KiraKira Trunk Show this Saturday!

Join us this Saturday, February 8th, 11 a.m. till closing

for a special

Valentine's Trunk Show 

with KiraKira's founder and designer, Suz Somersall.

Special SIP AND SHOP event with wine and cheese from 5 - 7 p.m.

Wines by our friends at Stinson Vineyards.

(Please R.S.V.P. for the sip and shop here.)

We are also introducing our new LURK hand blended, all natural luxury perfume oils from NYC.

Free samples with every jewelry purchase - while they last.

We'll see you on Saturday!

xoxo Beate & Suz

La Linea Bella!

Fantastic Framing & Art

is located at

1718 Allied Street, McIntire Plaza

Charlottesville, VA 22903
(map it)

(434) 244-3050

www.LaLineaBella.com

Elegance in Bridal Show January 2013

Join us on January 19th at the Omni at the Elegance in Bridal Show, where we will showcase some of our inspiration for your future wedding or engagement photo or wedding memento framing.

Stop by our table for special give-aways, deals and an invitation to a
KiraKira Valentine's and bridal jewelry trunk show 
at La Linea Bella ! in February.

Special discount coupons for your admission to the Bridal Expo are available at LLB now.

(Part of our great give-aways:
a full sized bottle each of beautiful Tsi-La and LURK natural perfume oils
(~ $50 value each) as well as a gift certificate for wedding and engagement memento framing.)

We're so excited for you and we hope we inspire some great ways for you to keep your mementos safe and gorgeously presented for years and years to come!

See you on Sunday!

www.LaLineaBella.com

1718 Allied Street, McIntire Plaza

Charlottesville, VA 22903

434.244.3050

KIRAKIRA bridal gifts and jewelry.

Roma LAVO photo and custom frames.

Roma's GIANNI frames.

Ready for the holidays?

Well, it's pretty obvious how Titus feels about the holidays...

We love them too, and we are ready!

The Christmas rush has already started and we'd just like to shoot you a reminder that there are only three weeks after Thanksgiving before folks like little Titus are expecting to find something extra special under their tree. We will be taking special orders for holiday projects through about December 13th, and we will be available to help you with last minute in stock items till as close to the 24th as we are able to.

What are some of our clients' favorite gifts to create with us?

-Shadow boxes

-Framed (and preserved) vintage family photos

-Framed needle points

-Framed children's art

-Diplomas

-Mementos from a trip

-Special or family holiday cards

-Mirrors

and so much more!

Everything we create is made locally in our workshop on the premises.

There is convenient extra parking in the back lot for those of you who cannot find parking on the street.

And we do have some great last minute surprise gifts scattered all over the store, like jewelry and photo frames.

We will be open on Black Friday as well as the Saturday after that.

In fact, Atelier ONE Gallery sets up for our resident Winter artist, pet photographer Kay Taylor, on that weekend. Stop by and see what's new if you are in our neck of the woods! 

See you soon and have a warm and joyous season! 

Beate

KiraKira - WHITLEY Designs - Roma Moulding Photo Frames - Fred Levering Woodworks - Dave Krovetz Wood Turnings - Cartolina Cards - Red Cap  - Maxxi Frames - LaVille Reclaimed Wood Frames - Prisma Moulding - Titus The Teckel and more!

www.LaLineaBella.com

LLB January/February update.

Well, we are finally finished moving in!

The expansion was a success and our new gallery (Atelier ONE) is scheduled to open on 
February 8th from 5 - 7:30 p.m.. 
I hope you will be able to join us! 

My plans to convert the beautiful lightfilled extra space adjacent to our showroom into a working studio/gallery for local artist Stephen Endres changed on New Year's via mutual agreement (great time for new beginnings!), and we both found wonderful new options, mine being the conversion of the space into a gallery for those artists who have been asking me since I opened to show their work. Steve has moved into Firefish Gallery on the Downtown Mall and I wish him the best of luck and success! His work is wonderful, I have worked with him for over 15 years and he left me with a gorgeous set of sketches: I highly recommend him for custom portraits!

Our first artist is Rachel Bush, a talented botanical illustrator who lives in Esmont. She will exhibit her work alongside some wood works by Fred Dodson of Blue River Woodworking.
Fred is actually my neighbor on Allied Street: he's one of those talented McIntire Plaza craftsmen I've been telling everyone about and I'm really excited to be able to share some of his work with you.

Our showroom has a fresh coat of paint and has been brightened immensely by the addition of those large windows in the gallery. We've finally converted the old shower in the corner. As you might know, La Linea Bella! is located inside the old Virginia Tile location and we've inherited all of their beautiful tile work ... along with that model shower, which is now a beautiful nook for favorite-moulding display.

Titus has moved his office (and his countless toys) over into the new sunny section of LLB and is enjoying the gallery as a running track and ball-chasing-field. His favorite place to lounge: the center of the large star I painted on the gallery floor. Go figure.

Our workroom has expanded immensely as well (yay, room for more equipment!) and I have added some art, and Jon and I are so excited to have this new light & energy filled space to work in!
My own studio has moved into the rear of LLB so I may start working on my art again.

