The Frames

A couple of days ago, I said I'd upload some images of the picture frames that John has been working on. These are completely made from scratch. He's really good! See, MY projects take something and enhance it somewhat -- his are absolutely 100% from scratch.


This image shows two frames -- one showing the front and one showing the back. The only thing not in them at the time of this picture was the piece of plastic to protect the picture itself. He's added those now.





This is a close up of the front of the frame. It is our wedding logo. He made this by literally carving the design and then casting a preliminary cut, which got a little bit of fine tuning. Then he created the final mold. These are resin frames which have been painted black with silver. The over under of the line for the heart knots took FOREVER, but the effect is so worth it.




The back of the frame. Cardboard covered with felt. There is a little door hatch. Frame doohickeys are really hard to find.

I'm really proud of how these came out. He did a phenomonal job. And he's about to create another claddagh mold that is different from ours, that he'll be selling. The overall effect of these frames is just amazing, and I know that had we had these commissioned, we'd have paid easily 5 times the actual monetary cost (and it would have been a steal at that). John has put SO much work into these.

It's kind of funny how they evolved. Hobby Lobby is the root of all evil, it really is. At Christmas time, we were looking at something and somehow came up with the idea of making these things. I'm not even sure whose idea the frames were. (A lot of our wedding stuff is like that. Suggestion, counter suggestion, image, evolution.... both of us had input on almost everything. But the actual work of this was *all* him. I would not have had a clue where to begin.) MANY different methods were tried before he came upon one that worked. But seeing them - concept realized - is just a thrill.

The funny thing: he's an artist, but he has not really ever given out his artwork before. He has not really done sculpture in about 20 years. And he's sculpting these amazing frames, and making molds for my soaps. He sculpted my soap mold too (see below). It's amazing how many standard things we're actively producing ourselves rather than buying. Candles, soaps, bags, veils, and frames.

And I am really proud of all of it. It doesn't look cheap or subpar. Well, HIS stuff. My stuff looks home crafted. His item looks like it was professionally produced. (And I'm good with that.)