Remember your vacation every day! Travel, souvenirs and memories - they go together like a hand in a glove. Some of the best memories are triggered by the souvenirs you bring back from vacation. They tell a story. By preserving those souvenirs with custom framing, you can have that memory forever. What's your favorite travel story?

TRAVEL STORIES

Poster from Yellowstone Vacationing in America's first National Park was on your bucket list, and you finally made it! You couldn't believe how much wildlife there was to see up close and personal, or how impressive Old Faithful truly was. Now you have the framed poster to remember the great time you had.

Papyrus Grass Art from Egypt The papyrus plant is a tall, leafless aquatic plant that can grow up to 16' high and is native to Egypt. The white pith inside is used to make the paper, which is used to paint on. It is an old-world craft, from an old country. But the paper is brittle and needs protection, so you were wise about getting it framed.

Etching from Italy While strolling the avenues of Florence, you found a street artist who was selling etchings of the very view you were looking at - the Piazza Del Duomo. How could you resist? Now it hangs in your office to give you a mini vacation from work.

Redecorating Your Home Office?

Postcards & Photos from Hawaii You know postcards are meant to be sent in the mail, but these images were frame-worthy! You made a great choice choosing a frame that looks native to the islands.

Wedding Necklace from Africa It was hard to choose from the many necklace styles that were handmade by the villagers, but you liked this one the best. What a great conversation piece you created by having it framed.

Bringing Art Home from Vacation

While on vacation, you fell in love with a painting that had already been framed. The question is...do you ship it home that way? How much do you love the frame? Will the dealer or artist reduce the price if you don't want the frame? How much would it cost to ship it home framed?

If you decide to bring the painted canvas back unframed, ask the dealer or artist to remove it from the frame - DO NOT cut it off the frame! Take the staples out of the stretcher frame. Cover the painting with glassine and roll it up (not tightly) and put into a tube - plastic is best. That is the least expensive way, and then you can have it framed exactly the way you want it when you get home.

If it is a piece of art on paper, and fairly small, cover both sides with glassine, and secure between 2 pieces of cardboard. If it is small enough, you should be able to transport it in your luggage. If you cannot, shipping it will not be a financial burden. Once it is safely home, remove it from the cardboard and take it to your framer.

Use color to bring out a range of fun feelings! Not all art is serious! Some art is just FUN, and color is a big part of that. Have you noticed how color can greatly influence the vibe in a room or the tone of art? Do you know how to choose art and decor that can create a certain feel?

Reds & Oranges Reds and oranges are energetic colors. They are used to stimulate the body and mind, promote power, and increase appetite. That's why many dining rooms and gyms have one or more red or orange walls. Painting by Andre Derain, L'Estaque, 1906

Yellows It is believed that yellow stimulates the nerves and purifies the body, lifting your spirits and reducing stress. Is it any wonder many kitchens are painted yellow? Painting by Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1919

Blues & Greens Blues and greens are restful, stable colors with a stress management quality. They create a soothing feeling, encouraging calmness. Does it make you think of spas or medical offices? Painting by Georgia O'Keefe, Blue & Green Music, 1921

In this image there is an energetic orange flower. Adding its complementary color blue brings out the best in each.

It's fun to watch the yellow and orange flowers sway in the breeze, but the blue background makes this image so relaxing.

The red inner frame emphasizes the passion of this fun Las Vegas print.

According to Color-Related Studies...

White Mat or Black Mat?

Colorful Mouldings
Sometimes it's fun to use a colorful moulding - here are some examples of what we carry.

Celebrate Accomplishments with Custom Framing

There are few things more important than recognizing a person’s accomplishments. It can set a child on a path of confidence and self-esteem leading to success. It is a grand pat on the back for an adult. For a solider or veteran, it is recognition of what they sacrificed. And, for our essential personnel – healthcare workers, teachers, the staff at grocery stores, caregivers – it is a show of gratitude. Here are some examples of how you can show them you care.

Educational / Learning Accomplishment / Diploma
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." Walt Disney

You worked hard for that diploma. Show it off!

What an accomplishment! He's going places!

Go for the gold! Notice how the medal is highlighted?

Sports Accomplishment (Individual or Team)
“A little progress each day adds up to big results." Satya Nani

Did you know we can include not only medals and pictures, but plaques or name plates, too?

Show your kids how proud you are of them!

Can you imagine all these medals being tucked away in a drawer?

By tilting the pictures and curving the ribbon, we give this a feminine touch.

Museum Glass

Who do you want to celebrate?
WE CAN HELP!

5925 Wedgwood Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76133
817.292.7842

www.kenscustomframes.com

Wendy A. Williamson, Owner & President
wendy@kenscustomframes.com

Add a creative touch to your framing project.

