I work from a small workshop in my garden in Twickenham, West London

The address is

131 Lincoln Ave
Twickenham
TW2 6NJ

There is free parking, outside the house.

Yes, there is free parking on the street, and you can park outside the house.  Please do not obstruct any of my neighbours by parking across their driveways.

No, I work by appointment only.  This means that when you make your appointment you should not be disturbed by other customers just dropping in.

Please allow 30 minutes for an appointment.  If you have a few pieces let me know and I can extend the time allowed.

To book an appointment call me on 07747 632 678, or email sue@rivercraneframing.com

I work by appointment only, please contact me to make an appointment.

• picture framing appointments – Tuesdays between 09:00 – 17:30 (Mostly)
• teaching at the local college –  Mondays and midterm breaks
• teaching in the workshop – Wednesday and Thursdays (Mostly)

Because I frame and also teach framing, my hours are reasonably fluid.  This can be useful to you, as I don’t mind arranging for you to pick up or drop off work outside of these hours.

I saw a lovely sign on a framer’s shop that said

• Mondays 10:00 -ish to 20:00 -ish
• Tuesday 09:40 -ish to 17:10 -ish
• Wednesdays 8:15 -ish to 20:10 -ish
• …

It’s a little like that here.  Please ask and I see what I can do.

My preference is that you make an appointment and come to see me here.  Life circumstances occasionally make it difficult for some of my customers to leave home or who are less mobile and in these cases I do collect and deliver within 5 miles of the workshop. 

Some clients have artwork posted to me directly, and then collect the frames on completion.  In these circumstances, it’s best we have a clear idea of the design, or we can do a video call to discuss the design.

Most of my framing customers are local, within walking or easy driving distance.  That said, I do have customers based further afield and if they’re unable to drop off and collect their art, we have successfully used couriers and taxi services to transport the work.  

Please note:  Once artwork leaves the property it is no longer under my control and is not covered by my insurance.

When you arrive for your appointment, I’ll meet you at the front door and take you through the house to the workshop.  We’ll discuss the artwork, where you’re likely to hang the finished frame, who it’s for and any ideas you already have.  Many clients come with a few ideas, and others have no idea at all.  It’s useful to look at a few options and the impact of mounts and frames on a piece.  We also discuss glass and the alternatives available.

I’ll give you a no-obligation quote for each piece you bring.

I take a 20% non-refundable deposit for orders over £500.  For all other orders, I currently don’t take a deposit and expect pay in full on or before you collect the finished work.

I’ll send you the invoice on completion.  You need to pay before or on collection of your work.

Please allow three to four weeks from drop-off to collection.  You may get your work before that; three weeks allows for delays in supplies, teaching days in between, and bigger projects.

 Please don’t leave birthday gifts or wedding surprises for the last minute.  “Can I have it by Friday” isn’t always going to work!  However, if you want to get something framed for a special event, or need a piece sooner, then let me know as soon as possible and I can see what the schedule is like. 

Christmas Orders: Don’t leave Christmas orders to the last minute.  Generally, I take last orders for Christmas in the first week of December. 

I do, but don’t recommend you use this approach with me or other framers.  Giving you a monetary value does not help your decisions.  Be careful when selecting a framer who gives you the lowest price. Your art should be enjoyed for years to come. 

I have had customers come in with one design in mind and leave with quite a different design.  Due to the varying range of glass and frames available, giving prices over the phone or in email does not provide you with a clear picture of the end result. 

I understand that it’s important to have an idea of costs before you arrive.  Most of my customer orders lie in the range of £95 – £300 per item.

I work with finished and raw wood frames.  Using a few different suppliers, the frames I have on offer range from £2 per meter to £45 per metre, with the bulk of frames below £12 per metre.  (A 300mm x 400mm frame uses around 2m, depending on the width of the frame. )

Using raw wood frames, I can hand finish the wood to suit a style or colour of your choice.  Some customers bring in the colour swatch for a favourite paint, so that I can paint and finish to suit your décor.  I also work with oak and tulip and use a clear wax finish on these to enhance the grain and tones of the wood.

Adding a lime wax to a raw wood frame, will give it a softer, creamier tone and is often a very cost effective alternative.

If your preference is for a metallic finish, I offer a range of aluminium metal frames.

I work by drop off and collection.  As such my clients arrange to drop off their artwork, spend a little time with me doing the design discussion, and then collect their work on completion. As most of my work is glazed, I don’t offer a post and package option.

Yes, I work with a wide variety of embroideries, cross stitch, needlepoint and crewel work. The term “fabrics” includes all kinds of fabrics and is not limited to embroidery. 

For all fabric work, please bring the work clean and ready to frame.  I stretch and lace or stitch all fabric work with the aim to have all work reversible. 

