DoubleC

I shall now buy shares in TLF so I can retire next year

Oh no, these are very light conchos so they would just be 2 inch earrings. I thought a slightly smaller one would make it look more like a set. Order away, I do them custom :-) Drop me a PM. Cheryl

Hi Bob. Would you suggest the same thing for my 15-91? I have singer all purpose machine oil but just bought some tri-flow grease for the 15-91 after I got the machine. If oil will work, it would be great to just pop the motor cover off after 8 hours and add oil. I'm completely refurbishing it as you know, new wires, etc. and it is one greasy mess. I think I may have to run the head through a car wash before I'm finished. I'm pretty much taking off everything that will come off to get to the years of dust stuck to the oil and grease on the inside. I know the maintenance won't be this bad from now on, but anything that will make it easier without harming the machine I'll do. Cheryl

No honey, these are make on 2 inch conchos. I intend to add smaller conchos for earrings to match but everything costs, and until I get the business actually up and running, I try to stretch things as far as I can. I made one handmade spectacular (to me) eye that was all in proportion after several attempts, that was all hand carved and beveled (still the one I wear although not nearly as good as these) and a genius friend of mine on here used the picture of it to HAND carve me a mold out of wood. It's Tree Reaper and if you ever have a question about something he'll walk you through it if he can. Kevin has been with me through out this whole project, from where my eyes looked like microbes that crawled out of the primordial slime, up to that one almost perfect eye. He critiqued eye after eye. he drew pictures and lines and arrows on my pictures then put them back up on here. And then he made THE mold. It is truly a work of genius. Then I happened to be lucky enough to meet a girl on here WinterBear who can do everything like Kevin I think. She spent time with me explaining about what colors to use to shadow and why, and critiqued the new models with Kevin. So what you see now is their work really more so than mine. That's why you thought the eye was a stone, and they look so realistic, no matter what colors I use for the 'horse.' I made a blue one for my sister and a lavender one for my niece and they looked like they were staring a hole in you as much as this one. It's all about starting with a realistic design (the mold) and adding the right color combinations. On this there is a little saddle tan dye mixed in the white for underneath the eye which would be shaded and a little yellow added to the top which would be in the light. They are actually washes made after the initial color. I have learned so much here Randi-Lee and I am so grateful to have found this group. Actually Kevin found me a machine that makes conchos so after these are gone I intend to make my own. Thanks for writing, Cheryl

Please take that image you just put in my head back out, LOL.

I understand labor-intensive. I did another eye yesterday and it took all day and I still don't have the necklace for it. I could actually do probably 3 a day setting up a little assembly line type thing, working on one while the other ones dried, but I'm not complaining, I love what I'm doing.

Thank you Randi-Lee. I have learned it all here and have so much more to learn, but I'm pretty proud of these.

I finished up a leather belt buckle and white In the Eye of a Horse I started yesterday.

Sylvia, is there such a thing as a tiki that doesn't look demented? One of the reasons (besides business and sewing machines, LOL) that I didn't do the challenge this month. I couldn't even think of anyone I disliked to give it to, LOL. Horrid looking little critters, tikis. Besides I think yours is good. Cheryl

Randi-Lee those don't have a stone in them, that's the effects of painting them and the shadowing. However, I made one for a friend of mine that I put a marcisite and rhinestone cabochon in for the pupil. I just finished a white one last night, just needs the pink suede necklace added to match the underlid and I'm working on a billfold and leather covered buckle with the same design. If you've ever looked into the eye of a horse you've almost put to sleep by scratching it, or in mine's case, rubbed her withers, I can honestly tell you just wearing mine bring me instant peace.

Look at you go Cubby. You made a project and running out the door using it while I'm still trying to decide between cocoa and silver (they're so close in tone it's a hard decision, LOL). I guess I could try a TIKI on my Tom Thumb, but they are kinda monstrous looking little thingys. I could give it to someone for a gift I guess. I don't know how you did that great a job tooling that that thin leather, but it looks really cool.

LOL, Randi this was so long ago I had forgotten about it. I don't even have the partner anymore. Since my name is Cheryl Crossan kept the Double C. I've built the website, subbed it to search engines, accidentally deleted my about me page, and still haven't gotten back there to fix that. So much to starting a business it makes my head spin like Linda Blairs. But thanks for the reminder I need to go fix the about me page. Cheryl

Good luck at the show Ray. And really I don't mind being small right now. I have to do things mostly myself and would never be able to get 1/100th of your stuff anywhere. I don't drive either so the Farmer's market is going to be fine for me over the season, with local calls in between once we get the never ending paperwork taken care of. I played hooky today and didn't touch a piece of paperwork, made a leather belt buckle and another necklace. Finishing them up now. When I have a piece of leather in my hands I remember why I'm doing all the other things I don't like so much, like the paperwork and meetings, etc. And when it turns out nice I REALLY remember, LOL. Again good luck, sell a gazzilion things and have fun. Cheryl

Now that's a question for the sewing machine guys, I just know singers and have seen the adler threads on here :-)

Hi Summer. I have a Singer 15-91 I'm almost finished rehabbing. I love mine, it'll sew anything from silk to around 1/4" leather. I decided to keep one and sell one, so let me know if you're interested.

