Haverstock Creative Designs
242 Ridgevale Drive B4A 4B3 Bedford, NS, Canada

Easter holiday hours... closed Friday, April 2 - Monday, April 5.

In May, 2020, Artglass by Groglass and picture framers across the globe participated in making a framer’s anthem music video ‘Life in a Picture Frame’. I was one of those framers. Fast forward to almost a year later, and a new music video, ‘Just Frame It’, has been produced thanks to the hard work of Sasha Kelberg (CEO) and his team at Artglass by Groglass. This time around, the global community of picture framers have submitted videos and photos of examples of items that we... preserve and frame everyday... from family heirlooms to sports memorabilia, military memorabilia to needlework, watercolours to acrylic paintings; the list goes on. Watch out for the seven examples of my framing throughout the video, as well as a brief video clip of me and my worker bee, Ellen, towards the end of the closing credits. I hope this video gets your toes tapping and puts a smile on your face. Please share with your family and friends as we’d love to make this video go viral! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yr7FU8iYaA #justframeit #customframing #framewhatyoulove #pictureframing #pictureframers #artglass_by_groglass #haverstockframing #haverstockcreativedesigns

A long-time customer sent me a photo of a blue print which his son found while cleaning out the attic of the family home. The blue print was used by his father after he retired from the RCN to build a scale model replica of HMCS Venture. My customer was interested in framing the blue print to display alongside his father’s model ship. Since blue prints are extremely light sensitive and will degrade rapidly, a high-quality colour reproduction was made (an excellent job don...e by Atlantic Photo Supply Fotosource) and framed instead. A rustic wood moulding from Roma Moulding’s Arbour collection was chosen to represent the wood from which these old schooners were built. Tru Vue’s conservation clear glass will keep this reproduction blue print looking great for years to come. #attictreasures #modelship #customframing #framewhatyoulove #romamoulding #truvueglazing #haverstockframing #haverstockcreativedesigns #BedfordNovaScotia #HalifaxNovaScotia #DartmouthNovaScotia

This Atlantic Salmon print that my customer brought in to be framed was fairly small (~ 3 x 5 ). By using wide mat borders and choosing the perfect frame from Roma Moulding’s Eleganza collection, it is sure to make a statement on her wall. Tru Vue’s conservation clear glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection. #fishprint #fishart #customframing #framewhatyoulove #romamoulding #truvueglazing... #haverstockframing #haverstockcreativedesigns #BedfordNovaScotia #HalifaxNovaScotia #DartmouthNovaScotia See more

Another great watercolour by my friend, Ben Pitman (Benjaminart9). You can almost feel the sun beating down while playing a fun game of pond hockey!

I am so excited to announce that I will re-open as of July 2nd! Nova Scotians have done a terrific job at flattening the curve, with no new reported cases since June 9th. That's great news, but we can't let our guard down, so some things will be a little different in order to keep my customers and myself safe while doing business during COVID-19, and still provide the same great customer service. Please visit my website's homepage https://www.haverstockcreativedesigns.com ...to review the new procedures and policies put in place. For those customers who have already touched base with me regarding their framing projects, I will be contacting them to set up an appointment time for their design consultation. For anyone else, please feel free to contact me via Facebook or my website (https://www.haverstockcreativedesigns.com/contact-us) Thank you for your patience and understanding during my temporary closure and I look forward to seeing you soon!

These two Karate diplomas were framed with a simple, yet classic, design. A black bevel moulding from Larson-Juhl was paired with a black conservation grade mat from Peterboro Matboards. A v-groove around the mat opening adds that special touch to the design. Tru Vues conservation clear glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection. Instead of the diplomas being tucked away, my customer can now proudly display his accomplishments.

A mother and her son brought me a charcoal caricature to frame recently. The caricature was of the son with his great-grandfather and done back in 2018 while the extended family was on a vacation down south. Little did they know that it was to be the last time the boy would see his great-grandfather in person as, sadly, the great-grandfather passed away earlier this year and lived on the west coast. The son played a big part in picking out the frame design for this special artwork, even choosing Tru Vues Museum glass as he thought it looked the best! His great-grandfather loved the outdoors, so a rustic black moulding from Roma Mouldings Arber collection was the perfect choice for the frame. Framing is about telling stories and preserving memories I love what I do!

THANK YOU for your overwhelming support of my small picture framing business! I am truly blessed to have so many repeat and new customers bring me their artwork and treasures to be framed since I re-opened in July. I am working hard to complete your framing projects in a timely manner, but I know that my turnaround time is much longer than usual due to supply chain issues and the sheer volume of work to be done. I really appreciate your patience and understanding. That being said, I only have two hands (sometimes four when my twin, Ellen, helps me), and these arthritic hands need a rest. So, I will be taking a short break this weekend and will close on Sunday, Sept. 6th and Labour Day, Monday, Sept. 7th. Have a safe and happy long weekend!

