Pip

My Friend loved the bag, thank you all for your help, i was well outta my depth on that one and couldn't have done it without your advice. Thanks! you all rock.

I ve got the al stohlman book/booklet it does exactly what it says on the tin, never read the Peter main, yet,i will add it to my list. Thanks guys

Fabulous work ClayB

Or Artists watercolour mask, No ammonia in it as it react with the pigments I ve used it it works a treat on carved leather but not so hot on flat designs cause of dye bleed under the resist.

A suggestion as to a name...... heraldic carving. Nice work bud.

Adding my thanks to the ever increasing list...... I missed you guys!!

Another fabulous idea clay, mind if I pinch it a bit, i have a mate just doing an art course, i got him some stuff for chrimbo but the cover to his sketch book is paper..... I intend to change the design a bit and make a pouch on the back for changing the pad (stiff card can be inserted) as I don't have a spiral binder machine handy and he goes through sketch pads like they are going out of style. i will use one sheet of medium thin 2mm veg tan leather with two side flaps and base cover over.... I can't really explain it but it kinda looks like an inverted cross with stubby arms and a pointy bottom, with the pouch being in the middle of the cross point. Or maybe straps and corners. What to do about fastenings........hmmm Thanks clayb and wife, inspiration is the greatest gift anyone can be given. Thanks. Pip

Nice stuff ferret, and nice to see someone in the uk, playing with leather too.... I love the dragon.

!!!!! (Speechless)

Iam sure the answer to this is practice, how do you get such an amazingingly clean line on the edge fold? No matter how hard I try the fold always looks tatty or I end up slicing the stitches and ruining the edging d'oh. Amazing stuff, lovely use of patterned leather, do you stick in the liner with adhesive. Again probably down to experience but how do you get it so it doesnt soak through and ruin the material....? So many questions...hmmm , shame my initial is an N, S looks so good. Pip

great stuff!

that looks great with the dye I really like the lettering, is it ok to pinch the idea?

really nice job, I might have been tempted to dry brush a little silver acryllic ink around the edges (very carefully) for highlight before finishing to create slightly more contrast but sometimes understating works better for curiousity. i am still getting to grips with bevelling to.... unfortunately I live in a terrace house with two sets of neighbours and can't hammer so have to rely on push bevelling, which kinda works. you can lighten the dye with alcohol, its a bit messy but works.

I can see why your busy bud, fantastic stuff! Congrats!

thanks gearsmithy

Thanks Johanna, I love this site, thanks. It is always nice to see/hear a human being who is willing to share knowledge and intimit times especially when life has thrown so much in their direction. I have tried to write another sentence but nothing seems to reach the mark. So I weakly say "you are a star"

That looks great, what are those fastenings they look real good. Love the patterning and the gradiated dye... lovely stuff.

Thats not a bad idea, can you get it anywhere or is it a specialist product? Embarassingly i got the rivetting in the wrong sequence and had not cut the curves correctly, i had a fraction of a corner on one which threw out all the rivets, nightmare. Lacing was easier to fix.

Thanks guys.

Ok, now I have done a few projects, i keep running into small niggles which I think are coming from the order I do things. What order do you do things? My order! Cut out and tack together wet form and loose fit furniture/buckles/etc dye glue lace, rivet, stitch straps finish polish is this correct?

Sorry, to clear up, the spoons don't need sheaths its the knives that do!

I made spoons with a crooked knife and they never came with sheaths, I sliced my hand so badly when retreiving my knife from a bag once I decided on making a wet form sheath, then to use up the scraps (I hate waste) I made a bracelet, 45 bracelets, 2 bracers, 2 sheaths, pda case, musket ball bag (the first of many I suspect), 2xpurses, 2x tobacco pouches, 100 or so keyrings, plaited bracelets, One custom phone pouch, napkin ring set, and elven drinks coasters and a lot of small bits of leather (and some larger ones) which have vanished rather quickly to the bin.... I am loving it. I found a guy down the road from me the other day who taught me how to lace, I tried from books but couldn't figure corners too well..... new skills. ha ha. Heres to you guys and everyone who has helped and inspired

i like feibings antique finish, does exactly what it says on the tin, but pongs a bit!

its nice to know in this day and age people can still give freely, my congrats to you and all those people who helped or donated something. Faith in god is one thing, faith in other humans something else, you have rekindled a little of what I lost over the year. Well done!

i use artists masking fluid when dying, it dries like rubber on the surface opf the leather so dye won't take, then dye and peel it off.... you can they redye the area with a light dye or better still wax the project before you peel of the masking then redye with a lighter colour dye after peeling it absorbs into the unwaxed previously waxed areas. You do need to redye as there is always a small amount of colouration through cross fibre contamination but once you redye iit looks great. the great thing is you can paint it thriough a stencil dead easy. Care has to be taken not to remove the mask while waxing.... give it a try on some waste, artists maste costs £2 or so and is used in water colours.