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Framing memories
Published 6:00am Monday, February 26, 2007Twenty-one years of framing experience is what makes the difference at Frame It Up in Battle Lake.
Bonnie Olson opened her shop four years ago, after 17 years of working in the framing department at Ben Franklin in Fergus Falls.
“Then we built a home in Clitehrall,” she said, “and the driving got a little old.”
When a former beauty shop in Battle Lake came up for sale, she jumped at it.
And the things she frames might surprise you.
“I do a lot of memory boxes,” she said.
Memory boxes are deep-framed display boxes, often 4- to 6-inches of space between the glass and the mounting surface, which can hold anything from old hats to new baby shoes.
“A lot of times, it’s something their mother had,” she said. “or it’s from places they’ve been.”
Nearly anything can be artistically mounted in one of these to highlight an event, someone’s trip to far-away places, or even in memoriam to someone’s life.
She’s had signed and numbered prints come in for framing, and some originals, as well.
“We have a lot of artists in Battle Lake, and so I do a lot of their work, too,” she said.
Every year, she’ll have graduation photographs and diplomas.
“And then there are birth certificates and baptism announcements,” she said.
She sometimes does work for Okay’s Gifts and B’s Quilt Shop, occasionally taking work in trade with them.
One of the things she must do is keep up with trends.
“There have been a lot more requests for the rustics, lately,” she said. “I do everything from the rustics to modern, and still get several antique frames to do.”
Matting has been very popular for years, now, and she has a special matte-cutting machine which makes quick work of simple matting and can also do highly specialized work.
Just putting something behind glass won’t do at Frame It Up. Each piece, whether it be an original water color or your great-grandmother’s hankie, gets her best creative effort.
In fact, the tough part of her job can be just that — the creativity.
“Sometimes, you just don’t feel as creative as you should,” she said. “At Ben Franklin, there are always two people. Working alone is hard, sometimes.”
Nevertheless, Olson takes her time with each and every piece, making sure the quality and care are evident each frame that leaves her shop.
This has earned her the trust of many in the Battle Lake area.
“Some people know what they want, and will give very specific instructions,” she said. “A lot of times, they’ll just say, ‘You do it,’ which is OK if I know them really well.”
