Suze

would work but I don't have those skills or tools to do it with besides Johanna said she had the punch I need so I guess I should have asked her FIRST >sheepish grin<

My nephew's boy is the one who will inherit all of my worldly goods..... Not married and have no kids. I hope that he will find good homes for a lot of my things. and I am trying to get the 80 years of my parents debrie cleared out before he has to deal with it. And my only sister is not helping in the least. Everything has a "Memory" for her and must be saved HERE --- I cant't tell you how much pure JUNK she has taken home --- because it might be valuable someday you know. like a 50 year old ice chest....or bed pans (Yes you heard me - a bedpan - what Mom saved it for I have no idea either) sigh - it is a fight to get anything OUT of the house. Somehow she finds out when I am in a pitching mood and shows up and makes my life HELL she took home a box of 50 year old sewing patterns that last time that were falling to dust in my hands...she doesn't sew. the worst is when she is telling me that I can't throw out stuff **I BOUGHT** in the first place and is my property. I've just been packing it all in her car - let her husband deal with her. sorry about that - it just slips out sometimes.

wow - I would be sooo afraid to touch these in fear I would muck them up big time. (sort of like the mega bucks material for a costume-- you get one shot and one shot only)

that's good to know - if it isn't a big dimple it could also be a "center mark" for a stamp?

Ouch on the price (well for what I want anyway) fpr a person who is doing it for a living - I suspect that is a very reasonable price Maybe Johanna has one in the shop.......I don't know I haven't been scrounging down there yet. thank you - It might be something that I "could" make money with an be an investment. (glass blobs are looking better then ever - and I HAVE 50 pounds of them) OPPS -- missed your post cuz and it is just a 'new thing to learn" and you KNOW how I am about handcrafts

OK - first I gut a bug in my bonnet to make some game boards....(9 man morris, alaquerqe, etc) for the Arts and Science challange (50 things in 5 years) I was thinking of leather "coins" for tokens.... before I search for a million hours - do they even make a hole punch that is about an inch in diamater - the only ones I see in a quick search go up to 3/4 of an inch and I think that will be too small. I also thought about making "poker chips" for score keeping. (or "fariy coins") I can practice stamping and dyeing at the same time and toss the rotten looking ones. >grin< thanks

she had better like it (I want one)

Well, haven't we all bought something and found out it went "on sale" after we bought it? (I know I have) that's life and the breaks of the game. Or even bought something that was "on sale" and then found the next better model the week later CHEAPER? it bites - and with the economy the way it is right now - I'm afraid we are going to be seeing more of this.

no fair - now I have another source of "thread crack" (as if I NEED any more)

thanks SteveJ that helps. I really like the contrast of the heart and I would be doing a "white" (or very light) leather with a black spot

The Society for Creative Anaconisom will be turning 50 in 2015 and they have put out a challange to any and all to create 50 of something by then and I think that I am going to try for "accsories" While I don't need 50 belt pouches - I really like the looks of that and it would be fun to try something different. Like begining leatherworking isn't challanging enough .... do you cut the design out and then back it or do you sew it up and then cut out what you don't want? (which is what you would do in some kinds of applique)

I'm thinking ermine spot (Heraldic design) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ermine_(heraldry) it is part of our groups device....

ohhhh - I really like the heart one Is it hard to do that kind of leather work? (can a beginner handle it? or is it something that takes skill?)

Thank you all - I got some good comments on it at the event I went to this last weekend too. and I just got a book on turnshoes in the mail from the SCA --- hmmm - maybe? (It's the Compleat Anacronist for anybody that knows SCA stuff) I still have to fix that silly rivet that popped out....

Have you thought about making a "second purse" out of cloth nicely finished around the top edge and using some sort of snaps or velcro or some such to put it inside the purse If it got dirty it could be taken out and washed would be a selling point for ME anyway OH just thought of another way gromets in the cloth and holes in the leather and Lace it in. Put a button where one end of the lace is and put a loop on the lace so the customer can unbutton it and take it out easy My two pennies

I thought about the folds and the "sharpness" of the fold I was wondering if I could wet the center of the thing down AFTER I folded it and beat it down or iorn it or stick it under a anvil (only half kidding with that one) to "set" the folds. and then put the curly parts on I have folded one out of some seude lace thing that I bought from jo-anns (you know those cards that have about a yard of cut leather on them.....) and it was THICK but it didn't turn out too bad -- needed crispness though

