Frame up your perfect Christmas gift!

Stettler framing and art supplies dealer has solutions to the trickiest gift questions

Creating a gift using a photograph can be one of the easiest yet most personal ways to honour someone.

Using a hand-selected frame to bring out the best in the photo can transform an image that might otherwise have languished on a person’s computer into art that can brighten up a room or provide a beautiful accent.

And if you’re not quite sure how best to display that great photo, getting advice from an expert can make the process a lot easier and more enjoyable, says Andrea Hatch, owner-operator of Cabinet of Curiosities , a framing and art supplies dealer in Stettler.

“Getting a special photo done up like this is a great gift idea,” says Hatch, a trained art conservator with years of experience making great pictures come alive through her custom and in-stock framing work. “There’s a real trend these days toward giving more personalized Christmas gifts, as opposed to mass-produced items.”

Here’s some other ways to get creative with your gift-giving:

1. Make lasting memories – One of the best things about a framed photo is its durability, Andrea says. “I do a lot of memory projects for people who go on vacation, or for graduation, or to create memories of a family member who has passed. One of our mottos is ‘Frame for Fun, Frame for Family, Frame Forever.’”
2. Have a print you’re fond of? – With access to thousands of existing photograph and artwork prints through Print on Demand, and almost 95,000 maps from the 1500s to current-day, the possibilities are good that Hatch can help find that print you’ve been searching for, or an image you think fits someone else’s passions, interests or personality. “We’re licensed with 40 of the top printmakers in the world, so we can recreate virtually anything. It makes for some very unique gift ideas,” she says.
3. Get inspired – You can find various inspirations for unique gifts, on Cabinet of Curiosities’ Facebook page, where Hatch is hosting the 20 Days of Christmas. Each day from now through Dec. 24, new gift ideas will be posted, from art-centric journals to art supplies to help someone getting started.
4. Find other artistic expressions – Can’t decide on a particular photo to get framed? Take a Christmas-themed selfie in the shop for a unique family photo. Plus you’ll find plenty of other artistic gift ideas in store at 4940-50 St.

Once you’ve settled on your purchase at Cabinet of Curiosities, you can do your part to help local charities. A series of tiny Christmas stockings, each designated for a different charitable organization in Stettler, is located near the checkout counter.

If you’ve got questions, you can also call 403-742-5170, or email artcuriosities@gmail.com.