My customer stitched this lovely, colourful needlepoint that just makes you smile when you look at it. The phrase Live well, Love much, Laugh often is something that we all should do, especially during these crazy times of 2020. A simple design was chosen a classic black moulding from Roma Moulding and a single conservation grade mat which perfectly matched the vibrant green in the needlepoint. The mat had been discontinued, but with great luck, I had enough in stock for this frame! Tru Vues conservation clear glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection to help keep these colours looking vibrant for many years to come.

Wow! Tracy Pitman (Tapitmanstudio) outdid herself this time with this lovely painting! The colours are fabulous!

My customer had his father-in-laws military medals since his passing and thought it was time to do something special with them to showcase the extraordinary man that he was. After discussions with his sister-in-law, it was decided to keep the medals as is, swing mounted with their original ribbons. This made mounting the medals in the shadow box more challenging, but with using straps of clear polyester film and stitching with non-biodegradable monofilament thread, the m...edals were securely mounted in a completely reversible manner, without the use of any adhesives touching the medals. A classic style mahogany frame from Larson-Juhls Brighton collection was paired with a slate blue suede mat (to represent air force blue) from Peterboro Matboards Designer collection. Tru Vues Museum glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection and amazing clarity and will help keep this family treasure looking great for years to come. Sorry for the blurry photo - I didn't notice it until after the customer picked up the shadow box.

A family tradition of firefighters continues My customer wanted a shadow box to commemorate his graduation day. He had a photo of himself with his father and uncle, who are both career firefighters, and a badge from each of the fire departments where the men worked. A classic black bevel moulding from Roma Moulding was chosen along with a black and red suede mats. Tru Vues Museum glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection and amazing clarity.

Another terrific watercolour by my friend, Ben Pitman (Benjaminart9). I love the colours in his painting of a humpback whale!

What a wonderful surprise I found in my email inbox the other day when a customer sent me some photos of my framing on their walls after moving out west. She thought I might like to post photos from a satisfied customer who said I did exceptional work and they look fantastic in our home.

Thirty-five years ago this weekend, I married my best friend and the love of my life, Brian. Two fantastic children, one sweet granddaughter, lots of grey hair and a few extra pounds later, I can honestly say that it has been a wonderful ride so far! To commemorate this anniversary milestone, I will be closing Saturday, August 1st and reopen on Tuesday, August 4th. Photo credit: WC Chase

Very proud parents brought their sons diploma in to be framed. Their son completed the Winery and Viticulture Technician program at Niagara College Canada and they are quite excited to have a winery management expert in the family. A classic style mahogany tone moulding from Larson-Juhls Brighton collection was chosen along with a double mat combination from Nielsen-Bainbridge's Artcare collection that complemented the college diplomas silver foil seals. Tru Vues Museum glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection and amazing clarity.

A little update since I re-opened on July 2nd It has been wonderful being open again; meeting with returning and new customers who have brought me their framing projects. My customers have been very accommodating with regards to the new procedures put in place to keep them and myself as safe as possible during their frame design consultation. During these last few months you have spent time making memories with family, found family treasures while cleaning out closets or d...rawers, explored creative avenues such as painting or needlework, stared at a blank wall in your home office, or decided a favourite piece of framed art could use a new look! I've included a few samples of different types of framing projects. Id be happy to set up an appointment to discuss your framing projects. Please feel free to contact me via Facebook Messenger or through my "Contact Us" page on my website https://www.haverstockcreativedesigns.com #ShopLocal #SupportSmallBusiness

Happy Canada Day! I am looking forward to re-opening tomorrow!

Another personal project that I completed during The Great Pause of 2020 I had already framed a mixed media artwork of peonies by artist, Dawn Heinemeyer (http://heinemeyer.ca) many years ago; creating a formal design to complement the elegant peony and gold hand-written passage. This watercolour of echinacea by the same artist lent itself to a similar, yet more casual design. A brown burl wood moulding was paired with one of Crescent Cardboards Moorman linen mats and two different tone green mats. Tru Vue's Museum glass was used on both frames chosen for its 99% UV protection and amazing clarity. Even though they arent a matched pair, they look great hung side by side in my living room.

Nova Scotians have done a great job in flattening the curve and many businesses are set to re-open on June 5th. Having an auto-immune disorder, I am going to err on the side of caution and tentatively plan to re-open at the end of June. Id like to keep an eye on that curve and make sure there isnt a spike in new cases. In the meantime, feel free to contact me to discuss any framing projects that you would like to have done. I really appreciate your patience and understanding and I look forward to framing for you soon!

