Throughout Luke Air Force Base there are beautiful frames lining the walls and gifts from previous bases decorating many offices, each with its own unique symbol or message from prior colleagues.
Luke has the benefit of having its own Arts and Crafts shop that is available to take care of the needs of all squadrons pertaining to going away gifts, awards, custom framing, wood work and engravings.
One department of the Arts and Crafts shop is engraving, which is responsible for engraving all names, logos or personalized messages on gifts or awards. The goal of the engraving shop is to make the customer feel as though they are a part of the process. A customer can sit down, choose the text font, the picture they desire or the size and shape that will be placed on the product. The laser engraving machines are capable of engraving wood, metal, acrylic, plastic and glass.
Elsa Latner, 56th Force Support Squadron engraver, wants her customers to feel their vision is unique and know it will be amazing once it's on her computer screen.
"I love my job," Latner said. "I like the challenge. People bring me their stuff, and I sit them down and take what they see in their mind and show it to them on the computer. That makes them a part of the process. I just love to surprise them when it's done, and they see their vision come to life."
Another area in the Arts and Crafts building is a custom frame shop. This shop provides services for items from command board photo frames to framing posters for personal use. The shop offers a huge selection of frame styles, finishes, mattes, and backings to enhance and bring out the beauty of any item they frame. Prices do vary, but the shop provides custom work that perfectly fits the piece.
Press mounting is also available through the framing section. Press mounting combines heat with suction to pull an item flat with no bubbles or wrinkles, giving the customer an opportunity to preserve their memories. Even items that have been rolled and stored for years, the press mount will flatten like new.
"With custom framing, you are going to get exactly what you want compared to premade frames," said Kimberly Caley, 56th FSS Arts and Crafts operations manager. "When you look at a custom frame in 10 years, you are still going to love it, and that's my goal when customers come in here. I want people to ask when they see it on your wall, "Wow! Where did you get that done?"