Johanna

One of the reasons glass isn't used much, other than losing the detail behind the glass, is mold and nildew problems behind the glass. If you must use the glass, make sure the leather is as dry as it's going to get, and keep an eye on the piece, especially the first year. Also, watch how the light shines on the piece while it is on display. Sometimes glass reflects or concentrates some sunshine, which will discolor areas of the leather over time. Welcome to the forum, glad to have you here. Johanna

Thanks, Gary! You're a peach! Johanna

Really nice, Ken. You know I'll do whatever I can to help if you will please do another tutorial! You do beautiful work! Johanna

Here Billy- try the express route: http://www.leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showforum=69 Johanna

I got this email, and I don't know how to answer him. If you can help, I'll make sure he gets the message. Thanks, Johanna

Verlane Desgrange Verlane Desgrange, 58, a nationally acclaimed saddle maker and leather worker, died Dec. 2, 2007, at West Park Hospital from complications of cancer. A longtime resident of Cody, she came to Wyoming from Daytona Beach, Fla., in 1973 at age 24. She graduated with a B.A. in constructive design from Florida State University where she earned scholarships from the National Teachers' Association and Daughters of the American Revolution. In Wyoming she apprenticed to master Western saddle maker Cliff Ketchum of Ralston and former U.S. Cavalry saddler Hamp Brand, also of Ralston. In 1986 her growing interest in English equestrian equipment and dressage led her to Portland, Ore., where she continued her studies with Hans Biglazar. Verlane's interest in horses, leather work, saddles and all things equestrian started at an early age and shaped the path her career and interests would follow throughout her life. She loved Cody Country and enjoyed riding her tough little Arab gelding, Goblin, in the mountains and open country behind her home on the South Fork, as well as in the dressage ring. She ran the South Fork Saddle Shop, building saddles and making bridles, chaps, purses and all manner of tack for local residents and clients throughout the country. An exceptionally creative craftsperson, she won many awards for her work including the prestigious Al Stohlman Award for Lifetime Achievement in Leather Craft (2006), for which she received additional recognition from Sen. Mike Enzi and the Wyoming Arts Council. WAC also nominated her this spring for the Ford Foundation's USA Artists Award. Verlane presented at many folk art festivals throughout Wyoming. Annie Hatch, director of WAC's Traditional Arts Program, was working with Sharon Kahin and other Wyoming folklorists to nominate her for a National Heritage Award through the National Endowment for the Arts' Folk and Traditional Arts Program. Verlane took first place in the International Leathercraft Guild's Leather Carving Contest in 2007 and received local recognition as Best Artist in Leather at the Western Design Conference in 1998 for her creative interpretation of a 1918 lady's astride saddle which toured the state for the third Wyoming Biennial. Creating fresh interpretations of historical saddles and bridles was one of her passions as was her free-form floral leather carving which took the art of decorative leather design to a new level of artistry. Her work was featured in many prominent publications such as Southwest Art, Persimmon Hill, Western Horseman, Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal, and the Crafts Report, as well as books such as Crafts in America (1992), Saddles, Bits and Spurs (1992) and Saddle Making in Wyoming (1993). In addition to work in saddlery and leather craft, Verlane had a significant career in teaching, starting with evening classes at Northwest College and culminating at Spokane Falls Community College in Washington where she resurrected the last formal school of saddle making in the country. A prolific writer of saddle making "how to" books for her students and other professionals, Verlane published numerous booklets on saddle making, leather work, leather care, saddle fitting and the ergonomics of accommodating rider to horse. Because of her extensive experience, Verlane was asked to serve as an expert witness in several court cases involving leather quality and equipment safety. She gave many saddle fitting clinics, workshops and seminars locally and as far away as California. A backbone of the Cody equestrian community, Verlane generously donated her time and expertise to the Heart Mountain Dressage Club, of which she was a founding member, and to Pony and 4-H clubs. At the time of her death she was working with 4-H groups in Spokane to develop leather working programs for middle and high school students. She was a founding member of the Northern Division of the Wyoming Arabian Horse Association and participated in the Pony Express ride from Cody to Livingston, Mont., to celebrate the opening of the new Depot Mueseum there. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Verlane is survived by her mother Vera Garis, sister Verlona Rogers and nephew Casey Rogers of Port Orange, Fla. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 12 in Christ Church Episcopal. A carry-in lunch will follow. In honor of her love of all animals, donations in Verlane's memory are welcome at the Humane Society of Park County. Cody Enterprise

Billy has been ill, and is living in Europe with one of his sons. He is originally from what was Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and lived in South Africa for many years. I will look and see if I can find a pic of the EC guitar case. He is an extraordinary artist and a dear friend, and one of the people who encouraged us to start this forum. Unfortunately, his health has not been good this past year, and he has not been doing leatherwork. He asked me to take his site down because he could no longer accept new work. Please keep him in your prayers. Johanna

Kevin, you are doing quality, attractive work, and I just wondered, where are you selling it at? Please tell me you are not giving these pretty things away and not being paid enough to buy new toys-oops- tools and materials? Very nice and clean stylish work, as usual. Thanks for sharing. Johanna

"Members" are people who have registered on the site. "Contributing Members" have donated $$ to the site, and their names are blue. To donate to the site, click "Purchase Paid Subscription" in "My Controls", or click the Paypal button in my signature. The software to run the forum is not free, and neither are the extras like the "Live Chat". As the site grows, web hosting costs rise. Donations from members make it possible to pay the expenses, add new features, and keeps the site available to all. Donations are not being used to fund a Jamaican vacation for the staff, though offers would be gleefully accepted. No one expected to chip into the kitty, but we do appreciate it when it happens. At each budget meeting, we cross our fingers and hope for the best. We would like to start offering our own video and real-time live demos, integrate a wiki-type database compiled by and for members, and overhaul all of the promotional pages for our members' and friends' links and contact info. We will probably experiment on the Contributing Members first because we have a sense of humor. No, seriously, the potential for the site depends on member support unless we offer some (yuck!) advertising. We'd rather depend on the members. Johanna

Happy birthday, Art! We're not getting older, just better! Johanna

Roger Trone, a retired Marine, did this one. John Henry added the saddlebags.