Ok result of an impromto test one half inch wide paper 18 inches long - makes a star with about 2 to 3 inches left over on each point - really can't make it shorter (need finger room) same 18 inch length 3 quarters of an inch wide ---- NOT long enough by about 4 inches (it would not make the center of the star --(the curled stand up points) if you wanted to make a flat star and not put the center points on - it would work) this would have made a star about 4 inchs across I am measuring across form one corner point to another. at the high point there will be 10 layers of leather in the center and 5 on each point....... I don't know if it is doable in leather and look right but I am always up for a challange - and if you have the right supplies - anything is possiable

thanks Crystal let me play with some paper to see just how "short" I can make the stipes and still get a star out of them I usually use pretty long strips of paper and there is a bunch of waste. and yes I will get a "certian someone" to help post a tutorial

Hi all Johanna wants me to make this folded PAPER star http://highhopes.com/3dstar.html IN LEATHER --Yeash what I do for the cousin's anybody have a good resorce for "really thin'' leather? I really don't know what kind of ounce weight I should be looking at -- but to get the folds right it should be as thin as possiable (or it will be thicker than it is tall) thanks for looking at this and for your help and I don't think Jo has any THAT thin in the stash

I know a dealer in swords tht will take one of his and "stab" it down in the floor of his booth and bend the hilt to the FLOOR and let go springs right back straight has another one from some other company that is now a C shape from the same treatment (he also hacks apart concrete blooks with his with no nicks that I can see) and that is why the GOOD swords cost the big bucks......

Well I just got back from my first outing with my new purse apparently I have raw talent (really?) and Drake noticed the extra fiber in the stiching (cat hair --- sigh -- and was picking at it) (Johanna you were WRONG - she said that she would be the only one to notice) and the dress pics got a lot of comments too. (See Johanna's Daughter for that one) and the coolest of the day? Our SCA group got a big deal service award (a Purple Fretty, for you all that know about that stuff) for being "Kitchen Staff" I hope to keep it under wraps untill our meeting on Wed night to surprise the ones that wern't at the event. The King was laughing at the 50 year old woman - squeeking like a 12 year old at this one...... I tired - I go bed now

Ok I give to this one - most events in our area do NOT charge for merchants our Shire does not for one - we make them set up outside there is no lack of space and they are already paying for entry fees. and tent camping fees if they are staying and we want merchants - so we don't charge and a simple tunic is good enough around here (even if you wear it over jeans or a purchased pair of sweat pants) I guess we are a little "looser" in that regard

would sombody "kick the record player" it seems the Deb59 is "stuck in a grove" grin

If you really HAVE to sell your tools - If they have never been used - WHY sell them cheap? But I agree with the others that if you have tools and willing hands you can do a lot to make money -- I know Middletown is sort of nowheresville right now - but if you have supplies MAKE STUFF put it up on the web - make SMALL priced stuff we found out in the dollhouse world that the under $20 stuff was the biggest sellers. Right now under $10 would probably do better at a show. Jewlrey - earrings, bracelets, plain necklaces (simple chains out of a cool maile pattern) Have a few bigger ticket items but the small stuff will hold a table. (I used to pay $200.00 table rent with FIFTY CENT items, You have to sell a lot of 50 cents to do that - but it is doable) What about leather "coins" with designs on them? A potter I know makes "farie coins" and sells them for 50 cents - Kids go nuts over them. It would also be a way to practice designs without using big chunks of leather.....and I know you got a whole big box of "scrap" from Mike. I have a few pairs of earrings from MeriMask Designs that I didn't pay much for but are formed leather (leaves in fact) GET THEE TO SCA EVENTS Merchants don't pay table rent just site fees....the one this weekend is $8.00 (plus a $3.00 non-member surcharge) pack food in and what have you paid for gas to get there and a nomanal site fee. times are tough all over - but a willing pair of hands can do a lot...... and just because you don't think you need a Dr's help - doesn't mean you're right. You said you are very overweight -- are you under a Dr's care for that? they can help a lot you know.

I only made you be a peasant when you were being a "brat" and I guess the "genius and creativity" is part of the "spiderweb" brain that I have - when you can look at something and see 15 other things in it...... besides like I said --- Barbie doll --- it's fun to dress a Barbie doll Now I know why Mom had fun dressing US up......