Artwork: Half frames

I picked this illustration up a couple of years ago in Smith Falls.
To get it out of the way, I just hung it as-is in its scratched green frame.

I sort of forgot about it until this last couple of weeks.
Re-discovered, I decided to do something with it.

I picked up a few strips of balsa wood a few inches longer than my illustration is wide.

I used some gel stain that I had laying around.
Balsa really sucks it up, making it the easiest staining job I have ever done.

Once dry, I flipped the balsa strips over and stapled them onto the illustration, top and bottom.

Then I glued the another strip on top of the stapled one. This way, if any of the staples make their way through the wood, it doesn`t show.

I did the same to the top, except this time I also added rope to use for hanging before I glued on the top strip.

When paper items are old, it is rare to find them in perfect condition. Sure you can still see the water stain, but it give it a bit of character. Here you can see it in a vignette with a few other items that desperately need refurbishment. Oh, so many projects...

I should mention that I also made a half frame for my map of Canada... I will be posting that one soon too.