Behind The Frame

The Grand Prize Winner during our 10^th Anniversary Celebration was Maggie Weber. Here is Maggie’s Behind the Frame story.

“My husband had started a small collection of Dave Mathews Band posters from the concerts he went to. I had one framed for Father’s Day a few years ago and wanted to add to the collection. This became our 5 year Anniversary gift.”

“The designers at Frame Works are true artists and their creativity brings out the best in the work. They are very thoughtful and work with their clients in finding what works in budgets.”

Maggie W.

“I wanted to put together a display of my Dad’s service to our country.”

“Not only did Frame Works create a display. They created a story and a great memory for me. Thank you for more than I expected.”

Chuck Heitbrink

“I wrote a book, Country Boy, City Girl, about my Olympic swimming mother and my farm boy father growing up as teens during the Great Depression. Her medals being reframed and refurbished are important to my book promotion events”

“Tom at Frame Works worked very hard to recreate the original frame and contents. He helped preserve the memories and treasures of my family. TOP quality!”

Teresa Holmgren

“I wanted to enhance some neat prints. The fine folks at Frame Works are wonderful. They suggest the best way to showcase the art. They love what they do and it shows. And I love them!”

Erin Bishop

“I grew up on and in the water and still feel most at home when I can see some, even when I don’t live next to any. I’m very fortunate to have as friends several talented photographers; here are works by two of them. I’ve had West Content Key III for ten years and the time finally arrived to have the original frame replaced. Fishing Boat, Louisiana (2012) is a recent acquisition.”

“Thanks to previous experiences, Frame Works is my go-to place, whatever the treasure I wanted framed. Tom has repeatedly spent all the time necessary to come up with the perfect treatment. Thank you!”

Marla McKinney

“I framed this for my grandson who won the Iowa State Wrestling Champion his senior year.  I was blessed to have enjoyed his year and wanted to capture this moment in time and history for him.”

“I found Frame Works on the Internet.  So glad I did.  Tom was awesome to work with and he does beautiful work.”

Sue Grummert

Frame Works was honored to frame this 1903 flag that was sewn by the Great Granddaughter of Betsy Ross.  The flag is owned by the Jean Espy Chapter NSDAR and they wanted to preserve it for future generations.  The silk flag and small silk ribbon, which has handwriting on it, was removed from its staff by Sharon Kundsen, Textile Conservator.  The flag, ribbon and staff were mounted on wool to stabilize them before the framing.  The Chapter selected Hudson II black scoop moulding and Hudson gold fillet from Larson Juhl for the frame.  Optium Museum acrylic by TruVue was used for the glazing.

Jean Espy Chapter NSDAR

“I had three pieces framed.  Two of them were art work by my daughter and the third is an artist’s rendering of the area in Alaska where my son lives.  These pieces are sentimental and beautiful and I wanted the frames to also reflect those qualities.”

“Frame Works offers friendly, professional and relaxed atmosphere to try different looks.  Tom and his staff were able to problem solve an issue with one of my pieces not being square.  I will be a repeat customer.

Myrtie D.

“I’m an Airstream fanatic, so when my wife presented me with this print for Christmas, I was ecstatic! She had seen the print hanging on the wall of Bisquet Love, a restaurant in Nashville, TN.  She got the name of the artist from the restaurant owner and tracked the artist down.”

“Tom spent time with me to find the right frame to really set this piece apart.  The hammered steel frame reminds me of the body on a classic Airstream.”

Tom Foldes

“I just wanted to tell you that the Board Meeting was a huge success and they LOVE, LOVE, LOVED the pics you framed.  They were super excited that I had preserved them and loved the wall as a whole.  Thank you again for all your work on them…  I will be doing future business with you for sure and highly recommend you to others.”

Lori Utoft with Furst-McNess Company

“This is my favorite photo from Paris.  We were walking along the Siene and I saw this quirky scene and the turquoise sweater stood out.”

“Frame Works made my photo into a work of art!  The frame compliments the picture.  The photo is floated so it really stands out.  Great people to work with.”

Helene Magruder

“I love Picasso and I was looking for a way to properly show this signed piece”

“Great frame shop, personal service and very professional.”

Paul

“I found these original 1947 blueprints in a house that I purchased and renovated into a Vet Clinic. They were shoved in a cupboard and I felt they deserved to be preserved.”

“Tom took the time to listen to what I hoped the finished product would look like and helped me select the frame that would most echo the pencil lines and age of the blueprints.”

-Kristin H.

