bison

Well, there are good old snaps, and they come in a variety of finishes. You could use conchos. I sometimes use them as closures on the books I make. I like the ones that stand up off the leather a bit. They come in a variety of sizes and decoration. I use them like a button. Fasten the concho on one side of the piece, then cut a slot on the other side. Pull the slot side over the concho and presto!

I like your thinking, Kate! Thanks Holly and John. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to make this leather work for me. And John, the idea of giving a piece of that away when you spend so much...sounds like you and Kate are on the same brain-wave!

As you all know, Tandy sometimes has less than perfect leather for sale. I went in my store last week and saw a pile of hides that looked like the'd fallen off the truck and been drug from Dallas to OKC! I mean, they were horrible. On the whole hide there might have been 20% usable leather. They were selling them for about 60% off. Now, I do hand-sewn sketch books/journals for artists and writers. I sell a lot of these at local museums. Over the years i have found that some folks like the look of an old-time, worn out leather cover. So I bought one of these bad hides and cut out this cover, tooled it where there was good leather, and faded out the tooling where the grain side was worn off. I filled it with 192 pages (front and back) of 80-pound recycled sketch paper, suitable for pen and ink or any dry media, hand stitched that in and created this unique clasp with a wooden "O" and bead with round leather lace. I dyed it with several different colors/coals of Fiebings, antiqued it, and finished with Resolene. I put the hand-pressed paper with leaves embedded in it on the inside to protect the paper from any dye transfer. I love the way it turned out, and it will sell for twice what the whole hide cost...and I can make about six more out of it! Makin' lemonade out of lemons!

I've had to do that once, and found that Hydrogen Peroxide helped take off the finish coat. That allowed me to soak in the black dye and get what I was looking for. I wiped on the HP with a skeepskin pad and waited a minute, then wiped it off with a damp sponge. You might give that a try with your "test" piece. Dave

I like the "hidden" design under the pad of paper. Those sort of elements always appeal to me. You're right on about the spine being for three-part notebooks, but we all work through those things and it does not look bad at all. The idea of going outside the "bounds" with your front and back cover is also nice. Keep at it, especially the self-critique, and practice on those areas you think are weak. You're way ahead of where many of use were at this point! Dave

That's pretty sharp! I like the layout of the interior. The only comment I would have is to make sure you use a stitch groover to set a nice straight line for your stitches. I use the Feibings pro oil dyes. they're not oil-based, so not sure why they named them that, but I thin with denatured alchohol. A/R is sold at Tandys, Springfield, etc. It is an acrylic finish that can be used as a resist, and as a finish to provide protection from scratches, water, etc.

Hi Bob, Thanks for the kind words. The first one is based on a Craftaid, that I did inverted beveling on. I cut the lines with the swivel knife then beveled in towards line on both sides. I takes a little practice. I did the same on the outside border on the executive portfolio. On that one for the color, I started with saddle tan thinned 2:1, then followed with British Tan at 2:1, then Light Brown, 2:1, Acrylic Resolene applied with a damp sponge several thin coats as resist, then Dark Brown antique (I used the Tandy gel stuff), then buff with sheepskin/wool, then final coat of AR, buff, and then Leather Balm with Atom wax. The only way I know how to get the finish I want is to try it out on a piece of scrap from the same piece of leather I'm using to make the book, since they all seem to take it just a bit differently. But I have all sorts of scraps in my Dye bin that have all different dyes on them and I've marked what they are with a sharpie. Keep on working at it. It is very rewarding. Dave

Well, thanks for the nudge John!

