joet

In answer to your question Hids2Art, I live in Colorado. I really don't have a corriculum that I use at this time, but basically go with the project book. I go through in my mind what I'm going to cover at each meeting, and usually keep to that. If there is something I need to cover I usually will write down the sequence of events for whatever the problem may be. Like you I let the kids pick the projects. One of the kids in the class is a brain and quickly picks up anything and everything I say or do. This kid has some great ideas, and they are usually 10 steps ahead of where he is in actual learning. I'll try to get pictures this year. I didn't have time last year as I was too busy either teaching or chatting with a parent.

It’s been really hectic around the workbench these days and I haven’t really had the chance to post on the blog like I should. My 4-H classes ended some time ago and all five of my kids did real well at the County Fair. In fact, I was a little surprised at how they did do. Three of them got Grand Champion and the other two received Reserve Grand Champion which meant that all of them would go to our State Fair. There was one other entry in the County Fair in leather, but he was from another part of the county and it looked like he was taught by a parent or someone; which means the word is not getting out to all of the clubs in the county, or else that person opted not to bring their boy to my classes. He received a Reserve Grand Champion at the County Fair, but was not eligible to enter the State Fair. The kids didn’t do so well in the State Fair. Only two of the five received awards within the top three. Which means I’ll have to try harder next year. Which is coming up real quick. The classes will start again in January and that is not all that far away. The next general meeting for the club will be held in December and this is where the kids sign up for what projects they want to do. I know at least three of my kids are going on to the next higher level in leather and I think there will be two, possible three new ones coming into the class. One or two of them will be coming from other clubs within the county. This new year will bring a change to the leather craft program. Their Unit Ones will be changed to include Creative Stamping - An Introduction. Great! Just when I thought I had a handle on things, there will be a change. I have not been able to find out what kind of changes will take place for sure. Which means I won’t know what kind of tools the first year kids will need to acquire. I keep telling myself I need to be flexible on this, but I really haven’t had the time to get into the 4-H mood. I’ve been busy with other leather work and I’m still not caught up and won’t be until just before Christmas. I will try to make a promise to my fan club to post more often about what is going on. I’ll try to get pictures this year and post with the blog, if I can that is. I’ll also try to put out some kind of a schedule that I’m making up that others can follow along with if they are in the same position as I am. Keep checking back on a regular basis and see what else I’ve made a mess of.

That's what I had in mind when I proposed the idea. It was just too early in the morning for me to get my thoughts together to really lay down any type format. Thanks for expanding my idea.

With the loss of Drac, and I'm sure there are other great leather workers out there that pass away, I would like to propose that LeatherWorker.net set up somewhere within it's site a place to honor these great people who have gone on to the great leather shop in the sky. If there is already such a place, I'm not aware of it and it should be enhanced so their memory will be with us forever. Just a thought.

I'll throw in another plus remark about Wickett & Craig; they will split any hide you order, to any thickness you want, for free. Been dealing with W&C for a long time and will use basically nothing else.

Jo, not sure how to get ahold of you, but some time ago you offered a lot of crochet patterns to anyone who wanted them. I was too late to get my request in, but you told me that you would copy them and send me those. I was just wondering what the status is, as my wife is still very interested in getting them. You can send me a PM or however you want to respond. Joet, with a dragon breathing down my neck.

Something else you might add to your list is subscribing to the "Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal". It's a magazine devoted to us poor leather carvers and it covers a lot of material in just a short time. It comes out every two months and it could be a little pricy for some of us, it's well worth getting. Besides all of the articles on various subjects, one thing I always look at are the ad's. They will lead you to other places that carry tools and different leather. You can check them out on line by going to: http://www.leathercraftersjournal.com/ and I think you can even subscribe to them here. Welcome to the wonderful world of leather crafting. Once you get hooked on it there is no turning back.

The problem you are having is thus: upholstery leather is chrome tanned. All tooling leather is vegetable tanned. The Feibings dye is made especially for the tooling leather. There is a dye for upholstery leather, but can't think of it right off hand. You might try Zach White at http://www.zackwhite.com/home.php they carry other types of dye and paint.

I don't know about anyone else, but I sure do miss Paul and his lessons. They were always inspirational and uplifting.