“I purchased this piece because I was born in Chicago and it reminds me of Chicago. It spoke to me both in it’s colors and because it reminded me of my childhood. It will be hung on a wall with other landscapes, city buildings and building interiors – thus keeping a sort of theme.”

-Jan A.

“I have a marvelous son-in-law.  For his birthday I had a pastel drawing his mother had done of him when he was young.  She passed away years ago.  I love him enough to cherish her memories.”

“Frame Works has great ideas and guidance leading to a beautiful final product.”

Mary Ann K.

This customer found an old oval frame in the attic of their house.  They brought it to Frame Works and had us cut mat and glass to fit their wedding picture into the old frame.  Great idea to save this wonderful old frame and make it a part of their lives!

“My newest addition to my Clara Bow collection is an 11×14 signed photo taken by Max Munn Autrey.  I think this photo is the best one I have ever gotten!”

“Tom at Frame works is number 1!  He always knows just how to frame items for my collection.”

Patrick P.

We recently did this photo restoration for one of our customers.  Marty brought in an old family photo that had been torn into pieces, then taped back together.  The tape left acid marks on the original photo.  There were even some small pieces missing.  The folks who do our photo restoration work – Digital Custom – did a truly amazing job restoring this bit of family history!

“The 5 Satins poster – my quartet, 45RPM, sang for Jim Freeman’s wife when she was recovering from a bad traffic accident.  He was an original member of the 5 Satins and we sang ‘In the Still of the Night.’ He later asked us to be his back-up singers when he was inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  It was a great honor and joy to do this.”

“The other piece is a blueprint of the plane I am building -Vans Aircraft RV-12 – in my basement and garage.  I was lucky enough to acquire a signed print of the plane that an artist at the company produced.”

“Service and quality at Frame Works are wonderful and I would recommend anyone to use them.”

Greg L.

“During my time in the Air Force, I was a C-5 crew chief and this lithograph is a representation of my first assigned aircraft.”

“Frame Works has done an outstanding job on each of the projects I have brought them.”

Brian S.

“This was painted for me by a dear young friend from the United Arab Emirates, when she learned that I collect doves.  It’s very special to me.”

“Frame Works has been great to work with – quality work and good, personal help.  I love the fact that they host shows of young local artists!”

Diane F.

“All of this artwork (3 pieces) is CSA (Community Supported Art).  I want to display it properly.”

“Frame Works did an excellent job framing my artwork.  Tom is a delight to work with.  Thank you!”

Julie J.

“I found my 1976 ISU art drawings in my parent’s home as I cleaned & renovated it.  I decided it was as good as other artworks in our home – good enough to frame & give to my sons & husband.”

“The end result is better than I imagined – showcasing my hidden talents for the world to enjoy!  Top notch & well done.  Thank you Frame Works for all the amazing options to frame my treasure!”

Debra H.

“My father worked for Delta Airlines in the late 60’s early 70’s and Van Cliburn came through the airport.  My father recognized him and since I was a piano student he asked for Van Cliburn’s autograph.  I found it recently when cleaning out the basement and had it framed.”

“If you have anything to be framed, Tom is quite excellent.”

Mark P.

“I commissioned the art work as a gift to my mother and her brothers and sisters for Christmas.  I wanted to create a lasting memorial piece honoring my Grandpa and Grandma Manatt.”

“Frame Works does professional quality work at fair prices, with care and skill.  Not only did they help to create this artwork but they did it timely and their display of the finished product in the store helped my Aunt reconnect with a classmate who noticed it hanging at Frame Works.”

Scott H.

“These silk prints hung in my parent’s home as long as I can remember.  When my mother died, I took them.  They may not be worth anything, but they are worth a lot of memories to me.  The other piece is an original from a series that I have.”

“So friendly and helpful.  Local businesses are the best!  I highly recommend Frame Works.”

Barb A.

“This painting of a park in Mexico City is oil on canvas by noted artist Hela Klipstein (who I knew personally).  Hela was born in Mexico City and held solo exhibitions in major galleries in New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Mexico City and Havana.  A good friend of the famed Spanish poet Leon Felipe and political rebel Victor Trapote, she was also a contemporary of many of the Spanish Civil War’s revolutionary voices.  Her works are held mostly in private collections.  Hela is primarily know as a landscape painter but she was also an accomplished portrait painter.  This work was likely done during the period of Hela’s lighter, more colorful palate, sometime in the late 1940s to mid-1950s.”

Steve A.

