Cathy Coggins
Frequent Poster
Business has taken a turn for my wee shop. And it has been for the good. PPFA is largely responsible for that; that means that you all have deeply affected my business.
This is usually my slow season right now. It is getting hot in Florida, and framing is normally about 30% or less of my business. My shop is called Needle Craft World, and it sells needle work predominantly and knitting and classes to support them. And then, in the past, if all went well, the needlework customer cam back with the purchase completed needlework, I framed it. Well, and not skimpy and made a nice bit on a previous sale. But I took care of needlework, as I love and do needlework myself. I billed myself as a stitcher first framer afterwards, not any more.
PPFA has been on and in my radar for a few years now. I read so much. Here, PFM, chapter newsletters, serve on the board here in SE, with a committees, talks to suppliers, talk to peers, network, pick brains, seek advise on design, where and how to do things, selling, everything. Right now, May 2014 more than half of my business is framing, which is COOL for a business that does not have the word frame or framing in it. (BTW, working on changing that :smile
.
My LJ rep called me today and asked me why I haven't been getting CC glass from them. I told him, "I really don't use it much anymore, I believe in MG and my customers do too).
My sales are not just up in quantity but quality. Seeing what all of you are doing and being deeply affected by it has made me push my design skills, reach deeper for an impacting design. Tickets are up. Ya'll are to be thanked for that.
My customers have noticed what is going on here and the work coming in here is super cool.
Recently my jobs make coming to the shop early a joy.
Doing another reversible needlework with the Jim Miller Trampoline mount, only much bigger than the last one. SO excited.
A customer brought in a NICE numbered and signed giclee that is "blow your skirt up gorgeous", and I have spoken to a few of you on what is just right to put on this, helped me to use my design skills but push them. Thank you, and my client thanks you too. The design is still not finalized but she is delighted that this art will still make her smile when she looks at it when she's 80.
A PPFA event introduced me to a conservator, and that showed a door to open. Talked to PPFA fellows (like 3 of them) about what to look for, how to advise, outsourcing and costing, giving the client what they want, selling it right...and we haven't even spoken about the frame yet. Fascinating work. Honored.
Another framer/PPFA member is helping me source appropriate frames, to period for and OLD piece of art. WOW. SO helpful and solid info to give to a client who wants to care for a piece and honor it. I could not, would not have been able to do this without PPFA, without all of you.
The stupid mat issue yesterday. Years ago the blame and solution would have been mine alone. I didn't have another option, it must be me doing something wrong. PPFA has taught me to know what I know. After querying you all, I could confidently say, "That mat was garbage". You can't make big statements like that without surety.
I have a client that has moved away, she has been monitoring my progress as a framer, tells me that she sees a difference in my work since PPFA. She has an old doc that needs restoring (which I will outsource) and then she want french lines on it! COOL.
Going to Ky/Tn next week to take my third PPFA French mating class (first with Linda Wassell). SO excited. Will add more strength to my skill as I take on this job. And I get to meet MORE of you. Thrilled.
Working on a Chapter event for SE in September, that we are tag-lining, "By Framers for Framers" as that is what it will be. SE's board and I wanting to share how valuable, necessary, helpful, resourceful, inspiring PPFA is. What PPFA is.
There was a nasty thread a year or so back on the Grumble about PPFA (I know, which one?) and many PPFA supporters said, "PPFA is what you put into it" and some of the grumps were like, "whatever the H*** that means".
Well, Cathy Coggins puts a lot into PPFA, and believes in it; but that is tiny compared to what I have gotten back. My numbers cannot lie. Nor the workload. Or the neato mosquito projects that I have done, with confidence, because of all of you.
Ya'll are PPFA, and this framer is proud to stand with folks that care and share so much.
If I mentioned every name that has impacted my business ya'll would fall asleep. And I would leave folks out, as I haven't met everyone....YET.
I just got my new 2014 door sticker in the mail, thank you Nick. I have cleaned the door thoroughly and proudly placed it front and center, right below my business name, as it has become as much a part of my business as me.
