MY FRAME OF MIND
Jennifer Mejia
Years ago, when I had a full-time job and no kids, I had more disposable income. There isn’t much left over these days after paying for Beyblades and UnderArmour everything for my older son who thinks money grows on trees. But when I used to have money to spare, one thing I began spending it on was art. The most unfortunate part about collecting art, in my opinion, was the sticker shock that came with framing. In 2010, I purchased a piece from a gallery in Washington, DC for $600, and the framing set me back $750. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture? Pun intended. ;-)
So when I discovered Framebridge about four or five years ago, I did a happy dance. Let me tell you just how easy this service is, and most importantly, how beautiful their frames and workmanship are. Framebridge is a mail-order business. At first, that might create some concern. Shipping your treasured and sometimes expensive art thousands of miles on a truck or a plane in a box or tube? I was a bit skeptical, but after my first experience, my reaction was, “I’ll never do this any other way.”
You begin by choosing a frame online. You can upload a photo of your actual piece or just use a generic image. Choose the dimensions, the mat, and the frame. Or if you feel you can’t choose the best frame, you can select the option to have Framebridge choose it for you. They’ll mock up a few suggestions and you can make the final decision after reviewing the images they email. If you have materials to ship your work, they’ll send you a UPS label for FREE shipping. Don’t have proper packaging? No problem. They’ll also send that to you for free, along with bubble wrap, tape, and instructions for how to safely and securely pack and ship it. When your work is framed, they’ll ship it back to you…again, for FREE. That’s all, folks. Seriously.
In addition, if you have a photo or a digital print, Framebridge can do the framing AND printing for you. That’s a wonderful service, especially if you’re in a time crunch. Great for last minute holiday and birthday gifts.
But if you don’t believe my words, then a picture is worth a thousand of them, right? I’ve framed several pieces—works on paper, both original and prints, and works on canvas. Here are a few of my favorite frames—one in gold, silver, and natural wood. But trust me when I say that Framebridge will have a frame for every taste.
MARIN
A natural wood gallery frame, perfect for bringing a natural, raw element to the room.
VALENCIA
This is a gold canvas floater frame that is perfect for your…canvases.
This silver frame with black sides adds perfect dimension and also ties in darker metals that may be in the room (like my window hardware and chandelier in this room).
Art by Aubree Bunch
VALENCIA (AGAIN)
My favorite floater frame but used on a paper piece with glass.
And finally, did I mention that all of this comes at an affordable price? For your reference, the landscape print above the bed in our guest bedroom was $169 to mat and frame in Olympia with glass. As framed, it measured 37” x 22”. The watercolors framed in silver Beverly were $139 each to mat and frame. And again, that includes packing and shipping materials and shipping both ways. For a 15% discount off your first order, feel free to use this link. This post is not sponsored. I just love Framebridge and love to share my love.