I am Edie and I have (as of this typing) 28 years of full-time hands-on experience and I am just now getting to know the rudiments of the intricacies of picture framing! My retired parents (Bob and Lois) help me part time here and do they help!

My dad changes blades, filters and screens, fixes doorknobs, vacuums and light fixtures and my mom is brave enough to tackle computerized accounting and she fits frames as a break from number crunching.

You are also likely to meet Debbie Caroscio here; she has nearly 25 years of full-time experience and I have yet to decide if she is a better designer or a better craftsperson! Her color sense is right on and her frames are silky smooth and rock solid.

Once, I added up all the years of experience we all have at picture framing and it came to something like 67 years! Crazy!

I have always said that I could teach anyone to frame competently within six months, but it truly takes a lifetime to master it. Sixty-seven years - THAT is almost a lifetime, yes?

I founded Art Etc. Picture Framing in 1987 in downtown Cleveland as a fine art picture framing studio.

In 1999 I moved the whole shebang and what-the-heck expanded while we were in that 'transition phase' (read: chaos) to a double storefront on Murray Hill Road in Little Italy.

We are housed in a nearly 100 year old building and we were thrilled to discover the intact original ornate tin ceiling. So we painted it gold and silver and green and is it ever beautiful, if I say so myself. Lots of folk' comment on it.

Come in and tell me what you think about it and I'll tell you how we did it.

Well, I could really ramble on about the whys of picture framing. There is so much to like about it, for one. It is a lovely way to make a living and I get to meet the most interesting people and see beautiful works of art every day. I get to work with my hands and experience the satisfaction of creating something nice.

Professionalism and Certification:

I am proud to be a member of the PPFA, the Professional Picture Framers Association and am conscientious (maybe a little obsessed as well) about keeping informed about the latest that technology has to contribute to the realm of preservation framing.

We do all of our work in-house and I supervise all of it. Did I mention that I am a CPF? That means Certified Picture Framer and this is a very different 'certification' from that which you see gracing the walls of chain stores. This certification is the only one offered by the Professional Picture Framers Association and is notoriously difficult to pass.

We are one of the few shops in the region to be home to not one, but two CPF's; Debbie has had her certification for many years and has even augmented it with an advanced certification, the MCPF. Ask her about it when you stop in. I have been framing over half of my life (28 years framing, those of you good in math, get on it!) and I am constantly amazed to realize how much more there is to learn about this fascinating business