Yes, I work with a wide variety of 3-dimensional objects.  I have framed teddy bears, football keepers gloves, medals, badges, masks, fossiles and even snake skins. All 3-D objects require planning and discussion to suit the object in question.

Yes, I stretch canvases and frame them.

This means that you can either bring a rolled up canvas and I can stretch it onto a set of stretcher bars, or a ready-stretched canvas for framing.

When stretching, I recommend using high quality interlocking stretchers that have wooded keys inserted into the corners for tensioning later.  They are available in standard sizes or ordered custom made for non-standard dimensions.

I also offer a range of stretcher profiles that I cut and join to size.  These have fixed corner joints so canvas cannot be re-tensioned over time and are sometimes chosen as a more cost-effective approach.

In either instance, you can hang the canvas on the wall without further framing.  This is often called a gallery wrap.  You will see the sides of the canvas.

Alternatively, you can add a frame to the stretched piece.

Yes, I offer 1-1 beginners workshops.  I also help people learn to frame 3-D objects, work with sports shirts and memorabilia and frame fabrics.

Yes, I can update old frames, by replacing the mounts.

Replacing mounts is a lovely way to refresh dated frames and bring old favourites up to date. 

If you’re doing it to save on framing costs, it is not necessarily the most cost-effective option, as the work required to take the frame bundle apart, and redo and replace can be time consuming and so I charge accordingly.  It’s definitely worth having the conversation though.

The maximum completed frame size I work with is 1200mm x 900mm (3′ x 4′ ) for glazed items. For items with no glass, such as canvases, I can work to a maximum size of 1600mm x 1400mm.  

If your work is larger, please do ask and I can direct you to other framers who can manage that capacity.

Absolutely.  Simplicity can definitely show off art very effectively and I have a wide range of lovely simple black matt, textured or glossy frames. I make any size to order. 

If you want to use simple black frame and white mount, just the basics, in order to save on the cost, do consider some of the online alternatives.  There are excellent online framing companies that do a plain black frame and white mount.  

Yes, I can replace broken glass.  

I’ll send you an email with the invoice on the completion of your work.  You need to pay before you collect the pieces, using a bank transfer, or on collection of your work. 

My preference is a bank transfer.  I also take cheques, cash and can take card payments. The bank details for payments are on the invoice.

You should collect your work within the week. If you know you are going to be unable to collect in the timeframe, please let me know when you leave the item. Items left longer may be charged storage,  as I don’t have storage capacity in the workshop.

Yes, I can take card payments. My preference is that you pay by bank transfer.  The bank details for payment are on the invoices I send out.

Prices vary depending on the frame, glass and design you choose.  To give you a guideline, for artwork around an A4 size, with no mount (paper border) can range from £55 to £110 and upwards, depending on the frame and glass selected. If you add a mount, that can range from around £85 – £140.

Shirt framing starts at £175.  A large shirt framed with a double mount in a box frame can be around £245.

Embroideries and needlework also varies, for example a piece of fabric around 300 x 400mm stretched, laced and framed with 2 mounts is around £145 to £185. This can increase depending on the glass type you select.

The best thing to do is to arrange an appointment. We can discuss your artwork and look at all the options.  Then you can decide whether the brighter glass or the extra decoration is worth it or not.  Remember the art will be on your wall to enjoy daily for a few years.

Yes, I offer 1-1 courses in my workshop, tailored to suit you. It’s also fun to do a workshop with a friend.

Give me a call or email to discuss what you’re after. 

I offer

• Framing as a fun day out. Try a new experience and take home a framed piece
• An Introduction to Framing. Take the opportunity to try your hand at framing if you’re thinking of starting a new hobby, by working on a range of hobby and professional equipment
• Course to grow your business. Expand what you offer your clients by learning a few new techniques.

All courses, are either 1-1 or you can bring a friend. I don’t run group training in my workshop at home.  I do teach groups for organisations or on request on your premises.

See courses for more details or call me.

All in-person courses in my workshop are either 1-1 or you can bring a friend. 

I offer group training from my workshop as an online option. 

I do teach groups for organisations and on request on your premises.

Contact me if you’re interested in group training.

Online workshops either run for a few hours as a complete bundle and a one-off session, or they are 3 – 6 weeks long with a combination of live video sessions and recorded sessions that you can watch later.  Read more about the latest courses.

Workshops run from 09:30 – 16:00 during the week.

For beginners, we start from scratch,  and cover the following:

• working from design and planning and measuring
• cutting mounts
• cutting and joining wood
• scoring and cutting glass to size
• tapes and attaching art
• assembling the bundle ready to hang

For all other workshops we discuss your needs and design a day to suit.

Some students do 2 – 5 days and cover a broad range of topics.

See courses for more details or call me.