JULIE BERTRAND / Independent reporter
Two Wednesdays ago, Cabinet of Curiosities owner Andrea Hatch was having a nervous breakdown.
She had finally received the moldings needed to complete her second frame for the Professional Picture Framers Association’s (PPFA) national competition.
She was supposed to have received them the week before, but the courier company had misplaced the order.
“I thought I had it all planned out. I thought I had two full weeks to prepare the two frames,” said Hatch.
The bad news was that the frames had to be shipped out on the following Thursday morning to the Canada West chapter of the PPFA.
Hatch ended up enlisting her daughter Rebekah’s help to finish the frame on time.
“We were here until 2 in the morning, trying to finish it off and we had to call it quits at 2 a.m. because I just couldn’t see what I was doing,” remembered Hatch.
All their hard work paid off because one of her frames won the first place and the other finished third.
This is the first time Hatch has entered a picture framing competition.
“I started wanting to compare myself to the professional standard that’s out there and see where I go with it,” said Hatch.
Every frame had to be prepared according to a specific set of rules established by the PPFA.
“For example, when you twist the wire on the back of the frame, it has to be more than an inch twisted. They’re really thorough,” said Hatch.
She also had to use museum glass for every frame. It’s the same glass that’s on the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.
“It is crazy expensive. It’s wonderful. It’s UV protected, it’s just about anything protected, except it’s not bulletproof,” said Hatch.
“The association says if you’re going to do it, you should do it all right.“
Her win entitles Hatch to represent Canada at the next level, PPFA’s international competition, which will take place in September in Las Vegas.
Hatch hopes to go not only to enjoy the Vegas sights, but also to see what the other competitors are doing.