On The Edge of Blogging !

A Belated Happy New Year

2012-01-31T15:55:00.002Z

Well as January ends we are back in the swing of it (as is everyone!). We still can’t comprehend that we’ve been in the new unit for a year. Where did that year go?

It’s that time of year when all the suppliers change their pricing and we too have to do a few sums. But nothing looks too bad this year so hopefully no hefty increases for anyone.

Our main news for this month is that we have been joined full-time by Jessica. Jess came to us in October last year after graduating from DeMontfort University with a BA (hons) in Craft & Design for just a few weeks of work experience. From that point on we haven’t let her go! But in all seriousness it’s great to have someone whose skills, interests and qualifications are perfectly aligned with what we do – and it’s certainly great to have another very capable pair of hands.

Our great mystery since we have been at our unit is our front door. For those who haven’t been, it has a sign on it saying ‘come straight in’ and there is the huge industrial signage overhead with our name and logo on it. There is also normally our van parked outside. So why then do loads of customers walk straight into the neighbouring business - a cleaning machinery workshop!? It’s baffled us all and must be some kind of optical illusion. We’ve all stood outside trying to see why, but we’re baffled. Fortunately Dan, next door, is a good chap and joyfully brings everyone back to our doorstep. I may post a photo next month. Rob

And the Winner is . . . . . . .

2011-12-20T11:30:00.000Z

We we’re delighted that Keith & Hazel Jackson’s name was first out of the hat on an inaugural prize draw. You can see Keith collecting their ‘free framing’ prize which they used to frame paintings that were drawn by an elephant! Most of us agree that it looks a lot better than a lot of stuff in the tate Modern !

Well Christmas has (virtually) arrived so just time to wish you all very Happy Christmas and offer our thanks to all our customers who have kept us going through these difficult times. I’m sure 2012 will be an interesting year and we wish you all a peaceful break and our best wishes for the New Year, whatever it might hold !

Rob

Tidy Workshops, Willing Helpers and Too Much Technology - it's all too much!

2011-11-02T14:07:00.004Z

September went, October went (I got another year older) and now we’re having to think of Christmas (or not!).

Nothing earth shattering has occurred but we’ve been busy. The workshop has had a spruce up with yet more storage added (will we need a bigger unit soon?) and we hosted the Fine Art Trade Guild regional meeting (which is why the workshop got spruced up).

For the last six weeks or so we’ve been joined by Jess who is a graduate in Design & Craft. We’re busy showing her how to makes loads of mistakes in business with the hope that she’ll go on to make her own fortune and remember us in her will. It’s actually been great having another pair of very capable hands helping us get through the workload.

Finally, we’ve actually just sent out our first marketing email to those who agreed to be on the list. Yet again I’m having to learn new skills (groan) as I get to grips with just how complicated the rules, regulations and requirements are to send a compliant email. Hopefully those who are on the list will enjoy the promotions we’re sending them. And if you’re not on our list, just email me and I’ll add you.

More soon (or in 2012 looking at my previous record).

Rob.

Is it Autumn? !

2011-09-03T16:11:00.003+01:00

Oh well, I’m still failing to keep even one blog per month – the usual excuse I’m pleased to say!

There’s much I could (should) have blogged about over the last few weeks. We’ve seen a plethora of good works coming through the workshop in preparation for Open Studios and the Harborough Cluster events in September (and we’re a sponsor of the Harborough Cluster).

There’s already been a good round of exhibitions through summer and we’re delighted to see the names of the various winners where we have donated prizes to these events.

We did see one particularly amazing piece of work by Dylan Waldron - a six foot long panoramic of a local view. It was amazing on two counts: 1, just what an incredible piece of art it was, and 2, the fact that we had to find and fit a 6’ piece of special acrylic (glass didn’t suit it). New to us, this acrylic is now used in Museums and is completely scratch resistant, completely clear and with Ultra Violet protection - ain’t all this new technology amazing!

If you want to see other work by Dylan, have a look at his website http://www.dylanwaldronartist.co.uk/

Finally, we’ve added to our collection of mouldings this month with a superb up-market (yes, more expensive) range from Larson Juhl. Most of the time cost is an issue for people, but when the piece warrants it, these frame styles are absolutely fantastic. We even had to find a bit more wall to display them all.

That’s it, a whole month covered in one blog !

Exhibition Season is Here !

2011-07-15T18:33:00.001+01:00

Well June and July are proving a busy couple of months and the ‘exhibition season’ gets fully underway. Last weekend we were privileged to attend the opening of a one man exhibition by Chris Prout at the Alfred East gallery in Kettering. Blimey it was packed!

