HIGH POINT ENTERPRISE

Crafter wraps photographs of life’s magical moments in personalized...
Feel Good Frames

BY ERICA KINNAIRD
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
BURLINGTON, North Carolina

Shelley Roupas has always had a cer­tain comfy, cozy “feel-good” attitude for all things art.
So it’s not surprising that she started her feel-good business – Feel Good Frames – five years ago out of her home studio.
But art was never an intentional career path. Actu­ally, Roupas, a native of Greensboro, had a career in broadcasting before she began her artistic venture.

“I loved it,” Roupas says.In a way, her former job inspired her new career, though.

“I have done so many stories about women who cre­ated their own paths,” Roupas says. “I wanted some­thing so I could manage my time better. I’ve always been ‘artsy,’ and my husband and I jointly decided that I would stay home with the kids.”

After making that decision, Roupas began exploring creative outlets. “I started making frames,” she says, adding she even sawed the wood to put the frames together. “My husband would come home and find me sawing frames. ... My sister and I were always nuts about photos.”

One thing turned into another, and soon, she added entrepre­neur to her resume. That meant she didn’t have as much time to saw and construct the frames herself – after all, her products are sold in 140 stores. “Now,we have manufacturers that make the frames,” Roupas says.

But she does hand-paint each frame in sky-blue, light pink, a sub­tle apple-green, silver and chocolate – a few of her favorite hues. Roupas sticks with a pallet of 12 to 15 colors, but if someone has a special request, she tries to accommodate. And she covers the frames with designs such as stripes, dots and diamonds – adding special personalization, names and phrases, such as “We Love Nana,” “We Love Mom” and even places and dates.

She offers the same treatments to ornaments and bulletin boards as well. The bulletin boards are a fairly new addition, she says, adding there was a need for a different home accessory that could accommodate kids’ artwork, schedules and special projects. Roupas can also add personalized messages to an order.

Case in point? Roupas has a customer in Florida who request­ed she include a name and “Come on Down!” The lady had been a contestant on “The Price is Right,” and she wanted something special to give to give as a gift. She also gets many requests for reunions and weddings – because they’re a great way to remember the day.

So what is it that attracts people to these keepsakes? The frames are unique, and they have struck a chord with people who are looking for just the right item.“They are really popular as gifts,” Roupas says. “They’re wonderful for a beach house. ... I try to work with the subtle, ‘boutiquey’ colors that are soft. They have a coastal cottage feel.”“I get inspired when I go to the beach,” Roupas says, adding that ideas also come to her while shopping. That soft, beach look appeals to a wide range of customers who are looking for comforting accessories to make their house feel more like home – not a “super-for­mal look,” she says.

While Roupas has hopes of expanding her lines, she in­tends on keeping it an at-home business – for her kids’ sake. “I don’t try to hide anything,” Roupas says, explaining sometimes customers hear her children in the background while she’s on the phone. “I found many of my vendors are mom-friendly businesses. (The vendors) sometimes bring their kids to work.” Roupas hopes her products will become the “in” item.

“There’s always a gift-giver who knows just the right gift,” Roupas says. “Feel Good Frames can be that gift.


Feel Good Frames offers frames in three sizes, as well as ornaments and bulletin boards. Frames and ornaments cost be­tween $23 and $49, and bulletin boards are $160.
Shelley Roupas will donate 10 percent of proceeds from ornaments to the leukemia and lymphoma society.
Her products are avail­able at official initial in Greensboro and sassafras Paper in Winston-salem.