chocolateducttape

Looks great to me! Nice work!!

Oh also another way to reduce image size is just to save it in a different file format. If you've got a bitmap image (ends in .bmp) that's going to be a way bigger file size than a JPG, GIF or PNG image. In my experience though, when you're changing file formats, JPGs and GIFs usually distort the image. So usually if I want to reduce file size without messing up the image or making it smaller, I resave it as [file name].png and that generally reduces it by a third at least. But you can't just add .png to the end of the file name because that'll either do nothing or corrupt the file- assuming you have Windows, open the image in Paint, click Save As, and go through the list of file types until you find Portable Network Graphics (*.PNG), and that should do the trick.

I occasionally have trouble getting images to upload too. Sometimes it's a simple issue of the file size being too big- try going into Paint or whatever photo editing software you've got on your computer, and reduce the image size by half. But when it just won't work and I'm getting annoyed because I can't figure it out, I go to a photo upload site and put my pictures up there, copy their URLs, then insert them using the little "Insert Image" button below the font box when I start a new topic. Hope that helps!

Hey all, thanks for the replies and sorry I haven't replied yet. I'm using one of the Craftool splitters and mainly I've just tried veg tan tooling leather... I'm trying to get techniques down now, I haven't got a specific project yet. I'm going to try and do a stockwhip at some point though.

So, I'm endeavoring to get into braiding, and from the reading I've done I figure the best way to start is by learning to cut my own laces. Which is far easier said than done, but I'm determined to figure it out. Now I'm just wondering- when I get to the point of using a splitter, how exactly do I use it? I've tried using one a couple of times but it always ends up skiving down and cutting through the leather, not splitting it to an even weight. I know I must be doing something wrong, but I have no idea what. Any thoughts?

Thanks! It's silver mylar lace. (It really does look blue in the picture though!) I borrowed the idea from the guy that taught me how to do lacing.

Those are really cool! I like 'em.

Many thanks for the kind words y'all!

Thanks! 48"- he likes them short for some reason, not that I know enough about guitars to say for sure whether that's unusually short- but there are 8 extra inches on there. I'm not sure exactly how long it took me to lace it. I think about a week, but it was one of the more hectic weeks of my life, so my leatherworking schedule was decidedly catch-as-catch-can.

The first one is a guitar strap I made for my friend Sean; the second is a sketchbook cover I made for me; and the third is a purse I made, also for me. The sketchbook cover is background dyed black (and I need to work on my dyeing skills but that's OK), and the purse is filigreed over navy-blue suede.

Wow! Good job, those are gorgeous! When/where/from whom did you learn to make saddles?

Randy- thanks for the assurance of a good class! I am very excited about it and I hope to learn a lot. Luke- Mr. Chappell's website is trailtowncustomleather.com.

Awesome. The whole no-finish plan will make working with deerskin easier than I expected. Thanks y'all!

Those are gorgeous! Very nice work.

Those are great! I'll be taking one of Mr. Chappell's classes soon so it's nice to get a preview of what I'll be doing. Even though I doubt I'll be super at it on my first go.

Welcome aboard! I'm a beginner too, join the club. (Well, I've been in this stuff for two years, so I don't guess I qualify as a 100% beginner anymore, but I'm definitely closer to beginnerism than not. Especially as I find out how much more there is to learn.) This forum is great; not only do you get your questions answered by knowledgeable leathercrafters, but you also get to look through other people's questions and find out about things you never would have thought to ask.

Cool. Thanks!

Should you use a finish on deerskin? (i.e. when making garments and things) If so, what works well?

Looks great to me! Now I want to try the whole braiding thing...

Cool! Thanks for the knowledge sharing. I'm not going to get any fancy machinery specifically for bootmaking until I have some idea what I'm doing and am sure I'll stick with it, but I did get to see a bunch of Artisans at the IFOLG show this fall and I think I am leaning toward one of them for general stuff. I'm taking Carl Chappell's class.

Well, I got a huge surprise for Christmas, which was a sewing machine! But the gift-giver didn't know what I was looking for and has not gotten one yet, but told me to pick out the one I wanted. The trouble is, I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for either. I'm taking a bootmaking class over the summer, and I don't know whether that requires a specialized machine (and if so, what kind of specialized machine) but that is definitely the sort of thing I'd like to make in the future. So far, though, I've mostly done purses, wallets, and such, and I'll definitely be doing more of those; probably some lighter-weight horse gear as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks y'all!

Firstly: what is a good first sewing machine? I want something that's versatile, will last me a long time, and isn't too difficult to figure out. I'm not buying one anytime in the immediate future, but I've been thinking of investing in one, and I want it to be a good investment when I do. Secondly: has anyone here ever done anything with fur? If you have, can you point me to any books or information sources on how to work with it? I don't have any pressing need for information on the subject, but it would be interesting to learn about.

Thanks very much!

Can anyone tell me who the vendor at the 2007 ifolg was that had the tool holders, wooden forms, awesome tool carriers, and such? Can't find the card I picked up!!!!!! Thanks-