With the purchase of my new printer and finally having the ability to offer large scale canvas art prints in the shop, came the realization that I needed to invest a great deal of my time really researching larger framing options. There are so many beautiful frames out there, but I am choosing to focus on the very affordable ones. This also means that the quality may not be as great as something I would pick up at West Elm or Anthropologie, but affordability being the main focus or driving factor. I'll share those companies here and I am also including a couple of DIY options that can really save you some money. At any rate- you have options! :)

DIY 36x48 sized frame with Into The Woods Canvas print

Smallest Cost / Second hand sourcing | Finding larger frames at a second hand store is the best way to score really large frames at a very reasonable price. A little spray paint to the frame (and even the mat) can really bring new life to an old piece. Bonus: The frame will be as unique as the art you put within it. The only drawback to this method is you usually have to allow quite a bit of flexibility with the size. My personal experience has been that it is hard to find second hand frames in standard sizes, and so trimming your art may be required to really use that vintage frame. Buying your frames first, then purchasing the correct size will give you many more options when shopping second hand for your frame.

Minimal Cost / DIY options | Fortunately, there are so many tutorials online for building large frames for your large art. The large frame surrounding the 36x48" Into The Woods print above our fireplace mantel, was a very easy build. We grabbed L shaped brackets and on the back sides used them to join the ends of the wood pieces together. It really was that easy. There isn't even any hanging hardware on the backside, or glass. We attached the canvas print to the wall with clear push pins in the two top corners, and the frame is resting on those. If you look closely you'll see the pushpin! :) For something as high up as this piece is, it worked perfectly and I can easily switch out the art with the changing seasons. While I always recommend using glass to really preserve and protect your art, I have heard from so many customers that the beautiful texture of the canvas paper makes it really hard to want to cover it with glass. This DIY from "A Beautiful Mess" is pretty similar to the route we went when building our frame, except they did add some functional hanging hardware.

Are you needing or wanting something with a more high end look? One of my favorite frame tutorials was posted by Shelley of "A Crazy Wonderful Blog." She built a frame for her VOL25 print, and used hanging hardware and a backer board. It's definitely a little more legit than the frame we built. But Shelley has amazing DIY skills, so I wouldn't expect anything less from her. ;) For size reference this is the Feather Patterns Vol.4 in the 40x50 size. Worth noting: VIP's claim an instant 20% off code and are frequently given exclusive stackable codes on existing flash sales. So it's the best way to score a large piece of VOL25 art at a highly reduced price.

DIY 40x50 sized frame   with  Feather Patterns Vol.4 Canvas print

 Higher cost / Ready made frames | When I consider a frame to be large scale, in my mind it's larger that 16x20". I know the price gets significantly more expensive when you jump past anything larger than 16x20". Also what one person considers affordable is not always going to be the same price point from person to person. However, after searching different shops for hours on end I was left with a small handful of frame sources that seemed significantly cheaper in comparison. These are the sources I'll be sharing! :)

Art To Frames: This is more of a custom framing service. You can choose your trim wood, or color, thickness, width. Whether or not you want glass or no glass, cheaper backing etc. A basic 24x46 sized frame in satin black without any extras was just $27 The shipping was estimated at $8 for the economy speed which was going to be very slow... but there were more expensive options for speeding up the delivery speed. It didn't speed up delivery (in my opinion) enough to justify paying a higher cost.

SnapeZo Frames: I was really intrigued with these aluminum frames. They are essentially what you see displaying movie posters at the movie theaters. They make switching out your art much easier. The sides are hinged and pop open on all 4 sides. There isn't even a need to take the frame off the wall. I invested in two of these for my styled photos. A large 36x48 and a smaller 27x40. I was able to trim down one of my 30x40 sized prints to fit within the 27x40 frame. I paid $99 for the 36x48 Snap Frame because I opted for the cheaper Gold finish frame (at the time of this posting it's $75!) and ended up just painting the frame. You can either spray paint it, or use chalk paint like I did. The 27x40 frame was $77 and it's showing as $69 right now. Just remember it pays to look through the different colors/pricing. The bright colors are sometimes cheaper than the standard black or white... and a can of spray paint might be worth your time for the savings. You can also find sale prices occasionally on their actual website.

