Gawdzilla

Thanks, I'll try that. I've stretched thin leather slowly by suspending it with an egg in it and keeping it wet. That was a fun project. I now recommend a hard boiled egg.

I'm making key fobs, Starbucks cozies, can cozies, bracelets and hair scrunchies as well. The mouse pads are just part of the program. I've even genned up a few sun visors to see if people would be interested. The luggage tags are intriguing. I'll see what I can come up with for them. I have plastic for the "window" already. Anybody got a pattern for that? I'll add coasters to the program as well. I have some large stamps that will make them a "set" easily enough.

The best tip I got from Vol. 1 was to make a block of wood in the size and shape you wanted the bag to be so you could know you were getting the dimensions correct as you went on. That has saved me a lot of time. It's also left me with a collection of odd shaped chunks of wood. (So be sure to write what it's for on the wood before you forget.)

No problem. We are our own greatest resource, I do believe.

Of course one would never use the free flat-rate envelopes and boxes from the USPS for anything other than their intended use, would one. No, seriously, I mean that. Well, unless there's an emergency, of course.

Very true, and I use at track ball whenever I can. But the point is more to give people reasons to donate to the Center than any actual need. They are looking for an excuse to take something home with them after a howl, so we give the opportunity. As the Center is 100% funded from donations we're happy to help them.

Thanks for the suggestions. Luckily, the logo is largely an oval, so it can go at an extra bit of leather at the top. You can see it here.

FYI, I've found that 1/2 cup water and one cap full of dye is a good starting point. You can make that solution darker or lighter as you wish. I have the Gladware 1/2 plastic containers for my dyes. I glue the test strip to the top of the container with rubber cement for reference.

I don't know what they cost, but we used to have "opaque projectors" that would project an image of anything on the tray to another surface. You could trace around the image that way. You'll have to shop around to find out if they're in your budget.

I've been told by a "leather store" employee that I respect that a very fresh ink jet image will transfer to leather. The procedure given was to print your image reversed, put it on damp leather and press it for "a while". I have yet to test this but it sounds like it would work.

Thanks for the replies! I agree a heavily tooled surface is a bad idea for a ball mouse. We are discussing doing pads with the center's logo tooled in as "presentation items" for VIPs. Everybody will know they're not practical, but that's not the point in that kind of thing is it? I would have loved to have one ready for Ted Turner when he came by in November.

Another thing I've been doing with stray bits of leather is to glue them onto a bottle cap. I've been experimenting with dyes and when I get one I like I put the "formula" on the bottle with an Avery stick-on label covered with tape to keep it from being dyed over. Then I stick a bit of leather on the cap and dye it with the contents. I can easily see the color I'm looking for and I can compare a new batch to the old one before I put it on my project by dying another bit for comparison purposes.

Lady I know cuts them into odd shapes and puts something on each one, then links them into chain for hair bands, necklaces, etc. I've used them for mosaic's, glued various colored bits to wood to make pictures. You can do this with thin wood to make unique coasters as well. You can use the smallest of scraps for that kind of thing. You can also cut them into fancy shapes and glue them to the inside of a lampshade to make a shadow show.

Any tips, warnings, suggestions or facepalms? Best size?

Thanks, RD!

Yeah, things along that line. I'm dealing with city folks here, so I have to tread the line between "realistic" and "artistic". "pre-weathered" is something like what I'm looking for.

I was hoping to get something more "chaotic", if you know what I mean. I'm trying to do at least some of my work that is very clearly not machine made in some furrin' country by guys who spend their entire life punching 00 holes in the same bit of leather. One suggestion I've already received back-channel is kind of interesting. Take a paint brush and fan it out and randomly trim the bristles. A light pass gives a few streaks of dye, and pressing harder give more. A coarse sponge dipped lightly in the same color dye can add a layer of texture to the material as well.

Fishing for suggestions on ways to get an antique look. Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks again, Mr. Byland! I'm finding 1-1, 1-2, and 3-8 ratios give me different shadies of the same color. Intriguing possibilities are presenting themselves to. The only pity now is I'm every bit as artistic as a left-handed monkey wrench. My luck in finding a wife with an eye for color and composition who can also distill some very fine corn whiskey is again emphasized.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

I'm probably making an amateur mistake here, but my dye work comes out too dark. "Light Tan" is almost black. I've tried using sponges, sponge brushes, daubers and lint-free clothes. Help?

Dang! I was just there in November. I'll drop him a line. Thanks!

I'm donating odds and ends to the Endangered Wolf Center for sale in their store. So far I think I've exhausted Tandy's options, four stamps. Can anybody tell me of a dealer that might have more. OR, do you have one or more sitting around in a drawer that you could part with? On behalf of Canus lupus baileyi and Canus rufus, I thank you.

The "Hombre" or "Maverick" hat patterns from Tandy's 2062 pack are quite adaptable.

No problem. We're are our main source of resources these days. If you want to run a dead easy project for someone, the visor is very simple. I put four holes in each side of the straps instead of a buckle, so people can adjust it as the please. And one piece of lacing is cheaper than a buckle. I've also done them with velcro. I've learned not to assume people always like velcro in the process. Riveting the visor is an option, but I use Hemp Cord (from Micheal's (in the necklace section) so I can have a choice of colors. Dip it in liquid wax before lacing and the job will go faster.