I finally found the time to frame the third in a series of whimsical frog watercolours that I purchased from the talented Amherst, N.S. artist, Ben Pitman (Benjaminart9) only 3 years after the fact! I chose a similar design as my other two frames a neutral top mat with a green accent mat which I hand-painted the bevel with black acrylic paint to mimic the black lines in the watercolour. The wider profile of Roma Mouldings Gianni moulding that I used on the other two watercolours was discontinued, so I chose to stack the narrow version of the moulding and add a custom touch by putting a wash of yellow acrylic paint along the lip edge of the outside moulding. Tru Vues conservation clear glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection.

Not in a million years did I ever think that I one day I would be in a music video! While life as we know it has been put on pause since mid-March, Artglass by Groglass and the global framing community have put together this music video. Over 50 framers from across the globe participated in the making of this framers anthem. These past weeks have been a time spent with family, making memories, finding family treasures while cleaning out closets, exploring new creative aven...ues, encouraging your children to make artwork to thank our front-line workers Support a small frame shop and put your life in a picture frame. I look forward to framing some of these memories for you when I re-open! I hope this video gets your toes tapping and puts a smile on your face. Please share with your family and friends as wed love to make this video go viral! https://youtu.be/EZ0bRafln78 #LIPF #MYLIPF #StayHomeMakeMemories

A shout-out and huge thanks to all our essential workers who are helping us get through this COVID-19 pandemic. We couldn't do it without you!

Well, it's May 1st and although progress has been made, the COVID-19 virus is still not under control in Nova Scotia. I will remain temporarily closed and will re-evaluate again at the end of the month. Thank you for understanding and please feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss any future framing projects, or if you just want to have a chat. I'd love to hear from you!

My friend, the talented Amherst, N.S. artist, Tracy Pitman, (Tapitmanstudio) has been busy painting! Check out some of her latest paintings that she has for sale. Any one of them would be sure to brighten up your walls!

During my temporary closure due to COVID-19, Ive finally found the time to frame a few personal projects. One is a piece of embroidery that my daughter, Anna, stitched for my Christmas present in 2018. It is a beautiful little nautical design titled Hope Floats My Boat, by Laurie Dolhan whose indie craft studio, Hook Line & Tinker, is located in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia. I chose a red rustic moulding from Larson-Juhls Carnivale collection. An off-white top mat and bl...ue accent mat cut with circular, reverse bevel openings carried on the nautical theme. I loved the message of the title Hope Floats My Boat as we all need some hope to help us get through these trying times! I incorporated the title into the design in a subtle way by debossing the top mat with the phrase and surrounding it with a shape that mimics the embroiderys whitecaps in the ocean. Tru Vues Museum glass was chosen for its amazing clarity and its 99% UV protection. Heres hoping that better times will soon be here.

Today, April 21st, small businesses have been asked to post a picture of themselves to show the world the size, strength, and contributions of small businesses. I am one of those small businesses; usually working by myself, but sometimes with the help of my twin sister Ellen - photo taken pre social distancing! #iamasmallbusiness.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the victims of Canadas worst mass shooting which occurred in rural Nova Scotia this past weekend. Among the victims was RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the force, who was killed in the line of duty; and another fellow RCMP officer, Constable Chad Morrison, who suffered non-life threatening injuries. This senseless act of violence is shocking and seems so unbelievable for it to occur in our small, tight-knit province. May the thoughts and prayers of my fellow Nova Scotians help support these families through the upcoming days, weeks, and months. #NovaScotiaStrong Artwork credit RCMP icons by Nova Scotian artist Gail Patriarche (Gail Patriarche Gallery) which I framed for a customer back in 2011.

Framers can sew too I dug out my sewing machine and put my sewing skills to good use this past weekend. I made some fabric face masks for my family. Thanks to my framer friend, Julie Walsh, owner of the WorkShop Gallery in Toronto, for making a Youtube video demonstrating how she made these facemasks and also for answering my questions. Heres a photo of some of the masks I made

And now for something completely different! Besides framing, another one of my passions is baking. I LOVE TO BAKE! I discovered a new recipe a couple months ago (from a magazine in my dentists office) and with a bit of tweaking, it has become my new favourite type of squares. It is called Brookie Squares, although my twin sister has nicknamed it Kares Squares. It has a brownie base and a chocolate chip cookie top layer and is absolutely delicious.

I will remain temporarily closed to help 'flatten the curve' and will re-evaluate on May 1st. Stay safe and healthy!