Chalk painted frame 36x48 SnapeZo frame with Caribou Antler Study 36x48 Canvas print

Hobby Lobby: If you can hit Hobby Lobby during the week picture frames are 50% off you can save a significant amount of money. This blog post here really explains the system behind Hobby Lobby's sales schedule. The website only shows 27x40" as the biggest size they offer. But I'm pretty sure I've seen larger sizes in the store. When you hit this 27x40 on sale it's only $34.99.

Ikea If you're fortunate enough to live near an Ikea I'm jealous! Hah. I was so happy that they now ship most products and lowered the shipping costs substantially. But I have had the hardest time getting the website to recognize my address, so I can't complete my order. It is SO frustrating. Does anyone else have this problem? Okay back to frames: The Ribba frame is a really weird size at 24x35 but it's very affordable at just $19. I've seen some beautiful gallery walls created with these frames.

I'll try to add to this list as I stumble onto new sources. My husband has actually drawn up plans for a wood frame kit that you could easily put together without any tools. The idea being that we could keep shipping relatively low and ship the frame with your art. Is this something you would be at all interested in? Our inspiration was the beautiful minimalist wood frame that you see in my print listings. I've had several people ask me where to find this frame, and I've yet to find a source.

Isn't it beautiful?! Okay your turn- Do you have an affordable frame source to recommend? If so - please do tell!

The Sahara Collection went live last night! Indigo (pictured above) is one of my personal favorites from the Collection. One of the (many) things I enjoy about living where we do, is how well we can see the stars on a clear night. Partly because we're at a slightly higher elevation, but just being away from light pollution seems to allow the stars to stand out and take center stage. Many of the pieces within this collection are celestial inspired. When you pair those with an expansive warm Sahara desert you have what I imagine would be a recipe for a little peace and solitude.

Pulling this collection together was something I really needed after hitting wall after wall with the development of the Wallpaper collection. It was very therapeutic. If you're needing to inject a little calm and simplicity into your life (aren't we all after surviving the busyness of Summer?) I hope something within this collection speaks to you.

The dream to launch my own wallpaper collection really started a couple of years ago. I've had a few requests from customers, so I knew there was some interest... and it sounded like such a fun project to work on. The dream didn't start becoming an actual possibility until March when we decided to purchase a larger wide format printer. With this bigger 44" printer I was able to add large scale art to the shop, and I worked for a few weeks on getting all of the listings updated. The large scale art was exciting to be able to offer, but I was more excited about starting on my first wallpaper collection! :)

Dahlia Study + Fern study in Mini size, classic trim color

First thing was first, I needed to learn how to create seamless repeating patterns. Not just the actual technical process of doing so... but I wanted to learn how to create a beautifully designed pattern. I invested a fairly good amount of money on an 8 week Surface Patterns Design class. This was also my introduction into Illustrator, and I began learning a completely new program. With a little more experience I discovered that my signature style couldn't be easily replicated within illustrator. I was a photoshop girl and really liked the rough texture that came through in my watercolors, and illustrator would not replicate this well enough for me. I took more courses to try and learn how to accomplish what I wanted within photoshop, and in the end I've learned to utilize both illustrator and photoshop for my pattern designs. It takes SO much more time to do so, but the finished piece is something I am proud of! :)

After designing the entire collection I decided to move from a 17" paper to a 24" wide paper, which meant I needed to re-design each and every pattern so the repeat would hit in the right spot. This added an extra week to my timeline. Considering the size and scale of a pattern turned out to be a bit overwhelming! Some designs looked good in both a small and large sized scale, and some looked great in more than one colorway. Hard decisions!! :) During this process I was also testing papers, and had found one with an amazing removable adhesive. It stuck far better than anything else I had tried, on a number of different surfaces, yet was easily removable. Even though I had hoped to find something with a canvas texture, I really couldn't find anything that stuck as reliably as this particular paper that I had fallen in love with.

