"Nature is full of genius, and full of divinity, so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand." -Henry David Thoreau Celeblatinq flatule he opportunity to experience the natural world T is to be celebrated and recorded. When packing for vacations or even for day trips, we all bring along a camera. Professional and amateur photographers agree that nothing beats nature, and nothing beats natural light. Transport yourself to sandy shores, snowy hills, shady groves, and sunny vales with the help of these frames inspired by the great outdoors. S>and and j>nell Jlame CELEBRATING NATURE hen I go on vacation, I prefer historic cities that offer interesting archi- W tecture and plenty of museums to explore. But all my husband needs is a beach and a clear blue sky. I must admit that recalling a stroll in the sand can bring serenity to a hectic day. Change the landscape of your desk with this quick transformation of a plain frame to help you relive a relaxing moment in the sun and sand. Or create a darker textured background on the frame and adorn it with small twigs, pinecones, berries, and other treasures from a nature walk. Materials Frame 1. Remove tbe glass, mat, and/or frame Beige mat board backing from tbe frame. Sand-colored textured paint (spray or brush-on) 2. Apply the textured paint to tbe frame Paintbrush (optional) and let dry. Small shells, assorted sizes and shapes White craft glue 3. Glue sbells as desired to tbe frame and Photo let dry. Model measures g'/i x 7Vt inches 4. Insert tbe mat, pboto. and frame backing in the frame. SAND AND SHELL FRAME 57 Watei Wat CELEBRATING NATURE ou can almost hear this miniature mermaid, and every other kid in the Ypool, shouting, "Watch me, Mom!" Discovering this photo pinned to a friend's bulletin board inspired me to create a splashy water mat. A small square mat is the perfect place to add embossed tiles. Explore your local home improvement store for great designer tiles to complement your photos. Materials Frame 1. Remove tbe glass, mat, and/or frame Blue mat board backing from the frame. Pencil Four embossed 2-inch-square tiles 2. Gut the mat board to size (see Cutting; Light blue acrylic paint Mats, page 15). or have a professional Paintbrush framer cut the mat board for you. Clue gun and glue sticks, or stapler Dimensions Ior the mat used in tbe model Construction adhesive such as are sbown in the diagram at right. Liquid Nails Photo 3- Lightly pencil a line % inch outside tbe Model measures 9'''* x 9'/) inches mat window on all four sides. Paint a wavy line along tbis marked line. Let dry. Carefully erase the pencil lines. 4. Insert the mat in the frame and secure witb bot glue or staples. Apply construction adbesive to tbe tile backs and position the tiles in the corners. Let dry. 5. Insert the photo and frame backing in tbe frame. Mat-cutting diagram WATER MAT 59 ^nowflake mat hat is more fun in the wintertime than being safely bundled up W and surrounded by snow? This photo was taken after the first big snowfall ofthe season when I spied my two small neighbors enjoying the excitement and wonder of a world transformed. One lacy snowflake pattern is repeated all around this wintry scene. For spring photos, use a flower silhouette. For summer, try a starfish or a nautilus shell, and for fall, make a leaf shape. Whichever shape you choose, design an image that has sections cut from the interior. (.0 NG NATURE 1. Remove the glass, mat, and/or frame backing from the frame. 2. Cut tbe mat board to size (see Cutting Mats, page 15). or bave a professional framer cut tbe mat board for you. Dimensions for the mat used in tbe model are shown in the diagram at rigbt. 3. Trace the snowflake pattern onto paper I. Gently dab the blue ink over the and carefully cut out with tbe craft knife. snowflake pattern. 4. Place the snowflake on tbe mat. Apply ink to the sponge and lightly dab it over the snowflake. (See photos I and 2.) Move tbe snowflake around tbe mat in a random pattern and repeat. Let dry. 5. Insert tbe mat, photo, and frame backing in the frame. 2. Lift the pattern carefully, reposition Materials it, and stencil again. Frame Ivory mat board Tracing paper Pencil Craft knife Blue waterproof dye-based inkpad Cosmetic sponge Photo Model n^ea.Hures lO'/i x IO inches. A 3'/, Snowflake Pattern (enlarge IIO%) Mat-cutting diagram SNOWI-LAKE MAT 61 (Dalk and moss Jlame CELEBRATING N.