use three: T-hinge, V-hinge and Pass through hinge. The T-hinge is all purpose. The V-hinge is used when you want the edges of your art to be visible and not covered by the mat. The pass through hinge is for heavy items, which would cause the V-hinge to roll or the T-hinge to fail. T-hinge: After you have hinged the mat to the mount board (see hinging mat to mount board above), place your image under the mat and center it. Once it is centered use some paper weights to hold the image in place. Now lift the mat up and over so it is laying face down out of the way. You will need to place two hinges along the top edge of the image. Lift the artwork up and apply a piece of hinging tissue to the underside of the image so that is protruding past the edge of the image. It should be adhesive side up (sticking to the bottom of the image) and should not protrude more than width of the tissue. Place another piece on the other side. Get two more pieces of tissue and place them adhesive side down across the top of the two pieces of tape attached to the artwork. Fold the mat back over and you are done. V-hinge: This method is used when you do not want the mat to cover the edges of your artwork so that they are visible. It is very similar to the T-hinge; however, it resides completely under the piece. After you have hinged the mat to the mount board (see hinging mat to mount board above), place your image under the mat and center it. Once it is centered use some paper weights to hold the image in place. Now lift the mat up and over so it is laying face down out of the way. You will need to place two hinges along the top portion of the piece. Lift the artwork up and place something under it to hold it up and out of the way. Take two pieces of tape and place one across the other in the form of a T. Take the long side and bend it up and over so that the adhesive is facing up. Press two of these down to the mat board under the artwork and then press the artwork down on top of them. Fold the mat back over and you are done. Pass Through Hinge: Exactly like the T-hinge, except the middle of the 'T' passes through a slit in the substrate and the top of the 'T' is anchored to the back of it.   Other Picture Mounting Techniques Dry Mounting With this technique the image is permanently attached to the mount board. It is often for inexpensive, low value images such as commercial posters. There is an archival version, however the dry-mounting process cannot be reversed, so it is not a conservation technique. Over time bubbles can form in the artwork depending on environmental conditions and the skill level of the person. It is generally not recommended for a wide variety of items, such as Polaroid and Inkjet prints, concert tickets, thermal papers, acrylic inks and many more, since they are sensitive to temperature. Dry mounting works by placing a special adhesive tissue between the piece and the mount board. It is then placed in a special press that will apply pressure either mechanically or with a vacuum to press the artwork against the mount board while applying a high temperature to activate the adhesive in the tissue. Dry mounting itself does not hurt the image. The primary reason it decreases the value of original artwork is that it is irreversible. There are tissues on the market currently being sold as 'reversible', however they leave an adhesive residue on the back of the piece when they are removed- for that reason, we do not sell them as an archival product. It is not possible to prevent acid components from leaking into a picture frame over time and contaminating the mat and mount board. For this reason museums re-frame original artwork now and then in order to completely remove those acidic compounds. If the artwork is dry mounted, then you can not replace the mount board. Long term conservation is compromised In that case, a museum will go through extra effort to keep the mount board from getting contaminated such as providing an additional backing that can be replaced and by keeping the edges of the original backing away from the edge of the frame. Pressure-Sensitive (adhesive) mounting Crescent makes a product called Perfect Mount. This mount board is pre-coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive. It allows you to get an effect very similar to the dry mounting technique discussed above without special equipment and temperature damage to the piece. The adhesive side of the board is covered with a release paper. You remove the release paper and place the image on the board. The adhesive will not start to activate until pressure is applied so you can reposition the artwork. You will also need to make sure you remove any air from under the piece. Once you are happy with the position you can place the release paper over the image to protect it and apply pressure using a squeegee or burnishing tool. The piece must be left alone for 24 hours while the adhesive cures. This technique is non-archival and since the adhesive is not very strong, it might not work with thick heavy papers. Wet-Mounting Wet mounting is similar to pressure-sensitive mounting however; you must apply wet glue or paste to the mount board yourself. Once applied, you position your artwork on the board and then cover it with something such as sheet of glass to apply a steady even pressure and let it dry for 4-24 hours. This technique is non-archival and messy. Spray Mounting Scotch Photo Mount and other spray adhesives are a little cleaner and easier alternative to wet mounting. Place your piece upside down and spray the adhesive on it. Be sure to overspray the sides, top, and bottom edges. Position the piece on the mount board and smooth it down from the center to the edges using your hand or a brayer. Typically the spray adhesives are not as permanent as dry or wet mounting. When using spray adhesives you can cover your work area with freezer paper to catch the over spray. Aerosol-sprays require a well-ventilated work area and you should wear a respirator mask. Glue is not good for your lungs. Most of these spray adhesives do not allow you to reposition your artwork, so you only get one chance to get it right. They also tend to dry out over time and are not archival, which is why we opt to 'just say no' to spray mounting.