TVvoodoo

OK let's try that direct upload function here with this post Hey, it works!

Thanks John! Guess it's about time I updated with some newer fun stuff too... Still at it, continuing to grow my guitar strap brand and general skillset. Fabric and leather combo Simple tooling combined with painted detail In combo with a found item Some creative re-dying Not afraid to try something Sometimes it's all about pattern and texture.

Real nice! love the thick black edge

I received a tool I ordered from @texasleathertools - first impressions (LOL), nice quality... could use a slightly thicker shaft in my opinion. Came with a neato-o hard plastic stamp cover/protector I will not be using. One thing that drove me a bit nuts was the largish square brass billet left as a remaining part of the head after the cnc action. I found it was really blocking my ability to see what I was doing for accurate stamp placement. Few minutes with a grinder solved that. But other than that tool supplier checks out for me.

No I don't maintain a web page. I am using a platform site, Reverb.com - which targets musicians, as well as a bit of advertising outreach via digital programmatic and retargeting. I do spend about a hour a day doing social media too, guitar focused forums just like this one, facebook, reddit etc. I tried branching out into etsy (they own reverb) for the slings recently, but I couldnt' work my way past some of the business registration issues. I do have a fully legit business but for some reason they wouldn't accept my business number... all this stuff is automated these days, and try to get somebody on the phone for customer service? Sheesh! Here's my reverb.com store LINKY_WINKY if anyone is interested in checking it out. I am pretty proud of my near 750 five star delivery/feedbacks. thanks for your kind comments

I was looking back in my profile and saw I posted in the member gallery over seven years ago. I'm still working mainly on guitar straps, leather, fabric, other materials - at the time it was a hobby, now it's pretty much full time. I enjoy being my own boss so to speak, not quite a starving artist, but kinda hungry? I'm done working for the man, in my late 50's but I figure I can still make income for another 20 years or so at this, maybe more if my eyes hold out. Not tooling as much as I'd like as the return on time investment is a bit of a gamble. Maybe if I was better at it. About two years after my first post here I picked up a Consew RB1, and that really helped me level up my game. Anyway, here's some more recent things out of my shop About 30% of my work is full custom, by now I've been at it a long enough time to start to make a bit of a brand, most of it online sales. I've gained some inroads to a few area guitar shops eager to show my work, and they provide the odd custom referral. With the stores, it's a tough game though. To carry my stuff I have to leave good meat on the bone for them and deep discount, but it's still a way to expand my brand and move online platform dead stock that's been sitting too long. I also plan to attend a guitar show in October, which would be my second one of those. The shows are arduous and chaotic, the travel and preparation is a real time suck! This fall I felt it was time to branch into rifle slings. I took a look at my community noting there are about four or five times more hunters than guitarists so this should bump up some local sales, at least I hope. I am ever the optimist. More often or not i come of with a cool new design, flesh it out, make a bunch, then do my thing with writing snappy copy, take great pics and list them, only to have it all fall kind of flat on me. Maddening! I'm also going to rent some local tables in November, see if I can't move some slings maybe a guitar strap or two at local Xmas craft sales, hopefully gain some custom work by showcasing in front of the public. Much more comfortable making and selling guitar straps than gun slings as I've been a steady guitarist since my my early teens, but haven't held a hunting license since about age 16 or so but we shall see. Trying some some out of the box stuff because I feel my brand needs to be a little different - I see so much stuff out there already that seems so very similar between makers. Maybe that's also a mistake?. Won't know until I try! If anyone has any questions, fire away!

Thank you fellas! tooling commission on the table today, grad gift! Grey dye stage this aft, after tooling pretty much the whole morning. Includes a Calgary flaming horse (alternate hockey logo) on the backside of it where the bolt ends. Going to be deep black coming, and some silver metallic on top. Been a while since I tooled anything. You can definitely feel the rust on your chops when you start would be better to tool something at least every week

I made my own template. There are templates for straps? I had no idea!

I'm sorry I forgot to post finished pic

Still doing this, while it's been sometimes a starving artist sort of existence, I so far have not been compelled to leave my shop for other employment. Some newer examples... Pearloid plastic inset To match Gibson custom headstock Another of those "found item" belts incorporated into a strap A little madness is always fun... Regan theme... this skin coloured garment leather was super freaky to work with. Using a stamp creatively Below an original full design of my own... really luxe and elegant Gaining more custom jobs by word of mouth mostly... it's nice to have paying jobs! When no customary are on the bench, I still build every day for a storefront online. This van gogh Starry Night piece was my first painted strap. Crazy thing! "Simple tooled" for texture, dyed for a color base, then painted with acrylic. Having fun, Working hard, always learning and trying new things. Musicians are fun and chill people to work with mostly.

I do! LoL! But yours are much nicer, as mentioned... super clean.

Oh my... @rahere does that means I get to buy more gear? LOL! I was toying with some sort of glitter effect, or paint pens in my brain, but gold foil I did not think of. Definitely stronger.

thank you!

I have a fellow who wants me to make him a guitar strap that has the feel of this image below but in a more blue and green colour scheme. Wondering if anyone more experienced than I might have suggestions on how to approach this concept... with dye/tooling/paint etc It's the fine lines/transparency with texture thing that has me rather baffled. Incidentally this is the last project I completed for him. Fella likes his fancy straps!

Solid ideas and advice, thank you