I haven’t previously mentioned any of ‘our artists’ (i.e. artists we do work for – not artists we own!) but I think that ought to change – starting now. Chris is an extremely talented chap and we know he’s been stressing on the run up to this showing of 50 of his originals. He was also kind enough to credit us as one of the sponsors – although we didn’t actually do much to help (but thanks anyway!).

If you get a chance, do pop over and see his works. It’s a cut above what you’d see in the everyday (same old, same old) high street galleries. And for those of you who like to invest in art, here’s a tip: . . . . . . by an original now – the feeling is that it will soon be an investment that you’re glad you made!

Information on the gallery can be found at http://www.kettering.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=1196 and Chris’s own site is worth a read http://http://www.chrisproutart.com/

In the mean time we’ll continue with the rather last list of frames that need doing. Blimey we get to see some nice stuff come through the workshop – and this week’s beena real gem for that. It’s a real shame more people don’t get to see these works. Anybody want to lend us a gallery?!

You Want How Many ? !

2011-06-16T13:54:00.000+01:00

Every time I think I ought to make a blog entry I’m convinced that only a couple of weeks have passed since my last ramblings. I’m horrified to see the date of the last posting in March!

Well the only good thing is that we’ve been extremely busy (thankfully), so my excuse is valid. Over the last couple of months we’ve seen many new customers and added some very talented artists and photographers to our list of customers.

A great chunk of May was taken up with our biggest order ever (from one of our favourite clients) which turned us into a factory unit for a while! 11 hours a day standing at a bench doing a repetitive task is a good reminder of why most of us need variation in our work! But looking at all the boxes ready for delivering is actually quite satisfying. And the picture only shows some of them!

Getting There

2011-03-07T18:45:00.001Z

A quick update on the workshop. The new flooring has gone down (less dust!), the blinds have been fitted (less sunburn!) and we actually have a ‘chevron wall’ (less rummaging in boxes!).

We’ve started some local advertising and we’ve seen a few new local customers walking in. All very welcome.

We’re working with a new local designer who is giving our marketing stuff a general going over. We’re very excited by his designs and hopefully we will soon see a new set of brochures and a very colourful van!

I know a lot of this is not the most exciting thing for our customers and those of you who read our blog, but as anyone who has run their own small business will know, these little advances are what can make the job (and the risks) a little more satisfying. Obviously a lot of customers paying lots of money can also make business satisfying, but hey . . . . . you can’t have everything.

It's a Record

2011-03-01T21:10:00.005Z

Not the fact that Bristish Gas did finally connect the supply, nor the fact that BT (after many bodges)eventually installed the phone lines, but the fact that thanks to our kind customers we have had our busiest and biggest month ever. We’re so relieved that we moved just in time. There is no way we could have managed the volume of work from our old premises.

February came and went in a blur and I haven’t even managed a photo for this blog. Our new workshops are proving fantastic and a really nice place to work from. Now that we're warm and connected to the world it's all good. We’ve nearly finished all the work we wanted to do on it. Just a bit of flooring and some blinds to fit and then we’ll be very ready to welcome everybody. We may even have a opening party (which by putting it in this blog will make me get around to organising it!).

The various artists who we do work for seem busy and we’ve seen some very nice works coming through. I may start putting some images on the blog as they come in. There is so much nice stuff that never gets seen – I really must do something about it. I'll add it to my list.

Up & Running ?

2011-01-24T22:35:00.000Z

Far from finished, but at least we’re in production again. The printers are all printing (which is amazing considering one of them had to be turned on its end to get it down a flight of stairs), the underpinner is hissing away nicely, the large glass and board guillotine has been recalibrated (they don’t like being moved) and we’ve even taken delivery of our new and updated computerised mount cutter – and very nice it is too! The vacuum press is getting hot, sucking air and pressing things as it is supposed to and the trusty Morso moulding guillotine is chopping beautifully.

So all in all we’re back to work and the batches of orders have started to leave the building. It’s nice to see a few of our customers calling in to drop off or collect their work and we hope to see many more. All are welcome.

Next week we hope that BT will put us some phone lines in and get our broadband up and running. We currently feel a little incommunicado! And it would also be nice if British Gas could supply us some gas so that we could get warm!!!!! (I shall avoid the temptation to rant again).

Work in Progress

2011-01-12T00:04:00.000Z

It’s now been 8 days since we heaved everything out of our previous workshop and studio and the new unit is starting to take shape. It’s basically a form of organised turmoil.
As ever we could do with about twice the amount of room that we have, but it’s certainly a massive improvement on our previous layout and it’s nice to get everything under one roof.

If British Gas had been more efficient than their current track record in making a complete pig’s ear of connecting us to the gas (it was only the 1st week in October when we tried to order it) then we’d even be warm as well !! As it is, we’re freezing. These big companies are truly useless. Which reminds me – BT can’t get us a phone or internet connection until February and their sale chap even said that it would probably be later than that because their “estimates are rubbish”. Let’s hope their Directors all get good bonuses.

