Clay

Thanks for taking the Challenge. Very nice roses and neat to see them in various carving styles. Great job!! ClayM.

Well it has been a long while but it is back!! The challenge for the month of February is a Rose. I thought it would be apropriate due to Valetines Day. There is no set pattern for this challenge as there are lots of rose patterns out there so find one you like tool it up, color it if you like, add some hearts or a cupid. Make it all mushy and give it to your Valentine!!! So there you have it, I challenge you to a rose!!! ClayM.

Well I was not expecting this but thanks everyone! My daughter gave birth on Wed night at 11:40 She was 7 weeks early. The baby boy Owen Alexander was just over 4 lbs. He was given some meds for his heart and was on oxygen tubes for the first few days. he his now off that and doing great, Mom is good and eager to get him home. and by the way I AM too young for this!! ClayM.

Ok add me to the list too ClayM.

I am working on a new challenge for Feb. I will take the ideas you all have given and try to use them in the near future. If anyone has any other ideas for a good Monthly Challenge PM me and I will use the best ideas. And for the antlers we will take em!! ClayM aka Bert

Paul, Too cool man!! That is truly a one of a kind knife there!! I was thinking of calling you the other evening, I have my garage/ shop almost set up and I was goofing around and I can't find my 3/8ths blade that you made for me!!!! I switched it to try out that 1/8 inch blade I got from you when I was in Alb. It got lost some where during the move.. If I don't find it soom I guess I will need to have you send me a new one... ClayM.

Freak, I just love looking at your work it is always so origional and always looks well done and very professional!! Oh and very FUN!! Bert!!

Good Morning and Merry Christmas everyone!!! Well we are all full of Hanna Montana and Spiderman, noise makers and shooters, makeup, and plastic knifes, cars trucks and new clothes, the kids want to play with everything at the same time and we have already had two bouts of "That's Mine!!! No!! Santa brought it just for MEEEEE!!!! They have no clue how spoiled they are!! lol I am curious to know what great new stuff, leather related or not, that Santa droped off for you. My best present was of course another great year with my Family, Home, Health and Heart! But I also got season tickets in the nose bleed section to the new Pro Hocky team here in Rapid. So you will know where to fine me each Friday and Saturday night till March LOL ClayM.

Curt, As a TLF manager I have been fortunate to work with V.A. Hospitals doing demos when I can. I also supply them with all of their tools and suplies. I know that sveral of the Vets have been able to have large amounts of tools and leather purchased for them throught the V.A. I do not know what the requirements are, and I am sure that it takes a while to happen. I have put to gether orders for Disabled Vets before that were in the thousands of dollars. It might be worth while to check with your local V.A. ClayM.

Harvey, I am hoping to be there this time and would be willing to take part in a leatherworker.net gathering. ClayM.

I look forward to meeting you, We have a bad cup of coffee available to all visitors who are brave enough to try it. ClayM aka Bert

Well The first time I tried to start this belt I was having a hard time getting the pattern traced down to the leather, then the swicelknife cuts were not coming out the way I wanted so I contacted Jeff Mosby and he made me a stamp that was able to cut the knotwork into the leather making it a lot faster neater and easier. It took away the tracing and swivelknife work so all I had to do was bevel and background. For the background I ground down a A-104 background tool to about one third of the origional size for the tiny areas. Thanks, ClayM.

Morning everyone I finished this celtic belt and thought I would share it. It is colored with spirit dyes and antique paste. The belt is a one inch dress belt. The knotwork is only a half inch so it was a little tight doing the tooling. ClayM.

My silly injury happened a few years ago, I had been sewing up a belt late in the evening and was very happy with the way it was coming out. I decided to show it to my wife for that much needed wifely support. She was already in bed so I sat down on the edge of the bed to show her the belt, when the awl sliped out of my hand and fell towards my open lap. Before I could stop my self I automaticly closed my knees together to catch it. (didn't want it to stick into my foot I guess!) My right leg caught the handle end of the awl about six inches up from never never land and pushed the freshly polished pointy end of the awl into the muscle of the left leg, all the way to the handle. I don't recall getting much support from the wife for that one......She is a nurse and she helped me pull it out and dressed the wound, after she caught her breath and stopped shaking with laughter. ClayM.

Thanks guys!!! the trio says thank you too to Clay and his mom too!!!Johanna, wow that got there faster than I thought it would Lol you can now cut and trim any piece of leather and make it smaller!!!

whoa now that is creepy!!!! i dont know what to say about that!! lol Bert

Hi everyone, Last night was the monthly meeting of the Dakota Territory Leather Guild here in Rapid. After our business meeting we were treated to a wonderful show and tell by one of our members. He used to work for Knotts Berry Farm in California. He worked along side of Ken Griffin and was given a folder full of Kens origional hand drawn tooling patterns. They were great!!!! There were the origionals of a couple of doodle pages, several pages to a book that Ken was wrighting but never finished and many other paterns. He alo had an piece of leather that was beyond belief.. it was an origional Al Stohlman hand tooled leather page from the leather craft tools book page 25. I was able to get a couple of pictures with my cell phone so I am sorry that they are not the best. It will be hard to top this show and tell!! ClayM.

Crystal LOL that has got to be the reason!!! I am inside out!! I think that Kathys camera is a portal to another dimension and that is not really me!!! Bert aka ClayM

Here are the results of the Billy Wootres Swivel Knife Shootout held at the Colorado Saddle Makers Assn. Fall Seminar in Salida, Co October 10 - 12, 2008' I am warning you all, only open this link if you want to be amazed, awestruck and inspired!!! This is similar to the swivel knife finger cut challenge that we did a few months ago. PabloZ of Leather Wrangler Inc. home of the coolest swivel knives on the planet sponsored the contest. http://www.leatherwranglers.com/contest.html ClayM.

Well the class was lots of fun. Kathy is a great teacher!! The students were all having a lot of fun. The project was challenging but not too hard. I think I may be the first leatherworker to get a blister on the top of my finger while modeling in all of the lines on the lumber part of the picture. So of course I recieved expert medical attention...no wait that was expert comical heckling from the other students and especially the teacher. I hope to have Kathy back in Rapid City soon for another class.....I was having too much fun and forgot to take pictures so Kathy or Ernie will have tp supply them. ClayM.

Kathy, I can hardly wait to see what happens in the class!! It is going to be alot of fun. ClayM.

happy birthday!!!!!! ClayM.

Attention class!!!

Caroline, Great job. I like how you did the hair on yours. Ernie, It is very hard to get done being lazy, how do you know when you are done with it? I have been trying for years to quit but have not been able to. I may need to go to a support group LOL Bert

Collin, Nice pattern, But I have to ask if that has it been pressed on with a plate? It is difficult to make out swivel knife cuts and bevel lines. I am just curious as it sure has a different look to it. Would you please show some up close pictures? If it is not a plate can you describe your process? I hope that I am not being insulting because that is not my intention. Thanks for posting ClayM.