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UzZx32QU

UzZx32QU

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Tomorrows the last day for my Christmas Production. I only have two projects to complete and I'm done except for the last day rush orders. Today I had nobody come in with new orders, just pickups. Got a lot done in the shop.

Christmas for me was nothing to brag about but not really bad either, middle of the road year if that makes sense.

framer tg:
 
Not a razzel dazzel month but still a good year. It has been a weird one, wonder what Jan is going to be like?
 
Same here -- my numbers look good, but a good chunk was payment on projects I finished in October and November. New orders, esp. for Xmas, not so much. Still, I've taken in some good orders in the past couple of days, including a map from 1804 (closed corner frame, museum glass), and a corporate project (12 pieces) that they insisted on paying for today so they could get it in the 2007 budget! No argument from me.

And a rash of people calling to see if we can do their jersey framing and shadowbox framing by Christmas. I love asking "Christmas what year?"

Oh, and speaking of rush, this crazy lady in a dark blue SUV almost ran me down a few minutes ago, barreling through an intersection with a cellphone plastered to her face. I thought I was going to have to dive for the sidewalk for a split second there. Yes, I called 9-1-1 on the b**ch.
 
So far so good here. I just can't get this one mat cut properly though and now LJ has it out of stock.

I just have a shadowbox (shouldn't be too bad) and 2 more just plain quick orders to get and that's it :)
 
Four projects left, one a shadow box of a Harley Jacket, so still quite a lot of work to do! I don't have a previous year to compare it to, but I have been constantly busy and working late since the 5th, so I am happy with the level of business. :)
 
surferbill said:
I'm getting nervous about being able to frame everything in time, which is a good problem.
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Me too, but somehow we always manage to get 'em all done, don't we?

Frame-frame-frame-frame! It's gonna be a long night.

I love it!
 
Verdaccio said:
Four projects left, one a shadow box of a Harley Jacket, so still quite a lot of work to do! I don't have a previous year to compare it to, but I have been constantly busy and working late since the 5th, so I am happy with the level of business. :)
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Michael, how wonderful for your first year in business!
 
Stayed late, finished the last Christmas project....a hugh hockey jersey. So the next couple of days I'll be able to say yes to rush orders...unless it's a jersey :-) Funny thing is ~ this is the first year that we haven't had requests for last minute projects. What a strange season. Like everyone else, my numbers are okay just not great.

On Friday and Saturday, my pitch will be "How about a nice P Buckley Moss Print, triple mat, simple frame??? Or a gift certificate??? Or even just a mat or two for your ready-made??" I'm ready for easy for the next couple days.

Merry Christmas everyone. Have a glass of wine for me!!
 
I finished all the complicated projects. Got a couple more normal ones to finish tomorrow, and a couple of people say they are bringing in last-minute stuff (I said OK if it's simple, and only in-stock materials). The fun part is hoping everyone who said they need it for Christmas actually comes in to get it. Normally I stay open Christmas Eve Day till 2PM for last-minute pickups before getting on the road to my in-laws'. If everyone picks up their deadline stuff by end of the day Saturday, I'll blow off Monday entirely for a nice long weekend. That would be nice. It's been a crazy year.
:thumbsup: Rick
 
I'm down to the last 3 projects, none of which are over 5 days old. We are still taking and most of the jobs that came in today are already done.

As to sales, we are down over last December (last Dec was great BTW) but are way up for the year. Though the last 3 years have been a MAJOR roller coaster for me so numbers don't mean much. Too many variables such as going from 4 retail locations and a production facility to a total of 2 locations, having 6-7 employees to 2 plus my wife and myself.

I am scheduled off tomorrow and Saturday, (I might take off a couple of hours to go shopping for the wife) but I will be there for any rush jobs that come in.

Merry Christmas to all. Dave
 
We still have about thirty pieces to do. All are simple mat-it-throw-it-in-a-frame projects. I dry-mounted everything needed today.

I won't turn ANY BODY down! We've been working a couple of hours OT each day for the last two weeks, but we aren't sleeping at the store yet! Last Saturday, the fifteenth, I cut off ALL "complicated" framing: no needlepoint stretches, no shadowboxes, no multiple opening orders. Just nice straight-arrow framing.

With three of us working the next two days, we'll Git 'er Done!

