Happy Canada 150th Birthday!!!

A very special weekend is coming up – 150 years for Canada!!!

“What is the “Chant national”?  Do you know the history of Canada’s National Anthem?  Did you know it was first performed in February of 1880 but did not become Canada’s official anthem until 100 years later in July of 1980? Listen to the instrumentation below – (takes 5 seconds to load)

Did you know that the official music is not copyrighted, but is left in the public domain, but different versions of it may be copyrighted?  Do you know who wrote the words?  Most of us know the first verse no problem, but did you know there are 4 stanzas?  Do you know who composed the music?  If you wish to test your knowledge or learn more about it, click here.

History of our National Anthem here

More about our anthem here

Blowing The Framing Nook

The wind was a blowing hard here at the Framing Nook on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.

I (Brian) was just finishing off here  in my upstairs office I was startled to hear a major rumbling & whirling sound. It was like a freight-train was in our back yard. The entire building started to shake. I ran down stairs as fast as I could to try to reach for safety. As I passed by a window I glanced to see entire sheets of plywood & insulation batts fly by our building. I couldn’t see the buildings which were a few hundred feet away, all I could see was a dark cloud of dust. I darted to a safe place near an inner wall downstairs and lay on the concrete face down,; my eyes closed and a prayer reaching out. I was bracing for the worst. The building shook and I heard several bangs…it lasted a few minutes for sure. I thought for sure I was done as it sounded like the roof was ripped off. When it quieted down a bit I got up and looked out the back window to see a huge crumpled piece of roofing that tore off a neighbours building and landed into our building, damaging our exterior  wall, my truck window & completely destroying the huge overhead door. Was I ever thankful that we were spared & didn’t have any more damage – praise God!

No framing was damaged!

Here are some pics of our building as well as some neighbours etc

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Old Barnwood frames for a modern home????

Custom Barnwood Rustic frames look great on the right art for the right person!

Strange as it may seem, a lot of our clients want to see a really rustic frame on their modern walls. They want something real, something that nature made (or at least changed), something that has a story to it. However they don’t want a cheap knockoff that a factory simulates. They want real weathered barnwood off the wall. Discriminate buyers want to see a bit of nail holes, a few knots & cracks & splits, but the corners need to be good & tight and the frame should be straight and true. That can be a real challenge, and we love challenges!
Rustic barnwoods may be your favorite, but it isn’t for everyone and certainly shouldn’t be used on all artwork. Sometimes a contrast does bring out the best of things, just think of the photos we see of a lovely lady in a beautiful dress against an old barn door. However too much can be a negative thing, picture a modern abstract art piece with bright colours with a huge barnwood frame – wouldn’t be what I would recomend!
Here are some examples that turned out really nice. What do you think?
 

Happy Father’s Day!

All the BEST  to ALL the FATHERS out there!

    Gillette deserves a big round of applause ♫  They have recently produced a powerful message that society is in desperate need of.  I don’t watch much TV, but I happened to stumble upon this link May 31st and I wish to share it with you all.  Turn on your sound and have a look!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmWRODY0ing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g2mZdqqy6g

As helpful as technology can be, nothing can replace the fundamental  human relationships.  As Michael Gurian once stated: “Father’s Day is hopefully a time when the culture says, “”This is our moment to look at who our men and boys are.””  Some of us have had non-existent father figures or at the least, a minimal presence; some of us have had abusive fathers while others of us have had wonderful fathers.  I dare say, many fathers, no matter their current age, are doing the best they know how, often learning as they go, sometimes making mistakes, sometimes floundering and at other times acing it, just like the rest of us.  So for each of us, whenever certain calendar holidays roll around, we find ourselves reminiscing one way or another.

Actor Hugh Jackman observed this:  “The activity of being a husband, father – those are roles, too, but underneath them is the spiritual center that connects us all, and that’s what’s most important.”  That’s a pause for pondering thought.  As I search the web on the topic of fathers, I came across this helpful website:  www.fathers.com . I also doff my hat to our Native Aboriginal friends across the street as I was a witness a year ago in regards to their “I am a Kind Man” campaign kick-off.

You can find some tips for what to do for Father’s Day and a bit about the history of this special calendar marked day here:  https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/father-day .

 

 

 

 

Congrats to Lindsay – Certified Picture Framer!

Congratulations to Lindsay Mayert!

Our main employee, Lindsay, is now a Certified Picture Framer! You can be sure that she has the qualifications and appropriate advice for helping you with your framing needs. Custom Picture Framing is a very comprehensive segment, and Lindsay has demonstrated in private testing by the Professional Picture Framing Association that she has attained remarkable skill and knowledge in the craft. As a certified member, she also has an amazing source to call on if any new questions come up with unique framing challenges.

Lindsay has certainly put in the time & studies and has the paperwork to prove that she ‘Knows her stuff’ when it comes to picture framing. This is not an easy test. Many framers fail after months of studying heavy material. Kudos to you Lindsay!

I hope you will congratulate her by visiting us here at The Framing Nook.

Now we are busy making it look pretty.(We tend to do that!) Ornate frame on a certificate? Looks great don’t you think?  You will have to pop in to see what it looks like all framed up.

History of the Certification Program
The Certified Picture Framer® (CPF®) examination was developed in 1986 in conjunction with Educational Testing Services (ETS) to provide professional recognition to individuals successfully completing the established criteria. In developing the CPF® program, PPFA sought the expertise of industry leaders, representing a wide range of educational backgrounds and proven talents in the picture framing industry.

Objectives
The objectives of the certification program are to:
• Standardize the principles and practices of the
profession.
• Encourage self-assessment by offering guidelines for
achievement.
• Award recognition to those who have met the
established criteria. • Improve education within the industry by encouraging participation in continuing education programs.

Who is the organization that regulates and issues the certification?

PPFA

About The PPFA

The Professional Picture Framers Association is dedicated to promoting and upholding the professionalism of the custom picture framing industry. PPFA provides framers and retailers with educational opportunities, events, certifications, competitions, exclusive member discounts, online communities, and additional resources to expand knowledge and promote business growth.