Sheridan Style Pic Frame

[IngleGunLeather]

Hello everyone. Been a while since I've posted and I thought I'd share my first Sheridan styled project. I just completed this Sheridan style picture frame for my wife. The pattern is by Chan Geer.Looking at framing options if anyone has done any of these before.

[Bob Blea]

Looks great. I want to try something like this one day.

[billybopp]

Looks really nice! This is something I've been experimenting with myself, recently. My carving doesn't look that nice, though.

I'm also working on figuring out what looks good for a frame, and one of the better looking options is a frame of driftwood. It just sort of goes with the leather. I'm also about to begin some experiments with a store-bought wood frame that I will cover with garment leather.

The pH of the leather would probably quickly damage the picture, not to mention what dyes and such might do. So, I've tried gluing some tracing film to the back of the leather so that it can be used directly on top of the picture with no glass between ... Just the way a framer would use a mat. As a matter of fact, I've also experimented with using a mat cutter with the leather and it seems to work pretty nicely!

Just some ideas...

Bill

[Troy Burch]

I have that same pattern pack but it doesn't come with instructions or material list for constructing the frame. Was going to make some Christmas gifts and have spent alot of time on utube to no avail. I'm sure the frame is made out of leather with a stiffener for backing and the picture just slides in but I don't really want to spend time and money on trail and error to get it right. Maybe one of the pros will help us out. Nice tooling job. Troy

[JLSleather]

I don't know just what the question is -- but the toolin' is purdy

[Grey Drakkon]

If anyone wants input from a picture framer, that's actually my day job. (and evening job for that matter with holidays coming up).

Unless the leather is standing by itself with no rigid structure around the outside, it's more accurate to say that it's a "leather mat board". Billybopp is correct in that leather is pretty acidic and shouldn't touch photos or other artwork long-term. Something that would be an easy and inexpensive thing to do is to buy a frame you like at an antique mall or on craigslist (don't worry about the glass, that stuff is pretty cheap so if you find a great frame without it just buy glass at a frame shop). I'd then paste the leather to the glass (just around the opening since the frame will pinch it down around the edges) and just fit it all together, that way the leather isn't obscured and the picture is protected from the leather and dust/moisture as well.

Another option would be to paste the leather directly to good quality mat board (acid buffered is ok, 100% cotton board is best but as you can expect isn't the cheapest) cut the hole in the mat slightly larger than the hole in your leather so the board won't show, then place it over the picture. If you don't put glass over it dust and other things can get in there (you wouldn't believe how many bugs end up inside frames that don't have a dust cover on the back!) but you probably don't want the glass resting directly on the leather, so an airspacer should be used to lift the glass up off the surface of the mat.

By the way, if you're looking to just pick up a ready-made frame they tend to come in certain sizes, so if you cut your leather to these sizes you're more likely to find one. Otherwise you'll be stuck making your own (you'll need a router and a lot of time to finish the wood), going to a custom framer to cut it to the exact size needed (small frames can go for $60 easy at my place, but that's for the frame, glass, and fitting it together, plus I'm actually pretty inexpensive so think higher prices than that depending on where you live) or lucking out and finding the exact frame you need somewhere. (remember, don't measure by the hole in the frame, you want to measure from the back where the "lip" is, otherwise if you make your leather the same size as the hole it will just fall out) Anyway, some common sizes are 8"x10", 8 1/2"x11", 11"x14", 12"x16", 16"x20", and so on. If you have any questions about it feel free to ask me, as you can see I can babble about it for a while.

As for your work, Country, that looks beautiful!

[IngleGunLeather]

Thanks for the compliments and Grey, thank you for the detailed information about framing.

[Colt W Knight]

That tooling is awesome, wish I could do floral.

[Jimbob]

One of the best floral carvings I have seen for a while....super detailed and clean lines....well done !!!

[IngleGunLeather]

Thanks Colt and Jimbob!

[tparish75]

Your tooling is rich. I really admire it. Transparency sheets can be glued to the flesh side of your carved piece. This should protect the photograph from direct exposure to the leather.

[IngleGunLeather]

Thanks t! I like the transparency sheet idea. I wound up getting this framed and now have glass behind the leather.

[Troy Burch]

Thanks t! I like the transparency sheet idea. I wound up getting this framed and now have glass behind the leather.

Country could you post a picture of what you've done. I'm a little confused, what you carved is a picture frame, the heart cuts out for a picture to fit in. Are you saying you got the frame framed?

[Grey Drakkon]

Actually it seems to be more like a mat, which fits into a frame, than a stand alone frame. I could be mistaken though.

[IngleGunLeather]

This could be a stand alone frame if a backing was put on. I wound up using this the same way a mat would be used in a standard frame.

[Troy Burch]

That looks really good used as a matte. It is mean't to be a stand alone frame, I have the complete pack of patterns for them. Nice tooling. Troy

[IngleGunLeather]

Thanks Troy! After sending this to the local frame shop I stumbled across a video on Tandy's leather craft library site. It shows how to make a leather backing. I like the framing though and the one I'm working on now will be framed as well. Be sure to share one of yours when you can. Happy tooling!