Cascading Roses Mini size classic trim color

I've decided on how I will package the wallpaper and the samples,I even nailed down the final touch branding details that I love so much! I have the future photoshoot planned to a "T"... so what's holding things up? The realization that I might need to outsource the actual printing of the wallpaper. You guys know that I like to have all the control over each and every aspect of my art, so this has been a hard one to swallow. Turns out that an Aqueous printer is the very best option for printing fine art. The color gamut on my 11 color Canon Pro 4000 is amazing. I've been super impressed with the ability it has to hit colors my Epson couldn't quite achieve... but because aqueous inks are water based they aren't as durable as say an eco solvent, or latex ink. But eco solvent and latex inks don't have the color range or fine print quality as an aqueous ink. So it appears there will have to be a bit of a trade off in either direction I choose. Printing the wallpaper with aqueous inks would be the obvious route I would prefer, but I want to make sure the durability is there.

I've lost track of how many hours I've spent trying to locate the best paper, or the time I've spent researching different ink types. Then, it became a little more overwhelming when I decided I just wasn't comfortable using a paper that wasn't PVC free. I had found a beautiful canvas self adhesive textured paper, but it was a vinyl. I know so many other wallpaper companies are using vinyl paper, so I am not sure it is something that would be a concern to many of you (please tell me in the comments!) but after hearing how much of an impact vinyl has on the environment, I just didn't feel good about it. Fortunately there are PVC free paper options available, and I just need to find the perfect one.

So, as hard as it was to put the wallpaper launch on the back burner I was driving myself (and my loving husband) crazy trying to push through every obstacle. For the past few months I've felt like I've taken 1 step forward and 2 steps back each week. I'm incredibly proud of the progress I've made, but unfortunately I am still going to need more time to really make this launch the very best it can be! I know this is disappointing news for anyone who had been waiting for the launch day, but I can assure you it's still coming. I'm just relieving the pressure to get it done, yesterday. ;) I haven't launched a new art collection all year- wallpaper design has pretty much consumed the past 4 months, so I am turning my attention to the Summer Collection I started back in January. It's one that I have been VERY excited about completing so turning my focus towards that has been very therapeutic. I think it will be just what I need to recharge my creative spirit! :) I'm working with a short timeline, so all hands are on deck, and I am planning 7.27 as the launch date!! :) An actual launch date, I'm SUPER excited. I started collecting props for this collection 6 months ago. It's going to be SO good, and a little bit different than any collection I've done yet! I'm revealing the collection name, along with a little mood board sneak peek- to my VIP's tomorrow. EEK! I am SUPER excited to share it with you guys!! OH- you can become a VIP right here.

So, please tell me what your thoughts are on this news? I've been SO nervous about sharing all the details of this journey with you. I don't want it to sound as though it has been all bumps in the road, that first day I printed my first wallpaper panel, was incredibly rewarding. I feel super blessed to have the opportunity to be doing what I am, and knowing you've been cheering me on has made all the unexpected surprises worth it. ;)  

One of my favorites from the photo shoot that happened at my sister in laws new house. This vintage chair was $4.99 and it was such a great find. I love it when she picks up things I can also use as props. 👊🎉 #vol25bumblebeestudy

A post shared by Heirloom Quality Art (@vol25) on Mar 30, 2018 at 8:13pm PDT

Now offering large scale art

A super exciting change for 2018 has been the addition of a new 44" Canon wide format printer. With this printer I can now print up to 44x60." This has allowed me to print larger prints, in 5 additional sizes!

Large statement pieces have been getting quite a bit of love in the interior design world of late. I've seen so many great posts showcasing large scale art that really shines. I've wanted to offer larger sizes for several years now, but didn't want to outsource the printing. Starting the studio meant I would have more space for a larger printer and when we finally saved enough to make that investment we took the leap! It took several weeks to research and design the packaging for the larger prints, and update all my shop listings. But, the time is finally here to officially launch the large prints! 

