Spring is in the air!

We made it through the holidays and believe it or not it is almost spring. The decorations have been down, the Super Bowl is over and there you sit looking at your home and office wondering what to do next. Take a close look at the art, or lack of it on your walls. Maybe you have been meaning to change a mat color to compliment your decor you updated in the last couple of years. An easy fix for a framer! Maybe you never noticed that a print you had framed years ago has slipped and needs taken apart and corrected. Usually you will see some fading of mats if the proper glass wasn't used. These are all simple and inexpensive ways to bring your art alive again. As for the blank walls, we have many books with thousand of prints, or you may have a collection in the closet you have been wanting to display in a custom frame. Photographs of a special time that need to be perserved will be a great tribute to a loved one. This is a perfect time of year to get these projects done before you are wondering where summer went!

Just learned about Ping at oakbrook Council tonight.

Holiday ideas for Custom Framing

It has just started to feel like fall and already we start thinking about the holidays. At our shop, we have to consider it early or the month of December is like the North Pole with Santa and his elves scurrying to get all the gifts out the door in time. Take advantage of our anniversary sale to get those ideas in motion.
What to get your brother , dad, grandfather or nephew..?? How about something sports related, a favorite team jersey framed or a photo of his favorite Nascar driver. He may have something autographed that should be behind glass to help preserve it. Does he golf ? , we have many prints to pick from of golf courses to hang in the den or office.
How about your favorite girl? Who wouldn't want a memory shadowboxed from a special time together. Concert tickets, grand children's photos, your baby items, or just a nice print from a favorite city to hang in her home.
Gifts like these will become precious memories to give and hand down over the years.

Tip of The Week - Glass Choice

Framing tip of the week.

What type of glass should you use on your next art project?
Premium clear is the least expensive. This is used 75% of the time, but in some cases will cause glare from windows or indoor lighting to obscure your art. Non-glare will eliminate this issue at a slight increase in cost. Purists may not like the fact that non—glare can sometimes distort the images you are framing. Neither choice will protect 100% from UV rays.
Consider using conservation glass over premium clear or non-glare.
Conservation glass will help reduce fading as well as keep the integrity of the artwork. The cost difference is minimal. Conservation glass is available in clear and non-glare. It will block 97-99% of UV rays.
A third choice is Museum glass . For clarity it is the best possible choice available. It has its purpose, fine art and highly collectible pieces would be a good candidate. The cost can sometimes be prohibitive.

Dennis’ call: For UV Protection & Price…go with conservation glass.

Social Networking at it's best

Well, who said "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."? Here we are, middle-aged and doing all the up to the minute tools that the new Techno age will allow us! We started this year when we launched our first website for the business. Thanks to our son, Bryan Donovan. We have a personal Facebook page as well as a page for Donovan's Custom Framing. We Tweet on Twitter. I have tried My Space, just don't care for it very much. Need to update my Linked-In page. Have a Flip Video and posted on You-Tube. Now we are exploring the Blog.

Please feel free to let us know what you want to hear about, as this blog is for the benefit of everyone. We are willing to help educate, learn and have fun while scratching our heads in wonderment that we understand more of this than we should!

Stay tuned for our adventure into the age of Social Networking!!