Picking up from yesterday –
I went to a custom framing store… The girl I’d actually gotten the quote from didn’t even work there anymore – that’s how long I’d waited.
I remember loving her on the phone. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the lovely women currently working there. But it didn’t feel the same as the fun girl from the phone.
The women seemed interested in the prospect of making a 52 with the medals and they were rendering ideas on the computer of how they’d do it. But, by the time I’d met them, I’d already been to Michaels.
Michaels is a chain arts and crafts store. Before going there, I wondered how some big retail giant could ever be as a good as a little custom framing shop. But once I got to Michaels, I met Andrea – the framing expert there.
She was amazing. She seemed so very passionate and open to ideas. Almost anything seemed possible with her. She seemed really excited about the project. I had this wonderful feeling about her. It would’ve been hard for anyone to match (or overtake) that.
So, I went to the other custom framing shop and no one could out-do Andrea.
I will say that at the custom frame shop, they said they could do two mats and shape one into a 52, then put the medals on that one. Whereas, they didn’t have the equipment needed at Michaels to shape a mat into a giant 52. But I think I actually like the idea better of just the medals themselves being the shape. So, that’s fine.
In the end, Michaels was even cheaper than the custom framing place. So, Michaels it is.
I will say my only true qualm is that the only shadowbox option (that was deep enough and could be made big enough) was a black wood frame… And I don’t really like the textured look of the frame. I mean, maybe I could’ve tried to push that harder or something. But if they don’t have any other options, then they don’t have any other options.
There was a nice smooth shadowbox frame that would fit everything… But they only had the corner of it. She called multiple places, and apparently it’s not even being made anymore?
So, it is what it is. I’m sure it still look good. I’m so excited about every single other detail about it. So I’m sure I’ll barely even notice the textured frame.
More on the layout and process of picking the mat and such tomorrow.