What is a specialty mat cut? Most mat openings are cut in a typical rectangle shape. Specialty mat cuts are unusual shapes or designs cut into the mat instead of the usual right angles. A carefully chosen specialty mat cut can creatively enhance the art. There are so many shapes from which to choose, how do you know which one is the right one? As with most framing designs, there is no one right answer. We took the same art and added different mat cuts. Which one do you like best?

Octangle It has a feminine, vintage look. Persian It has a soft, formal look.

Angle Array It mimics the frills in the dress. Grecian Notch It has a geometric, formal look.

Camelback Flair Its flowing lines match the dress. Nouveau It has a bold, timeless look.

A specialty cut can...

...hide unwanted items in the image. ...reflect a period of time.

...add softness and warmth to an image. ...mimic the feel of the image.

Custom Specialty Cuts Yes! We can create custom mat cuts for you based on your framing design needs. ←This customer wanted an extra touch to show the Sister's devotion. A mat cut was designed to resemble a cross. →This custom cut was designed to emphasize and flow with the flames on the jacket.

No room or area is too small for artwork!

The small wall space by the door Open shelving in your office On a tabletop Above the cabinets in your kitchen A windowsill …the list goes on and on! You’ve found an empty spot that needs art, you've got the perfect small piece for that space, and now you need to frame it. Here's a few ideas.

How about that small piece of art you picked up on vacation? It works well in your powder room. It is simply framed, but the contrast between the art and the mat makes your eye go right to the image, creating a noticeable piece.

These small antique images are the kinds of photos you see sitting on a piano, shelving, table or desktop. The framing doesn’t need to be much larger than the photo already is, so forget the mat – just add a wide frame around it so it doesn’t get lost with all the others photos on the piano.

This cross-stitch says it all, and it’s perfect for your dressing table. The cross stitch itself measures 4” x 4”, but by framing it with the same silver color used on the outside of the cross stitch, it extends the size. Using a matching purple fillet makes it stunning.

How To Frame Small Pieces The key is to not introduce multiple elements, such as color, size or frills. Because this pocket watch is so small, it could have easily been over-powered. The frame is proportionate to the watch. Only one color of matting was used so that the watch didn’t get visually ‘lost’.

How Small Is Too Small To Frame? This tin-type photograph only measures 2” x 3”, but the framing takes your eye in, making the image noticeable. We added a small frame (fillet) around it and kept to one solid color of matting.

Paint Colors that Make a Room Feel Larger Go Bold, Go Dark: Dark colors can actually make a space feel larger since they draw in your attention. Make it Dynamic: Choose colors that change with lighting, such as Mint or Sage Green or a Pearl Gray Classic Whites: White reflects the light and makes the walls recede, which makes a small space feel large and airy.

Nothing is too small to frame!
Let us show you how a small piece can become a noticeable piece.

Your design preferences make up your own personal style! We all have a style identity when it comes to interior design. You know what you like, but you might not know the name or the specific characteristics of that style. Have fun answering a few questions to find out what your style is.

Does your house look like an English garden or a beach house? Do you love the casual look as opposed to straight lines? Do you enjoy natural light to indoor lighting? Would you rather be outdoors or at the beach instead of stuck inside? Your style is: Shabby Chic / Coastal Characteristics: Casual furniture in natural materials such as wicker and rattan and worn looking white-washed woods. Stripes and florals dominate fabric patterns. Color Palette: Layered blues, crisp whites, rosy reds and greens.

Does city-living appeal to you? Do you like the linear look of urban architecture? Do you have suspended lamps with Edison bulbs in your home? Do you like bare building materials in old factories and lofts? Your style is: Industrial Characteristics: Spacious, simple design that includes wood and metal elements. Exposed pipes, ducts and brick walls are often seen. High ceilings are common. Color Palette: Neutral palette – gray, brown, grayish-white, tan.

Do you read about art and know furniture designers’ names? Are you a fan of low sleek furniture with style and comfort? Did you have a serious addiction to Mad Men? Would you describe yourself as simple and uncomplicated? Your style is: Mid-Century Modern Characteristics: Clean, often curved lines mixed with simple geometric shapes. There usually is a variety of materials (woods, metals, plastics) used in this design. Color Palette: Background earthy neutrals (browns & grays) paired with bright, bold colors such as oranges, chartreuse, pink and blues.

Do you prefer simple design with clean lines and geometric patterns? Do you believe "less is more"? Would you describe yourself as organized, methodical and efficient? Is your home free of clutter? Your style is: Minimalism Characteristics: This is a bare essential look. Simple, uncluttered, clean lines in an open floor plan. Functional furniture with flat, smooth surfaces and strong lines. Color Palette: Monochromatic – variations of one color like whites, beiges & greys.

