JLSleather

Love the swept basketweave. Color without "gaudy", basketweave without "boxey", balanced look. I'm liking it. One thing ... I would make a point of turning BOTH crosses right-side-up (definitely). Nice case!

That would take forever to explain, but you can see it done if you check youtube and search for "airbrush smoke". Tends to look bigger than it is, just information. Years back, I remodeled this little girl's bedroom. Her and the sister were getting on each other's nerves - or something like that - so she was moving to another "room". It was so small that by the time we gutted and drywalled, I'm thinking even this little one (about 5-6 years) is going to go nuts. Painted the thing to look like the sky ... shades blended blues gradually fading to a white ceiling (no line). STILL the talk around here, little girl is now 14 and "dating" my oldest... SURELY she's gonna want that painted "big girl" style soon ...

I was going to suggest a hint of gold mixed into the white if you're using gold hardware, but if they like the color, there's no arguing with that. The "distressed" is a whole nuther issue. Depending on how large the bag, you might find a hide that has that already in it that you can cut out of? You might paint using a "marbled" effect, but that takes a bit of time and it sounds like you have some good labor in it already ...

&^$^#%$&%&%$%&$!!! I was looking for the finished goodies How about this.... paint (with a S M A L L brush) your glue on (or whatever you use to mask)...paint the sky (probably wiith a thin wash)... then remove the glue (pointed X-acto works as well as anything). Keeps 'em bright without being "raised" (??).

If they're just getting you some work, and the customer pays you directly, it's nothing more than a word of mouth thing and I wouldn't thinik they're entitled to anything. If they're running the billing through the shop, and paying you for your service, then it seems legitimate they'd get something. I would think this would be considered in the priice you get (they're marking it up). Two things come to mind, here, though, for me personally. 1.) If it's a rare thing and they want to discuss their "cut", I'd likely decide it's not worth it. In fact, I'm obnoxious and would probably remind them that I'm helping them, not the other way around. They're not only [apparently] looking to get paid, they're also getting out of telling a customer "we can't help you". Doubt they want to do that too much. 2.) Do I enjoy the work? I once told a guy I wouldn't make him what he wanted. He asked why and I said it's because I'm not a prostitute. He looked confused, so I explained that you can' t just give me money and then I do whatever you want. For what it's worth...

I like the handles, too. Actually, I like the color and stitching, but especially the handles. Somebody STILL owes me one, though ... now my wife wants one like that - - ... only with a different flower...and with a fully-enclosed flap ... and it can't be heavy... wow -- thanks alot

Never too big to accept a compliment, but this one's already out and public, kaint git the credit... that idea was Stohlman's (or someone he knew) But you're welcome anyway, glad I could help. You a MN boy? My buddy up the street is from there, but he's clearly not the brightest star in the [MN] sky ... didn't go NEARLY far enough south ...

I use a 9 oz mallet for all of it, including the background. Most of what I do is on 3 to 10 oz leather, if that's another factor. Another guy used to do some work for us, used a big (well, I thought it was big) 16 oz mallet (not a maul). Used to "harrass" him a bit... some of the boys called him "Thor" Really a matter of personal preference, though, and your tools should leave good impressions as long as your force is consistent and there's a bit of overlap in the strikes.

Well said, youngster. I ran a business a while back, and my "straw boss" got his job because he was remarkable... in that I couldn't remember a time that kid asked me the same question twice. He was the only one could say that. Your other point is well taken, and the previous paragraph is there for this point ... somebody typing in "business" and "job" and "question" will get this post, which is no answer for what he's looking for. Not that that's always bad ... earlier tonight I did a search for "lilly" for some flowers and got a rather scarcely dressed actress

That's a lot of stuff about blades. I can't say much about the ceramics, because I don't own one. Buddy had one and let me try it, but I wasn't impressed one way or the other. But, I've had steel blades last for years. Couple of swipes across a fine stone every so often. Was it Newton .... what doesn't start to dull won't continue to dull... something like that. Plus, I'm a tool maker, so I'm used to sharpening things. Didn't count, but doing the math I'd say that cheap (a few bucks) steel blade was good for 1200 hours of cutting (10 hours a day for a year, swivel knife in my hand a little under half the time). Yep, steel for me. Oh, and no "hollow ground" blades. Too wide a path for detail.

Yep, I think (thanks!). 6 petals, largely bilateral leaves stemming from the stalk, ... I'm guessing that the decorative cuts on the template are just due to the crafter being used to putting cuts on stems...

Anybody tell me what kind of flower this is supposed to be (jonquil?) ? I want to paint it's natural colors, and don't recognize it (how many "shades of brown" did I make of these). Too much glare to tell, but that's Craftaid 6564, if that makes it easier ... Maybe a lilly?

Intense, maybe, but PUR DEE... animated .gif, click the photo [hope that's OK]

Kaint 'member which one, but in one of Stohlman's books he mentioned using drops of glue for "splash" in the water, or raindrops. Something like that may work here, too. I've never done it, because [almost without exception] my work gets used and I suspect it would get knocked off. Just a thought... I do know, though, that I don't use white. I've done adult eagles (the white "hair" feathers) and buckskin horses (the forehead and main) by making the natural leather appear white with color around that area.

You can pick up a decent set of jeweler's files at a hobby store or machine shop supply store for less than $20 that will sharpen LOTS of stuff. I like 'em cuz I can see what I'm doing in there.

You've hit on a question I'm guessing few have ever heard, or even thought about. Calf lace is cut from about 2 oz skins, making it about 1/32", or .78 mm thick. But that's only the middle of the cross-section. Both edges of this are beveled, giving it a section a bit like the over-simplified attachment. I've used lace that was NOT beveled, and while I think that has it's place, I think an elegant check cover isn't the place. You're looking at about 8- 8 1/2 yards for each cover.

#&$@$&%%$&$#$$@#@! Ordered a 3/4 oz "middle of the road" hide, and got back a 2 1/2 oz hide (approx) that looks like it's FROM the middle of the road -- and a credit slip. Just ordered 1 hide so I could see what they have. Guess now I know what they have, or maybe this is just what they send people who aren't looking them in the face (?). Credit slip???? If I wanted the money, I wouldn't have ordered the hide! No, I can't say where it was, because to do that I'd have to give them a chance to FIX it, which I'm not doing (wasn't W/C referred to above, though). Probably good that he's quite a way off ... can't really afford the bad hide, the replacement hide, AND the bail money ...

http://springfieldle...2C1-8%22%2C50y/ OOPS ... that should have brought up the 3/32" (2.3 mm) stuff.

I'm using the stone under your belt for a background on my next project (THANKS!)

Can't seem to find that example at the moment, but I did find a standard downloadable photo. You can see that the stars are where the paint AINT... Worth noting, maybe, that there is no black in the sky...

How much detail in the carving? If the stars are "distant", I wouldn't carve them at all ... paint only. Having said that, I wouldn't "paint" the stars at all, but rather paint the everything in the sky EXCEPT the stars. Not sure how you paint, but there are some posts on here where people "resist" areas of the leather... I'll see if I can post a quick example...

Like this, or something else?

This even works with mice and chickens, as you see...

In Photoshop, I clicked ... Image/Mode/Grayscale Filter/Sytlize/Find Edges There's the 6, though I didn't count a couple of times ya gotta say "OK"... Running to appointment ... but I can show you later if you like. Or, if you have a photo you want done, just post it and I'll do this when I get back

I'm lazy. This color scheme goes from "photocarve" to tracing pattern with about 6 "clicks"....