It hardly seems possible that my etsy shop and business is celebrating it's 10th year. I've done quite a bit of reflecting this past week. I dug through my archives here on the blog, and it really brought up the emotions. 10 years worth of archives (if you're reading from my shop's blog section jump here to see the original blog) really show just how much my business has evolved over the years. From the year 2008, where blogs were much more personal and I updated on a very consistent basis, to my more recent years where my blog had to take a bit of a backseat to instagram. I knew that I needed to get a post up this week, in recognition of those 10 years. I feel like this blog was such a foundational piece in the start of my business. Before facebook, and instagram this was the only way I could really connect with you guys and it was SO important for my growth as an artist and as a business. Without the interaction and support I had, I may have not had the confidence to list that first piece of art. I can still remember the nervous butterflies, and the vulnerability I had putting myself out there! :) It wasn't easy, but I am SO glad I did.

I know I've said it many, many times, but I never intended nor expected this to be something I would still be doing 10 years later. I had very humble expectations for Vol.25, I just wanted my art to be appreciated, and if it earned me enough money for a coffee every month that was good too! :) With that said, I am extremely grateful that it has blossomed into what it has. I've shipped out 8,219 orders on etsy, and 919 orders in my new shop. I hope to break 10,000 orders this year! Wouldn't it be amazing to reach that milestone in my 10th year?!

As a way of saying Thank You I am giving away a new wall hanging every day on instagram... and I'm also offering a $10 shop credit on order of $45 or more. If you're a VIP you'll have a new e-mail waiting in your inbox with an exclusive Thank You offer. 

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I'm super excited to see what 2018 brings. I have so many hopes and dreams for this year, moving out to my new studio and really having the creative space to let things flourish. 2018 is going to be my best year yet... I can just feel it! :)

You asked for it, and I listened! For a very small window of time I'm re-releasing a few designs from the Haven Fall Collection.

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Last month, I asked my VIP members to vote on which designs they would like to see in the Fall 2017 collection. After going over those votes it was clear that I needed to make part of the Haven Collection available for purchase. But because my new Winter Collection launch date is nearing (mid October!) I have to run this Fall collection through a much smaller window of time. As a result it will be pulled much quicker than any previous Collections I've released.

Art from the 2016 Haven Collection in Bre Doucette's living room

To work all of this in, only 4 beautiful designs will make up the Fall Haven Collection, and it will go live TOMORROW morning! Mark you calendars, and if you haven't signed up as a VIP... you should! I always like to throw in exclusive extras or incentives. In other news, the studio is coming along nicely! The first wall is framed and sided and most of the cuts for the second wall have been made. I'm told the shed style roof and raked walls have led to custom cuts needing to be made. Basically he's telling me I have not made his life simpler. ;) But it's going to look so nice when it's done!! :)

Okay I need to get back to working on the final details for this launch. We are just hours away! :)

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Somebody pinch me. We are finally creating a separate studio space for VOL.25. It's been a looong time coming. Next January will be VOL.25's 10 year Anniversary. We will be celebrating a decade of sending canvas art all over the country. How awesome is that!?

VOL.25 been a wonderful dream come true, but if you've ever worked from home you understand the importance of being able to actually feel like your home and work space are not one in the same. I've powered through over the years and really made the absolute best of what we've had. Our last house was a 2 bedroom 1,000 sq ft victorian and this one is just under 1,600 and 2 bedroom as well. We also have two girls, so carving out a work space has always been a bit like tetris! ;) After recognizing the need to de-stress my life a bit, I realized just how suffocated I was beginning to feel in my own home. I needed a breath of fresh air, and my bedroom needed to feel like a place I laid my head to rest. Priorities were acknowledged and the future studio project became a very real thing. The S.O.S. Studio project began, it's my cry for help and just the prospect of having this space has helped me so much already.