Scenario from Larson-Juhl: EXPENSIVE "Prague" moulding: unhappy customer, because of small dent in side towards back--Larson defect. She rejected the frame. I tried to tell her I could touch it up and she'd never be able to distinguish it, but she didn't bite. So I ordered two new lengths to make a new frame: Larson send two lengths that DON'T MATCH! I called our salesman to tell him Larson f***ed up; he called back to say our Boston warehouse was out of that moulding! He's having it Red labelled from some other location! It's supposed to arrive tomorrow--Friday. The customer wants it on Monday.

OYY!

It's supposed to be Christmas! Christmas is supposed to be FUN! I can do without this pressure!

Wendy
The Art Corner
Salem, MA
978-745-9524
artcornersalem@verizon.net
 
wendy lang said:
It's supposed to be Christmas! Christmas is supposed to be FUN! I can do without this pressure!
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Wendy, watch what you ask for. There are many here on the G that have barely had a December blip. I would LOVE to have to work OT. If I had the work, I would be at the shop right now instead of getting ready for bed. 20 years ago, I remember getting in at 8:00 am and working till 6:00pm going home and eating dinner then going back in till 2:00 am. This was the way it was the last 2 weeks before Christmas.

I don't know if we were that much busier then or if things such as CMCs, double miter saws, underpinners and computer POS made that big of an impact, but I have not had to spend any extra time at the shop.
 
What Dave said. He's actually kind of wise, for an OSU fan.

My numbers are comparable to last year on the surface, but a third of my revenue this month is payment for projects completed in October and November. I have one Christmas project to fit tomorrow, and I'm expecting moulding for two other Christmas projects to come in tomorrow evening. I can wrap those up by noon on Saturday. Nothing else due for Christmas.

I've had two people call today for shadowbox projects they would like for Christmas. I explained very nicely and patiently to the one guy, and he understands and might bring his stuff in after the holiday to have it done right. The other guy, he doesn't quite understand why a football jersey requires a somewhat deeper frame than a piece of paper. I could sell him an LJ jersey pro, too, I have one in stock. He's not interested, so tough crapola for him. Nobody else will bail him out of the situation he's in.

I'm happy to take in as many projects as people want to bring me, provided they are willing to work with the 4 mouldings I have in stock. Every single one of those projects will be done by Christmas. I don't mind working late, I don't mind coming in Sunday. But at this point, once the last of my completed Christmas projects has been collected, I'm leaving. I'm not going to sit around on the off chance someone might come in. Screw that, I could use the time off. For all those people talking about having 30, 40, or 8000 projects to complete by Monday at 5 pm, the rest of us would kind of prefer that you shut up and get back to work. If I had 30, or 40, or 8000 projects to complete by Monday at 5 pm, I wouldn't have time to post messages here.
 
As the majority of you have posted, here in NC, the holiday push hasn't really been a major push. We're down to our last 4 projects today, but the mats, glass, mounting has already been done. I'm taking in a pot of corn chowder for lunch and am expecting a rather relaxed day with a few last minute customers stopping by and mostly pickups of completed work.

My figures are slightly up from last December. The year, overall, has been up about 7% but that increase is due to a large corporate job we had in the spring and summer. 10 years at framing, still loving it, hard to compare years and make sense of the numbers.

Happy holidays to all of you!

Janet Lowry
 
It's Friday morning and I have 29 jobs to complete. Four are jerseys and two jobs are acrylic fabrication.

My numbers where down slightly from last year because of a slow summer. My Christmas season has more than made up the slack. I have taken in more dollars in Dec for photo restoration and engraving than I have art in the last 6 months.

I am waiting on my last LJ truck today. Every last item I ordered was in stock. :thumbsup: Last year, I couldn't say that about all my suppliers. The truck comes late so I will probably be in here finishing up on Sunday.

I thank the Man Upstairs for giving me the determination to learn two new skills and actually be able to sale them.
 
The beginning of December was on the quiet side. Then all of a sudden the folks in my neighborhood realized Christmas is really coming. I have 16 jobs to finish by tomorrow, and they all came in on or after the 15th. I have most of the components ready and will spend most of today fitting. None of them are spectacular - no fillets or stacked frames. Mostly "That's nice but do you have something cheaper?" items.
 
I finished my last Christmas order yesterday afternoon. I still have a military shadowbox to finish up and a few other projects, but they aren't needed before Christmas. My numbers in December are up over last year, which is good because overall 2007 has been slower for me.

I certainly would accept a few more easy frames to do between now and Christmas, if asked, so long as I have the moulding/mats in stock. But, I have to admit, I kind of like the feeling of being 'finished'. I'm exhausted and really need the break. I've been sick and on antibiotics for a month now, so it has been a bit of a struggle for me to get all the jobs done. Thankfully, I managed somehow. Whew!!

