Back To School

Whilst there is no new uniform involved, after many people have taken a well-earned summer holiday, the training year has a bit of a fresh kick to it.  For those wanting to make a start with learning essential framing skills in 2015, make sure you look at the Art & Photography Framing weekends taking place around the UK. (see DATES below)

For those looking longer term at either making those first steps in framing or extending existing skills, the full 2016 programme is available.  Booking ahead of time helps us ensure you have a place sorted and avoids disappointment if you delay.

Then, of course, for those within striking distance of High Wycombe, do remember it’s our hub for training.  There are monthly Basics of Framing and Mount Cutting & Decoration training days, as well as being the main venue for all of our other training modules.

And remember, if you’re making it a present (Christmas / birthday / anniversary) why not look at the training gift vouchers we have on sale.  These have been exceptionally popular over the years.

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Canvas Tray Mouldings

A while ago we brought together our canvas, tray mouldings all in one place.  With some lines discontinued, the range had become a little narrow, but a pair of deeper tray frames were lurking among other moulding categories: these two new mouldings now also feature in the Tray Frames area as well as in their original placing.

Both mouldings are deeper, enabling a more substantial stretcher bar / moulding to be used: M7076CD is a white version and M8053BK is in black.

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Last Call Manchester

SPECIAL NOTICE

Last call for people wanting to make a start in framing or learn how to work with canvas based art.  On October 3rd, 4th & 5th we are on a long weekend in Manchester.  

Art & Photography Framing Weekend, 3rd & 4th October 

Stretching & Framing Canvas Based Art, 5th October (rare opportunity)

There are still a few places remaining for the weekend and the Canvas Stretching workshop: these only happen in Manchester once a year! You could even try all three days to make a real impact with your framing.

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Framing As a Business: Near You?

Recently we were asked if we could offer our Business Day 1 (Organising & Planning a Framing Business) in Manchester.  The answer is yes, if there are enough takers:  by clicking on the course title, you will see just how much practical information there is to share.  Even better, as no kit is involved, which may be in use on a weekend training session elsewhere, it can be offered as a Saturday or Sunday session.  If this would appeal to you, please contact judy@diyframing.com, and we will see what we can do.

As far as practical training days are concerned, it is not always easy for us to take all of these  “on the road”.  There are two reasons, the first being the issues of not having direct access to the range of materials offered at the DIYframing warehouse; the second is that we have often found it difficult to gauge the level of interest for a particular module.  Having said that we have run all sessions at one time or another in Manchester and occasional others around the UK: Canvas Stretching in York, Adding Decorative Finishes to Frames in Salisbury, to name but two.  If you do have a suggestion re training nearer to you, use our Request a Course page or get in touch via info@diyframing.com. 

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Slips / Fillets & Second Frames

We were asked the other day about how you use slips & fillets: of course there are books you can buy, which will have some guidance in them, and we suggested some ideas.  But, there is also some useful support, freely available to DIYframing members on our website.

First item worth a second look is our Handy Hints Sheet 29: Slips & Fillets, Purpose & Applications. 

Then there are a couple of projects in our library worth a closer look:

6b Solid Gold: this provides quite a detailed look at how to use a slip / fillet inside a mount;

8, Option 5: looks at how to use a limed, flat slip / fillet in place of a foam board, bevel edge on a mount.

And if you need some slip / fillet moulding, have a look at what’s available in our mouldings catalogue:

Designer Range: a few options in black or white

Slips & Fillets: some flat mouldings, some with the “foot” at the back and some are mouldings you can use as a secondary frame.

PS – there is real confusion over which is a SLIP and which is a FILLET.  Although we have differentiated between them, there is no consensus.  After looking at many chat - room threads, it seems that most people interchange the terms and some say that fillet is used more in the US.  But the most used term for all of this is SLIP! We may well change our information sheets accordingly.

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Some Worthy Reads

Once your framing becomes more specialised or design-led, then the range of skills used, tend to become, similarly, more demanding.  However, much of the fun of both doing your own framing or trying more complex projects for customers, is the problem solving and creative skills needed.

We have a brace of books in stock, which we can recommend as not only giving good practical guidance but also helping to expand your creative horizons.

1) Framing & Presenting Textile Art: by Annabelle Ruston

2) The Art of Mount Cutting: by Lyn Hall

Good framing books are notoriously difficult to come by: if you have found any other titles, which are easily available and you have found very helpful, please let us know.  We may be able to look at stocking them or, alternatively, be able to publish a useful reading list.

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Dates

Some beautiful places to visit this autumn

MANCHESTER - 3rd & 4th October

CHICHESTER - 10th & 11th Octber

TUNBRIDGE WELLS -  24th & 25th October

BRISTOL - 7th & 8th November

LONDON - 28th & 29th November

YORK - 12th & 13th December

CAMBRIDGE - 16th & 17th January 

LEICESTER - 23rd & 24th January

Specialised Training Days

Stretching & Framing Canvas Art: Manchester, 5th October

Adding Frame Finishes: High Wycombe 19th October

For hard copy of all courses click: Training List. To view details of events at our main centre (High Wycombe) click: ALL COURSES.     Reserve places NOW, to avoid disappointment

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