TomSwede

I just love this X-mas card!!! I'm getting funny ideas;-) Tom

That'd be awesome!!! Tom

Good thinking Josh! Maybe try this here aswell next time I speak with them. Tom

There is the 4 thong mexican roundbraid in Bruce Grants encyclopedia of rawhide and leather braiding, page 298, 299. You can use 4 tones or two tones in pairs. Some say this one is easier to do than the single thong roundbraid but I've haven't gotten around to try it yet. Tom

Hi again Ian! Those Afrikaans experiences will prolly do you good if you were having a go at it again, dont you think? I'm sure Swedish sounds pretty different to an English speaking person. I'm thinking about the Swedish chef from The Muppet show who is an american person trying to mimic Swedish he he sounds really funny to me too and definetly not like Swedish. Spanish is the worlds most outspread language, 18 countries I think so definetly valuable to know if you like to travel around a bit. I mean if you learn French you're pretty much tied to visit France only. Internet is really great considering what has been heppening for me the last year. This place has helped me alot in my work and gave quite a bit of a learning curve too. I would have had to figure all that I have done by myself otherwise, taking me..how many years?? Also having a bit of a troublesome time at the moment and still not very stable and my work is sporadic, I'm taking one day at the time and I have vented theese issues with some people here and what a great support I have gotten back! Cheers and thank you all good people of the board, you know who you are!!! Tom

Yeah that is a very interesting question. What did you finish it off with as a sealer? Check out Bruce Grants braiding book for twotone mexican if you can't find a tutorial on the net, I've heard the two tone is easier to work with and it's not hard to follow in the book but as usual with Bruces illustrations....does the man know how to cover a corner or splicing two ends together??? or is that planned for his next book? Tom

That's a very cool set of bracers and bandolier??! Just don't wear those into a bar or sumting;-) Tom

Looking very good! I like how the design comes out over the border. Tom

Yeah try it out, have you seen the tutorial with Jim Linell that Johanna made? It shows step by step with pics how to make a feather. They're fast too, think I finished theese up in an hour or so, I was involved in a superchat here on the board at the same time so that is just an estimation. Tom

Hi Ian!! I was so surprised to see my name come up like this;-) but very proud and honoured to hear what you say, Thanks a bunch..sorry, I mean a lot!!!! Yes, English classes in Sweden are or were VERY good but truth is I never really studied English or the Swedish lessons for that matter either. I have a built in ability to pick up easily on language, at least English. It may be hard to realize even for Swedes but we do have alot in common with the English language wich I realized when I looked back in history to the time when vikings migrated to Anglia, that is England today. There are so many common words in Swedish and English. Like the word window for example. In viking times there was a hatchet in the roof of their houses that was called vind-öj wich translates to wind-eye. Later on brought to England it was used to describe what we today see as a window. There are lots of words like this. Ship is another one. Ship today is skepp in Swedish, skib in Danish and I believe skip in Norway but they all mean boat or a type of boat. I fooled an English couple a few years ago when I was at Tenerife islands of Spain. They were dead on sure I was British but wondered why my son could not speak with their son so they asked what you ask today and I just told 'em -I'm a viking! the man laughed and said - oh yeah, you ravaged our country, so I just had to fill in - and brought you a common language. Sumting like that anyways but it was a fun and interesting meeting. I take a big pride in how I speak, Swedish or English and did correct my teachers from time to time. They told me to study to become an interpretor but I never felt like it. In Sweden we have the funny-word languagepolice wich refers to a person who is a bit above the rest and like to give pointers when people is sloppy or otherwise handles the language inproperly (inproperly or improperly or inapropriate??). I am such a person but most for the fun of it;-) Sarcastic (spelling??) humour;-) Today I see the Swedish lanuage being hollowed out by poor educational programs, internet and borrowing new words from English. I don't mind the last part to much and I do use internet terminology myself but I do think it'd be wise to tech it out to the youth the proper way and then they can choose how to speak it, like I do. There are just those moments in life when you really need a good solid uniform way of communicating with others. The young of today seem to lack alot of just basic knowledge of how to speak properly. I also know how to spell most words in Swedish without ever having really studied them hard in school and I find that easy with English words too, not as much as with Swedish words though. So to sum it up: native Swede, never really studied language though excellent school programs, never lived outside Sweden (haven't been out of country much at all). Hopefully I'm still young enough to pick up on the last pieces and wonders of English grammar and then I will keep my diligent eye at your keystrokes and just be that language police;-) Ha ha ...never! Thank you for your fine words Ian! Tom

