You might not realize it from the humble confines of Carter Avenue Frame Shop, but a significant portion of our business comes from commercial framing. Whether it’s framing a few award certificates or picking out and installing artwork for the new board room, our commercial framing division can help your business or organization. We have framed thousands of certificates and we have years of experience framing art for public areas and offices. Bring your project to the shop or call Tim for a consultation at your office (651) 645-7862. We specialize in solving your problems, making the process easy for you, and making you look good!
In September 2007, Carter Ave. Frame Shop was named one of the nation’s Top 100 Art & Framing Retailers for the fifth year in a row by Decor Magazine. We’re proud to be part of this elite group of the “best and brightest” in the framing industry. We’re especially proud to be one of only six frame shops named all five years this honor has been granted. We pledge to keep working hard to earn your trust.
Yes, we can often order posters that you find on the Internet. We do not have access to absolutely everything that you can find online, but we do have access to thousands of images. The advantage to having us order your poster is that you don’t have to pay any postage or deal with any problems. In addition, you are always able to borrow images from our inventory to take home on approval before you buy them. Also, if you look at a printed image in our catalogs, the colors from our printed image are more similar to the poster colors than the image on your computer screen. If you want us to search for an image, get all the information that you can including the artist’s name, the title of the image, the size and the publisher and we will be able to tell you whether we can get that poster or not. Read the rest of this article »
Mat width is usually determined by a number of factors such as the size of the piece, the scale of the room where the piece will be hung, the graphic strength of the work, the mat colors, and the look desired. Standard mat width is getting wider generally. Exaggerating the mat dimensions is sometimes done for a gallery or fine art look. The mat serves as a buffer between the frame and the work of art. It is essentially a place for the work of art to be. It should relate to the work of art and enhance the work rather than distract from it. Generally, wider is better than narrower, within limits. Read the rest of this article »
Oftentimes, it is possible. We work with a local paper conservator, Allan Thenen, who offers many services to our customers. Alan can stabilize old paper documents that are falling apart, bleach paper that has yellowed or contains stains, remove or lessen mold and mildew growth (called “foxing”) on paper and help with many other paper related problems. His rates are quite reasonable and our customers have been quite satisfied with his work. If you have an old map or antique etching that has been damaged, please feel free to bring it by and we will have Allan take a look at it. He will be able to give you an idea about what he can and cannot do along with an estimate for his services.
This is probably a dangerous question to ask a picture framer, but the truth is the answer lies with you. As basic as it sounds, the main question to ask is: do you really like the picture? We can certainly update the framing for the picture that you framed in the “do-it-yourself” frame shop during college and transform your artwork into something that will look good in your house today. If you paid almost nothing for the picture, but you still love it, or even have some kind of nostalgic attachment to it, then it’s probably worth re-framing. Conversely, if a picture that you don’t like very much falls off the wall and breaks the glass, you might be better off to spend your money framing something that you love rather than putting that ho-hum piece back up on the wall. In any case, the opinion that matters most is yours. Saving good art from bad framing is one of the most valuable things a frame shop can do and we love to do it.
Contrary to what many people think, the designation “CPF” on our business cards does not mean that you want to bring your taxes to us. What it does mean is that all three of us have passed a written test administered by the Professional Picture Framers Association covering a wide range of topics from the names of moulding profiles to how to properly frame a painting that’s going to be hanging on a sailboat (that’s a real question).
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The answer is: it depends. Most posters, photos and inexpensive prints should be permanently dry mounted and shouldn’t be rippling. However, if you are framing an original or collectible piece of artwork, the proper mounting technique will not necessarily prevent rippling. In order to keep the artwork in its original condition, the framer doesn’t permanently adhere the artwork to its backing board. In most cases, the artwork is hinged to its mat or backing board with an acid-free paper and reversible adhesive with minimal contact to the artwork. Read the rest of this article »
The first thing you need to consider is what you are trying to do with your overall decorating. Consider how your piece relates to the other elements in your home – the doors, windows, furniture, etc. Ask someone to hold it up against the wall to see what placement looks best. As a rule of thumb, eye-level is best (keeping in mind that eye-level isn’t the same for everyone). Try it higher or lower, centered or off-center.
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Yes, we do. In fact we don’t even carry “regular” mats anymore. We use rag and alphacellulose mats exclusively because their surface papers hold their color longer and they don’t damage the art in any way. We use acid-free backing and ultraviolet light- blocking glass when appropriate to keep your valuable or irreplaceable art protected.
Yes, we have an eclectic collection of everything from inexpensive reproductions to original paintings, from antique prints and maps to original graphics. And we have access to a great deal more art than we have in the store. We can often help you track down art you want that we don’t have.
You don’t have to wait for a sale at the Carter Avenue Frame Shop since you always get our best price everyday for paying when you order. We prefer to offer good prices all the time rather than artificially raising regular prices and offering “sales” all the time. We always offer a 10% discount for paying when you order. Our regular prices are very competitive and we don’t want you to wait to get a good deal on picture framing.
