DoubleC's Blog

I have no idea what chat incident you're talking about. If you're making leather crafts for sale, the only thing matters is if the customer likes it. If you think it has to be perfect before you can sell it, then you'll never sell anything. I've sold stuff to people who said my work was really good, and all I could see was where I'd messed up a decorative cut or gotten sloppy with the coloring. But they paid me, and that's what counts.

What you need to figure out is, THEY (the customer) don't know where you messed up. Now am I saying you should put out junk? No. If you get the video from Springfield Leather about making wallets, Kevin says something on it that makes a lot of sense: it just has to be good enough.

I've seen a lot of incredible pieces here on the forum, stuff I could never do in a million years. Some of it is so nice it looks like a machine did it. And that's the bad part too. We're making HAND crafted items, not machine made. Sure we may use machines to help (maybe a sewing machine or a clicker press), but the end result is a one of a kind piece, no matter how many wallets of the same pattern you make.

And one of the interesting aspects of this craft is "camouflauging" your mistakes. One time I was making a luggage tag that had oak leaf stamps. I was doing the stamp on the left and stamp bounced when I hit it and I got a double image. After I said a few bad words and had all but decided to scrap it, I figured I'd go ahead and stamp the leaf on the right side. But this time I intentionally moved the stamp to replicate the mistake on the other side. It ended up looking like one leaf was laying on top of another, and the customer loved it.

I just subscribed to the Leathercraft Library from Tandy (yeah, I know; Tandy is an evil word here to some people on the forum). I've watched a couple of hours of George Hurst (an Al Stohlman award winner) showing how to do everything from custom basket weave to basic carving. And you know what? He's not perfect. His swivel knife veers from the pattern; he misses the basket weave stamp occasionally; he gets a drop of color on a spot it shouldn't be. It's interesting to watch and say to yourself "Say, I've made that same mistake".

So quit beating yourself up over what some idiots say on this forum. I've found that there are a LOT of snobs here (mention Tandy in a post and they'll come out of the woodwork). If you're not a member of a local guild, join one if you can. The guilds WANT to help people with leatherwork (some of the folks here seem to want to go back to the time where you never passed the craft on to other people). If you can't, then the $25 for the Leathercraft Library is a great investment.

Now, go have a Merry Christmas!

Glen

Thanks so much Glen. I will take all your advice to heart. And quit worrying about perfection, but rather on improving with each project.

C, you can't quit and you know it. Quitting does nothing but allow other people to have some modicum of control over you. You have worked WAY too hard, endured far too many meetings, and have seen too much actual interest in your work to give up because a couple of people couldn't find it in their hearts to be nice when they thought you weren't looking. Besides, you have a shiny new camera that I expect will be the tool that documents your triumphant success!

Now, lets get over this hurdle and back to leather work!

At some point we all feel this way. You have to remember that many on have years and years of experience. Regardless of what was said, I guarantee you they have made their share of mistakes, that is how you learn. I started at 13 with my grandpa and am now 48 and still feel like my work is not to par with some on here but you know what...I sell the stuff and do well and receive great compliments. Don't give up...keep trying and before you know it you will be on your way.....

Hey yall ,,, before I found this website I never knew there was anything but Tandy Leather. It has served me well in my years of leather work. But now that I know of other options I try them as well. There are some great tolls and things that can be had and I have some of all of them. C ,, you have to improve on each attempt you make at doing a project. Quiting is not an option.... FORGET IT

I was at an apple festival in Nov. They had alot of crafters there. I came up on this one and only leathercrafter there. Now his or her tooling was taking a knife and cutting a design in the leather. I have done stamp work and it would have looked better in my eyes than just cutting. Well let me tell you, it was one of the most busiest stands there. There is a real need for hand made items to sell. I have a problem with my life being to busy on a horse farm with new barn building. I have 2 rolls of leather, 2 sewing machines and some tools. I will do leather again because it is good for my sole. Maybe do something simple. It will still look great. I am hoping for this winter to put something together and post a picture. If you like doing it stay with it and if not then find a new niche. I look at it this way. At least you are trying. Judi

I can't believe the crap I turn out sometimes and the people I make it for want to pay me big $$! It doesn't make sense. But I am so encouraged when I see there faces. We are our own worst enemies. Keep going and remember the look on that persons face when they recieve a handcrafted piece of work. It is original just like each and every one of our souls. Sela

Hey i am new here and just sumblded on to your post. I know you haven't quit because I have seen you in the chat room. Your post sounds like you were really depressed at that time. I hope things are much better now. If not you may need some help with your depression. Remember you are the only one that really counts.

Discount those that can only berate you if they are on the computer or telephone and not seeing you face to face.Keep trying and doing and most of all please yourself first.

I just came on board so i know little to nothing about leather work ( YET). But i make custon knives and felt the same way you did when i first started. I felt that what i was doing was more crap than craft. But then i went to craft shows and other places where knife makers linger and guess what Those that were selling for many - MANY times what i had sold mine for were no better than what i had been doing... Hand fitting isnt as precise as somehting machine / computer cut & never will be because our eyes and hands just are not that steady.. Just dont let you become your own worse critic when it comes to anything you hand crafted.