I finally got around to designing and building that lovely antiqued jewelry cabinet for our beautiful KiraKira jewelry (Suzanne was quite excited to see it): I am adding more photo frames and have come to realize how much fun it is to work on wedding photos and mementos after I got to work on friends' and clients' new and vintage pieces this year. So I have added a page to my website to help with questions and inspiration.

KiraKira Bridal and Spring Jewelry.

Roma LAVO (available in ready-mades or custom frames.)

I look forward to seeing everyone on February 8th for the opening and celebration of our new space. Rachel has even made arrangements for some classical guitar music for us. This is her first show: she is super talented and we are very excited for her!

Thank you to my wonderful "wing man" Randy (man with angel wings, that is) who helped me with the muscle-work of knocking out walls and moving tables. Without his help... well, I don't know what I'd have done. 

I look forward to an exciting 2013 full of creative projects.

Thank you all for a wonderful 2012!

See you soon!

Beate (and Titus!)

Holiday Framing -- are you ready?

It's here, it's here: the season to decorate your world (and your dog...) with sparkles and glitter and ribbons and bows... and to go out and go shopping for gifts! 

I like to use the motto "one for you... one for me..." myself. I love it!

It's also time to think of special holiday framing. Every year I come up with a ridiculous list of great ideas, half of which I have to save for the next gift giving occasion because I always run out of time.

I guess what I am saying is: The sooner you bring your ideas in, the more time we can spend pondering great designs and frames for them... and the better the selection will be!

 And we all know: Santa does not like to be rushed when it comes to creating really beautiful things. 

If you have a wishlist of special order jewelry items from KiraKira or WHITLEY Designs, it is the perfect time to order those items as well and see them in person or show them off at all of your holiday gatherings! 

Gold Antler & Pearl necklace by KiraKira

So come in soon to see us, look around and let us know how we can help you: we're ready for ya!

Beate & Titus

PS: 

Put on your most festive antlers 
and join us 
every Saturday in December 
for 20% off all in store merchandise
 and treats to sweeten the deal!

Every gift from a friend is a wish for your 

happiness.

~ Richard Bach

Yes, gift-giving (and -receiving!) time is getting near! 



Time to think of those special friends -- and special

orders... like special framing projects, KiraKira and WHITLEY 

jewelry and accessories, photo frames, cards & more! Stop by 

soon or visit us at www.lalineabella.com to start making your 

wishlist and to see what is new. Also: if you need to spruce up 

your home before the fam arrives for Thanksgiving, this is the time!

We're open Tuesday through Friday, 10 - 5 and Saturday 10 - 4 with 

extended hours during the Christmas season.

See you soon!!

Beate & Titus

Art vs. Frame

The old question returns:

Art vs. Frame. 

Obviously they should harmonize. They should gel. Mesh. Love one another. Live as one. Enhance one another and the environment they cohabitate in. They should play with each other, get the viewer's attention.

Whew! That seems like a big task!

Part of that, my dear art-owner, has already been achieved before you even step over the threshold of your favorite framer's gallery.You have chosen a piece of art, adopted it to live in your home for you to look at and love every day from now on!  The other part, well, that's a piece of cake.

You walk in and you're presented with what seems to be an array of endless choices. But really, in the end there are only about three that really are in love (or lust) with your piece of art. (Of course, avoid the "lusty" one, which is flashy and tickles your fancy... but so short lived...). 

All three choices are wonderful candidates for marriage for your carefully chosen piece of art, and this is where you and your framer become a team: together we'll weed out the duds and determine which one of these handsome fellows is worthy of hanging out in your living room (or bathroom, bedroom, hallway, entry, etc.). Big shoes to fill, but we know what's right for us, right?

So see, framing is not that hard!

I posted a very random and half thought out question on Facebook the other day, and it got a really surprising amount of input: mostly from artists and framers. The white choice got votes for being a clean choice, bringing out the art and NOT making it about the framing. The silver, many felt, was more pleasing to the eye and played with the artwork.
(PS: results of this little game will be posted next week... hmmm, wonder which choice made it to the finals?)

It made me realize that that's what we are faced with every day: everyone has a different aesthetic and background. In the end, the only thing matters is that YOU, the owner of this lovely adopted piece of art, LOVES the end result. And helping you with that, that's what I love doing. That's what framing is all about.

Well, I love that.... and then I also love finding some of the wonderful artists who have sent me their creative and wonderful wares to show off at LLB. 

This week in the C-Ville Weekly, look for my ad for WHITLEY Designs. They are an awesome duo from San Fran with ties to Charlottesville and everyone has been "oooh-ing" and "aaah-ing" over and snatching up their new pieces at LLB. 

LOVE the Skye earrings, the chalcedony is an amazing shade of ocean-blue!

Alrighty y'all, enjoy your first days of Fall, which are always so gorgeous. Think of Fall jewels....... Suzanne will be sending more soon and I am in love with some of our new photographs we just got in. Well, you'll just have to stop by and see for yourself.

xoxo 

Beate & Titus

PS: Here's a cute project from last week "for dessert":