Anyway, that’s enough moaning from me. The airlines are connected, the new tables have been made and the computerised cutting equipment is up and running again. It’ll be a couple more days before we know whether our wide format printer survived being turned on it’s end to get it down a flight of stairs (with the help of 4 big friends – thanks chaps).

On the Edge are On the Up

2010-12-17T13:56:00.001Z

Well, after months of thinking about it we’ve finally signed the lease on a new workshop. The thought of having so much room is great. In reality we know it’ll end up filled to the brim and we’ll want something bigger, but for now it’s going to be fantastic.

Our workshops at home are crammed to overflowing and even the house has been used as a store room for all our customers’ lovely art, so to ‘get our house back’ is going to be a real boon.

It’s very near to the centre of Market Harborough, so for those customers who like to call on us we’ll no longer need to explain how to find the rural depths of Gumley.

All we’ve got to do now is move an awful lot of equipment, and stock . . . and get the gas connected, and get new phone lines . . . and move all the computers . . . and get a new phone system and . . . get a new phone number and . . . . . . Oh blimey, I better get on with it!

We Finally Did It !

2010-08-27T20:13:00.000+01:00

Jules is Pleased

Having said that we were thinking about getting a Computerised Mount Cutter we’ve finally bitten the bullet and have had a nice shiny new machine whirring away in the studio for a couple of months now. Frighteningly (having just looked back at the previous blog) it was April when we were thinking about it and I said something’s got to go. Well something did go – my workbench! So Jules gets a new toy and I get crammed in the corner! Actually it all works quite well, but don’t let on !

Like most new bits of equipment we’ve bought over the years, Jules is adamant she doesn’t need it. Once installed however, woe betides anyone who tries to part her from it.

Jules Fathoming the Software

It’s a fab piece of equipment that saves us a huge amount of time. It arrived in the nick of time to help us through what has been a truly hectic and busy summer period (thank you to our customers who kept us busy). To date we’ve only used it for basic mounts, but it does have a whole host of tricks and features for cutting fantastically creative mount designs with ‘V’ grooves, multi apertures and embossing. So once we’ve had time to play with all these new features we’ll be able to offer even more exciting mounts to our customers.

Time & Size Keep Going

2010-04-13T21:47:00.000+01:00

Blimey, where do these weeks go? I promised myself I’d keep our blog up to date, the next thing I know is that March disappeared and April is rapidly slipping away. I’m really glad to say that time is flying because we’re very very busy, so perhaps it’s not so bad that we spend all our time framing and printing rather than scribbling blogs.

Well these frames just keep getting bigger and we thought we ought to record this one. It’s actually for a rather large mirror. It’s always a relief when we get mirrors finished and delivered as handling, storing and transporting huge sheets of toughened mirror-glass is a nightmare. We’re always convinced we’re going to break it – which, of course, we never have!

The Annual Spring Fair Visit

2010-02-16T20:15:00.001Z

Well, Jules and I ventured off for our annual excursion to the Spring Fair at the NEC. We had already been told that the art & framing section was greatly reduced from previous years and this very much proved to be the case. Some of the major payers in the art and framing world were missing. A sign of the times!

Our main reason for this year’s visit was to have a look at computerised mount cutters . . . . . again! We’ve wanted one of these toys for a few years now, but a lack of space and the rather hefty price tag has always stopped us from taking the plunge. However, Jules is determined we should have one so it’s just a matter of which brand. The thought of a multi-aperture double mount cut in just a few minutes is pure heaven. So watch this space . . . . while I try and find some space. (something’s got to go!)

Harborough Mail Sponsorship

2010-02-01T19:27:00.002Z

We've arranged with the Harborough Mail to sponsor the ‘Memory Corner’ section of the newspaper. For those who don’t know this little feature in the paper, it’s where they publish some great old photos of Harborough and the surrounding areas. All being well the good folk of Harborough will see our logo-man dangling his legs at the top of this section each week! We’re also sponsoring the area on their website where you can order prints of any of the images they have taken or used for the newspaper. http://www.photostoday.co.uk/

I ought also to say a quick thank you to Alastair Campbell of The Ideal Marketing Company http://www.idealmarketingcompany.co.uk/ who helped arrange this for us. A man of many contacts!

On the Edge are blogging!

2010-01-27T16:42:00.001Z

Well as it's a new year the time has come for me to broadcast my ramblings to the wider world. As technical Ludites we've resisted all advances in modern technology, but I guess we can't ignore it for ever. So once again we embark on a learning curve and see if there's just a small amount of room left in our brains to learn something new. So, watch this space!