The artist is always harder on his or herself because we know what we were trying to achieve and didn't do it exactly the way we expected. Others who see our work wonder how the heck we did what we did because they can't do it. Many mistakes are made and people don't even see them. We spot them because we are the artists and have a keener, more critical eye.

I just want to encourage you to keep going. I have not done any leather carving for over 12 years. I am just getting back into it and find that all I knew about dying and coloring leather has changed. I am used to spirit dyes and now it is all water based dyes. I have ruined several really nice carvings just in the last few days because the waterbased stuff just doesn't work like the olders stuff. I have reinvested about $250.00 in new leather supplies and am quite discouraged but I am not going to quit.

Stick with it!

Just to throw in my two pennies.

Years ago I went to work in Manhattan as a photographer. I was new to the trade and had really never learned how to take people critiquing my work. The first few times I showed my portfolio to people I walked away feeling awful. It wasn't that someone had called me a name or had been overtly rude to me, what the had done was be brutally honest as a third party/objective viewer. Over time I came to realize that ultimately that third part is my customer, not myself. I could take a photo that I absolutely loved, yet did nothing for anyone but me; however in order to grow I had to take these "beatings".

Over time I came to understand that the more people were honest with me, the more it helped me in the long run. It got to a point where I would show my work to people and if they had nothing but good things to say about it, I felt as if they weren't really devoting their attention to it. I came to relish in what people perceive as "negative" because it was opening my eyes to what I was unable to see before.

Because I sought out people who were very honest and told me without hesitation what I could do to improve, I did improve - at a very quick rate at that.

I hope this helps. Take it on the chin and keep your swivel knife moving - allow what you see as negativity help shape you to become better at your craft.

-Seth

Dont give up, I am new to this craft, but the one thing I have noticed is that I really enjoy working on leather, but when I am finished my peice I pick it apart, but I figure each and every peice a person does drives us to improve. And as a result I think each time we work on a peice we get better, because we learn from our mistakes. Keep it up!

don't give up, if you need any help, just ask and i will be glad to help with anything i can. when i look back at some things i have done,,oh lord they were bad, but just keep working at it and experiment, it should bring you enjoyment,,keep trying and learn from any mistakes...believe me , you will get better.. patience , and keep trying...i have so many unfinished projects because i keep trying to improve what i make...if you love the craft , it will come, learn all you can and experiment whenever you can , try different techniques on scrap leather... if someone recomends something, try it before you apply it...

Yeah, I have to echoe everything that was said. I have been there myself...I started when I was around 19. Living in Puerto Rico at the time, I set up a table near the Junior High school, on a busy street lined with other street vendors. When the kids got out for lunch,they' come to me for wrist bands, chokers, and other stuff I could pound out while they waited. I have hauled my tools wherever I go, and now at 58, and living in California for nearly 30 years, I started pound on the leather again...this time, it's guitar straps. I screwed up the first few. I told myself, "man, this is getting expensive, and all I'm doing is scrapping material left and right..." . Anoter trip to the Tandy store, and a couple of hundred dollars later, it's all coming back to me...My 2 passions...shredding on guitar, and pounding on the leather from the days of my youth....Please, never call it quits...Do what makes you happy, and what makes you who you are....this stuff doesn't happen by accident....

You are your own worst critic. We have all made mistakes or goofs. The main thing is that you learn from your mistakes and practice, practice, practice! Keep your chin up and don't QUIT.

Just happened upon this post and I also have to agree with the folks that have told you to hang on and not be so critical.

I could invite you to take a look at some of my work and this would certainly make you a happy camper again.

At my age and this time in my life, anyone can tell me whatever they please. They can like it, or not, smile, or cry,(which some of my pieces may make folks do.), or just walk away and forget I exist. Everyone is important to me but I may not be to them. No matter, I will go on and do what I do, intentionally harm nobody, human or?, and smile and have the most fun and experience the greatest pleasure of all, the Blessing of being alive and able to share myself with the world as I know it.

Everything you do has to surpass the extreme critic, yourself, and others should be able to accept you as you are. I do, and I think you and your work are GREAT. Keep at it and enjoy everything that you can, while you can, as the old cliche goes, "life is too short". Something I enjoy goes like this, A smile is contagious, Lets start and epidemic.

You are in the right place, doing the right thing, and surrounded by folks you will probably never meet, but, they all care about you.

God Bless and never give up.

Ray

Leather working and Leather projects, is like taking your first step you tend to stumble and fall but its all part of the learning curve. This is the only place that I have found that have people who like or love to work with leather, Since my dad can't help me with leather because of his eye sight this is the best place to get good ideas and help. I only knew about Tandy leather factory for getting my leather, but since i have been in the site I have found more places to get my leather from.

thanks for excepting someone like me, a beginner, who just started working with leather just a few years ago.