Hi and welcome to the board! As far as I know there is no autoscaling when you post, pics appear in the same size as posted and if they are too large in kb they can't be posted. Are you sure you didn't grab and posted thumbnail previews that your camera may have produced and stored alongside the original fullsize pics?? If this problem doesn't solve for you then just contact one of the mods to see if they can help. People here are very friendly and very keen to help out with anything so never heitate to ask for help, leatherwork or not!!! Seems like you do some nice work and we love pics so hope you have got the problem sorted by now! Tom

That's a very cool effect!!! Love the colour and tone! You've learned something very useful. Tom

Thank you Alex!! I sure hope so!! Thank you Sasqutch!! I set up a pic of the finished ones, here goes:

Sawasdee tcthipyuth!! Thank you very much!!!! Tom

Thank you Nick!! I'm very happy with the colour wich I was not sure would turn out right from the start. I applied it with a brush in many layers and then hoped it would look right when antiquing came on. I wonder now how many bracers I have posted, 10-20 perhaps in a year and 2 months! Tom

Thank You Sis! I got the rings fitted to them feathers now but as usual in Sweden. Couldn't find the type of ring I wanted;-) Ravens are very beautiful!!! Tom

Thank you Ken!!! Nice interpretation! One reason I didn't give away the symbolism was to leave it open for suggestion and second, it is private but who knows, one day I might look up this thread and give my vision behind it away. Tom

Very goodlooking stuff!! Beerbottleholder is very kewl and that bowl/pan or whatever it should be called is something that can be very nice on the livingroomtable. Tom

Thanks Greybeard!!! Owe you a beer too! Yeah, going downtown today to see if I can find the hardware for the earrings! Thanks Freak!! Owe you a beer aswell, just swing by and you'll get it;-) Thanks Spiderbro!! I was not sure that I'd get the right colour when I starten but it worked the way I wanted it. Just so darn lucky that I have experimented with the orange while. Thanks DaveD!! Good words about the sunray, glad I did it now! Thank you DarkDreams!! Tom

Thank you Rick!!! Glad to hear another positive comment on the sunray, seems like it was a good choice after all! Nah, I'll never let you leave without at least one pair;-) I'll get you a beer too Tom Tom

Thanks Darryl!! Glad to hear the sun over boarder was appreciated!! Shoes are on their way, I added comfy lining to them! Thanks Josh! Yeah this one is more of a canvas for carving to me, bracer is just the form and nice to play with the borders abit too. Tim...Thanks.....just thanks;-!!!!!!!!! Thank you Brad!!! I think she will like it too.

I sometimes complain about only get to make bracers and this one is a surprisegift so I got free hands totally with it but she said along time ago she'd like a raven bracer from me so raven bracer it is. Strong symbolics in this one too but very subtile and I won't explain it either but the motif is very well thought through. Bracer is female version of my archer bracer pattern posted in appropriate section and will mount on right arm, the raven is faced so that it is turned towards body and not flying away from it. Something I picked up from tattooartists. I let one of the sunbeams pass out over the border, not sure this was the right decision but it's done now anyway. The colour of the sun is just that same old orange mix that I posted as "fun with orange" in dyes section. Painted it on in several layers until I got the tone i wanted, eveningsun. Sealed with two coats of leathersheen and then antiqued with Tandys old mahogany. Critics welcome!

Nice seat, the carving is really cool!!! Tom

Busy stamping design but the inner row feels like it's turning against the two outer rows. Very cool, I like the dynamic feel it has. Good job Josh! Tom

Way to go David! Love the two tone applique (as you prolly would have guessed) and the fingercarving is just AWSOME!!! Love those birdies!!!! Off course the whole seat rocks with it's delicious carving but hey, you're David and your seats are allways nice;-) Consistent as allways. I still haven't figured out the difference between a seat and a saddle;-) Tom