What's a good thing to dust Icons with?

[Orthodox Andrew]

 

[Photini]

I usually sprinkle a little holy water on a paper towel. Then I put the paper towel in my little "stuff to burn" jar.

 

[Oblio]

A lot depends on the finish, and you should always test a small area with a lint free soft white cotton cloth (in a pinch a cotton swab or ball will do) to make sure it does not remove the finish. We use a mixture of rosewater and isopropyl alcohol, nice scent and mildly antiseptic/cleansing (especially if there is lipstick on it ).

 

[Orthodox Andrew]

Thanks guys.

 

[Matrona]

Be careful with icons and water. Even holy water can still warp or stain the icon if you don't dry it off right away.

When I got my icons blessed, I didn't get to dry off some of them right away, and I about flipped out later when I realized there were huge stains all over those icons! Fortunately they dried out and the damage either wasn't permanent or isn't very noticeable anymore, but I could have saved myself a lot of worry if I had just dried them off like I was supposed to.

 

[Photini]

...usually I dab the towel in the water so that it's barely wet at all.
I really like what Chris said. Where do I get rosewater?

Some of my Icons have silver and/or gold rizzas on them.
Several of them are actually in picture frames with glass. I was sent several unmounted paper Icons from the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville. I bought frames for them, I'm going to take them to my priest tomorrow evening to have them blessed.

 

[Oblio]

Where do I get rosewater?

Most Middle Eastern (Greek deli is where I get mine) delis/stores will have it.

 

[Matrona]

What's the best way to frame an odd-size picture? I have an icon photograph that is somewhere between a 5x7 and an 8x10. I tried to get it custom framed and I tried to just get it matted to put it in a normal 8x10 frame, and both options were just INSANELY expensive.

 

[nicodemus]

Rosewater is the "traditional" icon cleaning agent. You can get it from any Middle Eastern, Greek or Indian grocery.

 

[nicodemus]

What's the best way to frame an odd-size picture? I have an icon photograph that is somewhere between a 5x7 and an 8x10. I tried to get it custom framed and I tried to just get it matted to put it in a normal 8x10 frame, and both options were just INSANELY expensive.

Do they have the craft store Michael's in SC Matrona? Michael's has the best deals on custom framing I've ever seen. In the Sunday paper, they usually have a 50% off coupon too which makes it even more affordable. I couldn't afford custom framing anywhere else but there.

 

[Matrona]

Do they have the craft store Michael's in SC Matrona? Michael's has the best deals on custom framing I've ever seen. In the Sunday paper, they usually have a 50% off coupon too which makes it even more affordable. I couldn't afford custom framing anywhere else but there.

We do have Michael's, and I even took my icon there to get an estimate. Even with a 50% discount, the estimate they gave me was insane--$37! Does it really cost THAT much to custom frame a picture this small?! It's not that much bigger than a 5x7. I don't remember what the estimate was for just matting it, but it wasn't a whole lot better.

Holy Nativity Convent just sent me a mounted icon of my patron saint, but I am giving it to my church. They have icons of almost everyone's patron saint except for mine, since her icon is so rare.

 

[nicodemus]

Does it really cost THAT much to custom frame a picture this small?! It's not that much bigger than a 5x7.

Strangely enough, really small stuff can be expensive due to the preciseness needed. It is bizarre. Maybe you could get them to cut a mat for you and you could it in an 8x6 frame or an 8x10. It might look a bit "lost" in an 8x10, but that would probably be your most affordable option.