ClayB

I've seen pictures of the ice motel and that's about as close to it as I care to get to it. I can get plenty cold enough just walking out the door here lately. But Tom's idea of a get together is something that would be a great Christmas present! How about Jamaica or the Bahamas though. I like Harvey's idea too. Some of my favorite presents in the past (not just for Christmas) have been cool things made out of leather. Someday I'd love to have pictures by Robb Barr, Paul Burnett and Bill Gomer to add to my collection, or from a lot of the members of this forum too.

Hi Chris, It's been a busy few days here so I'm a little slow in responding, sorry about that. Kate mentioned that I do a lot of different finishing techniques. I tried to do a demo way back when LW was getting started to show how you can get several different looks by using different coloring and finishing techniques on the same pattern. You can see it here. It seems that lately there are several finishing products that are being changed, eliminated or replaced with something new, so all the things I used back then might not still be available, and there are new products that could be used to get even more different looks with this same pattern. I think you are going to have to decide what kind of look you are going for, then determine what products to use to get that look, or just start experimenting with the different products to see what look you like. It can be a little confusing, intimidating, or even frustrating if you let it. It can also be fun if you're willing to play with the different products. If you have more specific questions, let us know. There are a lot of people here that do some neat stuff with colors, and Kate is one of them. Hope this helps some.

I think coloring is a pretty tough thing to just say "here is what you should do". As you know, there are a lot of products out there. A lot of them do similar things in a slightly different way. A lot depends on the specific look you are going for, or a specific quality (such as water proofing). Some finishes are compatible with others, some aren't. Some people like dyes, some like acrylic paint, some both. When I was trying to learn about color, I was told by a lot of people that (spirit)dyes tend to fade and some colors fade really quickly. Acrylic paint will keep it's color supposedly forever. Some people don't like paint because it can crack or come off on things that bend or get rubbed on a lot. All colors and finishes are gonna have a learning curve and for me it was a big one. I still struggle with coloring and it still scares me a little. My suggestion would be if you want fairly subtle color, start with the eco flow water based dyes. I know there are a lot of people that don't like them, but I find them to be the easiest I have ever used to blend and shade with. You can thin them down with plain water and then build up to the color you want by adding more layers. Acrylic paint is a little trickier. If you use it straight out of a bottle, most times it's like barn paint and it will just cover up everything you have worked so hard to do with your tooling. It also can be watered down with plain water. Once I learned how to use it, I have been pretty impressed with what you can do with it. Over time, you will probably want to experiment with both and see which you prefer, or which you prefer on certain types of projects. Highlighter is sort of similar to antique. Not sure any of that will help you at all.

You know you're a goof ball as well as a freak, right?????

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And when your work looks like Bob's originals, you've got it figured out. (and you can come teach me!)

Paul Burnett shares a very good lesson on swivel knife use in his first newsletter. All his newsletters are available on his website. You'll want to sign up to receive the newsletters and then be sure and read all the back issues. There's some really good stuff in them. Paul Zalesak, owner of Leather Wranglers has put on several swivel knife contest throughout the country and gets some amazing entries. You can check out what some of these guys can do with a swivel knife here That ought to give you some ideas and inspiration.

I've always found faces to be pretty difficult so I tend to stay away from them. Hammerhead here on the forum has done some that turned out nice. You might study some of his work to see if you can figure out how he did them.

That's what I was thinking too. I have always mixed Fiebings antique with Tan Kote to thin it down some. You might try that.

It's great to see more people sharing "how to's". Some of these things that you do so often may seem simple to you, but for some of the rest of us, the tutorials are just what we need to help us understand how some things are done. Thanks so much for the time and effort you put into this. It's really appreciated!

I didn't recognize it. The reason I sent it all to you was in hopes I'd forget leather in some of those colors ever existed! I'm glad you found a use for it that actually makes it look pretty good.

Very nicely done Kate. Thanks for taking the time to write that up and take all the pictures. When you said you were going to use some upholstery leather you had laying around, I was looking forward to seeing something in an awful shade of pink but this probably was a better choice.

Hey Freak, It's great to see you back to carving. 50 years, no wonder I have been feeling so old lately!!! It doesn't look like you've lost anything in all that time. Your projects are just as fun to look at as they've always been. I really like the dog tracks in the background, and the bone letters. You always come up with such cool ideas. Hope you get to keep at it.

These turned out really great Tom, but I cant wait to see the pair with the pregnant yak on them!! I'll be looking forward to the day you come to visit. I know we'll have a lot of fun.

I think this one is going to be my all time favorite (at least so far) Tom.

Hi Chris, Both the bear paw tutorial and the buffalo feathers tutorial show some embossing techniques. If you have any questions that aren't answered in them, just let me know and I'll do my best to try and answer them. That chipmunk you showed in another post looks like it might be a fun project for embossing. You did a great job with the coloring on that.

Thanks again all of you. Crystal, you just need to send some stuff to a show with Kathy. It might take awhile to get it back, but it's worth it! Chris, there is very little putty on the front side of this one. There is a little under one antler to get it to stand out a little, and then there is some inside the mouth, but none on the face or the body.

A couple things. Do your backgrounding when your leather is fairly dry. If there is a lot of background, there is a big possibility that you are going to have some stretch when mashing a lot of leather down. Make sure you have your leather backed with something (packing tape, cardboard, x ray film etc.) Also dont be afraid to go over your background areas more than once if they aren't even. Getting it as even as possible makes it look the best.

Hey Harvey, To Dave's credit, he seems to have listened to those of us that have been begging and pleading to have a class schedule out more than a week or two before the show. At least now, people have a chance for a little advance planning. I did see a few classes that might appeal to people interested in something different from the same old same old. I got a little bit of sticker shock when I saw what they are charging though. I guess along with being able to plan in advance, people will also have a little time to start saving up their pennies if they want to take the classes. For anyone interested in attending the Wickenburg show, you can get all the info here

It's fairly new, I think it opened about 6 months ago.

I've been asked to teach an embossed wren class at the Tandy Leather Factory store in Fargo, ND. We're shooting for December 11th and 12th, weather permitting. If anyone is interested in taking the class, contact Mark Norquist Manager Tandy Leather Factory #170 1617 32nd Ave. S, Suit O Fargo, ND 58103 Phone:701-235-4005 Fax:701-235-2775 E-mail Here's a picture of what we are going to be doing. Even if you're not interested in taking the class, but are in the area, stop in, I'd love to meet you.