The brown looks like a deerskin. The black is probably a cowhide, guessing from it's size and the way it drapes. Cabretta leather hides are smaller, and you would have remembered the bill, if not the hide. This made me think about one thing we are missing in our computer investigations of leather, something the old-timers in the business call the leather's "hand". It's the smell, the feel, texture, absorbency, and drape of a hide. With experience, a quick touch and sniff of a hide gives a person a hundred subjective data, the brain interperets it all and offers a clear mental description of a leather that pictures simply cannot represent on the computer. I wish there were some way to say "This leather needs this-many-mml of water to case and carve", but no two hides are the same. And if they were, Dale's hide in Colorado is going to act differently than Smilin' Jim's in Alabama. Maybe take pics of the flesh side? Johanna

It only updates every hour, but yours shouldn't be reading "zero". I'll check into it. Johanna

Verlane was generous with her time and her knowledge, and she made many friends. She gave more than she took, and left too soon. Godspeed, Verlane. Johanna

Glad it's working. Be nice if all problems would fix themselves! Johanna

I don't know of a problem...did you try it twice? Johanna

Nice tattoo, Chris! For anyone else looking at this thread, this page from PCMag compares cameras. Johanna

Matt posted the details for the John Bianchi holster class in Wickenburg, Arizona this Spring on the calendar. Scroll to the bottom of the main forum page and click on the event for the details or click here. Thanks, Matt! Johanna

I deleted your avatar. Try it now. If it doesn't work, PM me the new avatar and I'll fix it for you. Johanna

Most leatherworkers who do work that is distinctly uniquely theirs benefit from a gallery/portfolio website. It helps to build credibility and enhance a reputation, and it can be marketed for extra sales. Most of the leatherwork I see on ebay is competing with imports by an emphasis on quality. The ones doing it have standard designs and do such quick production work that a braider or carver might not be able to sustain the pace. Some leatherworkers like custom work because they can charge more for it, and some are able to standardize designs and drop the price. If anyone needs affordable dependable web hosting, PM me. Johanna

Posting pics is easy. Either click "new topic" to start a thread, or "post reply" to answer one. Scroll underneather the message area to "browse" and locateyour attachment. Then click upload. The page will wink and refresh. Pictures are automatically resized by the forum software. To remove an attachment, use the drop down arrow of choices under "manage attachments". I love this place, too! There are some terrific people here, and lots of chances to learn something. Johanna

Good grief, I'm still blushing. A friend suggested I fill in the rest of the story. Here goes! After John died, I began going to church every Sunday morning. Moms take turns watching the little ones in the nursery during the service, so it was probably the only hour during the week I was allowed to complete a thought. Every Sunday, a strange scary looking man would sit behind me and stare at me. I was oblivious, my sister was not. Upon investigation, it turns out I used to play with his sister when I'd visit my grandmother as a child. Okay, creep identified, and I still ignored him. Two years go by. Then my 22 year old cat died on a Saturday, and on Sunday they unfurled a banner that said, "Love never ends" and I started to cry. I'm crying because John isn't around to see our kids, I'm exhausted, and I know I am going home to bury my cat. I leave the sanctuary rather late, and bump into this man on my way to the nursery. He is getting his two kids, I get my two, and he's trying his best to comfort me. And he asked why I'm crying, and I answer "My cat died." and I wait. If he laughs, this conversation is over. If he snickers, I'm gonna beat up his sister for old times sake. Wade doesn't miss a beat. "I'm sorry. That's sad." he says, "No wonder you are upset." I decided at that moment to try to like him. We got married in that church about a year later. He brought over a giant workbench from his house, and helped me round up all the leather shop boxes and unpack them. He reminded me of all the guys that would wander into the Tandy and never want to leave, drooling on the tools and paying with the money folded carefully and tucked behind the kids' pictues in his wallet. (Every Tandy manager has been discreet about the ticket with a customer's Significant Other!) I knew he would be an easy fit, with his experience in wood and metal working. I put the shop together while he hung the lights. I made a couple of belts for family members, turned off the lights and walked out. He spends more time in the shop than I do. I will use it to fix something, or make something if I really really want to, or to entertain the kids, but I'm done in there. I like to go to shows, see old friends, and see all the pics of what people have been up to. There are some neat people in leather land! I wish I could have talked to all you folks when I was learning the ropes. I would have read every post on here, and pestered with questions. I found a bunch of MIWL magazines one time, and read them cover to cover, even though they were already 20+ years old. I remember trying to figure out what a "bosal" was, something that was explained in plain English today. There was no "Google" when I was learning. My daughter is older than Google! The Internet is great for keeping people connected, at their convenience. I'm glad the technology exists to host this forum, and glad you all choose to share some time each day with your teachers, peers and friends. Now everyone get back to work and start pounding something. It's what we do. We're leatherworkers. God bless you all, goodnight. Johanna

The reason they detach is because they hit you or the passenger in the face doing 80 mph down the road. Strictly for show, not for riding. Johanna

Here's an older workshop thread. I think it would be great to see more pics. Johanna

Yep, please do what Art said, too. Thanks, Art. :hug: Johanna