Side note for those wondering about the outbuilding we started a couple years ago: After we bought ducks, we started a small building here on the property as a duck/tool shed and later decided to finish it out as my studio space. But because the building had a different purpose in the beginning, it just wasn't ideal to actually insulate and finish it out, and the size was a little smaller than I would have preferred. Everything just took longer, because it wasn't created with that intention from the start. The biggest problem with finishing that building out- we started using it as a storage shed when we put the house on the market! I do not want to bring half of that stuff back into the house, so a yard sale will be in order. But, the long Winter season is creeping up on us, and ideally I would need to be settled into this new space before the Holiday rush begins in October. That's just 2 months... keep your fingers (and toes) crossed for us! ;) The solution: build me a new (slightly bigger) studio, and eventually turn the first studio into a workout room. Yay for getting dumbbells out of the living room!! :)

Fortunately, I married a very handy man. He drew up a set of custom plans for the building, trying to take into account measurements that would result in the least amount of possible waste in materials. Board lengths, and all that good stuff. While this took longer, it is saving us money! He's always been very thorough when he sets his mind to do something. This doesn't always result in the fastest job, but it's always the best when he's done! My patience level has increased since marrying him almost 14 years ago. I admit though- it's still not at the level it needs to be at! ;)

-future home of VOL.25, right next to my garden-

So, the first priority was to make a list of needs for the Studio:

1 / Natural light, and an entirely white space- The whole front of the building will have several windows to capture the most light. Getting a good white balance in the cabin, has been impossible with all the light bouncing off the wood lined ceilings! I have wasted soo many hours re-shooting product shots at different times of the day, hoping for the least amount of interference... only to still be disappointed with what I got.

2 / Tall ceiling height to utilize vertical wall space- The building needs to be under 200 sq feet, so going vertical really makes the best use of the space.

3 / A small corner that can be staged and styled with amazing lighting- For years I had a heavy wood backdrop set-up on my living room wall. There was an antique white table below it and I could always just snap a quick photo of a new wall hanging on the fly. While this was convenient, we eventually needed that wall space for our piano. Replicating a set-up like this in the studio was very important.

4 / A fully functional shipping station to make quick work of such a time consuming task- Several items needed to be at hand and plenty of surface area available for spreading out.

5 / A well thought out storage system that would allow for a fairly big stock of ready to ship wall hangings- This makes wholesale orders 10 times easier to take on and ship efficiently.

6 / Several surface areas big enough to accommodate the future packaging of wallpaper sized rolls, while still allowing room for more than one person to comfortably move around the area.

7 / The ability to transition from working from a standing desk to sitting on the floor- Trying to minimize the time I spend sitting, requires different work stations. Ex: Blogging from a laptop on the floor, to standing while working in photoshop, filling orders etc. Productivity and health the motivating factor!

8 / It needed to be well insulated with an excellent heating and air system- Canvas paper can be very finicky to print on if the climate isn't well regulated.

Things that didn't make the final list:

Include a small bathroom

In the beginning this was pretty important. I could do just fine during the Summer months walking back and forth to the house, but Winter is when I knew I would be grateful for not having to make that trek in the snow. However, the more I thought about it- the less I wanted to give up any amount of space for a bathroom. I'm a big fan of Katy Bowman, and my cousin (who bought property next to us- yay and is also a big fan of Katy!!) reminded me that walking back and forth would be a way to sneak more movement into my day. Plus not getting all bundled up would give me an opportunity to utilize a little Thermogenic cold therapy! So, I decided she was right. I'm a little worried I may regret it, but we are framing in a small closet with intentions later to add a bathroom. If I decide I HATE trekking back and forth and if budget allows at a later date we can turn that closet into a bathroom. :)

 Small Kitchen sink for washing out paintbrushes

This would have come in handy for washing out paintbrushes, and maybe eventually we can make it happen. But it comes down to lack of space and budget again. Not adding in a kitchen sink allows room for a bigger printer. The bigger printer will allow me to print wallpaper.- something that has has been requested over the years by a few very patient customers!

It ended up being a really long list... but I think we have managed to check all the boxes! Some spaces are just going to have to serve more than one purpose. I've lost track of the many times I've laid out and re-arranged the room. :) I use this free room planner, (sometimes the link changes based on who sponsors the program) and I LOVE it so much. I am really anxious to share the room design and the design elements I'll be working in. I have a few more things to finalize with the sketches and then I'll give you the run down. I'm hoping to get some opinions on a few design choices as well!

We broke ground last night, and the materials are being delivered tomorrow. Tomorrow!! :) 

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