My workbench isn't fancy and I feel for the most part a complete beginner so I don't have a wall of tools in front of me. Instead I have a southern facing window that looks out over a suburban horizon. The juniper, trumpet vine, honeysuckle and desert jasmine bushes frame the scene. I envy you basement shop carvers and toolers. Lately I have been considering boarding up that window because on days like yesterday I get nothing done. The sky was punctuated with pregnant rain clouds. The sun highli
I have decided to get off my backside and get busy doing leather. I found a picture I'm going to do, it was on the floor in a stack of other things. This will be my first major project in a while, and I think it will be interesting. It's a still life with pumpkins, apples, and other fruit, all sitting on a rustic table. I don't think I'm going to hurry on this one and if it turns out nice, I might dye it.While I was in the mood to do leather work I hunted around for some scrap leather and fo
Just a quick note to let you know that PSLAC (Puget Sound Leather Artisans Co-op) and the DLG (Desert Leathercrafters Group) information can be found at: http://pslac.org
Bob Stelmack
Editor, RawHide Gazette
www.pslac.org
Cow Camp Saddlery has the chap patterns ready for sale. They are Shot Gun chaps and Chinks. avalible at www.cowcampsaddlery.webs.com
Chinks
Shot Guns
Mark
Sitting at my computer reading postings in Face Book and Leatherworker.net, I thought back on all the leather projects I didn't do in January. I had great plans for whipping out several pictures, maybe a business card case or two and even clean my work bench. So much for all of my plans. Since the beginning of December when I finished the last of a series of coasters, and taught a class to my local 4H, I haven't done a thing. With February coming up tomorrow I think I'll get my pounding ston
We have a new DVD out on how to make chinks. They are 2 1/2 hours long and come with patterns. The patterns are full sized. We are also selling patterns for the Chinks and Shot Guns.
We are working on some other patterns too. The DVDs can be seen at www.cowcampsaddlery.webs.com
Thanks for looking.
Mark
It has been one week since the surgery on my rotator cuff. It has been a hard week. shoulder feels like I was kicked by a mule literly.I was sick for a week and still feel nauesa at times. the anesthesia was the culpurit. It will make you feel sick for a couple weeks as it matabolizes out of your body. I hope I can get back to leather work soon and i think i will be able to to it. I have people that have put in orders so I do need to get it back asap. Thanks for all the support I have gotten fr
We figured a way for you leatherworkers to get your site rankings up and draw in extra business. Glance up at your toolbar- see that button that says "Directory"? LW is proud to use its power to help our members get found by customers and make sales. This is going to a huge deal in the future, so get in there and create an account. You want business? We have a way for all the shoppers who come here to browse your sites and pick the right leatherworker for their job. Any registered member o
Today is the first day that I've felt good in two weeks. I blame part of that on the weather as we've had high winds most of that time; but I can't blame all of it there. Some of the blame goes to a back back problem that has bothered me for over 20 years. I have my good days, and I have my bad and when I have my good days I get a lot of leather worked on. So what am I doing? I'm sitting in my cluttered office typing remarks into my blog. Later, when my wife gets home from work I'll get her
When I walk into my studio... Ahahahahahahahaha! I love calling the spare bedroom where I keep my leather supplies and do most of my work my studio. Makes me laugh, the pretension of it! Moving on, the first thing I see when I step into the man cave is the book shelf with all the books on saddle making and leather working. Then there is my roll away tool box that I have all my leather tools and and some of the supplies. Scattered amongst all that is this project and that bits for that project. A
I survived my first meeting last night teaching a small group of kids the art of leather crafting. Four had signed on, but only three showed up, the fourth one being the star player on her team that played last night. Two of the kids have high hopes of learning all they can about leather and last night was their introduction into the leather world. One boy wants to eventually make a gun case for his father and the other boy wants to learn everything so he can make a fur coat out of fox skin.
It isn't often enough for me that we get rain around here. I am not looking for Seattle constant drizzle mind you. No, what I want is a break from the ever relentless clear skies. Boring sameness day after day and in the summer it is a real oven. So with all this lovely inclement weather I thought is would be nice to sit on the patio and listen to the rain drum away on the tin roof. Just a zen moment, me stitching up the latest project as I enjoy something different. Small problem when I got hom
After a couple years of discussing, planning, evaluating software, and development (not to mention working around day jobs and families), the Leatherworker Directory is finally a reality! It's a new section of our site designed to help leatherworkers take advantage of the many leather goods consumers that already visit our site every month, and get found by people looking for what they offer.All registered members of leatherworker.net can create a basic listing for free, with the option to upgr
Kate and I figured out a plan, and we've been crossing things off our lists every day. So far, so good. Many folks have been pleased with the improvements we've made to the site and have written to tell me. It's nice to know that we are meeting the needs of the community. We try very hard to make things easy and fun, and not bother you folks too much with tech stuff. But now a chance has come along for you to attract shoppers.Yep, Kate built a Link Manager, which allows all registered membe
I should check my calendar more often, because I found out that the appointment for next weekend to sell some items on consignment is today. I quickly gathered up a few small things that I had laying around the house and got ready to go down to my local Heritage Center to meet with the director. Turns out that I had to wait for about 20 minutes due to a board meeting that everyone was involved in. The director finally met me and she already knew about my work ahead of time. We talked for a b
Last night I survived another general meeting of my local 4H group. Next week I will start my first class teaching leather crafting to them and if it works out, I'll continue with it. It should be a lot of fun, but right now we are having trouble getting books for them, but I'll use an older version as a guide and will start them off with a boring session of what they need to do and a little of the history of leather.I have four kids signed up, ranging in age from 10 to 16. From what I unders
This site just keeps getting better and better. now I can blog. This will be one of my very few places to keep my sanity once I have my operation 20th of Jan. Hope to blog some more This was just a test of the emergency broadcast system, if this had been an actual emgency you would have been instructed on how to keep me from going insane lol. will be back later , Gary
Isn't this nice, personal Blogs on LW! Got to love LW. Johanna, and Kate rock, even if getting out of bed is a little slower nowadays...lol.
It's lonely out here in the backroads of NC, but I'm managing to keep busy in the shop, everyday. Songbird is playing some blues on the linux box. The dogs are in and out, as usual. The back bench has some molded cases and sheaths drying. The to-do bench has some chap repairs, zippo cases to finish, a couple of belts, and some of toolbags to start making
I call my self a hobbiest when it comes to leather crafting. I started out by making everything that Tandy put out until I ran out of friends and family to give hand made items to. A job took me away from leather for a few years, but when I retired I wanted to get back into it again, which I did. I switched from making belts (which I found out that I hate to make) and billfolds, to pictorials. I've interred many items into the IFoLG shows and won several ribbons, which helps my ego a little.
Just testing out the new blogging system...Thanks everyone for their patience today. The board threw a few errors now and then when I tried not to break it. I don't see anything wrong- let me know if you do. You can start your own blog by clicking your name, top right, choose "my settings" and look for the blog tab. It's easy. You can always edit your blog as you like. You can link your blog to an external blog, if you want. More directions coming soon- still working on the clean-up. Wha