The "Memories To Share Forever!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished framing a rather unique project brought to Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania.   The gallery is located a few miles north of Lancaster on Route 501N.  The customer was a young woman who brought her wedding corsage of dried flowers, her head piece, earrings, wedding announcement and lapel corsage that her husband wore at their wedding a few years ago.  She also brought a wooden, unassembled 3/4" thick, oak shadow box she had purchased previously.  It was our job to put the shadow box together, add a frame to the front which she has chosen at the gallery and finish her shadow box with the treasured wedding items she had brought to the gallery.  The photographs that follow will give you an idea how we handled the project and show the results that she received.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The square oak shadow box had to be glued together. 

This is the frame sample that was used and the actual frame that I cut for the job.

To fasten the shadow box I used cardboard guides to make sure it was equal on all four sides.

A special drill bit was used to put the screws into the front frame.  The screws
had to be inside the edge of the box so the inside panels fit tight to the shadow box.

Next I cut a piece of Museum glass to fit the opening in the shadowbox/frame.
Museum glass is both reflection free and conservation approved.

I placed the glass in place in the box. It sat on the lip you can see at the bottom of the shadow box.

Next I placed a layer of 1/4" acid free foam board around the sides of the shadow box.
I did not come the entire way to the bottom of the wooden shadow box so that
I could set the panel holding the momentos brought in by the customer in place. 

This shows the shadowbox with frame in front and glass inside, panels along the sides,
and the two pieces, one a piece of foam board and another the mat she chose, that will be taped and glued together that will hold the mementos 

After joining the front mat board and rear foam board with tape and glue,
I attached the corsage with fishing line.  I chose fishing line so it will be
invisible when viewed.  It is also stronger than thread.  I sewed it top and bottom
under the wrap that holds the bouquet together.  I made two holes at the top
and bottom of the wrap and used the needle and line from the back to go
around the corsage.  Tied it tightly in the rear of the job.

Next came the head piece with ribbon, both held in place with fishing line.  I did
make only one hole in the board for the ribbon and had to run the fishing line through from
the rear, around the ribbon and back through the same hole.  Then had to use a
button with two holes in it to secure it on the rear of the board.

The announcement was placed on a few layers of foam using glue and put in place.

The groom's corsage is prepared for sewing in place on the bottom right of the board.

This is the rear of the foam board showing the plastic threads in place.  Three locations
I had to use buttons to hold the fishing line in place; two on the head piece and one on the corsage.

All the pieces are in place and ready to be put together.

Flower petals are used on the bottom, since the weeding corsage was so brittle that when put
together dropped pieces to the bottom.  By using other petals on the bottom it will look better
if and when the corsage drops more pieces in the future.

Since I have loose petals in the bottom, I can not lay the shadow box on the front.
I must place the kraft paper on the rear while it sits upright.  This cover is placed
on the job to make the rear look good and to keep any critters out of the job.

Metal hangers called wall buddies are attached to the rear on the corners.  This will hold the job
on the wall without the top hanging away from the wall as it would with wire on the back.

Last part of the job is putting the Gallery label and instruction on how to clean the Museum glass.