We've got an exciting customer story to share from our Aspley store – two jobs that turned out to be real gems. Our customer, a keen Collingwood Magpies supporter, entrusted us with not one but two Collingwood premiership jerseys, each accompanied by a deck of over 20 collectible player cards. To add an extra layer of sophistication, he also wanted a plaque added with detailed information and year-appropriate logos neatly flanking the text at the bottom of each frame. At the top, large gold font was also required.
The challenge was significant – each card had less than 3mm of clearance around the graphics, making the prospect of perfectly T-hinging 22 and 23 of them under one gigantic mat seem quite daunting. Thankfully, our talented PFA framer, Annaliese, came up with a brilliant plan that resulted in a stunning outcome. Annaliese and I have labelled this the "lil pocket" technique.
The process began by cutting a matboard with openings precisely matching the dimensions of the cards which would be hidden and unseen in the finished job. The matboard was cut on our computerised mat cutter that provides millimetric accuracy required for all 45 multi-opening mats across both frames. The matboard was then mounted to 3mm foam core.
Then one-by-one, the 45 cards were placed into each of these openings.
Next, we strategically placed the visible inner white mat, cut to a size that didn't encroach on any of the graphics, over the top. This created tiny pockets for each magpie, ensuring that they would all sit snugly and uniformly. Without needing to use any tape or adhesive, this process is fully reversable should the customer ever wish to remove the cards.
Achieving the gold text at the top, showing through the black top mat, required a creative touch. We placed a 100mm strip of matboard directly underneath the openings, on the same layer as the white mat. A special shout-out goes to the font selected in conjunction with the customer - Horizon BT – a recommendation that cut beautifully and complements these memorabilia exceptionally well.
The islands (holes in letters like O, P, R, etc.) are also straightforward shapes, making them easy to cut out with the computerised mat cutter and simple to align to the letters when sticking them down.
The creative thinking, precision workmanship and careful handling was appreciated by the customer who was ecstatic with the final result. He's already hinted at returning next time Collingwood takes the title… hopefully sooner than another 13 years!
By the next Collingwood Magpies premiership, we'll have practiced Annaliese's ingenious "lil pocket" technique, ensuring that every piece we craft continues to be a masterpiece in its own right.
To find out how our framer’s creativity and craftsmanship come together to transform your sports memorabilia into a timeless treasure, visit us at Frame Today Aspley or find your nearest store.
