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I've been dying to try out one of these antique, faded finishes. Thanks so much for posting the steps, Freak. I've already got daubers, a small brush, and the three Eco-Flo colors you mentioned... I'll have to give it a whirl!

Wow. That's some of the nicest work that's been posted recently. Congrats on a couple of real beauties! Alex

In the rather selfish interest in keeping my own odds at 1 in 23, I'd like to unofficially discourage anyone else from participating... Seriously, though -- Here's a great opportunity to provide some much-needed support for a great leatherworking community. Plus, you get the rare chance to win a real masterpiece generously donated by ClayB. I'd love to see 23 more folks sign up before this is over! Alex

Boy, these kinds of situations are tough to deal with. Especially with a cool head. Since these are neighbors, and you'll probably have a long-term relationship with them -- whether you want one or not -- you may want to consider just letting the whole thing drop. Give them some space and let the situation cool down. Now you know their 9 year old isn't reliable, so you won't use him again. Plus, you've done your best to smooth things over already, so just leave it alone for a while. While you may never have a wonderful relationship with these folks again, maybe you can at least return to being civil to each other and having your kids play together. But it'll take time...

I don't know if this is the answer you're looking for, but I got rid of the splotchy look when I switched from spirit-based dyes to water-based ones, like the new Eco-Flo leather dyes. Maybe worth a try? Alex

Thanks for posting those! I can't remember ever seeing any other dreamcatchers on this site, so please be sure to post more in the future. For what it's worth, I think the horseshoe dreamcatcher is really inventive. Great work! -Alex

So do I. I can't imagine being able to produce something this nice so quickly. Congrats!

Yep, I saw an old leatherworker with one of these and liked the idea so much, I made myself one. They're handy to have around.

Bobocat, the Member Gallery forum is used mainly for introductions... To say "hello" and let members welcome new folks to Leatherworker.net. The Show Off forum is for members to post pictures of their recent projects. You can certainly post wherever you like, but more people will get to see your work if you put it in the Show Off forum. Regards, -Alex

Wow, really nice set. Congratulations!

Great to have you here. Thanks for posting pics of your first project... Nicely done! Best, -Alex

Absolutely amazing. I have no idea how you're able to get that level of detail into your carving. I mean... Take a look at the muscles in her shoulders or the folds of the fabric. Impossibly precise. Congrats... You certainly have my attention! Alex

Please don't worry about your English. We appreciate the beautiful pictures you've posted, and look forward to seeing many more. -Alex

Great to have you here! Welcome! -Alex

Tammy, why not ask the wrestler himself? Tell him what you're planning and see what input he's able to offer. Since this mask is essentially going to be his in-the-ring identity, I'm guessing he'd be more than happy to help out... I'm not trying to dodge your questions, but I think the best advice is probably going to come from the customer in this case! Good luck, and please be sure to post pics of this when done! We'd love to see it. -Alex

That's a real beauty! Congrats!

Wow, that's a fantastic piece of work. She should join the forum and post some more projects.

Freak, I really like the aged look you're able to achieve. I keep trying to do this with not much success so far. Did you use Eco-Flo dyes, and if so, which ones? Also, how did you apply them... With a dauber? Any tips would be appreciated, my friend! Best, -Alex

In the old days, Johanna had a link in her personal signature that directed folks to her PayPal page. If she could just post that again, it would be great. And thanks, Clay, for your generosity. I'll definitely participate! Best, -Alex

That's really something special. Congrats! -Alex

Wow. That's classy. The design, especially the upward strap, is fantastic. Love the color, too. Thanks for posting! -Alex

A special thank-you to everyone who kindly responded. This problem has been driving me nuts for the last month or so. Following several people's advice, I put the imported hide in a heavy plastic bag and set it aside. I also threw away any remaining scraps. (All this with gloves on, of course.) Then, I did a little work with Live Oak (American origin) veg-tan. We'll see if the blisters, as I suspect, completely clear up. I also took Johanna's advice and washed my hands more, not less. Also, as 12stones mentioned, I've fallen out of the use of gloves with leather dye since I'm using the Eco-Flo water-based stuff and I try to be careful. Nonetheless, I'm going to start dyeing with gloves on again, too. Might help. Thanks again, everyone! Regards, -Alex

I'm hoping someone here may be able to help with this... About a month ago, I started developing really small but painful blisters on the pads of my hands. Just a couple at a time, but they were pretty uncomfortable. Well, I switched hand soap from Dial to Ivory. I switched my shampoo. I stopped using the soap at work and ultimately started using Purell instead of soap altogether. I tried to change everything my hands came into contact with to see if I could remedy the problem. Nothing helped. Then, I got busy and didn't do any leatherwork for a few weeks. Things got better. When I got back into my projects, the blisters reappeared. Coincidentally, I purchased a new side of Tandy's cheap, imported stuff (Craftsman Oak) right around the time my problems started. Never had an issue using the top-shelf stuff like Live Oak. At this point, I'm assuming the chemicals in this hide are the problem, but wanted to query the experts here to ask if they've ever heard of any sort of leather allergy. Any comments are sincerely appreciated! -Alex

Spectacular! What a beautiful design. Keep those pics coming, my friend!

Too much? What, are you kidding? We love to see pics! Welcome on-board! Best, -Alex