For this piece Frame Works worked with Steve to create a similar framing he had seen.  This is a stacked frame using moulding from the Olmsted Biltmore collection and Black Reflections as the main frame with Olmsted gold fillet both on the frame, all from Larson Juhl, and on the Bainbridge Suede mat.

Mark brought in two newspapers from the 1860’s that he wanted reframed to better preserve and display.  He had never seen what was inside the newspapers.  We photographed each page before we reframed the newspapers so Mark now has a record of what is inside.

“I didn’t feel the old frames did the 1865 newspapers justice.  Plus I didn’t know what was inside the papers.  We found another great picture and had it framed as well.”

“Great guys at Frame Works.  Great visualization of the framed projects.”

Mark H.

Jane purchased original art during our show ‘Artistry in Pastel’, featuring art from the Inmate Art Program at the Iowa Correctional Institution For Women.

“I found both of these pieces to be beautiful and uplifting.  Knowing how the pieces may have been created and how proud, I hope, the artists are of their beautiful art!”

“I love the framing but I also love the exposure Tom gives local artists!”

Jane B.

“The map was a birthday gift from my brother who has been living in London for 2 years.”

“Frame Works does an amazing job!  I love them!”

Marie M.

“I purchased this 200 year old silk embroidery during a trip to Malaysia.”

“Fantastic, creative, artistic work.  The best!”

Steve A.

“This is a Christmas present for my husband.  He had his first hole in one in June.  He will be thrilled with it!!”

“Frame Works has excellent service & beautiful work.  They even got it done for Christmas.”

Sue R.

“I’ve worked at Pioneer over 13 years and I love the company, people and our mission.  I found this bag at an antique store in Creston when I stopped for lunch traveling to a customer’s farm.”

“Tom has great taste and a vision to help you select timeless mats & frames to showcase your art or keepsake.  And we should support local businesses.”

Courtney D.

“I purchased this hymnal page in Des Moines from Red Door Press for my daughter and her husband for a Christmas surprise.”

“Frame Works always do a great job.”

Thomas M.

“I had this caricature done, along with two other drawings.  When I look at them they make me feel good!”

“Tom always does a great job with my framing.  And he makes me laugh.  I enjoy going into Frame Works.”

Dick D.

“I lived and taught in Thailand for a year and it changed my life.  This map of Southeast Asia was in a box of books I received from my grandmother, who also shaped my life.  This map reminds me of a great place and a great person.”

“Frame Works offers excellent craftsmanship and an unrivaled attention to detail.”

Thomas M.

“These are Christmas gifts for very special people.”

“These guys at Frame Works are fantastic.  They listen to you while you explain what the frame needs to be.  And then they finish the piece exactly as desired.”

Karen S.

“I am a huge live music fan and have recently begun collecting concert posters from some of my favorite bands and concerts I have gone to.  These posters are memories for me as well as nice pieces of art for my basement bar area.”

“Tom does great work and has good ideas on how to make your prints look even better.”

Jason B.

“My Grandpa was an awesome person and I wanted a way to honor him.  Having this frame made seemed like the appropriate thing to do.  We had great times together with memories I’ll never forget.  I lost him when he was 98 years old.  He was my heart and soul, my everything and truly my best friend.”

“Frame Works were very easy to deal with and accommodating.”

Stacy R.

“I framed this poster to preserve the signatures and memories behind it.”

“Frame Works were extremely easy to work with and were attentive to every detail.”

Andrew S.

“This was a learning piece, but I ended up with so much time and effort in it that I wanted to keep it protected as well as enhanced with a frame.”

“Frame Works has done an awesome job in the past for me, so I wouldn’t trust my fiber art to anyone else.”

Carolyn B.

“This picture was created by our good friend, Gene Mckelvey, who had a showing at Frame Works.  The frame and mat added so much to the picture – love it!  We can say we knew him before he became famous!”

“We were offered so much help and many suggestions.  The work was completed quickly and professionally.  Great job!”

Linda S.

“My husband’s sister gifted me with this print to celebrate my graduating with my M.A.  The print is of the octagonal barn owned by my husband’s aunt and uncle in Johnston County.  They kept horses and we’d do moonlight horseback rides when my stepchildren were young.  It evokes great memories!”

“I want others to know that at Frame Works the helpfulness in selecting mat, frame and glass is friendly and expert.”

Roberta Y.

“My husband and I had our first date at Yankee Doodle Pops so this picture reminds us of that special date.”

“I’ve been thrilled by the work done by Frame Works.  Tom makes my pictures timeless!”

Jenny B.

“We framed this item to preserve the beautiful memories from our wedding day.”

