he holiday season is here and while most people will run out to the mall or shop online for gifts for friends and loved ones, those who want to give a true gift from the heart will end up making something instead.
"Whether the gift is a drawing done by a child; pictures of a cherished pet; a photo, collage or memorabilia from a special event in the recipient's life, the steps you take to preserve the pieces are just as important as the gift itself," says Kevin Colbert of Colbert Custom Framing. His family owns three custom framing shops in the Chicago suburbs, and he says they've been overwhelmed with framing orders since late summer.

"It seems people are very nostalgic these days," he says. "They want to preserve their memories so they can be passed down to future generations, and what better excuse than the holidays to do it."

Among the more notable gifts his shop has framed this year, several pieces of artwork done by a five year old girl for her father; a shadow box featuring memorabilia autographed by Chicago White Sox players after the team won this year's World Series; and a World War II uniform complete with the medals worn by the soldier and a photo of him in his youth.

"When people come in with such precious memories to preserve, we always recommend they upgrade to a conservation framing package," says Colbert. "It costs a bit more, but is an investment that will definitely pay off."

Simply put, conservation framing employs the use of materials that have been proven to protect and maintain art in as close to its original condition as possible. Colbert says his shops always use acid-free matte board and mounts; and Tru Vue conservation quality glass, which offers UV protection as well as anti-reflective properties. Conservation quality picture framing glass is specially formulated to filter out 98 percent of UV light rays.

"Most people would never think sunlight entering their house through the windows would cause a problem, but ultraviolet light rays are one of the most dangerous elements that your artwork can encounter," says Kathy Carter-McLin, marketing communications manager of TruVue. "Over time, they will not only cause your colors to fade to a mere shadow of their former glory, but will cause the materials themselves to begin to break down right in the frame."

In addition to helping to protect the artwork or memorabilia inside the frame from dangerous ultraviolet rays, the glass also makes viewing easier, by preventing glare. "Our slogan is you're going to love it," says Colbert. "We frame projects with conservation quality glass because we don't want any of our customers to ever lose the memories they cherished enough to frame."