The Story Behind Our Calendar Frames!

For years, people have asked if we sell frames for our Dolphin Studio Calendars, where we recommend buying one, and how nice it would be if we offered frames for sale. The truth is, good frames are surprisingly hard to find, especially ones that fit our unique 12" x 24" calendar size. John and Primm chose that size over 55 years ago, and we're not going to change it to fit a frame, rather we will just build the frame ourselves.

Well, today is your lucky day (or at least the lucky day for a small number of you)... because we're finally selling frames! But these aren't just any frames we found online and decided to resell. These are custom handmade frames by someone we know and trust: Matt.

So, who is Matt?

Matt is the younger brother of Kerry, our only non-family employee. Kerry has been with us for nearly eight years and is an incredible printer, artist, and friend.

Like Kerry, Matt grew up in the Berkshires before attending Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Crispina's Alma Mater too!), where he studied sculpture. He's always been someone who would rather learn how to make something himself than buy it from someone, which made him the perfect person to tackle a frame project for us.

Matt has lived a pretty adventurous, nontraditional life. After college in Boston, he moved to California, where he built a tiny home, worked on the Pacific Crest Trail maintaining hiking trails, and built custom furniture. Later, he moved to St. Thomas, met his wife, helped renovate homes and worked alongside his wife at an animal rescue. Last November, they made the big move to Bend, Oregon with their young son, Arlo, to be closer to family and begin a new chapter.

In Oregon they are raising their family and Matt is working at a pretty cool non-profit wildlife hospital called Think Wild and getting adjusted to his new life in Bend. 

We've been tossing around the idea of getting into the frame business for quite some time. After hearing so many requests from all of you, we were thrilled when Matt happened to be looking for a new project. Together, we set out to create what we think is the perfect frame for our calendars.

What makes this frame special?

We designed it specifically for our calendars.

The frame holds the entire calendar, not just the current month so everything stays together, protected, and organized throughout the year. As each month passes, you simply reveal the next image.

Loading the calendar couldn't be easier. The entire calendar slides smoothly into the back of the frame.  Because of Matt's clever design, there are no tiny metal tabs or clips to fuss with. The frame itself securely holds everything in place while still making it simple to change calendars each year.

Available for Pre-Order

We're starting with a small production run to gauge interest and to match the number of frames Matt can realistically make while balancing his other projects and family life.

Dolphin Studio Calendar frames are available for pre-order while supplies last with the first batch expected to ship in September.

We're so excited to finally offer something so many of you have been asking for, and even more excited that they're being made by someone whose craftsmanship, creativity, and story fit so perfectly with ours.