awnova

I just realized I never posted a pic of the finished piece! I turned it into a notebook cover for work (I get paid to attend meetings apparently) and have been using it since December. It is holding up well and it gives me something to focus my creative attention on when it diverges from the meeting at hand

I considered it, but once I got going decided not to. I might revise this pattern with what I learned and try it the way you suggest though. Just to see. Thank you for your thoughts!

Thank you Gary, I can't even tell you how much difference having a new Barry King swivel knife makes in my work!

Thanks YinTx, me too!

Lol, no, I guess not. Always looking to stretch myself and still looking for a style that really suits/appeals to me.

I took a 2 day carving class put on by Doug Krause in late October. I designed this 8.5x11 panel to challenge my designing, knifing and tooling skills. Finally found time to finish the tooling today (after my husband made two new tools for me). I'm thinking of trying resist for the first time. Wish me luck!

Hi Bobby. If I understand your question... the deerskin bag is a 32" diameter circle. Previous iterations have been two half circles depending on the hide. I either turn the edge over or add a contrasting strip to finish the edge. I then punch the holes for gathering the top, lay it on the tooled center, glue, then sew. Best situation is an oval so the pouch can expand side to side and not just front to back (learned that the hard way).

This is the fourth backpack, the first one I kept since I needed to test the design (and because all the mistakes leap out at me) The top flap kinda limits how full you can go. 1st, 2nd and 3rd pics attached. Since I'm getting so much feedback here, what price would you put on one of these? I struggle with that, just as pretty much everyone does...

Thanks YinTx. I found a bag Pinterest from a maker in France... spent some time with graph paper and recreated it based on what I thought it needed to work for me. Oh, thank you! I can't wait to try that!

You guys are amazing, so positive! That's not always been my experience with online forums! More pics as requested...

That's funny... I guess that nice grey hide I have means the next pack might have to be less dainty

I belong to the SCA and am a sometime worker of leather. I made this chamfron for my horse a while ago. It was influenced by a Tibetan artifact originally made from metal plates over silk. She doesn't mind it and now I'm looking forward to building a matching crinet!

Yes, the main pouch has a drawcord with manual tensioner. It looks open here because I didn't have it cinched down. And theft is the reason I put the hidden pocket in the back.

The weather wasn't cooperating yesterday for photos, but I have a couple more... And my favorite tip I've picked up from this group... drawer liner to prevent distortion while tooling!

The weather wasn't cooperating yesterday for photos, but I have a couple more...

The edges are all burnished then dyed to the stitch line (more a function of using those goofy daubers than my intent to go that far )

Just finished this custom ordered backpack today. Pierced rose pattern over deerskin bag. It has two small pockets inside and a hidden Velcro pocket on the back. I'll take all the advice I can get to improve my work. Thank you!

Just in case you wanted to see the finished product... Oh, I used a scalpel and a bit of fire to get the fiddly bits smoothed out. Thanks everyone!

Excellent suggestions everyone, I will look into some finer scalpel blades. My husband just made me an itty bitty wood burnished that works with a dremel that I'm going to try. Matt you are too funny... I don't generally burn leather in my home, but I have been known to open a big can of glue and chase my husband out of the room

While I haven't tried it on such stretchy leather as you are using, I have used adhesive drawer liner to stabilize tooling leather. Maybe it would work for stretchy leather?

Hello all! I was working on a project that required piercing the tooling leather so that the soft contrasting leather underneath shows through the design. I've done something similar a number of times on other projects, but the spaces I needed to cut out this time were smaller and more complex. What tools do you use for piercing? Do you have a system for burnishing the whispy pieces in the cutout areas? I'm also happy to have feedback on anything you see that I could be doing better...

Bump. No tips at all? Hmmm, I must be perfect then

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've posted anything here, though I've been plenty busy. Always learning something new! I made these cinch safes recently and am pretty happy with how they turned out. But... I don't really have the detail stuff down yet. I'm never exactly sure what shades to use or where to put my detail cuts. Any suggestions?

Hello fellow leather workers! In the past year I have had two saddle makers recommend making a hardwood paddle for stamping. They each indicating the paddle needed to be made from hardwood and balanced to fit my hand and strenghth. Unfortunately neither one had their preferred paddle handy to show me. Have any of you used such a paddle instead of a maul or hammer? I would really appreciate it if someone would detail the dimensions of a paddle so i cold try one. Thanks!

Sporq: Yes, very similar... I used a moist rag dipped in Deco Art Metallic Lustre Wax Finish http://jollymollys.com/deco-art-metallic-lustre-wax-finish-1oz-pkg-gold-rush-ml-81-02/?gclid=CI2usPzdzsUCFRNafgodMqUAEg I am aware that it will rub off a little over time, but I think with some top coating to seal it in a bit, it will be ok if it fades a little. Hopefully makes it look even more authentic By the way, I was mostly inspired by this 14th century Mongolian or Tibetan metal-over-fabric chanfron...