DoubleC

Michael, long time no hear from. Been thinking about you hoping you were ok. Questions answered, big meeting out of the way, now just doing products for Sat. Cheryl

Just made this up for a craft market.

Thank you so much. But I think I'll wait until it translates into a few bucks before I change my name But if I don't get some orders it won't be because I'm not trying to get the name out there locally!!!!

Thanks you guys. I'm pretty excited about it. I'll be sure and tell everyone about the show too. cheryl

I would Phil, it would be the best thing for my head I know except she's about 20 miles from here. I have to arrange to go see her

Thanks you two. Actually Cheryl I'm feeling overwhelmed right now. I have my first craft show Saturday and don't know what to expect and feel like I haven't made enough products, and I have paperwork I still need to get done for tomorrow for a meeting on my business plan and grant, and finding things since the move that I need for the craft booth and getting them there, table, chair, displays, etc. It seems like everything is going really good but at the speed of light. I honestly just feel tired, grateful but tired. I could probably post something good that's going on in my life this last month everyday. But I wish I could just stop my head for a little while, I have lists within lists so I don't forget things, no matter how much I do I feel I could be doing more. I'm sure everyone feels like this once in a while, but I'll just be glad when it's Sunday and I have some of the things behind me and I can just take 15 minutes to figure out which way I want to go next. Besides bed, LOL.

Thank you David. Duane's one of our most popular musicians as you can see from his schedule and is always telling people who did the work when they ask. Now having a way for them to contact me feels pretty good. It's a long process of getting your name and products in front of people and I so appreciate his help. Cheryl

Wow Mike, I can imagine how nerve wracking it was on something that thin. You did an excellent job. I wish I could control my knife that well on a thicker piece. Absolutely beautiful. Cheryl

Hey, make good comfy slippers if it's something you're interested in making. I just wanted you to see you can still use your leather for things. :-) Cheryl

I think this will be good advertising for me and I'm glad he liked his straps enough to do it, especially since the last one took so long. http://www.duanecarleton.com/gear_page.htm

Here, take a look at these Zachary

Oh of course don't waste them. You can still use it, just not for tooling. They will make some nice small projects, and make them like you wanted a 'rough out' surface which is popular on a lot of projects. 15 bucks is a small price to pay for what you already learned about leather. I've paid a lot more than that for some of my mistakes along the way and expect to pay more in the future. OH, oh, oh, I'm getting ready to make some mocs and you turn the rough side in toward your feet. I was going to do some tooling and carving on the grain side to help them with 'grip.' This leather would be perfect for that, rough on both sides. Why not make her a pair of moccasins? There's great youtube videos on how to make them and they aren't hard. Let me see if I can copy the link for the one I have. brb. Cheryl

These are splits off a thicker piece of leather. I hope you give the guy negative feedback. Cheryl

If both sides are rough you probably got splits and you won't be able to tool them I don't think. Because when they 'split' a thicker piece of leather one piece ends up without a grain side. It's still technically veg tanned but the seller wasn't exactly being honest about the purpose. You can still use it and dye for projects, kinda like you would use a suede. I'm sorry but that's the only thing I can think of that would make it rough on both side. Cheryl

I have never used neatsfoot oil for anything. I don't mean to say it can't help in some situations, but get your dyes for now. Anyway that's what I would do. If you can't find any bag balm, vasoline works too. Cheryl

Good job considering it was you first bag. Won't repeat advice already given but give yourself a pat for sticking to it. Cheryl.

I have an olfa rotary cutter and I cut all over the place with it. I've just about decided on this when I get the money http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006HV9O8/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=A2G88111572J8M It's the heavy duty, cuts up to 30 sheets paper with means I think 6 oz in leather, and since it locks the material in place you can get a good scoring on heavier leather to later use a different cutter on, plus can move the scored leather to the right, lock it down again, and hold it still while you use another cutter on the score. At least that's what I hope. Thanks, Cheryl

Thanks so much shtoink, Cheryl

All good advice, especially the breathing and a horse. I haven't seen mine for almost 4 months and she's going to probably eat my face off when I do. I know a couple hours just brushing her and feeding the little glutton carrots would do so much to refresh me but I'm always so tired I can't get there to get refreshed. But man you just made my paperwork etc. problems look small compared to what's on your plate. Thanks so much, Cheryl

and pulling my hair out. I'm going to do my first Craft market next Saturday and just found out about it Friday. I was going in 50 different directions and finally stopped and wrote a list of things I wanted to do and things I wanted to take. It's my first one and I know I won't remember everything I need but I hope I at least remember my products. So I stayed up all night working on products and my list and just when I thought the coast was clear George, who's editing my article for Cider mag, a musicians magazine started asking me questions about the questions I answered for him last week. So many things are happening at once I may crawl into a dark corner and wail. How do you people, who are a one-person band handle all the different tasks a business requires. Any short cuts would help me immensely because the paperwork is so daunting along with making arrangements, and doing things like the article for advertising, and of course life constantly interferes Cheryl

Bill you make such a valid point and I know by the time I've worked on my paperwork, leather, meetings, etc. sometimes I just look because I want to see the persons work but just too tired to come up with something that doesn't empty. I think you'd make a wonderful ambassador and I'm so happy for the forum you stayed. Cheryl