Simple Ways To Choose The Best Frame For Your Art

When you want to make your artwork look amazing, it’s crucial to choose the right type of frame. Both art collectors and artists can benefit immensely from a custom art frame. 

While the search for the perfect frame can be difficult, it should also be exciting. It’s easy to get lost in the massive selection of art frames, which can lead to choosing the wrong frame. By following the suggestions below, you can make sure you choose the right frame the first time. 

Send the Right Message

One of the wonders of owning a piece of art is the message behind it. There is always a purpose behind a piece of art, and you should do everything possible to look at the bigger picture. 

It’s crucial to match the frame with the message of the piece of art. This will make the art’s message very clear and will highlight its beauty. Style and color are very important, but many people fail to look at the piece of art as a whole. The chosen frame should always do justice for the artwork. 

Bespoke Framing Service

When looking for a premade framing service, there are plenty of options to choose from. While premade frames can look fabulous, they usually require some compromise. 

If you want to properly highlight all of your art’s features, then you need to consider bespoke customized framing. A service like this can provide a frame that matches the size, texture and color of your artwork. 

No Obstructions

Most modern frames have something called a lip, and it’s the part of the frame that covers the edge of the art. The problem is that this lip is an obstruction and reduces the art’s beauty. 

It’s better to get a frame that doesn’t have an obstruction. For the best results, the frame should attach to the back of the art. A frame that doesn’t have an obstruction will enhance the overall appearance of any piece of art.

Premade framing is an option that can work for many people. However, it’s also a good idea to consider custom framing options. 

Canvas Stretching and other options are available from the Sydney Canvas Company. If you choose to use these services, you can feel good knowing your artwork will be taken care of. For more information, visit www.thesydneycanvascompany.com.au. 

Greeting for the Holidays 2013

May the joy of the season follow you through the year, 

and pleasures of life make you grin from ear to ear.

Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas and Peaceful and Prosperous 2014!

(Artwork is done by my talented daughter, please do not claim as yours. © Arice215)

Creative Bollards: Revamping The Way Bollards Look

Do you wonder what those metal or concrete posts obstructing the driveways, parking lots, building entrances and public sidewalks are called? They can be called metal or concrete posts but the correct term for those small structures are bollards.

Bollards can be made of various materials like concrete, timber, iron, steel, stainless steel, polyurethane and ferrocast. It can also look like the common and ubiquitous cylindrical post that juts out on the pavement, looking very bland and uninteresting.

I have seen many bollards in various cities and they all look boring. These small obstructions need not be simple or lacking the flair it should have because it can also pique the interests of passersby, especially if you are a business owner who has bollards installed in front of your store.

Some very creative and enterprising businesses, schools and communities have installed bollards that are not only used to protect the perimeter but also to provide amusement and added drama to an architectural edifice.  However, some bollards are just artistically designed and manufactured to make the community more aesthetic. Here are some creative and artful bollards installed in various cities around the world.


Paris, France

These collection of "Angry Lego" bollard art will be installed in Gallery Joseph in Paris this month until 22 December. This collection is the artistic work of an artist by the monicker of Le Cyklop.

The second and third pictures are another collection of Le Cyklop. They are installed all over metropolitan Paris. Photos below are credited to The Cyklop.

CartoonStreet by The cyklop / Rue René Goscinny, Paris 13e / Photo © The cyklop

The cyklop 2013 / Passage de la Gare in Aulnay-sous-Bois

Cardiff City Centre, UK

The photo below is an bollard art installation by Jane Edden called Post Secrets.  This bollard is different from the rest as you can view the artwork from a tiny peephole. Several of this public art installation are around the Hayes and St. David's shopping areas. Stickers are well placed to encourage people to look inside and see the art from within. Photos below are credited to Jane Edden and newslite.tv.

Geelong Foreshore, Melbourne, Australia

These colorful and really apt bollard art installation on Geelong Foreshore bring more color and fun to the beach area. The bollards have been painted and they are donning swimwear with head caps. They surely make a good photo op for beach goers. 

Photo credit: http://www.family-getaways-melbourne.com/

Glasgow, Scotland

These colorful and very vibrant bollards with mosaic ceramic tiles are found in Glasgow, Scotland. The bollard with a witch and a broomstick make a good Halloween prop.

Photo credit: Owner-Allan Campbell/Kentigern Flickr/ taken from mosaicartsource.wordpress.com

Singapore City, Singapore

These cute Minions bollard art are created by Ernest Zacharevic as commissioned by most private owners. His works can be seen around Victoria Street in Singapore.

Photo credit: news.asiaone.com

Art Stash For July 2013

My day today is very tiring but fruitful. I was everywhere from 3:30 p.m. yesterday up to 3:00 a.m. today! I barely had a decent sleep but all sense of weariness was gone as soon as I stepped inside the craft store where I bought my supplies for July.

