DoubleC

OK Bigfoot, here's a practice piece I did of the Tree of Life. I don't have the tan antique yet so I just didn't push the dark brown into all the crevices, then I put it and the state against a piece of dark brown leather I just dyed for a cuff bracelet. So whatcha think?

Of course Al, the man who always has every idea first :-) It's like Osborn tools. If it's a chewed stick matting tool, I swear it has his name on it some where. Well Al doesn't get the credit for your execution of it and I am not trying to dismiss his genius because the man will always be a legend. Still I think yours is beautiful. Cheryl

Suddenly I've found I'm afraid of doing something new....which has always been my strong point. I'm doing a multitechnique guitar strap and cut out the leather plugs quite a while ago. But it need a tree of live carved and stamped on it too. I have put that off for ever. today I PRACTICED on a piece of leather the same width as the guitar strap. I don't remember when I've ever practiced anything first...although I probably should have. To make it worse, it needs to be a maple tree which does not lend itself to the circular pattern you need for a tree of life. It turned out fine, and now I can dye the practice piece and antique it to clear the colors with the customer.....but I practiced it. Aren't we supposed to get more confident as we go along instead of regress? Cheryl

Can I be the first to complement you on an intriguing idea plus a wonderful execution of it. It really is just too cool. If it was me I'd use resolene or if you don't have that, mop n glo, either of them cut 50% by water on the inside and outside. Cheryl

Because every tool you get from them needs sharpening right off the bat? LOL. I try to stay away from their things if I can. I got an oblong punch from them that would punch a hole in brownies, and sent it back and I get my things from SLC now. And I've dulled all my tools so I just ordered a whetstone set from SLC to get everything back in good sharp shape. Cheryl

LOL, Peter. Just say no! Cheryl

I put FOUR and I'm hard pressed to do that because it does seem silly. And a waste. I get any older and grumpier it may soon go to two :-) Cheryl

Hi Peter. You answered your own question, his gut is still growing Actually I can only answer from personal experience. I made a strap for a man who does open mic night and different people use his guitar. Other than that I don't have a clue unless it's to make us strap makers crazy. I hate trying to make sure the oblong holes are straight. For other people I don't get it and maybe it came from some time in the past when people only had one strap and everyone in the house used it? Your guess is as good as mine. I recently made a messenger bag for me, and the strap is one piece, no buckle. All of these things have a buckle, but not mine. What? I'm going to have a growth spurt at my age which will render the bag up to my chin? I don't think so and people are barely allowed to touch it much less borrow it so why did I need a buckle? Yet all of them have buckles. I think it comes from the past perhaps and no one has changed it. Interesting question Peter. Cheryl

Patience my friend, was working on inexpensive bracelets for my Etsy site, need something less expensive on there. Plus need things from My Springfield order to finish the strap. It will sure be a marvel to behold when I unveil it or perhaps look like I made it for a circus clown. You're right, the customer is seldom right which is why I use my considerable powers of persuasion to steer them in the right direction but the man about had a stroke when I wanted to dye Vermont green and the Native American word VT. means verdant hills. It's uh, very green here. I mean it's so green from all the rain, did I mention it's pretty green here? I was afraid he wouldn't like the tractor because I did actually used some red in the brown dye to achieve the rusted look plus some red left But today I start the stamping the initials and the tree of life on it. How's 'bout I put a picture of that on here? Will that suffice until I get to completely finish it? And after all I did talk him into doing it dark with light antiquing which is the reverse of what he wanted. If I'd done it the other way my lovely cutouts would have faded like a wall flower on prom night.

You want pictures too! aye, have a few hundred as if they were kids. The first is Lucky I reahabbed The next is Flora the 28 And then there's Squeaky the Sphinx Or it would have been had the pictures loaded the way I wanted, LOL

HI MIKE.... Exactly, LOL. Honestly I sew most of my things on the 28 handcrank, haven't even moved up to the 15-91 beast yet, LOL

they're search doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason, I would suggest you call their toll free number and tell them what you're looking for. I know from other people here their snaps are much better quality than Tandy. You may pull up two items using a perfectly rational search, but if you call you'll find that the number may increase to 102. I get all my supplies from there so I really can't speak to other companies....Sorry, Cheryl

Check out Springfield Leather Company, they have tons of quality stuff. Tandy doesn't have anything of professional quality anymore. Cheryl

I feel for you. I have a Singer 15-91 from the 30s, a 27 treadle from 1896, and a hand crank 28 from 1908. We;ve talked about having a group on here for support to keep us away from the damn old iron :-) Cheryl

Johanna I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done, and did before all the changes. I'd be more than happy to do a tutorial if I new what on. I'm getting ready to start a guitar strap that will have hand sewn plugs, stamping and carving. I could take pictures of the process for other people.I also could explain how I made my messenger bag although it's kinda late for the pictures, although I did take a few along the way. There are people much more qualified than I am for both topics but I am willing to do either. OR I could do a step-by-step tutorial on starting a leather business. I started that process here last January and I'm still in the process. It's a huge undertaking and I can make that part really clear :-) I mean if you do it right with a business plan, marketing strategies, and keeping up with all your paperwork. Let me know if I can help. Cheryl

I use a sponge for most my dyeing, and even if it's oil based I dampen the leather first. Being completely dry probably prevented the eco-flo, a water based dye, from penetrating the leather evenly. Dampen the holster and try it again and see if that helps. Cheryl.

Unfortunately I'm trying to marry custom with a business and that is a problem. I'm much too slow in my production right now because of all the different things I try. I think once I really get up and running I'll be able to settle into my original line of products and stay with those They'll still be custom but they won't be any project a person wants done. I have a hard time saying no to any new projects because I like doing different things. I'm in the process of making a new custom strap, finishing up a dog collar, and I just finished making me a messenger bag. That's kind of all over the map but I do have a couple of projects I'm working on that will be similar to each other for my etsy store and increase production time but I'll still primarily be doing custom work, and those will just be fillers I can work on when I'm feeling tired or not in a creative mood. There's room for all kinds of things when you work with leather and as long as I love what I'm doing I won't stop. Even things like the similar bracelets I'm going to be doing I love the part of sewing the lining on with my old Singer 28 hand crank machine. I really like doing that and use it most of the time because it does such a good job and it relaxes me. I have two other old Singer's I use too besides hand sewing. People keep telling me I can't use machines like the ones I have but they forgot to tell the machines and I have a love of old things. I'm so new to this work I'm still finding my way or more like letting a way find me maybe. Cheryl

Those are truly great Gorec. Cheryl

It has to all be the same kind of dye, you can't mix oil dye with water based, but as long as the 'base' is the same you can mix them together.

DJ I just finished one of these that I blind stitched and I know what a job it is. I think you did a great job on this and will take the cutie in the last picture anytime :-) You did one heck of a good job. Cheryl

That's why none of my stitching is getting done, LOL. Cheryl

d, you can use a basic color wheel to mix them, but your going to really have to be creative to come up with those colors using dye. You can buy the blue but I'd use acrylics paints since there is so many more colors. You just add red to your blue to get the purple, and red to yellow to get the orange tones. You can water them down to get the fading, and use less water to get the deeper tones, but you'll want to water them down. If you get water based dyes you can mix those with the paints too for your browns, adding white to the brown to get the lighter tones. From what I see in the picture you would need red, blue, yellow, white acrylic paint and a brown water based dye. Or you could just use brown acrylic. They will airbrush just fine. Cheryl