Hi John, Honestly I never even knew this part of the forum existed! I usually post in Critique my work. I do mostly books, etc, so this is a good place for me, now I know it's here. I'm putting up a few images of some things I've done in the past few months. Let me know what you think. The first one is made using the raw edge of a 7-8 oz veg tanned leather. My customers like the rustic look. It is filled with 70# artist drawing paper and the paper is hand sewn into the leather. The second is a custom executive portfolio. The client specified the design. I used the European tanned leather on that one. It holds an 8.5 x 11 notebook on the inside, and also has a place for extra papers and business cards inside. The third image shows that. The fourth image is made from oiled/stoned leather, with contrasting details and a tooled medallion on the front. It's a large artist sketch book and has over 200 pages of 70# paper hand sewn into it. The final portfolio was a Christmas gift for my son-in-law. He's currently stationed at the Air Force Institute of Technology studying computer/space technology. I thought he might need a little something to take notes on. Dave

Ray, What I've found helpful is to use clear contact sheets that you can find at Wal-Mart or places like that. It comes on a roll and is supposed to be used for shelves. I cus a piece large enough to overlap my patterns by an inch or so and place it on each side of the paper pattern. Then I trim it right to the edge of the pattern. Now I can press firmly with an old pen or stylus and I don't go through. I can also use the same pattern several times. I always use a copy and keep the original in case I need to make another copy. It works for me! Dave

Well done, Pete! I always like it when there is carving inside as well. It's like a happy surprise when you open it. Dave

Hi Shar, This link will get you to a tutorial by Bob Park. it is the best burnishing advice you'll find. Good luck. Bob Park Tutorial Dave

I tried a double ceramic blade...didn't like it at all. I do quite a bit of carving where i have two parallel lines either as a border or in a knot, and I'd say it really is a matter of practice making perfect. I approach it like drawing and keep part of my hand in contact with the leather at all times, go at a steady rate and keep focused. Hang in there! Dave

Tim's right. I have also found that when my posts move on down the line as newer posts come in, they fall off the radar. Don't give up. Keep working, keep looking at the work on here, and keep posting. You'll start getting responses. Dave

I went through the same thought process a while back. I finally decided that it was more important to have MY name, rather than the name of my studio on the leather. So I opted for the traditional stamp, with my name, city and state, around the word "maker" with a rope border surrounding all. I like the look, it gets my name out there, and that works for me. I still use the logo you see here for my projects that sell at museums, art fairs, etc. Folks at those venues/markets seem to respond better the idea of the art studio... BTW..I got my stamp from Brenda here: www.lasergiftcreations.com

Thanks. The outer is stoned chap leather, rough side out so it looks lined, the darker is a sort of burgundy pebbled chap leather and the bison skull is on 7 oz veg tanned. Dave

Since I have a lot of friends who are artists, one of my product lines is leather sketch books. I use art/drawing paper, usually 70# or higher, fold and hand stitch it into a leather binding. This one is 7.5x12 and can be used for pen and ink, charcoal, any dry media. It has 216 pages (front and back). My wife said it was "dramatic". Maybe.

Absolutely beautiful work! Dave

Not so far. I use it on photo albums, book covers, etc. I use really thin coats. Others on the forum use it too. I don't thin, but I know others do. Maybe you can find a post on thinning Neat-lac. Dave

I use Clear-Lac from Springfield Leather...it's the "new" Neat-Lac.

On that I used the waxed brown thread from Tandys. It comes in the small 25 yard rolls. I also use their heavier thread. It's flat, and comes in colors. It has a braided look to it. I like that best because it lays flat outside the book and you can make some nice patterns with it.

I buy mine at Hobby Lobby when they have it on sale. I stock up then. I use Canson 70# Drawing paper, recycled. It is bright white, smooth, and can be used for pen and ink, as well as dry media. Mine are the only handmade sketch books my artist friends will buy. I hand-stitch the paper (sides) into the leather and can make custom sizes. I've attached an example of what I do.

Hi Joel, Dying should happen close to last. Bob Park has a great tutorial on burnishing the edges. Just do a search for it on this site. I found that the key is to follow his steps using the glycerine soap, saddle soap, etc. It doesn't take a lot of time to get a great burnished edge that way. Dave

Thanks for the thoughtful critique, Bill. I see exactly what you're saying about proportion on the stems and pods. This sort of feedback has been great for me. This is only the second design I've done and all these comments are really helpful. I sure appreciate you taking the time to do this. Dave