“Tom is wonderful!  He is very personable and has an excellent eye for selecting the right frame.  We have framed several pieces at Frame Works and would never go anywhere else.”

Jennifer J.

“The peaceful scenery of the wheat and poppy field overlooking the Black sea in Crimea was painted by a local artist Victor Schesnyak in 2007.Victor is well-recognized as a landscape-painter in Crimea. This particular image is one I remember seeing in my home land as a child….the memories it evokes are priceless.  I can now relive those precious moments every day as I look at this beautiful piece of artwork.”

Olga D.

“Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) masterpieces “Madonna and Child (Madonna Litta)” and “Madonna and Child with Flowers”, otherwise known as the Benois Madonna, are truly treasures of Hermitage Museum located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. I purchased these copies during my trip to Russia. They are beautifully framed by Tom Perrine.  I now enjoy a piece of Hermitage in my home.”

Olga D.

“Small birds flitted about in the delicate flowers of chrysanthemums are all made from seashells! This fantasy picture is created by my sister Tatyana, the master of the seashell handicrafts.”

Olga D.

“I framed these pieces to give as gifts to my children for Christmas.  I purchased them from the artist in Panama at an arts & crafts fair in a village built inside a “sleeping” volcano.  The work is very delicate and is one of the special arts of Panama.”

“I want others to know that you can also get quality framing at Frame Works.”

Jean B.

“I wanted a special gift for the Director and Producer of Karen Schaeffer’s very first play.  She wrote Girl’s Weekend and its debut was Oct. 17 – Nov. 2, 2014 at The Des Moines Playhouse.”

“I gave them an idea and they made it even more exciting and creative than we imaged!”

Max S.

“Starting as a boy, I have been an avid Johnny Bench fan.  My wife surprised me with this autographed copy of Boy’s Lifewith him on the cover.  I wanted to protect it and display it proudly.”

“Tom did an outstanding job helping me choose the right frame.  I love it!”

Brian S.

“This picture of Clara Bow is an original by Eugene Robert Riche taken for Paramount Studios in 1929.”

“I trust Tom at Frame Works with the framing of my Clara Bow photos.”

Patrick P.

“I am cleaning out my parents’ home after the death of my father.  The photos bring back so many memories and stories.  I want my sisters to have these pictures so the stories continue with further generations.”

“Personable, knowledgeable, fun and so talented.  We have only one frame shop – Frame Works!”

Shelly C.

For these photos we scanned the originals, front and back, and made reproductions for Shelly and her sisters.

“I wanted to preserve years of hard work.”

“They are very professional!”

Tammy C.

“These are the table toppers from our wedding 5 years ago.  They tell the story of our relationship.  I decided to frame these as a surprise for my husband for our anniversary.”

“Tom was wonderful to work with.  I had an idea of what I wanted, but he helped me to put it all together.”

Sarah F.

“We had our ketubah (wedding contract) framed to preserve and display an important & special symbol of our marriage.”

“Phenomenal service from professionals who go the extra mile to get it right!”

Sam & Aliza R.

“I love my next door neighbor’s laundry! She is just so cute – 90 years old – and lets it all hang out!”

“Awesome service – very personal & fast!”

Barb H.

“I framed this piece to make it look good.”

“Their work is the best and the nicest people you can meet.”

Michael R.

“London was a bucket list trip for my husband & I.  We took so many beautiful photos & we couldn’t decide what to do… So I took them to the only place I know who could take on this project.”

“If you want creative & pristine framing, don’t go anywhere else!  You will never be disappointed!  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!”

Heather L.

“These little paintings are from a trip to Russia.  We have two sets and these are great reminders of a wonderful trip.”

“Tom really listened to what I wanted for these little pictures and created a perfect set for our walls.”

Luke L.

“We purchased this Jason Bantle photo of a Western Blue Bird in Banff, Alberta and loved the idea of bringing a bit of the Canadian wilderness to our home in Iowa.”

“Frame Works was very helpful in taking the time to help us select just the right frame and matting to display this lovely photograph.”

Martha & Bob W.

“This print is a vacation souvenir.  It was easy to have the print mailed home in a tube and then frame it in the manner desired at home.”

“We love Frame Works!  The ‘magic camera’ is a fantastic tool to help select the perfect mat and frame.”

Steve B. & David V.

“The paintings felt as if they were meant to live together rather than be separated.”

“The artistic esthetic that Frame Works brings to the original art work is outstanding. They know how to honor the work. It’s exciting to have them as collaborators.”

Caryn E.