One of my last framing projects before temporarily closing due to the COVID-19 virus was a frame make-over. This canvas artwork had been framed by my customers in a standard 20x24 readymade frame a number of years ago. They wanted to give it a fresh new look and make it larger to provide a bigger impact on the wall. A beautiful mottled taupe and green toned moulding from Roma Mouldings Savior collection was chosen for the frame. Triple conservation grade mats, cut with reverse bevels, provided the increase in frame size (eight inches in each direction). Tru Vues UltraVue glass was chosen for its amazing clarity. What a difference and my customers were very pleased with the frame make-over!

To my awesome framing customers, Even though I operate on a by appointment only basis, due to the seriousness of the COVID-19 virus, I have decided it would be best to be closed to new business for the next 2 weeks, effective today, March 17, 2020. I will re-evaluate at that time to determine if the closure will be extended. In the meantime, I will work on current framing orders and contact those customers with status updates. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cau...se, but I feel it is extremely important to help flatten the curve. And, for a personal reason, to limit my possible exposure to COVID-19 as I have an auto-immune disorder which would make me more susceptible to serious complications if infected. If you have any questions, I still can be reached by phone, e-mail, or through Facebook. Stay home, stay safe and healthy. Thank you for your understanding, Karen

My customer, an avid cyclist himself, brought in this poster of a photo taken at the Tour de France race sometime in the 1920s. The lead cyclists can be seen smoking cigarettes! The poster was drymounted to gatorboard which provided a lightweight, yet firm, substrate and it was also laminated so glazing was not necessary. A dark brown moulding from Roma Moulding was chosen for its simple, classic design. My customer loved how it turned out and has it displayed alongside his other cycling memorabilia.

I had the privilege of working on another military memorabilia shadow box. This one showcased memorabilia pertaining to my customers grandfathers WWI military service in England and France a photo of his grandfather, his grandfathers medal rack, a 77th Militia cap badge, a 20th Battalion cap badge and a custom-made replica of a 20th Battalion officer shoulder patch. A classic black shadow box from Larson-Juhl was chosen along with grey suede mats. Tru Vues Museum glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection and amazing clarity. My customer loved how it turned out and is looking forward to presenting the shadow box to his father later in the year.

I will be closed on Monday, February 17, 2020 in recognition of Nova Scotia's Heritage Day.I will be closed on Monday, February 17, 2020 in recognition of Nova Scotia's Heritage Day.

Just had to share this wonderful seascape watercolour from my friend, Ben (Benjaminart9)!

Another frame repurposed... My customer brought in a lovely little canvas painting that she wanted to frame using a frame that I had made for her a number of years ago. Although the moulding (from Fotiou Frames) was quite ornate, it seemed perfectly suited for this painting with its swirly design and black finish with brick red and gold highlights. The frame was converted to a floater style by mounting the painting on a black background consisting of a mat and foamcore. This mount board was recessed back from the frames lip with spacers lined with a brick red accent colour mat.

I have reused customers old frames for their new artwork when they have requested it and so long as the frame is structurally sound. It isnt often, though, that Ive been asked to cut down an old frame to make into a new frame. I had a new customer contact me recently to do exactly that. She had a large gold & silver bamboo style frame that she loved but wanted to use it for a new, smaller piece of artwork. I told her that I would have to take a look at it first before ...committing to the project. It appeared to be in decent shape, so I said I would try my best at cutting it down. Since I didnt have any extra moulding to work with and I also wanted to try to match up the bamboo pattern, I had to take extra care to measure correctly! I was very happy with how the new frame turned out and my customer said it was simply lovely when she came to pick it up.

Another Christmas gift framing project My customer brought in an autographed Carey Price hockey jersey to have framed for her husband for Christmas. A classic black shadow box moulding from Larson-Juhls Confetti line was chosen, along with a double conservation grade mat combination of black (from Peterboro Matboards) and a red accent mat (from Nielsen-Bainbridge). Tru Vues conservation clear glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection.

My customer wanted to have a shadow box made to display his fathers military memorabilia from his service in the RCAF and present the shadow box to his grandson. He had his fathers medal rack, ribbon bars, various badges, Certificate of Service, and the Operational Wing that his father was awarded during WWII. A classic black shadow box from Larson-Juhl was paired with a light blue suede mat from Peterboro Matboards to represent the Air Force. Tru Vues conservation clear glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection. What a wonderful keepsake for the family to honour the military career of a father/grand-father/great-grandfather.

My customer had a cross-stitch framed for her son for Christmas. She had a photo that had been taken at their cabin of a Toyota truck that had a lot of family history. The truck had been driven by different members of the family for 23 years, including her son. She had that photo converted into a counted cross-stitch pattern by Mary Maxim and it turned out beautifully. A rustic style moulding from Larson Juhl's Lancaster collection was paired with a subtle variegated blue mat and a mid-tone brown accent mat. Tru Vues Museum glass was chosen for its 99% UV protection and amazing clarity. The son loved his gift from his mom.