I'm hoping for a busier (and healthier) 2008...
 
Yay dinner break! We're still taking in orders through Monday morning. I'm just about to start framing a very large very heavy rifle so anyone who might try to break in tonight to steal stuff is going to be screwed. :smileyshot22:
 
We've been working late each night this week and have finished all but 2 orders that will be picked up Sunday. WHEW !!! And, so far, everyone very happy with their finished orders, no last minute Frame screw-ups, etc. We've been fortunate to be busy this month and have orders on into January. Get to leave on time tonight,!! Yea!! Then open regular hours Sat. and Sunday.. then Christmas Eve until 2 p.m. Then off to visit family in Boulder, CO.. BRrrrr..
 
Three of us put in the Extra Effort today and Framed, Framed, Framed! We didn't work overtime, but we planned our attack for the Final Push. The frames have been cut and joined; I cut mats, backings, and glass; my two framers put the stuff together. We have another 25 pieces to go. But we have Saturday and Sunday for that. AND Monday morning. No problem.

I haven't looked into exact figures yet, but my sense is that we are down from last year for the Christmas season. Though our stress level is UP! Maybe it's because Christmas is at a weird juxtapose in the week--on Tuesday.

I must confess that we regularly DISCOUNT our framing. We use a "coupon" service and extend that coupon price to anyone who walks in the door. But NOT in the last week of the Christmas rush! If they want it for Christmas, they have to PAY RETAIL!

On the discounting/coupon issue; I'm just following in the footsteps of the person who established this business THIRTY YEARS ago! "If it ain't broke; don't fix it!"

Happy Holidays!
Wendy
The Art Corner
Salem, MA
978-745-9524
artcornersalem@verizon.net
 
Wendy, I stopped doing massive couponing a few months ago, after doing alot of it to build up my new business from zero. I ran some promotions this fall, but it was a percent off a limited selection of my mouldings, rather than the entire wall. I timed the last promotion to end on Dec. 8, figuring that's about the last date for the big boxes to take Xmas orders. Once I'm one of the few left that can take Xmas orders, there's no reason for me to be offering price incentives.

Interestingly and disturbingly, that last promotion flopped. I think maybe one person responded. If that. He was a repeat customer, he really liked a moulding that (1) wasn't on sale, and (2) was already pretty reasonably priced at full retail, and when he realized the discount wouldn't apply, he left. And hasn't come back. Good riddance, he's not the kind of customer I want. I want the two customers I had today -- they both had last-minute orders they needed by Monday, and they both paid full price without blinking. One of those orders required me to cut 4 mats, and mount photos and fit it all into 4 Aaron Brothers frames. Total retail price was about $250, and my cost of goods was about $12 (I got all 4 mats from one board). I got that customer's order done within 90 minutes so he could go out of town, and he and his wife were thrilled. That's my kind of customer.
 
We have about 10 pieces left to assemble. All components are cut and, hopefully, will fit together correctly.

We have had quite a few quality control issues from suppliers this year. Mars, chips on the edge of miters, only three legs matching, etc. Much worse than I remember from years past.

Numbers are worse than last year by about 20%. We shall see...
 
This is my last day. Never been open Sunday and never will. Just call me old fashion. I have worked the last three Sundays to keep things flowing but I was not open to the public. I always take the 24th off and it's a Monday so, CLOSED.

HO, HO, HO, Merry Christmas to all and and to all enjoy your few moments with friend and family. :beer: or :smileyshot22:

framer tg:
 
We finished the last order about 4 PM yesterday.....it came in about 2 PM. We were let out early, yipee! Spent the evening sipping Dairy Queen milkshakes and looking at Christmas Lights.

The shop will be open today and I expect they will sell a LOT of photo frames in addition to pick ups. We'll be closed on Monday.

My wish is for all of you to close on Monday and enjoy yourselves and families. Happy Holidays!
 
We close for the day in 45 minutes.... conceriege at a hotel just called to see if we'll frame a football jersey today or tomorrow... I love December! Let's see... sleep or $500, sleep or $500.. hmmmmm, not too tough a decision!

The rifle took far too long for such a simple design. Also, once we got it done a bunch of powder fell out of it onto the inside of the glass. Where that power was when we were turning it all around and cleaning it I'll never know.
 

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The powder elves are busy at work, making sure lots of powder and nits show up in complicated pieces right after you applied the backing and signed the shop label!
 
LOL! Well, after having to mount that gun on short notice I'm having perverted thoughts about the Mighty Mounts people I'm loving them so much.
 