\TURE hen my brother John moved two thousand miles away, I shuffled W through my old photos and chose this twenty-year-old portrait of him to display on my bookshelf. I like the trees, the natural light, and espe- cially the eighties haircut. The warm and woodsy look of the bark and moss on the mat enhance the photo s natural setting. Materials Frame I. Remove the glass, mat. and/or frame Tan or brown mat board backing from the frame. WKite craft glue Thin pieces of decorative bark a. Cut the mat board to size (see Cutting Dried moss Mats, page 15), or have a professional Photo framer cut the mat board for you. Dimensions for the mat used in the model Model measures 6 'A x 7 inches. are shown in the diagram at right. 3. Glue the bark to the mat board, over- lapping to cover the entire surface of the mat. Let dry. 4. Glue small clumps of moss over the bark. Let dry. 5. Insert the mat, photo, and frame backing in the frame. Mat-cuttin BARK AND MOSS FRAME StampedJiear in at CF.I.EBRATING NATURE orking in a garden is the ultimate high-touch activity to counter our Whigh-tech world. Our family garden keeps growing, in more ways than one, since every year we add a new vegetable. (This year it is pumpkins.) Take a lot of photos in your garden since a leafy canopy makes a great backdrop. An easy-to-make mat brings the color and feel ofthe garden indoors—and it will stay green forever. Materials Frame 1. Remove the glass, mat, and/or frame Green mat hoard backing from the frame. Leaf stamp Green waterproof dye-hased inkpad 2. Cut the mat board to size (see Cutting 12 wired silk leaves, each l'/i x 2'A Mats, page 15). or have a professional inches framer cut the mat board for you. Glue g;un and glue sticks Dimensions for the mat used in the model Photo are shown in the diagram at right. Model measures Il'/j x I'/j inches. 3. Stamp the leaf in a random pattern over the entire surface ofthe mat. Let dry. 4- Bend each leaf 'A inch from the bottom end. Arrange the leaves around the edge ofthe mat window, wrapping the short ends to the back. Glue in place. t 5. Insert the mat, photo, and frame -<- 4'/' -*• backing in the frame. Mat-cutting diagram STAMPED LE.^F MAT Sun el J-lame (if, CELEBRATENG NATURE f you're like me, you spend a large part of your life standing in front ofthe I kitchen sink. To brighten up this workspace, I fashioned a cheery ornament to hang in the window. This sunny smile is captured between two panes of glass and two wood frames. Keep in mind that since the finished frame is hung from ribbon, weight may be a factor, so it's best to choose frames 6x8 inches or smaller. Select a photo with an easily silhouetted figure, and copy it on a color photocopier. (Copy paper will allow some sunlight to show through, but photo paper is too opaque.) Materials 1. Remove the glass, mats, and/or frame Two identical frames with glass backings from the frames. Lavender acrylie paint Pa inthrush Scrap paper 2. With lavender acrylic paint, paint both Painter's tape frames entirely—front, back, sides, inside Silver spray paint edge of window, and rabbet. (See Photo Anatomy of a Frame, page 12.) Let dry. Craft knife Pencil 3. With scrap paper and tape, mask off Tracing paper the fronts ofthe frames, leaving VK inch Transfer paper exposed around the edges. Press edge of Stencil paper tape down firmly so paint does not seep Spray adhesive underneath. With silver spray paint, spray Green spray paint the exposed borders on frame fronts, Green vellum paper and spray the sides ofthe frames. Let dry. 4 white chenille stems Carefully remove the tape. White craft glue Lavender organza rihhon, Vih-inch wide, I yard 4. With a craft knife, trim the photo so 2 square while beads, ahout '/| wide the subject is silhouetted. Sturdy cup hook Model measures 7% " 5'-i inches. SUN CATCHER FRAME 5. Trace the stencil pattern on tracing paper, and transfer it to the stencil paper with transfer paper. Using a craft knife, cut out the stencil and spray the back with spray adhesive. 6. With the trimmed photo right side up on the work surface, center one pane of glass over the image. Place the stencil on the glass, adhesive side down. (Do not let Leaf Patterns the stencil overlap the area ofthe photo (shown actual size) image.) Mask off any exposed areas of glass. Lightly spray over the leaf stencil with green spray paint. Move the stencil and repeat to create a random pattern.