DoubleC

Thank you Cappy, me too.

Thanks Tramp, back at it today. Hope to have a really good day today. Cheryl

I made these up yesterday for a show today and tomorrow. Cheryl I forgot to mention how much fun it was to be back at work. Cheryl

I have one and I use it on light leathers. like 2 oz. But I wouldn't use it on anything thicker. And make sure you get leather or denim thread for it. Cheryl

Hi Double. Use your picture program on your computer to make your images smaller, 600 x 800 seems to be a good size to upload. And a paypal account is easy to get, I've had one for years. And welcome. Cheryl

Yeldarb, when I did my first one I had the same problem. I wet the veg tanned I was using and made a crease in it, and put a Chicago screw through the top of the fold. I guess the best way would be to narrow your gusset as you head toward the top. Cheryl

Oh absolutely know the feeling

Oh Mac I didn't know that. So you're wanting to market the change purse. Hey put your etsy link in your sig area so we can have a look. I can share some marketing ideas, none of which I ever seem to have time to use Get a facebook page in your business name or call it marketing kickstarter or something. Do something to it twice a day (something I don't do). Add pics, different angles of pics, change your pics, heck add leather worker poetry, lol just so it's out there in front of people. Since you're going to use the money to market, I've heard facebook page ads aren't that expensive. Also I would see what etsy ads cost to put your name near the top. I'm trying to think, there has to be more stuff. Are you building a website? Here our local chamber of commerce will do an article on you and put it in the newspaper. You may be doing all of this already, I don't know. But we have a forum on here for marketing ideas too, these are just off the top of my head. Cheryl

Hi Mac. I love your change purses (since I don't know how to make them but are you going to launch a business with just three items? That would be ok if you were launching something like 400.00 messenger bags and 800.00 purses but I don't see how you can live off the amount of money you can make with those three handmade products. A very wise man told me on here once 'Don't try to make up in volume what you can't make in money.' The man was Art and I've always tried to remember that. Perhaps you should contact him on here and he can explain it better. I make key chains and fobs and sell them for $5.00 at the Christmas show I do every year. And the most expensive bracelet I have is 18.00. It's very decorative, my other ones I sell for 10.00. I'm not trying to discourage you, honestly. I just think maybe a few more items in the line up would be good. Cheryl

I think it looks great for a first one. I agree with zulu about the edges could use a little work. All you need to do is get them damp and use canvas or denim to rub them vigorously to get the burnished look. Some people just spit on their edges. I use quikslik from Sheridan leather I guess because I'm lazy. Personally I've never had any luck with edge kote because it just kinda lays on top of the leather and sometimes rubs off. Any dark dye will do, a lot of people want their edges black, but you could use a darker brown on the watch strap. If you want to learn to burnish like a master, check out hidepounder's pinned topic in 'how do I do that' on edges. Ton's of great info there. Cheryl

I don't know what machines are available in Australia but I think Steve ships international now, so I'd call Cobra and see if they have any used machines. Cheryl

Hi Pnj, you can get jeweler's rouge (the white stuff) at Springfield Leather Company for under 4 bucks http://springfieldleather.com/24713/Jewelers-Rouge%2CWhite%2C1-8-lb/ To avoid paying shipping though if that's all you want try hobby lobby or michael's or tandy if you have one close to you. You won't believe the difference it makes. Cheryl

Doogs your pics aren't hyperlinked. Cheryl

It's so hard to tell size when an object is alone when photographed. I think it's absolutely beautiful, really i do. Cheryl

I personally love red And That is so well made and beautiful I would use it for a laptop bag, etc. I'd never cut it up. However I don't know who Mulberry is

All I can say is OH NO!!!!!

Lew we all want to do everything. It's not stupidity I don't think, it's more wanting to try different things. Then you find you don't enjoy some things as much as other. Keep on trucking and trying things

Chief isn't it amazing how some lessons have to be relearned no matter how long you do this?

I'll have to get in touch with them and see if they work with a cobra. I haven't really had a problem yet, but I'd really like to try them. Thanks, Cheryl

Well I started this topic a long time ago and it's nice to see it brought up again because I just learned some more things Sharkey I have a show the first week of December and have known about it since the first week of November last year and haven't made a single new thing. Cradon I learned the uh metal, wet leather and dark spots a while ago I use bricks as weights, seriously. Nstar, that's a good thing to know. Where do you get no stick needles? CG, Have been there and done that. Hair dryer, leather, high heat and glue = uh, no no. Tramp, looking at Bobby Parks work makes most of us a tad suicidal, but oh how nice on the eyes I could talk about the things I've learned since I started this two years ago but it would probably depress me. I seem to learn a lot of things to not do!!!!! But I still love what I do and the folks here at LW.net.

That's just gorgeous Ed. Cheryl

lranger, this is a light weight project I'm doing on my cobra. I'll show you my first one, 10 oz doubled....You can see it was so hard for me to hold the bends that I had to wet the leather to roll it to sew.

Ray it's safe to say I'm afraid to answer because I'm afraid the show 'Hoarders' is after me . Just looking around the room I see antique furniture, a tin pot with a copper bottom, wooden jewelry hanging, elephant sculptures, antique wood boxes, Antique sewing machines. That's just glancing around And love them all.

If you look at the first pic lranger you'll see the material on the front is sewn pretty well, not perfect by any means. I held the lamb in place with double sided tape. However I sewed it before this picture and you can see in the second picture where I didn't have it taped and the pig stretched all over and the lamb didn't. This is just a prototype, first time I've made a pouch with fringe so I am learning as I go. The pouch will be rounded on the bottom. You can still see here that there's very little room for the thread to knot in the middle. Cheryl