yes, so true - I wish I could afford expensive frames for my work, I know how much better it would look when expertly framed. Some artists make their own, but I do not have the space for a frame shop. In Canada I used to work part time for a gallery, and back then I had a deal: frames in exchange for artwork. But these works were sold long time ago, and even so, would have been hard to ship to Austria (I shipped my work without frames, and if canvas, rolled up).
I was making frames also just a couple of years back, but stopped because I could purchase finished frames and onsell them for a decent markup and save myself the time. Time which could be better spent painting.
it would depend if the frame was a work of art also, such as the ones Bruno Altmayer makes for his work. Or Dominique Desorges. They are an integral part of the artwork itself. I like the frames Reinhard Schmid makes for some of his work, sometimes out of found materials.
In Canada, I knew an artist who would paint on old doors salvaged from trashed antique furniture and house doors, but forgot her name.
I have a couple of buddies who are doing a roaring trade with their artwork painted on old things that they find on the Berlin flea markets. It can be a great starting point.