I went loca but still stuck to my budget. I bought plenty of paper flowers, ribbons, some bling-bling and a roll of organza and some envelopes for the handmade cards. Next stop, I'll buy a colored printer and some patterned papers to work on. I'm also eyeing to get some of those Copic markers so I can start incorporating rubber stamps on my projects. Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on those stash!

MyMemories Suite Project - Spring Flowers

Check out these great freebies courtesy of MyMemories.com!
They make great Party Favors! Easy and fun to make!

Use these to decorate your lawn or string them together and hang them.
Perfect for spring birthday parties or anything else you can think of!

Available free until May 5th. You may download the free template from my blog. Please check the right side under the FREEBIE header. Please do not sell or re-distribute. This is for your personal use only. Thanks!

If you don't have MyMemories Suite Software yet, you may purchase it from http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software and use my 10% discount code for your purchase: STMMMS30652

Have fun!

(Photo credit: MyMemories.com)

Peeps Show

Ok, before people start assuming things, this is not a bad post. On the contrary, this is a very cute post about the small marshmallow treats called Peeps which are not only cute but also edible!

Every year, Peeps management hosts a contest on the use of their product Peeps in very creative diorama form. The winner this year is the "Chilean CoPEEPapo Mine Rescue" based on the real-life rescue last year in Copiapo, Chile.

The winning entry is made by Mary Jo Ondrejka, Margaret Hartka, and Bryan Metzdorf. Their work is very meticulous and the attention to detail is superb.

Here is the video of the winning entry:

Bent Objects by Terry Border

I was casually browsing the internet when I saw the beautiful art photos of Terry Border. He uses everyday objects and give them personality; making them more "human."

Some of his works are really funny and witty. The others are more geared for adult audience. Here are some of his funny and smart work of arts. All photos are from his blog at bentobjects.blogspot.com.

Art Attack - Handmade Baby Album

My creativity strikes at random times. I did this baby album for a good friend as a going-away gift to her. She was not leaving Dubai but her baby was. Well, there are circumstances we cannot control so we have to make great sacrifices. Sending your beloved child is one the sacrifices we, expats, have to make sometimes for the good of everyone.

So, to cheer her up and to give her a chance to remember the happy times, I made this baby album for her. It took me roughly 3 hours to complete the whole thing. I used card board from used boxes and cut them. The edge of each page had been shaped after the word B-A-B-Y. Each page has various pictures of the whole family with James (the inspiration of this whole special project). I used my 3-D stickers and some self-made tags to embellish the pages. I also used patterned papers to cover the card base. I used plenty of left-over ribbons from my stash. I tied a small "boy cap" as a charm on the album rings.

It was so difficult to attach the rings onto the pages. I did all these manually because I did not have any special die-cutter nor a heavy duty paper slicer. My hands ached so bad the next day. However, seeing the happy face from my friend when she saw the album made it all worth the time and effort.

Here's the end-product of my love for a friend:

Clay Art - Christmas Collection Part 1

As promised, here are the first of the Christmas Collection clay art my daughter and I made. Our medium is still the Sculpey III Polymer Clay which can be baked. My daughter made most of them except for the Christmas Tree (which I happily made for her). We used cookie cutters for the shapes and the rest were from our creative brain juices =) Their sizes are approximately 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches high. Hope you like them!

THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

Here's Mr. Gingerbread Man, fresh from the oven...notice the crack on his arm? Almost got him over-baked...hahaha.

The Christmas Tree I made for my daughter. She loved it a lot.

The Christmas Cane

The Christmas Reversible Star. Now it's GOLD...

& NOW it's SILVER!

The Christmas Bell

Permanent Tattoos

I have nothing against body markings or art tattoos. It has become a mainstream these days to have a tattoo. I think even our grandparents have tattoos. It's an individual mark to be set as different from the rest, a simple token of a lover's appreciation, a fanatic act, an idolization of beliefs or just plain art itself.

I came across this article in the Internet about a permanent form of body art. I don't wish to put any picture here because I find the pictures very graphic for my wholesome audience. Check out the new form of body marking on this site: Tattoo Health.Org

Miniature Yummy Treats

My daughter has improved a lot in the arts and craft department. I am so proud of what her teeny-tiny hands can do with the clay. Ever since we discovered a good brand of clay - Sculpey (thanks again to Arstyclay), she's been into modelling of small stuff.

Here are some of her recent project - the mini-clay treats (consist of sundae cones, donuts, hamburger, fries, onion rings, sunny side up & scrambled egg, tacos, pizza and a hot dog). Mouthwatering!







I wonder what my daughter will do next?