EquusCustomLeathers

Well, if you hit the dirt often enough, you'll never see the edge dye:)

Hey! Funny you should say that you see every little flaw, even when others can't...I have tossed alot of spur straps because of that! You have done a great job on these, and you'll only get better as you go:)

I have had trouble in this department with my small business too. I'm too busy actually working to pay much attention to marketing. It's one of the most important aspects of any business, whether we like it or not:) I did find a great way to get the marketing aspect up and running properly, with no cost at all, and no headaches for me. I called a local high school, and community college, and asked if any of their marketing students were looking to upgrade their portfolio. I had quite a few responses, and these kids really know what they are doing! It was a win-win situation for all..I got the website and Google Adwords stuff up and running, and they got "real world" experience in their chosen field. Just a thought for you.

You guys are awesome! I went to my local farm store and picked up some cording. It turns out that I learn much faster with videos than books. I finally figured out the simplest of braids and I have been practising while watching Netflix in the evenings LOL One of my kids was watching me, and decided he was interested, so I showed him how to do it..took him 2 seconds to figure it out! I laughed and asked how he was so freakin' smart..he says "Well it's easy when someone shows ya!" He was right, thank you! Now..I just have to figure out how to put up pictures..but that's a whole other problem. Thanks again..I LOVE the people on this board:)

Brian, thank you for an answer that doesn't make me feel too dumb! LOL I think you are right in saying that the frustration is in expecting myself to "click" on something immediately. I suppose the more frustrated I am in learning something, the more I will value the knowledge when I (eventually) get it. I started with the simplest braid in the book..two thong flat braid. Still can't get it right! It just looks like a tangled up mess to me.. I have a small problem with coordination in my hands, as I have MS and sometimes my hands do not do as they are told:) I don't like to blame inability on a disability, so I think I will walk away from it for a little bit, and try again with much more patience. Thank you so much! Zina

I don't have an actual question for all you braiders out there..just an observation. I love to see a well made, useful object braided, so I thought i would give it a try. I went out and bought "Leather Braiding" by Bruce Grant, and browsed through it a couple of times. Yesterday, I got the brilliant idea of trying to braid a simple tug for my cell phone case..easy, right? Maybe not..I have spent about four hours trying to make a two inch braid. The whole works now resides in the garbage can, and I need a stiff drink LOL So, my point is, you guys are incredibly talented, and much more patient than I am! Hats off to you:)

Wow! All you guys have what my mother would call "a real job!" I left home when I was 15 and ran off to the big city of Toronto, Ontario. Had jobs in doughnut shops, restaurants, bars blah blah blah..Then a friend of mine took me to Greenwood Raceway to see the North America Cup, and it was all over for me! I started working in the backstretch the next day, and horses have been the love of my life ever since:) That was 1989, and I have smelled questionable for many years LOL My precious harness racing is now in jepardy in Ontario, thanks to Dalton McGuinty and his Liberal government, there will be 60,000 of us out of work when they shut down racing here in March 2013:( I now run a breeding farm with 40 mares, that will also be unemployed when that time comes.. But, I believe that I am one of the lucky ones, as I have a small business on the side that will hopefully keep a roof over my head and a little gas in my truck. Leatherwork has become a large part of that business, and it is a wonderful stress reliever to boot. Everything in my life up to this point has been very utilitarian..truck that works, house that the roof doesn't leak, boots that don't leak..nothing with any beauty to it. Leather has changed that..it turns out that I am capable of making beautiful things that I am quite proud of-not anywhere near the greatness that I see on this forum, but I do love learning every day. Thanks to everyone on this forum, for showing me that there is more to life than just surviving, and that sitting at my bench for hours(making mistakes!) fills up a void that I didn't even know was there!

I have been fooling around making a few bronc halters..I don't think mine will ever compare to yours-they're gorgeous!!!

Thank you! I don't know the first thing about motors, so that was really helpful. I'll give it a try tomorrow:) Zina

I really like the colour..very nice!

