Hello Everyone!

Krista (sahlink) here to bring you What Matters Monday.   When I thought about what I was going to write about today, I just had to take a look at the title for inspiration… what REALLY matters.  Of course, most of us will say family and friends, right?  That is initially why we do what we do…  Staying up endless hours, finishing that LAST layout or fixing the color on a photo.  Our goal is to create beautiful pages that document how much we LOVE our family and friends.   About our lives, or perhaps a reminder of a happy time. We document to tell a story and to leave a message.  Of course, some of us scrap because we MUST! The comforting glow of the computer screen as we buy a new kit or post a great LO in the gallery is almost as addicting as chocolate!   But I digress!!!

After we are done creating, usually all of these stories are stored in a photo album.   Hopefully, they are not still sitting helpless in your hard drive!  But, have you thought about incorporating it more into your life or into your home? Why not hang some of your favorite layouts on your living room wall?  In your bedroom?  The office?  Heck, why not spruce up the bathroom while you’re at it (you’ve probably already got some cute ‘kid in the tub’ pics already!).

I recently did a layout that I found I wanted to look at ALL the time.  Or at least I wanted to see it more than just in a book.  It turned out so beautifully and I thought… this could top any piece of art in an art gallery (although a mother’s love for her children can often be quite biased!).  I believe that these pages and pictures should be showcased like the art that they are.

Here’s my layouts in jpeg format:

1) Different Options for Printing
I looked into numerous different options.  What do I do?   Print and frame the picture, enlarge and have it backed with tag board.  There are so many options that are available to do nowadays.   What I ended up choosing was to turn my layout into a canvas print.   I have to admit I was a little nervous.  How is it going to turn out, are the colors going to be true?

2) Choosing a Company
As you can imagine, there are hundreds of different companies that do all forms of printing.   When I was doing my research there were a few things that I was looking for.  What size of print are they capable of printing? I make 12 x 12 layouts, which is not a ‘regular’ size for printing companies.  How thick was the frame going to be? I specifically wanted the profile of the frame to be as minimal as possible.  What is the cost? As everyone, I would like the least amount of cost for good quality.   On average, I found to print a 12 x 12 canvas picture to be around $60.   Does the company offer any guarantee? If so, what was it? My main concerns were…what if the colors don’t turn out?  what if the image doesn’t wrap around the frame correctly?   These are some of the questions to ask a printing company prior to ordering.

The company I decided to go with was http://arttecprints.com/.   I asked my list of questions (listed above) and was thrilled with all of their answers.  They were able to print a 12 x 12 canvas from photo (which was a custom size), on a gallery wrapped frame (which has a thickness of .75 inch), and get this…. for only $29 plus shipping.  Yes, I was VERY skeptical that it wouldn’t turn out because they were so cheap.   But they told me that it was fully guaranteed, which eased my fears.  They were also able to keep my entire image on the top and mirror the sides, so I didn’t have to change my layout at all!   And being the skeptic that I am, I was still a bit worried that the picture would indeed be fully on top.  But they emailed me a preview (within an hour of ordering) of exactly how it would print.

Picture of emailed preview:

It took about 10 business days to receive my order.  It turned out so beautifully.  I couldn’t wait to put my creation up on the wall!!  I think my kids were even more excited to find out they were “featured” on our wall!  Here are some photos of how it came out:

I hope this edition of ‘What Matters Monday’ will inspire you to do something special with your layouts.  You are all truly talented, artistic ladies… and your work deserves more than just 2 hours of appreciation on an internet gallery!  Create your own permanent gallery in your home…   Now, get to work!!

Krista (sahlink)