How to Mount and Mat Photos

I am trying to get prints ready for possible sale at craft/art shows this summer (though I have also read that photos don't sell well at these events).  I ordered a bunch of 5 x7 prints at Costco this weekend. I also did some reading about how to mount and mat my photos. I checked out a few different craft stores but none had the mounting boards described on some of the websites I read.  So I bought a few mats and some foamcore board to see how that would work as a backing instead, since I found a foamcore cutter on sale.  The hardest part is cutting straight! I wonder if using the 45 degree angle instead for cutting would minimize any unevenness?  I started researching a good website for buying affordable mats but am not sure yet which I will use.

I want to try a few photos on mounting board and compare these with the foamcore to see which I like better.  I also liked having a black and white mat. With two copies of each photo, I could easily compare to see which I think suited the photo better. If neither suited the photo well, it made me wonder if the photo was what I didn't like.  Here are the first two I mounted and matted.

Brookline Open Studios

I went to the Brookline Open Studios the first weekend in May. The Boston Camera Club had a studio. (I have been meaning to go to their meetings all year.) One difficult thing is camera clubs mainly meet during the year and then stop in the summer, which is when I would want to go. I met some nice people with common interests. I noticed most had their prints matted and in plastic sleeves. Most used glossy prints.  Almost all mattes were white and the few frames were silver or black. I found myself asking where different pictures were taken. I always wanted to know but usually this wasn't listed anywhere. When they did write the location, it was in pencil on the matte.  I wish my printing looked better, which is yet another thing for me to work on! A possible goal for next year would be to participate in the open studio with the group. But first things first: I need to go to one of their meetings.  I am not sure where to buy nice mattes at a reasonable price. That will also go on the list of things to do.