I checked while the second customer was in yelling "A gun! Why is there a gun here? What are you doing with a gun?!!?" while the rifle customers skeedaddled out the door.

The offended customer put down his religious artwork to be framed and I wanted to yell out "My lord! My lord and savior! What are you doing with my lord an savior!" but all I said was "We're framing it." Since I was going to be framing a firearm it probably wasn't a good time for blashphemy.
 
You know what's difficult to frame? Or at least to mount. It's what I'm doing now to warm up for the jersey... it's when your customer takes a couple dead fish and covers them with fingerpaints then takes black tissue paper and rolls the fish on it. And it smells a bit.
 
Crunch night

I've done one of those dead fish things too, Johnny, on rice paper. You're right....they're...uh...challenging.

All I have left now (tonight) is a basketball jersey and pictures, another violin, and a graduation cap and certificate/photo collage, and one watercolor. Piece o' cake! Frames are built (violin has an acrylic case). All will be picked up tomorrow, and then I'm off! For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 2 days in a row! YAY!!!

Frame-frame-frame-framing!
 
lol Val, I hope our friends here don't have to live our ####. Can't imagine 3 people framing these! Sounds like you've got it together for the rest of the season!
 
We're DONE!! Tomorrow and Monday are pick-ups. The troublesome Larson moulding order will be picked up Monday morning, so we'll be able to leave early. I've told everyone 3pm, but I think we'll be gone sooner--2 or so. Provided everyone picks up their Christmas orders before that.

I plan to attack a couple of orders tomorrow/today/Sunday that are due quickest, and Monday too, though we'll be closed Wednesday. In "the old days" with the old boss, we'd tell people "after Christmas" and they'd be calling the day after. This time we said a couple of weeks/mid January for them to pick up their work.

We expect a brief respite of the end of the week through the New Year.

Wendy
The Art Corner
Salem, MA
artcornersalem@verizon.net
 
Frame - frame - frame - frame..............................................................
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I have three jobs to do tomorrow. I've used most of my large moulding lengths. I'm out of metal joining hardware and metal length. My underpinner isn't working and I had to router the backs of three expensive ornate chop and joins because I messed up! So everything is coming together! I sold a lot of gift items today and have some new after Christmas orders.

I'll open Monday to clean the place up if nothing else.
 
Well, I've now officially been open for a week shy of 2 months so I can't compare any numbers or anything except to say that I did 3 times this month what I did last month and had an absolute blast doing it. I have intentionally kept a low profile in my small town while I learn the business, but am almost ready to start letting the world know I'm here. I have learned a ton and have been really proud of everything I sent out the door, but realize I still have reams more to learn. I have made some new friends and had satisfied customers so overall I'm chalking up my 2007 (short as it was) as a success. :) I finished up and had my last have to have by Christmas picked up today and spent the rest of the day doing some last minute things (gifts) for my family and friends. Many thanks to all of you who helped me by answering my newbie questions. I'm sure there will be more as I'm definitely in this for the long haul ~ suffice it to say it is a big improvement over driving the school bus! Ha! Merry Merry to all. I hope each of you gets to take a few moments to do whatever makes you happiest after you finally lock the door. Laurie
 
We're done too.

Yesterday (Saturday) took 2 more for Christmas Eve and that's it for about 100 frames for December.

Monday will be mostly pickups, but you never know....I am certain there is one more procrastinator out there....;)

Merry Christmas!
 
Congrats Luray! That's very cool.


We're done again and supposed to close in an hour but someone just called asking if we would frame 2 pictures today so now they're on their way here. It ain't over til it's over!
 
Thought they weren't coming there for a while! Sale is just about taken... special cut mat corners on these... we're sick I tells ya! Sick! Gimme more more more...
 
Oooooooops, one of those "Oh, I already spent $600 on the artwork that's too expensive." I know this may sound arrogant but I seriously don't know where she's going to get them finished off by Christmas this late, or for much less than our charge for Larson Arquadia box contract moulding. I still have Christmas shopping and sales taxes to do anyway.
 
Johnny, Sales tax isnt due till tomorrow. LOL
 
FrameMakers said:
Johnny, Sales tax isnt due till tomorrow. LOL
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I keep getting these tiny little fines. Technically, the sales tax is due by 11:59PM Monday night, however it doesn't always seem to work that way. I get notices that remove my discount percentage and have a very small fine. So, I have no idea what they are going by. So, I try to not push it anymore and do it a day early.
 
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