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materials and a computerized mat cutter," which, in the industry, is a big deal because it allows for cutting shapes not possible with a standard mat cutter. "I thought, if I really want to open my own business, now is a good time."

Williams put friends and family to work, transforming her newly leased, raw retail space entirely on her own. Off the Wall's doors opened on Jan. 10, 2020, unaware it was also the eve of a world-shaking pandemic. “I had been building this shop in my head, on paper, and eventually in reality for too long to give up easily. Personally and business-wise, I shifted my focus from a year of amazing growth to a year of steady survival.” Choosing custom framing over buying a simple, ready-made frame is best when you have something in a non-standard size or precious memorabilia. You also benefit from professional design skills and specialized preservation materials. "When a customer walks in with their art, it is a process to design the frame around the art. How to put in front of them something that makes the light bulb go on or delicately talk them out of something that may not look the best. It all takes practice. Designing takes practice." And Williams has had years of practice. She has framed a lab coat, a fisherman's hat and lures, medals, books, sports jerseys, a railroad spike, plates, antique eyeglasses, boy scout patches, the back of a stadium seat and countless pieces of more traditional two-dimensional art. Once a customer brought in her Bible and together they flipped through the pages to find all the four-leaf clovers so Williams could frame them. "Figuring out how to mount 3-dimensional items in a way that's non-harming to the item, but also invisible, is challenging." She recently used magnets to frame a family's old flour and cornmeal sacks from an ancestral farm. Her husband, Ken, helped engineer wooden slats to help square off and secure the framing of two oversized stained-glass pieces. "There is a special relationship between a framer and customer. You are introduced to be part of their lives. You learn about their taste, what they like, what's important to them. After all these years, to visualize what it will look like, then to see it all come together and having a complete product to hand to a customer, is still so fun." If you want to belly up to her counter (she even has barstools) to discuss mat shapes and your once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Almafi coast to commemorate a milestone wedding anniversary, Williams will happily toast your treasured times and relish the buzz of helping you celebrate, save and show off the memory forever. Cocktails optional.

Nancy S. Moseley is a freelance writer in Blacksburg. She finds being a writer also strikingly similar to being a bartender, in getting to hear people's passions and pains. She is considering making cocktails required.

Off the Wall 3225 #16 North Franklin Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 (across from Corning) www.offthewallframegallery.com www.facebook.com/offthewallframegallery Instagram: @offthewallframegallery 23 48 40 19 44 41 4 5 25 29 41 8 27 43 33 27 19 25 15 31 35 43 33 33 2 43 43 3 6 25 23 15 41 37 31 33 36 41 29 45 45 18 27 19 25 37 47 23 31 39 36 A1 Heating & Cooling Albimino & Stenger Allure Spa Blacksburg Arts Bonomo's Brickhouse Pizza Brown Insurance Celco FCU Citizens Coldwell Banker Collision Plus Corner Market DeHart Tile Dogtown Roadhouse Dwight Atkinson Energy Check Eyes on Main Floyd Center for the Arts Freedom First Mortgage GearHead Junction Giles County Joba Designs Kelly Griffin Kesler Contracting Long & Foster Realty Macado's Matrix Gallery Moss Arts Center Nest Realty New Mountain Mercantile New River Art & Fiber NextHome NRV NRVIP Law Orange Bandana Original Frameworks P. Buckley Moss Paint 'n Fun Ceramics Pearis Mercantile Progress Street Builders Radford Coffee Co. Radford Welcome Center Shaheen Firm Shelter Alternatives, Inc. Skyline National Bank Slaughters Supermarket Sugar Magnolia The Mitchell Law Firm VDDHH.org Village Bookkeeper Weigh Station Wine & Design