Profile – Sharon Gelfand
Creator of PreserveIt Frames™
As a longtime scrapbooker, amateur photographer and digital imager, Sharon Gelfand knows firsthand the importance of preserving and displaying special scrapbook layouts, especially those with family significance. As a prior owner of a custom framing business, she also knows that photo preservation is only achieved with the proper materials and techniques.
The idea for PreserveIt Frames™ came about as Sharon was faced with the difficulty of framing an embellished scrapbook layout (as a gift for her sister to commemorate the birth of her son). Traditional frames made with a flat piece of glass or plexiglass don’t accommodate the dimensional accents used to decorate scrapbook layouts. Having framed countless pieces of artwork and memorabilia, Sharon knew that a five-sided cube would solve the problem. With this “light bulb” moment, PreserveIt Frames™ was born.
Sharon contacted her supplier of UV plexiglass for help developing the five-sided cube that would house dimensional scrapbook layouts. She then coupled this conservation-grade UV plexiglass with high quality mouldings found in custom frame shops, and acid free and lignin free backing boards and framing mats. The result is a frame with the quality of custom frames that have been designed specially for scrapbook layouts.
In addition to scrapbooking, Sharon has a passion for photography and photo preservation. “I love taking old faded and cracked photos and bringing them back to life. It’s especially meaningful when it’s of a loved one that is no longer around and the family wants a special remembrance. With PreserveIt Frames™, I wanted something that would look great and work wonderfully with scrapbook layouts. I want people to “Think Outside the Scrapbook”™ and tell their stories on the wall –it was essential for me to create a product that would protect photos and layouts so they don’t fade and crack over time.”
During her free time, Sharon enjoys being with her family, either spending time outdoors with them or simply watching a movie with popcorn and of course taking a lot of pictures to create more scrapbook layouts that she can frame and display in her home. |
