After a long career in the corporate world and academia, Stephen and Karen Ball thought that a move to Bluffton would be a great place to retire and enjoy a relaxing life. Stephen, never one to just sit around though, thought that a small, relaxing business would be a great way to transition to retirement. After seven years of owning The Great Frame Up, he has made the store a great success both from a business and personal standpoint, and he is as busy as ever.

Stephen has an extensive background in sales and marketing. After his MBA Stephen studied customer experience in a Doctoral Program.

While she leaves the running of their business mostly to Stephen, Karen hasn’t spent her days relaxing on the front porch. With a doctorate in Piano Performance, Karen held the position of Professor of Music at Olivet Nazarene University, where she taught. Today she plays piano and/or organ at Low Country Presbyterian and the Mary Green Choral, and the Sun City Theatre. She also sings with the Hilton Head Symphony chorus.

At The Great Frame Up, Stephen is proud to have built a team dedicated to helping customers frame and display their art and treasured possessions in a way that will not only highlight their beauty and enhance the home but also preserve them for generations to come. Original artwork, family photos, diplomas and certificates, military medals, and needlework are just a few of the things framed expertly every day.

Stephen prides himself on building up his employees and helping them reach their full potential. To that end, he and his employees recently traveled to the annual trade show in Las Vegas, where they all took classes to learn about the newest and best techniques and products. They were all excited to bring their knowledge back to Bluffton. In addition to his wonderful staff, he also has one of the top experts in the framing world on call to answer any questions and help him through unusual challenges.

If custom framing were the only offering, it would be an incredible business. But that’s only half of it! The Great Frame Up also offers top-of-the-line scanning and printing services. Their Cruse scanner produces high-fidelity scans of artwork, canvas, paper, documents, and photos that capture every detail of the originals. From the scan, color correction and enhancement are done, sometimes using AI software. Printing on photo paper, canvas, or art paper creates artwork that, in many cases, is difficult to tell from the original.

Every year, Stephen and his crew work to scan and print thousands of pieces of artwork for artists throughout the Lowcountry region for sale in galleries, their personal websites, and at art shows. In addition, he has built a relationship with dozens of artists whose artwork is available to be printed on demand at custom sizes at www.artandgiclee.net.

Support for the arts community does not end there. Every year, Stephen and The Great Frame Up lend support and sponsorship to various organizations and events such as The Hilton Symphony and International Piano Competition. This year, they are pleased to support the Hilton Head Choral Societies' 50th Anniversary featuring the Vienna Boys Choir. Stephen and Karen both consider it a privilege and a thrill to be able to support and encourage the arts in our community.

Stephen and his employees would be happy to work with you on your next framing, scanning, or printing project, or just give you a tour and chat. You can find them on Facebook or at www.bluffton.thegreatframeup.com, or give them a call at (843) 815-4661.