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Bob Blea

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  1. Bob Blea
    First off welcome to the forum! You are off to a nice start! Your basket stamping looks very even and straight, you're doing a good job there. You don't seem to be getting a lot of depth though in either the basket stamp or the floral carving. I'm not sure why, though it may be that your leather was too dry or it may be that you aren't striking with enough force. How firm and steady is the table or surface that you are stamping on? A strong table or workbench might help cut down on the noise too... Hope this helps, Bob
  2. Bob Blea
    Very nice job on the lettering, and I like the fabric interior too.
  3. Bob Blea
    They do look nice. Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum! I'd like to see the interior too. Bob
  4. Bob Blea
    Sorry it took a while to get back to you. Been away from my computer. Try this thread: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=60483 It covers a lot of information about this type of pocket. Bob
  5. Bob Blea
    You've got the right idea. I cut the line for the ferns stem with a swivel knife, then bevel the inside of curve of the knife cuts. I then go around the edge with a crowner, which is like a checkered camouflage tool (and I cam will work for this too). That's what makes the tips of each leaf. Then I go along the cut line with the cam to create the other side of the fern's stem. Next, I use a thumprint or shader (just depends on what you have or call them, either will work) in each scallop created by the crowner, and I finish it up by using the veiner along the beveled areas. Does that make sense? Bob
  6. Bob Blea

    Brolly Strap

    Bob Blea replied to Django57's topic in Art

    OK I'll ask: what exactly is a brolly strap? Does it just keep the umbrella closed or can you hook it to something, as in a belt clip?
  7. Bob Blea
    Thanks all for the kind comments! Hi Capsetdog, I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. This fern design originally came from saddle makers back in the late 1800's. Apparently some saddle shops in the Texas area started doing it as a quick way to decorate saddles. I originally learned it from saddle maker Dusty Johnson, who told me he found an old saddle with the design in a museum and worked out how they did it. Dusty wrote an article for the Leather Crafters and Saddlemakers Journal sometime in the 1990's that described how to make the design, but it's pretty straight forward, I'm just not sure I can describe it without lots of pictures! All I did was learn to make the design with smaller tools so it would fit on small items like a wallet. Bob
  8. Bob Blea
    Here's something else I just finished recently. It's a clutch wallet with a stamped fern design on the front and a geometric design on the back. The edges are triple loop dark brown calf lace and the interior is a thin glazed goat skin. There are five credit card pockets on each side, each pocket can easily hold three cards, and under the card pockets there are pockets to hold bills, notes, etc. The lining behind the card pockets is black pigskin. Any comments or critique are welcome! Bob
  9. Bob Blea
    I use Wyosheen and have never had a reason to thin it. But I'm applying it by rubbing it on with a piece of wool. If you are trying to airbrush it on that might be a different story.
  10. Bob Blea
    I've got a question: Would the belly leather make a good lining for a holster? If it was glued to a firm outer layer with the grain side towards the firearm, seems like it would make a good lining and stretch wouldn't be a problem.
  11. Bob Blea
    Hi LederRudi, I know what you mean. I've had problems like that on occasion though in my case it's usually my resist not 'resisting' enough and I end up with streaks. I've had to remake things a few times too, though I may finally be getting my technique down to where that doesn't happen (I HOPE!). But I guess I'm still impenitent. Your case looked really nice, to bad you had to remake it! Bob
  12. Bob Blea
    Very nice work indeed! Welcome to the forum and keep posting!
  13. Bob Blea
    Really like these too!
  14. Bob Blea
    Those are really cool!
  15. Bob Blea
    Thanks Rohn and Tom, I have made that design several times as well, so it's getting to where it doesn't take long. I'm looking to do some more complicated knots soon. I want to push myself some on these.
  16. Bob Blea
    Hi all. I made this as a custom order for a customer who had seen one of my 5x8 notepads and wanted the same design but on a notebook that could hold an 8x11 notepad. This was the result. I wish I had spent the time to get better pictures of it but I was trying to get it out in time to arrive by his birthday! Hope you all have a fantastic day. For some reason my iPad likes to put all my pictures on their sides.
  17. Bob Blea
    Great work Rohn, the color looks very good and you nailed the basketweave!
  18. Bob Blea
    Those are very nice edges...
  19. Bob Blea
    Fantastic workmanship! Very well done!
  20. Bob Blea
    It looks to me to be some sort of paint that is applied thinly or is partially stripped off later. But I'm not certain.
  21. Bob Blea
    I think it looks great. Nice job on her initials. I like the way you did the basket stamp border too.
  22. Bob Blea
    Very impressive!
  23. Bob Blea
    You've come a long way and its looking good.
  24. Bob Blea
    Thanks all! Its not hard to do well when you have an instructor like Robert Beard. He really is a great teacher and he absolutely loves to teach. If you ever get a chance to take one of his classes do it! You will not regret it.
  25. Bob Blea
    I had the pleasure of taking a one day figure carving class with Robert Beard this past Saturday, thanks to the Columbine Leather Guild in Denver. The subject was the Tree of Life, and I'm very pleased with how this turned out though there is plenty I could improve on. Just had to show it off.
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