Working smarter, not harder

Customers often come to me with vague ideas of what they want. 

So when someone came by recently, and gave me a photos like this one,

but with some changes, I knew what had to be done. But I was on a very tight schedule - just a few days to complete this, and with a full teaching schedule and a pile of other work stacking up, I had to prioritize the details. 

He wanted a collage of photos in frames, and some added embellishments. 

The word "Family" had to be in there somewhere, as it was intended for a close knit family. The theme of a family tree was my focus. 

We looked at a lot of examples and options, and finally came up with an idea of an easy-to-hang shadowbox, with a french cleat on the back. Making the outer frame was easy, and I domino'ed the corners for some added strength. 

In light of the time crunch, I found some wonderful wooden frames and utilized those, rather than making my own. Not enough time. 

But the best part was cutting out the artwork with my Glowforge laser. Here it is, as I was experimenting with the layout and spacing. 

 My ingenious method for attaching the frames to the backer board used these - brilliant!

And I matched the color of these (gray) frames by using this toner - so easy and professional of a match! It's available in many different colors, and the Light Walnut matched perfectly.

Here is it, starting to come together, with hours to spare.  

As a little bonus, I added the initials of the couple, as if they were carved into the tree trunk... a fun detail that really capped off this build. 

Having the Glowforge  has opened up amazing doors... I'm working on some very fun  commissions right now, and it's great to be working smarter, not harder.

 I'll take it!