That is like asking “how much does a car cost?” It depends on which model, what extras, and what size. Framing prices depend on how big your picture is and what components and services your picture needs. We don’t know the answers to those questions until we look at your picture with you, measure it, and design a beautiful and appropriate framing treatment for it. Bring in your art. We’ll give you exact prices based on what frame and extras you select. And of course, there is no obligation if you don’t like the price.
We fix it. Our work is guaranteed. The last thing we want is for our customers to be unhappy about anything we have framed. Of course we ask you to help us make the right choices the first time. If someone else is going to have veto rights over your framing selection, bring them in so we can avoid an unnecessary redo. But if there is a quality problem or a design problem, we will work with you to make you happy.
Weekdays 10-5:30, Saturday 10-4, or by appointment.
Closed Sundays and the following holidays:
Memorial Day
July 4th
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
December 24 & 25
December 31 & January 1
[photopress:acceptingaward.jpg,thumb,alignright]Carter Ave. Frame Shop is proud to have been named one of the Top 100 Art & Framing Retailers in the country by DÉCOR Magazine, a leading trade journal, for three years in a row! In addition, Carter Ave. has been named one of only seven frame shops with special honors for 2005. That’s Tim receiving our award in September 2005 at Decor Expo in Atlanta. We are the only Top 100 winner from Minnesota in 2005, and one of only a handful of three-time winners in the country.
Doctors may not make house calls anymore, but Carter Avenue does. Sometimes having an expert eye to help you with your home or office decor can make the difference between eye-catching and “ay carumba!”. We will come to your location and help you with placement of your existing framed art and help you with art and framing selections for your empty spaces. We do delivery and installation, as well. Our customers have been amazed by how much a little design sense can transform their surroundings. Beat the rush — call for an appointment today! (651) 645-7862
Neither had we, but one of our customers did (with a certificate of completion from a cooking class). We have framed a good number of odd and interesting things over the years. Here is a partial list:
- antique fishing lures with a newspaper photo of the fisherman
- five of Grandma’s rings
- shadow puppets from Indonesia
- a vertical collection of stamps from around the world (for a skinny space)
- a child’s painting with a photo of the child artist
- old family marriage and confirmation certificates
- an antique shillelagh (an Irish walking stick)
- Grandma’s crocheted doilies
- mementos from a trip to Russia – nesting dolls, coins, stamps, postcards, a broken glass
- chaps and spurs
- a chunk of Astroturf from a college football stadium
- a collection of World War II rationing booklets
- a whole deck of collectible playing cards
- a hole-in-one golf ball and score card
- Napoleonic war relics – buttons, buckles, and bullets
- a chunk or Sheetrock with a drawing on it
- a snake skin
- a pad of Post-It notes signed by the inventor of Post-Its
Have you figured out which of the things you have stored in your old shoe box or cedar chest would be much more interesting displayed on the wall? If we can make kitchen implements look good, just imagine what we can do with your unusual project.
Yes, you read that correctly. Carter Avenue Frame Shop will have no more framing sales. Are we crazy? Perhaps, but before you crumple up your newsletter in disgust, hear us out. Many of you commented about my newsletter column ‘When is a Sale Not a Sale’ a few years ago. I talked about a prevalent practice in the retail framing industry of jacking up ‘regular’ prices in order to advertise huge discounts (see below). We have refused to play that game. Now we are making a natural step in our evolution: no more framing sales. We will continue our standard 10% discount for pre-payment, but from now on you get our best price every day. No more waiting for sales.
“When a Sale is NOT a Sale” Revisited
As we have discussed before, many of our competitors’ framing ‘sales’ are nothing more than discounting sleight of hand. Their ‘regular’ prices start so stratospherically high that even when they give you a 50% off ‘sale’ price they can still be more expensive than our non-sale prices. You have probably seen several shops that advertise a ’50% off the frame’ sale. Since the frame itself is only a component of an entire framing job, the ’50%’ discount quickly dissolves into much a smaller percentage once the other materials or hidden labor charges are added in. In our opinion, that’s not playing fair.
Honestly, our sales weren’t that big of a deal to begin with. Because we keep our regular prices reasonable, and offer our 10% discount for pre-payment, the extra five percent discount during our most popular sale wasn’t that significant.
Who has Time to Wait for a Sale?
Many customers have told me that our sales provide them with incentive to dig out their art from under the bed and finally get it framed. We’re trying to make it easy for you by throwing out the deadline. You already have enough things going on in your busy life. You don’t need another deadline or another coupon to clutter up the refrigerator. Are you really going to miss calling us up and asking for an extension of the sale because you were out of town? For those nostalgic folks who must see a coupon to get their retail juices flowing we have printed a ”coupon” on the back of this newsletter. Bring it or forget it, you still get our best price every day.
