Pinch me!!!!

[catnapper]

I had the most amazing day yesterday!

I don't even know where to start with the news - or if anyone other than me would be excited about it!

First off, my neighbor is retiring and closing her business. She was a picture framer and knew that I do some framing on the side. She asked me at lunchtime yesterday if I was interested in "some" matboard (you know, that carboard border that goes around pictures) and I said, "Sure. How much do you want for it?" She said free.... ok! Well I figured she might have had twenty or so sheets of matboard for me. I also figured that even if they were ugly, beat up sheets I could use them as backing board....not so! There is currently over 300 sheets of perfect, beautiful colors in my office! AND its the high quality stuff! I hardly ever buy it because I can't afford it - and now I have more than I'll go through in a long time!

THEN while hubby and I are there picking the matboard up from her shop, she hands me at least a couple hundred dollars worth of frame molding. She's giving me fax machine, a vice, a framer's table, and a vaccuum press, all sorts of small supplies, glass, storage cabinets - you name it! I told her that I can't TAKE all of this stuff... that I need to pay SOMETHING. All she'll take is $500 for everything!!!! She even handed me her rolodex with all of her vendors and good clients!!!!

I'm going to have a fully stocked frame shop in my basement within two weeks! I'll be able to sell to people and make some really good money. My house is zoned residential/commercial so NO problem having customers come to the house. I was a picture framer for ten years, so I know what I'm doing! I LOVED being a picture framer. Even if I only do one or two customers a week in between my artwork and designwork... please pinch me! I'm SO excited!

[Freckles]

Wow, what a great deal.
I hope you paid for lunch!

[catnapper]

LOL! No, I was cutting a bagel and Nicki asked to go out, so I walked out into the yard still holding the bagel. My neighbor saw me and called me over. She asked me about the matboard, and I jokingly offered her my bagel!

Yes, it IS a great deal! She's a wonderful neighbor and I can't thank her enough!

[Tonya]

That is wonderful!

[catlover4ever]

Wow, that is a wonderful deal. I don't know how to frame but would love to learn. As a matter of fact everytime I finish a cross stitch project and need to hav eit framed I always end up having to take it somewhere....can I come to your house for a few lessons?? Just kidding.

[Logan]

What a gift!!!!! I wish you the best of luck in your new venture!!!!!

[Corinna]

NIce way to walk in to a business . Good luck!

[jazzcat]

Wow, you did have a great day. Congrats on your new business!!!

[Edwina's Secretary]

That is exciting! I have a neighbor who owns an art gallery and framing shop. He and I have worked on some projects tuning "found objects" into wonderful art -- thanks to his creative framing! For example.... I had some cat postcards I bought in France for 1 Euro. He matted and framed them... so cute. Of course the framing cost a bit more than 1 Euro!

Congratulations!

[catnapper]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
He and I have worked on some projects tuning "found objects" into wonderful art -- thanks to his creative framing! For example.... I had some cat postcards I bought in France for 1 Euro. He matted and framed them... so cute. Of course the framing cost a bit more than 1 Euro!

Congratulations!

LOL! I once had someone come into the frame shop with this AWFUL collage with glitter, feathers, sequins, pom-poms, etc. It looked like someone just dumped the left over craft supplies onto a piece of paper and glued them down. Anyway, $200 later, it looked GREAT! It was actually really cool! I am sometimes amazed at how much the right frame can make something turn from blah to fabulous.

Thanks everyone! I am truly amazed that this windfall landed in my lap! I don;t know how much business I'll do with it, but ANY business is still business!

[Barbara]

Catnapper, a pity you are so far away.
Right now I got a wonderful gift from Edwina's secretary: an old quilt square (ca. 100 years) and I am thinking about how to frame it

If you were here you'd have a job right now

[catnapper]

Originally posted by Barbara
Catnapper, a pity you are so far away.

What? Several continents is too far for you to go for framing something?

LOL!!!!!!

[Cataholic]

PINCH!!!!!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist! What wonderful fortune.

[Barbara]

Originally posted by catnapper
What? Several continents is too far for you to go for framing something?

LOL!!!!!!

As a matter of fact I'd wish that many PT connections would be closer in real life - we all could make quite some business out of us

[Denyce]

Have you ever worked with needleworks and especially linen cloth? I have a couple of needleworks I need framed at some point. Or at least stretched and matted. One I have the frame for it I just need someone to cut the mats and put it on the foam core. It is a tricky one however.

Denyce