Suze

Ok I don't know how to get the pics on this forum but here are some links to some leather cupboard knobs that I found "intresting" http://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-prod...php?p_ref=14065 http://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-prod...php?p_ref=14047 http://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-prod...php?p_ref=13966 http://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-prod...php?p_ref=13964 Johanna told me to post these to see what you all had to say about the "pricing" I found them a bit on the "high side" I am going to be redoing my kitchen and was trolling around on Hardware Hut site to see what was out there in the way of knobs. and boy did I get a shock at some of the pricing http://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-prod...hp?p_ref=188202 this one is almost $900.00 -- I need 38 - yep lets's just jump on that one ... PS if someone want to put the pics up - go for it - I am a hopeless noob at this forum stuff..... Johanna's cousin Susie

As Johanna's cousin, I can say there is a lot more to her story than she posted - but I will leave it up to her to tell what she wants. It had to be a scary move from Atlanta to Ohio with one baby and another "on the way" I don't know if I would have had the corage to do it. The legal nighmares that she when through when John died to get support for his children. She joked about getting that "damed plane back from China" next We all cheered her on when she and Wade "found" each other (and yes he can be a sort of scarry looking man when he wants to) But I know that he will move the heaven for her if she want him to. They have BOTH helped me no end in clearing out the house in the "Grand Sort" and have taken at least 3 pickup loads "away" (I know some of the stuff has just "moved locations" We all get the "packrat gene" natural like) I know she has found her spot in the world with this forum - Johanna is a good "organizer" (I could be too, if only I could get the "throw away gene" to kick in) OH and don't let her kid you - I have seen work she does and it is Good Luv ya Cuz

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7082001554.html Didn't go to any of the sites Johanna posted - But have you all seen this one? $52,500 for something that looks like the box of old purses in the bottom of my closet. What stupit "new rich" people buy to "show off" And I agree with Johanna, Spend that much money it better have a doorknob - Do any of you now have a picture of a leather purse with a real doorknob attached yet? http://www.creativityinstitute.com/index.a...amp;ProdID=1638 How about this - does it count?

I'm in the Barony of Flaming Gryphon (Go Ermine and Or) from around the Dayton OH area

Have you tried useing a "walking foot" (they have the little rollers in them) I found that working with "Stuborn Fabric" (frating- rattin velvet) that the maching was moving the bottom layer and not the top evenly I also have an old Nechii (bought in the early 50's) and while it will sew through just about anything Would plain old "rubber cement" work to stick it together? Would that "rub off" when you were done with it? I have a bunch pieces of soft leather (garage sale find) that I was thinking of making some pouches out of(dice bags, anyone?) and this is a thread that is intresting to me, too.

Hello Peter Very nice - I play SCA in the Middle Kingdom -- Where would you be at.... Mike If you want to find out more about SCA.... look up www.sca.org, lots of info and links to all kinds of subjects. Suze

And WHAT is Wade going to do with it????? huh Inquireing minds and all that....... You can't sew wood with it, you know. Well maybe you can. It is big and heavy. And NO you can't bring it to my basement Sincerely Your cousin

Chiming in here with an observation on pricing... If you have that quality product (and the audience for it) the price can go from O.M.G You want HOW MUCH for THAT!! to You know for the work involved, that isn't too bad a price. to Here's the money --- GIMMEE and that little bit can play out inside of 3 heartbeats. But yes it IS the Wal-Mart Generation, and the only way to combat it is with educating your customers as to the effort it takes to make something. If you work at it a little you can surprise yourself with how many ways to tell a person HOW LONG it took you to make something. Without flat out saying "look - It took me 20 hours to make, I am not going to sell it to you for 5 dollars" Mom used to crochet doilies for the dollhouse and we used to tease her about how many ball games it took to make something. Well if a custumer "overheard" You could see the wheels spinning and turning "dollars to hours" and forked over the money and called the product cheap. Or if they start the "I can make THAT" speach. HELP them understand the outlay just to start - play dumb - tell them where to find the best price on tools. (Telling them the price of course) I must have bought 3 hundred dollars worth of colored pencils for my projects. I had the best colors (Prismacolors rock! ) Pretty soon they relize that they are in over their head and fork over the money and call it cheap. You really have to practice though to get the right amount of "dumb" in those speeches though. In the SCA there was a merchant who used to sell leather ring belts -- By The INCH -- What he didn't say at first was that he measured them width wise not lengh wise. The look on the face of most people when they had this zillion inch belt in their hands was pricless. Well gee 20 dollars for a 2 inch belt doesn't seem so bad after that now does it? (this was 15 years ago BTW)

