The "Master Framer" Story

It was an ordinary day. I had just finished framing Michael Jackson's red leather jacket. Yep! That Michael Jackson. But, not his coat. The coat belonged to a fellow who runs the pizza shop up the street from Grebinger Gallery where I work part-time for Keith who was a former student and yearbook photographer for me when I taught school at MTHS. The pizza guy used to wear the coat when he was very small and it was a replica of the jacket the real MJ wore, right down to all the zippers and mesh on it. Pretty neat! The guy's mother wanted to have some photos of her son, a photo from a magazine, a song lyric, and the jacket framed for him for his birthday. Boy, will he be surprised. And it turned out really neat. I did it as a shadow box which was 38" long, 26" high and 2 1/2" deep. Did it using black suede mat board. It is MJ Cool! Took forever to do the job. First had to design it on the computer with the four openings, then cut the top and bottom mat on the computerized mat cutter. Then the hard part. Had to hand stitch the jacket to the suede with fishing line. Stitched it 12 places to make sure it stayed in place. Never allowed to change the integrity of the piece so I had to always use seams which made it tougher. Couldn't see a stitch when I was finished. I also had to fasten the zipper pulls with hot glue so they wouldn't flap if turned over. Topped it off with Museum Glass which costs a fortune to use, but it looks as if there is no glass on the piece and it will preserve the piece forever from the sun and and any other rays. I have been working for Keith for over 10 years now. After I retired in 1999 from teaching, Keith and I talked about working part-time for him. Wasn't too tough since I taught photography and printing in school and this job consisted of the same things. Framing was a lot more complex, but after a year or two, I could do anything that came along. On Grebinger Gallery flyers they refer to me as the "Master Framer." Over the years I have framed baseball, hockey, basketball and football jerseys, both pro as well as amateur and HS jerseys. Girl's dresses are a favorite with people. Have done many flags from golf holes where people travel to see tournaments. Also have done a few shadow boxes for people who have had holes-in-one. Include the ball, tee, sometimes the flag, scorecard and usually a plaque to commemorate the event. Have to wrap the ball in a mesh material and attach it to the mat board with hot glue so as not to affect the integrity of the ball. Military memorability is a big hit to have framed and I have done many of these. Usually with the photo, ribbons, awards, and a plaque. Did one not long ago that included the military whistle from an MP soldier. Also do 3D collages of the customer's photos or of Keith's Lancaster Co. photos. Can be done in many sizes and Keith lets me do the designing of which photos go where. Makes for a fun day when I do one of those. The job has kept me busy over the year and I have been a constant learner of new techniques to use for preservation. The routine double or single mat is a snap to do. But, to the customer, any job they bring in to the gallery is going to be a memory for them for a close friend or relative. It has to be perfect when it goes out the door. I take pride in how they look so that Keith can also take pride in giving the customer the best job available to them. Oh, by the way, Happy Birthday Mr. Caruso. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.