Three years ago they fell in love with a new hobby: picture frame making.
The hobby turned into a small business called Broken Twig Industries they now run from their home.
The material the operation uses to construct a frame is not something one would expect. The frames are made out of hockey sticks.
For this family it is the perfect fit.
Hockey has been a part of their lives for around 15 years.
Noah said he has been skating since he was two.
“Ever since I could walk I could skate.”
Rob added, “The sticks tell the story.”
Making frames is another way for them to spend time together, he said.
“It’s a hobby for the two of us.”
Noah said the idea came from a frame his uncle once constructed for his grandfather.
“We took it from there and made it better.”
Rob said they have continued to develop new products, including a trophy rack and medal hanger.
“We’re working on an interchangeable frame.”
A lot of people have been asking us about an interchangeable frame. The new frame will sit on a puck with a notch on it, he said.
It takes about an hour to make each frame. They first get a client’s favorite player’s picture, certificate of authentication included, and frame it in their shop.
If your favourite player is a child or family member they can custom frame it, he said.
The pair takes pride in all of their frames, but there are some sentimental ones.
“Those (orders) are the ones that mean the most to us.”
One of the most memorable came early in the life of the business when a man whose father was a big hockey fan passed away. He came to them with the father’s old hockey sticks and had frames containing a picture of his father made for his aunts and uncles.
Rob said the busiest time of year for them is around Christmas and autumn when they go to local craft fairs.
They have thought about branching out to other craft fairs, but don’t want things to grow so big that it is no longer an enjoyable hobby.
They are happy with the setup they currently have.
“We’re not in it for the money.”
Rebecca Moase is a journalism student at Holland College interning at the Journal Pioneer.