HideCrafter's carries several video's that deal with floral carving. Web site to go to is: http://www.hidecrafter.com/hci/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=6&Itemid=35 I would recommend the ones Fun With flower's, volume one and two by Shirley Peterson. George Hurst also has a good video on roses, also found on this site. I find all of these video's to be more for the person with intermediate experience and all are well worth the price. While there on this site, check out some of the other video's that Hide Crafters has available.

It just so happened that I did NOT have a business card with me or I would have given them one. The woman was very nice and we discussed the fact that there is too much coming from else where. She told me that one company that they deal with is in Guatemala. They hire widows of the soldiers that are killed and help them out. I told her that I would not hesitate to buy from there, or any other country that is struggling to exist. But if it's from China I try to go elsewhere and get it. What upset the woman was not the fact that the purse came from China, but the leather company was selling it under their name, and pushing it off as if they made it. I thought about offering to bring in something I made, but I already have various items in another store for sale.

This afternoon I was in a store in my local area that sold beads, but that's not what this topic is all about, so I'll get right to it. While my wife was looking at beads I was eyeing some leather purses that were for sale in the store window. One of the owners thought I was looking at beads and when I told her that I was interested in the purses, mainly to find out where they were made at, she perked right up. Reached into the display window and pulled out one of the purses. It had one of those painted horses on it that is the rage, and I wondered who made it. Looking at the tag it said something about a Texas Leather Shop, but I couldn't find out what part of Texas it was made in. Then I turned the tag over and saw printed right on the bottom of the tag "Made in China". Is this what the US of A is leaning towards? Leather shops buying pre-made items from China and putting their tag on it? I should have been questioning the whole thing from the price tag, but even it was about right for a small hand made purse made in the States. Needless to say the owner of the store was a little upset when she saw where it was made at, but I don't think she will pull the item from the store as a lot of their products come from China, but they at least say up front where it came from. Sorry to rant about this. I know this topic has come up many times in the past, and this might not even be the place to post this, but I just had to say something. Thanks for listening.

That ripple and buckle effect is caused by the force of the tools driving into the leather. This is normal as leather spreads when the fibers are compressed by force. What to do to keep it from happening depends on the craftsman/woman. Glueing the leather with rubber cement to a fairly hard surface, like plexiglass, carboard (non-corrigated stuff), x-ray film, or what have you. Some people even glue the leather right to their pounding surface. This will also help with the shrinking of the leather. Problem: tacky substance on the back of the leather after tooling. No problem if it's to be used for something that has a lining like a wallet. If the leather is to be something else, like a belt, card case (non-lined) or something like that, then use straping tape. Duct tape and masking tape will not come off cleanly and the former leaves that sticky residue. Using a piece of sticky shelf lining paper cut to size will also help. I'm sure that I didn't cover everything, and there might be someone else out there that uses their own choice of backing. If so, please sound off. The information listed above has been either tried by myself, or I have heard/read about someone else and their favorite backing.

I made an order two weeks ago and had no problem with it. I've heard that a lot of people have trouble with their site, and my order was the first to them in a long time, but everything worked for me except a box did appear that said that there was a problem with their security, but I went ahead and ordered anyway. Received the items about a week later along with a e-mail telling me that the order was being processed. I think that Hide Crafters isn't really paying atention to what their web site is doing. They need a better handle on things and someone to monitor it constantly, but I doubt if they will do that.

I received four of the best pattern packs on animals by Carolyn Melvin (as seen advertised in LCSJ; my son gave these to me and they are really nice. Also received a pattern book on rodeo events that can be used by any craftsmen, wheather they are leather or wood. My wife gave me a book with wood burning ideas in it that can be used for leather; and a book on Oriential designs. All in all it was a really nice day.

Nice looking blog site. I did just a quick look at it, and will come back to get a better look, but from I saw, I liked. I've been thinking about starting my own blog, but not sure where to begin.

I really like that, but then again everything you do is great. I love to look at what other people do with leather, especially if they are not from the U.S. It seems that we here in America are in love with the old west and that's what we copy.

It's a crime and it happens all the time. The elderly are easy targets due to their age, and the thief is a coward to select them instead of .... say a football player. One reads about crimes against the elderly almost every day. One of my aunts was a victum by someone who befriended her and did nice things for her. After awhile they were able to get into her checking account, have their names placed on deeds and wills and such. Whether it's that sort of a crime or someone breaking into a house of an older person, it's still wrong. My son, when I told him about it, said that the thief will have a hard time trying to sell that stuff. Especially now that's it's been on the news. Hope they get the SOB soon and put him away for a long time.