Do you appreciate history and tradition? Does your home have a "timeless" look? Are you a planner who rarely acts on impulse? Do you prefer stately color palettes and elegant furnishings? Your style is: Traditional Characteristics: Curved, heavy, dark wood furniture is the norm, paired with stuffed patterned fabrics, hardwood floors, and classical art. Color Palette: Deep, rich jewel-tone hues in reds, blues and greens.

Are you trendy, yet classic and chic? Do you love to shop at the Flea market for well-loved décor items? Have more seating than you need because you love to entertain? Is your home known for its warmth and simplicity? Your style is: Modern Farmhouse Characteristics: A comfortable mix of old and new with heirloom hand-me-downs. Texture abounds with organic and natural materials. Color Palette: Dominated by natural colors such as soft whites, stormy grays, greiges, browns with accents of purple and blues.

Is The Great Gatsby your favorite book or movie? Do you love rich metallics and sumptuous fabrics? Is your home filled with stylized geometric patterns? Do your friends describe you as glamorous? Your style is: Art Deco / Hollywood Glam Characteristics: Bold and opulent, yet elegant and functional. Angular, geometric forms are common, and fabrics have exotic patterns or high-shine finishes. Deeply colored polished wood, often with a lacquer finish, is frequently paired with metallic accents. Color Palette: Accents of deep yellows, reds, greens, blues and pinks, offset by softer colors of creams and beiges.

Let us help!

Pantone's Illuminating Yellow & Ultimate Gray Pantone©, an industry leader in color forecasting, has predicted that Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Gray will dominate color trends in 2021. You could call the pair ‘Happy & Dependable.’ One color plays off the other to create synergy, union, and balance between practicality and positivity…just what we all need for 2021! Benjamin Moore© Aegean Teal Foggy Morning Gray Cashmere Sherwin-Williams© Urbane Bronze Messenger Bag Modern Gray

What’s Trending?
Look for Bold Color, Good Quality & Comfortable Minimalism

Using the Color Trends

THANK YOU! A huge "Thank You" to our first responders, teachers, health care staff and countless others for being there for us. And "Thank You" to our wonderful customers, for supporting small businesses.

Frame A Memory

A pic of fun, socially-distanced times you had during the year. An old picture of earlier times.

Precious pictures of the grandkids. A holiday themed print is always appreciated for holiday decorating.

You’ve had some extra time this year to make small gifts. Gather them together and make a presentation that will be valued and used year after year to decorate for the holidays. Framing a past Christmas card is always fun, especially if it is a group photo of the host’s family.

Visit Our Gift Shop Oh no! You forgot a gift and you need one last-minute. No problem! How about the gift of custom framing? Stop by for a Ken's Custom Frames gift certificate.

Bringing some homemade treats never hurts! Need a little something extra to bring along? Here are some of our favorite cookie recipes. Snowdrops aka Mexican Wedding Cookies Classic Peanut Butter Cookies  Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookies What NOT to Bring: Cut Flowers: A potted plant is fine, but don't bring anything that requires immediate maintenance. Cheap Wine: Noooo! Your host has gone to a lot of time and expense, so reward them! Uninvited Guest: Especially if it is a sit-down dinner, don't bring an uninvited plus one. Your Pet: Don’t put your host on the spot by asking if you can bring Fido.

Holiday Hours Tuesday - Friday: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm Saturday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Closed Sunday and Monday Closed December 22 - January 1

Have you seen these frames and wondered what they are used for? They are called Float Frames. Instead of the frame sitting on top of your art, a float frame rests under your art. It is a frame designed to lay behind a painting or stretched art to make the art appear as if it were ‘floating’ within the frame. Why would you use a float frame? Float frames: Allow the viewer to see the sides of a canvas Give stability to a canvas and prevent warping Can appear minimal or invisible Are available in a variety of colors, sizes and materials

Traditionally float frames are used to rest behind a stretched canvas. It gives a clean, contemporary look.

You can also add a frame within a frame for a dramatic, multi-dimensional effect.

Sometimes you need to raise the art above the frame.

Gallery Wrap Vs. Traditional Stretch

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day - Closed Black Friday - Open 8:30 am - 5:30 pm Christmas Guaranteed by Christmas order cut-off is Saturday, December 5th at 5:00 pm. Closed December 22 - January 1

You've spent lots of time and money to design your room and get it just right, but something is off. It's not the furniture, or the color scheme...it's your TV! Your flat screen has become the dominant focal point of the room. When it's powered off, it looks like a big black box. Thanks to advancing technology, televisions are much more stylish than they used to be, but visually they are still just a black box. We have clever framing options so you can hide your large TV!