Ok here I am, a Not Leather Worker chiming in...... A lot of pricing on an item (remember I used to sell dollhouse minis at shows) IS competative One thing that I can see wrong with linking to the sellers e-mail to ask how much something is .... How many e-mails do you want to answer each day from people who are " just looking" and really have no intention of buying? Each person has to decide what THEIR time and skill is worth and no one can set it for you. My skill level might not be as high as someone else's, therefore my price might be lower. (Or, I got a really great deal on materials and am passing that off to the costomer) but as Grandma used to say "Quality will out" another thing that you should make known is that the item pictured is the ACTUAL item for sale and when it sells that picture should be taken down, or marked sold.

My SCA group is the Barony of Flaming Gryphon (Yet another spelling) I don't think that anyone would want to risk getting something that neat "injured" in a battle ..... but could you see a "wave" of those helms heading for you? Wow ...Just .... wow.... How many zillion hours did that piece of art take?

I've seen those - a bit "extreme" if you ask me. Ours were made to be "played" with (by adults with flashbacks to the childhood they didn't get. I think that was the most frequently heard comment "I never got one as a child, so I'm buying one now")

I have yet to find the "right" bead cap ends for the silly thing. But if you look up KumiHimo and see a pic of the brading stands - yes it is easier to make a "looong" cord then making necklace lengths. you lose about 6 inches of string on each end of the cord, so I would have had to use lots more material to get the same amount of cording. That cord will become officer badge holders for my SCA group. and I used rayon DMC embrodiry floss ( the "real" kumi uses silk- when I get better at it - I will too, that stuff is expensive!) To cut this to length you put a "wrap knot" (macreme term - I think you call it that in leatherworking too) where you want to cut, soak it in superglue (not sure about this, I think it might make the rayon brittle, or eat it. must try it on scrap first.) let it dry and cut the wrap knot in the center and put it in the jewlery findings of choice. I might use two wrap knots close together and cut between them and use a bit of fray check or good ol Elmers instead. But before I can really get started on craft projects again I HAVE to find the space to do them. I am cleaning out the house of "way too much stuff" and it is slow going. (clean sweep team would faint if they saw the basement "craft storage") You want it - I got it - at Ashgrove's Amazing Anomilties

Where do you think SHE got it from?....... Taught her everything I know. >giggle< Since we are only a few years apart in age, we sort of grew up together, and since the rotten kid was allergic to OUTSIDE. We did a lot of stuff inside during the summer. She taught me to play chess when she was 7 (I think, It was a long time ago) and I taught her how to get rid of her dad when he had to play the game for us........ Do you know that you can move the knight all the way across the board if you jump a piece each move? (We drove him nuts - he left us alone - we went back to playing chess "right" ) Oh and Beverslayer--- I already have a "first leather project" -- a pair of "mary jane" shoes - - - - - - - For my dollhouse - they are less than a half inch long. But they are leather! did them about 20 years ago.

First I have to get them from the camera to the computer, kid (I can call her that - I'm older - and got to babysit her, many many moons ago) So get your butt over here and have at it.......

Ken - I only have made one braid that I am willing to show anyone yet. But it is about 15 feet long. (It will be necklace cords for the officer badges for my SCA group) I'm told that it is much easier to make short cords out of one big long one, than to try to make each necklace length seperate. (we'll see) And IF I ever get my behind in gear and LEARN how to post the pics I've taken......... There are a lot of good pics of stuff at the Yahoo groups Kumi2 From people with a lot more practice than me. Sue Oh and most people just call them a "braid"

Don't let Johanna fool you -- She has a fair bit of "the family talent" too That is - Whatever "craft" you decide to put your hand to. WILL COME OUT looking decent (and decent enough to sell too) Right now I have been getting involved with the Japanese art of KumiHimo (braiding on a stand) While I am working with cording right now ..... I bet you could do it with leather laces......Hmmm I think I have a bunch of leather laceing in "THE STASH" (that is the trademark term for the craft store in the basement, BTW) >wandering off with a new project spinning in my head< Be back later Suze

Good Evening all I have been hearing about this here list from my cousin (your friendly - The Leather Lady) I don't really do leather so I will probably be just drooling all over the keyboard at all of your wonderfull things. Suze