DoubleC

Beautiful job Renee. Cheryl

Thanks so much Glen. I will take all your advice to heart. And quit worrying about perfection, but rather on improving with each project.

Since the incident at chat I'm in total panic mode. Everything I look at of mine looks like junk to me. I'm working on a wallet and just started it over because it looked like a kid's school project to me. I don't know what to do or how to stop this. If I can get this wallet to just go right maybe I'll get some of my self-confidence back, but I don't know. I'm thinking of quitting the Marketplace because I feel like such a fraud. I don't know how one conversation could have devastated me to this point. I do nothing but sleep and think about Heather's journal....have all the pieces cut out but I have to carve another aster at least on it and I do want to pick up my swivel knife. I now wonder that any of the comments I got on the last one were honest. I go to chat and I find my mind wandering and can't keep up with what's being said. So I get tired again and go back to sleep. I've fallen asleep on just the arm rest of the couch and one cushion, didn't stretch out for hours. I really want to quit leatherwork completely, just act like it was never a part of my life this past year. I am not sure what I'm going to do yet, all I see when I'm awake are those posts in chat running down the page.

I recently bought a stitching punch to speed things up although I have three old cast iron Singers and any of them would probably have worked without thread. Actually I'm hand sewing a project now and left my punch and good awl at work so I think I'm going to try that on a project I'm currently working on and see if it works. I'll let you know if it does because these old Singers can be had for a song if you don't need anything but the flywheel and needle assembly to work. Cheryl

Allen it turned out wonderful. Just looking at the lacing makes me tired because I know how hard that is in thinner leather. The inlay is really good, just an overall fine job. Cheryl

Hi Jax. I just use the parks method when I take the time Other times I just get the leather really wet (not soping though) with a sponge and let it get back to an almost natural color before I start anything with it. You can tell if it's ready usually because the leather will be really cold where as plain dry leather isn't. I don't use all the other things in mine but I don't carve a lot so might want to try some of those ideas. When you put it in the fridge overnight that just allows for the water to soak throughout the leather more evenly. Cheryl

very nice for a first project, too bad about being hooked There goes all your extra money and more. Cheryl

I've probably hurt people unintentionally too and if I have, to those I did I truly apologize. I hope you will understand it wasn't intentional. However, a running conversation about one person's perceived shortcomings is intentional and hurtful. I just hope what Mikey has said will be taken to heart by all and keep chat fun and friendly like it's always been. Cheryl

Well last Marketplace before Christmas. And I'm very glad we'll be going back to out regular hours now, just Saturdays. To someone not disabled it might seem two days a week was nothing, but three of the other days were being taken up with life, as everyone can relate to, a day for leather, and then getting ready for the MP. I didn't do too bad today although people are not impulsive about leatherwork I'm finding out. Not even the little ornaments. However I did have a guy order two last week and a custom bookmark so I made his up new and he picked them up yesterday. A vendor at the MP had me repairing his tool belt and when I gave it to him finished yesterday he liked it so well he ordered a buffalo wallet. His other, 30 YO one held together on one end by duct tape was made from buffalo though smaller grained than mine. He likes what I have because it's thick. We have a saying in VT the only two things every household needs is duct tape and bag balm I worry once I put the pockets in it may be too thick but his wife liked it too, so we'll see. I'll redo the pockets for him in chap if it is. So had a 30.00 day yesterday with another bigger day next week if I get the wallet done. I should because I just got a leather day back. I am tried, glad Christmas is almost over and can get back to whatever normal is for my life. Another great thing that happened was a vendor mate helped me take all new pictures of items I sell for Etsy until my battery went dead since I thought it was charged fine. She's going to help me finish up next week so since I slept the rest of the day away I guess I'll update Etsy tonight. We were 5 items shy of being done but this will keep me plenty busy. Thanks for all your support before and through Christmas and happy holidays to everyone. And a special thanks to you Mikey Dale (immiketoo) for giving me the camera that makes updating my Etsy site possible.

very nicely done, great on the letters. cheryl

Renee, what a project and what an awesome job you did. Cheryl

beautiful job Mike. You are really turning out some nice projects. Cheryl

absolutely beautiful. Cheryl