I make and paint these. I also take custom orders. They don't have to be in horse colors like these; I made a blue one for my sister and a lavender one for my niece. If you want one of a kind jewelry these are it. I have silver plated necklaces on the way, thought I'd see how I liked the look. Tell me how you want it made. $25.00 and 2 for shipping in USA. Would have to figure out shipping anywhere else. Thanks, Cheryl

How 'bout some pictures, info on the leather, etc. I'd like to see it. Thanks, Cheryl

I'm sorry Nikki, I just saw this. I forgot to watch the topic. Thank you honey, it was a lot of fun. Just create, it will be good. Cheryl

Just what trade are you in Bonnie Boy :-) That's ok because I have a THIRD Sphinx that I was going to list for parts that has almost perfect original decals, but found out today a friend can drill out where the faceplate got sheared off so I'll just love it and feed it and take it for walks.

Oh I'm so sorry Darren, maybe I NEED a red wine or two, LOL. May I ask where you got the decals? All I ever see are the Featherweights

Well good grief Darren you should sign your name if you don't want to be called other things (yet even when I sign my name, at times I get called other things.:-) OK, I will replace the wiring, got heavy duty wire for it and the light, but I'm splicing the connectors on with the tape. I am not going to learn to solder at my age on top of everything else !!! Do you mean Sphinx? I'm not familiar with a Phoenix decal but if you get them I'd love to have them, or know where they came from. A phoenix would be too cool.

Hi Bonnie. I'm completely refurbishing the 15 so I am sure not going to be afraid of it when I get done, which I was my 185J. It needs all new wiring which I've begun on and you know how icky the 15-91s get with that potted motor on it and grease. I should take some pictures of it today so I can show what it looks like when I'm done because now the poor child is a greasy dull mess :-) I just ordered some self-amalgamating tape to use in the motor because the wires are fine, and the connectors good but the insulation had disintegrated (too nice a word, LOL) from age. It appears my armature screws are stripped or at the very least frozen beyond WD-40s ability to remove them so when I heard about the tape today I ordered it pronto. I can't believe when I plugged this in and turned it on, it took off like it was new. I was never into motors before, and can't say I still like getting greasy but I'm having fun with this and it's the one I'm going to keep. I have someone locally who is going to teach me to actually sew since I bought out Singer :-)

Hi Nikki. I made a bronc nose band on a rope halter I made just for fun really. I just cut the leather in the shape I wanted, I didn't have a pattern. I've never seen patterns for them because basically someone using these for decoration is still a pretty new fad. But I imagine someone will come up with a pattern before long. Thing is they aren't all the same. Pick something that's shaped like you want your nose band, or draw one on cardboard, something like that and then use your stylus to trace around it on leather. I'm putting a picture of mine up and you can use that for an example if you want. I just measured between the knots on the rope halter and cut it so it would fit inside the knots. I laced a softer piece of leather to it for the back where it touches the horse. It can be sewn, used on nylon halters, they do all kind of things with these. I drew the picture looking at the one posted I found on the internet.

You must own the two that got away from me James :-) But you're right. I'm keeping the 1887 Sphinx treadle 27 I call Rusty because I spent two days prying those parts off, and cleaning them and putting them back together. And just turning the hand wheel and watching it move smooth as silk now makes me feel like I accomplished something important. I put the bullet bobbin holder in the shuttle, and just used the hand wheel to check it, don't have it in the treadle yet, and when the needle went down and caught the thread from the bobbin it was surely a sight to behold. I bought it for $19.99 (won't go into what all the treadle parts cost, LOL) being sold for parts. It is not a bunch of parts, it's a sewing machine that's served people for over 100 years. A little Turtle Wax and what a thing of beauty it is now. The 15-91? All naked right now, parts strewn all over while I wait on new grease, etc. to get here; oily, grimy, faceless and nameless so far until I get everything cleaned, polished, and put back together so it can run like it did in 1938. Not all decorative like it's big brother the Sphinx but shorter, squat, shoulder to the grindstone kind of little workhorse. Keeping the Sphinx is ego I think and I may sell it someday. But all I have ever owned was the 185J and was afraid to use it, much less take it apart. But I did this one, and like an idiot didn't even label the parts, and when it all went back together I had a spring left over :-) I looked at 50 machines online at least until I realized it was the spring for the bobbin winder. I'm not afraid of it, I know it inside and out, as I will the 15-91 when I'm through cleaning, rewiring and putting it back together. Sorry I got a little carried away too, but you get the pint too. Cheryl