Thank you for your help PPFA, and thank you for the good work you have given me.
This is usually my slow season right now. It is getting hot in Florida, and framing is normally about 30% or less of my business. My shop is called Needle Craft World, and it sells needle work predominantly and knitting and classes to support them. And then, in the past, if all went well, the needlework customer cam back with the purchase completed needlework, I framed it. Well, and not skimpy and made a nice bit on a previous sale. But I took care of needlework, as I love and do needlework myself. I billed myself as a stitcher first framer afterwards, not any more.
PPFA has been on and in my radar for a few years now. I read so much. Here, PFM, chapter newsletters, serve on the board here in SE, with a committees, talks to suppliers, talk to peers, network, pick brains, seek advise on design, where and how to do things, selling, everything. Right now, May 2014 more than half of my business is framing, which is COOL for a business that does not have the word frame or framing in it. (BTW, working on changing that :smile
.My LJ rep called me today and asked me why I haven't been getting CC glass from them. I told him, "I really don't use it much anymore, I believe in MG and my customers do too).
My sales are not just up in quantity but quality. Seeing what all of you are doing and being deeply affected by it has made me push my design skills, reach deeper for an impacting design. Tickets are up. Ya'll are to be thanked for that.
My customers have noticed what is going on here and the work coming in here is super cool.
Recently my jobs make coming to the shop early a joy.
Doing another reversible needlework with the Jim Miller Trampoline mount, only much bigger than the last one. SO excited.
A customer brought in a NICE numbered and signed giclee that is "blow your skirt up gorgeous", and I have spoken to a few of you on what is just right to put on this, helped me to use my design skills but push them. Thank you, and my client thanks you too. The design is still not finalized but she is delighted that this art will still make her smile when she looks at it when she's 80.
A PPFA event introduced me to a conservator, and that showed a door to open. Talked to PPFA fellows (like 3 of them) about what to look for, how to advise, outsourcing and costing, giving the client what they want, selling it right...and we haven't even spoken about the frame yet. Fascinating work. Honored.
Another framer/PPFA member is helping me source appropriate frames, to period for and OLD piece of art. WOW. SO helpful and solid info to give to a client who wants to care for a piece and honor it. I could not, would not have been able to do this without PPFA, without all of you.
The stupid mat issue yesterday. Years ago the blame and solution would have been mine alone. I didn't have another option, it must be me doing something wrong. PPFA has taught me to know what I know. After querying you all, I could confidently say, "That mat was garbage". You can't make big statements like that without surety.
I have a client that has moved away, she has been monitoring my progress as a framer, tells me that she sees a difference in my work since PPFA. She has an old doc that needs restoring (which I will outsource) and then she want french lines on it! COOL.
Going to Ky/Tn next week to take my third PPFA French mating class (first with Linda Wassell). SO excited. Will add more strength to my skill as I take on this job. And I get to meet MORE of you. Thrilled.
Working on a Chapter event for SE in September, that we are tag-lining, "By Framers for Framers" as that is what it will be. SE's board and I wanting to share how valuable, necessary, helpful, resourceful, inspiring PPFA is. What PPFA is.
There was a nasty thread a year or so back on the Grumble about PPFA (I know, which one?) and many PPFA supporters said, "PPFA is what you put into it" and some of the grumps were like, "whatever the H*** that means".
Well, Cathy Coggins puts a lot into PPFA, and believes in it; but that is tiny compared to what I have gotten back. My numbers cannot lie. Nor the workload. Or the neato mosquito projects that I have done, with confidence, because of all of you.
Ya'll are PPFA, and this framer is proud to stand with folks that care and share so much.
If I mentioned every name that has impacted my business ya'll would fall asleep. And I would leave folks out, as I haven't met everyone....YET.
I just got my new 2014 door sticker in the mail, thank you Nick. I have cleaned the door thoroughly and proudly placed it front and center, right below my business name, as it has become as much a part of my business as me.
Thank you for your help PPFA, and thank you for the good work you have given me.