Two Ideas for Disguising Your TV:
Hide the TV Completely

Use framed artwork to hide your recessed TV. The art should be large enough to fully cover the TV’s dimensions (we’ll help with measurements). After we frame the art, we can hinge it to the wall to open when the TV is in use. Voila - Hidden!

Disguise the TV as Framed Art Frame the TV itself! With a frame around the screen, the TV becomes a work of art. If you have a ‘smart’ TV, you can program it to scroll through your digital photo collection, allowing it to look like art and bring a smile every time you notice it.

Hide Your Safe in Plain Sight

Safes should be hidden because of the valuable items inside. You certainly don’t want to advertise that you have a safe. Hide it in plain sight. We can build a frame that hinges away from the wall to conceal your treasures.

Lighting Lighting your artwork is very important, no matter what it is illuminating. If you have covered your TV or safe completely, light the framed art so you can appreciate it. Tip: Install a dimmer switch for ambiance.

More Clever Ways to Hide Things with Framing!

Poster framing is just like framing any other piece of art, right? Not necessarily. Posters are mass-printed reproductions of photographs, artwork, or advertisements. You’ve seen them plastered on dorm room walls and movie theater halls. Because they are low-cost compared to original artwork, there are a few things to keep in mind when framing them. Your framing will ultimately depend on how you plan to use the poster - you still want it to look good!

How is framing a poster different from framing other art? Posters are typically printed on inexpensive, light-weight paper. This paper can appear wavy or wrinkly if framed improperly. Unlike original or limited-edition art, posters should be adhered to a backing board using a dry mount machine so that they appear smooth. No more wrinkly posters! It isn't necessary to use spacers to keep glass off of the art, and you don’t need to use the highest-quality frame mouldings to achieve the look you want.

Why do people frame posters? Budget Yes, you can frame on a budget! We offer budget-friendly poster framing options that don’t look cheap. When you are framing a poster for your kid’s room or for a gift, you may not want to invest as much into framing it as an original piece of art. An inexpensive poster may not need a 24K gilded frame or archival quality mounting. Sometimes you just need simple and affordable. We have frames that would work well on your poster and fit into your budget.

Poster Special We have a special framing package and pricing for your poster. Come in and ask us about it!

Decorative You love Van Gogh, but the odds of you owning an original Dutch Master are pretty slim. Poster reproductions are the perfect way to bring famous, beloved art into your home. You want it to be designed as if it were an original piece of art to be worthy of a lifetime of compliments. Just because something was originally a poster doesn’t mean that it can’t look like a million bucks after a good framing job. Our designers are eager to help design that special piece.

Temporary Displays Posters are frequently used in semi-temporary displays. In real estate offices, hospitals, waiting rooms, and classrooms, it is not unusual to change art on a regular basis.

Collections In a room with a poster collection, it is easy and affordable to frame numerous posters similarly. This unites the collection and increases its aesthetic value. This is especially popular with travel, movie, and concert posters.

Too Good To Be True?
When a big box frame shop advertises “50% + 20% off”, it looks like a great deal, but is it really? What is the original price? Does 50% + 20% = 70% off? Let’s say the project is $500.00. If it were 70% off, it would equal $150.00. If it is 50% + 20% off, it would equal $200.00. Compare our prices!

Acrylic Glazing
If your poster will be hanging in a high traffic area (waiting rooms), a danger zone (kid’s room) or moving a lot (dorm room, apartment), acrylic glazing may be a better choice than glass. Acrylic won’t break and is light weight.

Here are some helpful tips for framing a diploma:

It's Worth Framing Properly If there's one thing worth framing properly, it's your diploma. You've spent a lifetime achieving this, so it's worth more than a standard off-the-shelf, ready-made frame. Whatever it costs to properly frame it now will be worth every cent for decades to come.

Preserve It You only get one diploma, and you don't want to see it become damaged or faded over time. Request the use of conservation materials and glazing that will provide the best possible long-term protection from any permanent damage, such as acid or fade.

Choose a Timeless Frame Your framed diploma is likely going to hang on your wall for a lifetime, so consider choosing a frame style that will be classic and timeless rather than something that may match your furniture or decor right now. Styles and trends may change, but your achievement will stay with you forever.

Add a Distinctive Touch A touch of gold, such as a fillet, can formalize and distinguish your achievement. You could also incorporate decorative embellishments to personalize your frame such as additional mat accents, a V-groove, or even a gold pen line. Also ask your design consultant to see some of our fabric matboard options, such as suede or silk, which can add a unique touch of texture and prestige.

You've earned this. Don't just frame it - frame it to last a lifetime!