I have had my Juki LU563 for a while now. I do horse blanket repairs with it, and a little bit of leather sewing..The last couple of times i have used it, I have had a lot of trouble getting it to stop! I thought maybe I was going too fast with it, but the speed doesn't seem to matter-it just keeps going until I grab the wheel and force it to stop. Anyone have any idea why it's doing this? Please help me out before I get more holes in my hands:) Thanks! Zina

Wow! I have been in the horse business for 30 years..never seen such a thing..It's a really cool idea. If I sold them at that price, I would only have to make 10 or so, and then I could retire:) I'll try making one, and see how it goes..how hard can it be? (I'm going to be sorry I said that!!!) Thanks Adam! Zina

I knew you guys had great imaginations! They are all really good ideas, please keep them coming:) Adam, I'm not quite sure what the construction of the cooler rack would be, but it does sound interesting.. Can you expand a little on the description? It would be nice if I could give these folks a few options, so they can decide what would be suitable. Thanks again guys..you're the best! Zina

That's a great idea! Although I have been avoiding going in to tack shops..it costs me almost as much as stopping by Tandy Leather:) I'll pull out the self control and go this afternoon.. Thanks so much! Zina

I have had a request for some kind of gifts for year end prizes for a riding club. They are mostly english riders, and in past years, they have given out coolers, saddle pads, bridle bags etc. They need around 15 items, with a budget of about $30-$40 each, and they need to be done for the end of August. Anyone have any ideas? I am at a total loss, can't think of anything! Keep in mind, that I am new at leatherwork, and this would be my first big order. I want to make sure I get it right..I met these folks through a roper that I sponsor on our local rodeo circuit, and he has been working real hard in promoting my little company, so I don't want to disappoint him either:) Everyone on this board has a great imagination, so I'm hoping you guys can help me out.. Suggestions? Thanks Zina

Wow Cheryl that's great! It's funny how people learn about things..I was in Princess Auto the other day looking for something, and the man that was helping me asked if I knew anyone that does leather work! He saw a horse tattoo that I have on my chest, and jumped to the conclusion:) Long story short, now I'm customizing an old leather jacket to a vest for him..way cheaper than all that advertising!

I just sold one exactly like it for $40.00..I also had 12 Singer heads that I gave away to a guy that wanted to learn how to fix them! They are great machines-sew just about anything:)

Hi Cheryl! Thank you for the help, I spent a couple of hours last night cruising the board, and came to the same conclusion. That's why they say it takes a lot of patience to do leatherwork:) I'm a "I want it done yesterday" kind of person, so all that waiting for coats to dry should teach me how to slow down a little. Using Bag Balm is a great tip that I hadn't heard before, I am going to give that a try for conditioning-I run a breeding farm with 40 mares, so I might just have some kicking around here somewhere! What do you think I can do with the belt that I messed up on? It's just for me, so it doesn't need to be absolutely perfect, but is there anything I can do to fix it? I love this board, everyone is so friendly and willing to help everyone..gives me a little faith in humanity:) Thanks Zina

Hi everyone..I have been lurking on this board for a long time, and this is my first post. If I can't figure something out, I can usually find it somewhere on the board, but I'm pretty confused right now:) I just started doing leather work a couple of monthes ago, so please bear with me..real noobie but you guys are educating me rather quickly. I'm just finishing a belt, and I first dyed with Eco Flo Hi Lite, let it dry overnight. Then I used Eco Flo Antique Gel, wiped it, polished it fairly well, left it to sit for 12 hours or so. Then, I used Fiebings Leather Balm with Atom Wax, thinking it was a sealer..Of course it took all of the antique off, and some of the dye too. Now I have a hot mess that I don't know how to fix. I'm not sure if it's because I used two different brands of products, or I used the Balm for a sealer and that caused the problem..or it's all of the above! Can anyone help me with this? Thanks so much! Zina