Continuing Value at Carter Avenue Frame Shop
We enjoy what we do here at Carter Avenue Frame Shop and it is our pleasure to serve your framing needs. We promise to always keep our prices reasonable for the high level of quality and workmanship that we offer. Carter Avenue Frame Shop will continue to offer expert design and remain a proud fixture of St. Anthony Park. We appreciate the loyalty that you have shown us through the past twenty-six years and all of the referrals that you have given us. We respect you, our customers, and realize that you continue to know true value when you see it. We value your patronage.
Tim Smith and the Carter Avenue Frame Shop staff
Carter Ave. Frame Shop has grown and prospered over the past thirty years, touching the lives of owners, employees, customers, and neighbors alike. It has striven to be a place of beauty, quality, and service to customers and to the community. The following brief history shows how far the shop has come.
In 1975, Mark Frederickson saw Milton Square while riding his motorcycle to a softball game. He had been dreaming of owning his own business and had been working in picture framing since he was a teenager. Mark immediately knew that the St. Anthony Park area was where he wanted to open a frame shop. He found a space in the basement off the parking lot behind Milton Square and began preparing the space. On September 29, 1975, Carter Ave. Frame Shop opened for business. Mark started small and grew little by little over the next ten years. Eventually, Mark sold the shop to concentrate on his other business, Commercial Framing Service. Mark eventually sold that business to concentrate on another business he started, Superior Moulding, which has become one of Carter Ave. Frame Shop’s main suppliers.
Meanwhile, Tim Smith, a student at Luther Seminary, was working part-time as a framer at FrameWorks in Roseville. He discovered how much he liked art and working with his hands. Tim’s boss, Tom Lind, invited him to buy Carter Ave. Frame Shop with him, with Tim running the shop. On November 1, 1985, Tim and Tom took over the shop. At first it was a one-person operation open Tuesday through Saturday. In December 1986, Tim became the fourth framer in Minnesota to become a Certified Picture Framer. Tim continued his senior year at seminary, going part-time until he graduated in May 1987, making him one of very few framers with a Master of Divinity degree. A small selection of art was added to the custom framing business. As business grew, Tim added Brian Lind, Tom’s son, as a part-timer while he was in college.
The “old, old store”, as the first location in Milton Square is called, had many unique features. Its 350 square feet held a sales area, an office, a bathroom, and a workshop. In the winter, because of the placement of the old radiators, it might be 80 degrees in the workshop, 50 degrees in the office, and there would be ice formed on the water in the toilet. In the spring, if it rained hard before the ground had thawed, there would be a waterfall down the wall by the windows. Because of the steps down to the shop, as well as the low ceiling and sharp turn into the shop, some oversized pictures had to be framed off-site. Plus the shop could only be seen from the lower level of the parking lot of Milton Square.
In 1989, Tim bought out his partner and moved the shop from Milton Square to a much larger and more visible location at 2278 Como Ave., next to the Bibelot, in the space currently occupied by Gustafson Jewelers. At the same time, more art was added to fill up the new gallery space. Brian became a full-time employee. More staff was added over the years — Glen, Jenny, Ruth, and Faye. The shop began to be open Monday through Saturday.
In 1993, it became clear that the lease would not be renewed, so Tim started looking for a new location in St. Anthony Park. Nothing appropriate was available. Tim approached the owner of the flat-roofed rundown duplex with a billboard on the roof at 2186 Como Ave., about selling. It took a year to get the rezoning to allow for a frame shop. Five months of gutting, putting on a new roof structure, and completely remodeling the building resulted in the store you see today. In August 1994, the whole shop was moved from the “old store” to the “new store” between 4:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. Monday. Of course, the shop could not move AND change its name for fear of losing customers. Hence, Carter Ave. Frame Shop has been on Como Ave. for the past eleven years. Over the years, more good people served on the staff — Lisa, Anna, Paul, Rachel, and Linda.
In 2001, the twelve-foot retaining wall at the back of the property had to be replaced. Since the excavation completely destroyed the back yard of the store, it was decided that this was an opportunity to plant a new garden. Since then, the garden has been planted and maintained on all four sides of the building. The garden was on the St. Anthony Park Garden Tour in 2003. It is probably the best frame shop garden in the Twin Cities. Of course, there’s not much competition.
In the long tradition of attracting excellent people, Harriet Graham was hired as Creative Director in October 2001, followed by Pam Johnson as Production Manager in May 2002. Carter Ave. Frame Shop was awarded the honor of being a “Top 100 Art & Framing Retailer” in the country by Décor Magazine in both 2003 and 2004. Now in 2005, the shop has been named again, with the added distinction of being one of the top eight shops honored with a special awards ceremony in Atlanta in September at Décor Expo, a national trade show. The shop will also be profiled in the October issue of Décor.
Thank you for being part of the history of Carter Ave. Frame Shop. We hope to be able to serve you well for many years to come.
Hours
Contact Info
(651) 645-7862
2186 Como Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108
In St. Anthony Park two blocks east of Bibelot and Muffuletta
