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Nice work Shawn. I like the card cases, but I think the "plain" one looks better to me. Workmanship is good on both though! I love the wallet, very nicely carved. Me, I'd leave the blanks in the scrolls, but I'm weird that way. Shake up perceptions. It would probably make the old-school Sheridan types pucker right up though! Brent

For someone who doesn't like them, you did an awfully fine job of tooling one! Brent

Rob, Post them in the adult folders... Drizzle a few more colors on them and tada! Instant adult novelty item. Brent

Kevin, Sweeeet! I'm a playing card nut and I love this! I need to make a card case. Much cooler than 4 simple suit images. Kewl x 4! Brent

Cecil, I like the tooling. Great work! I think I would have enlarged the image so it was just the head & antlers; less shoulder. But that's me. Brent

Suhwheeeeet!

Dig it, way cool, you rock, spiffy, major league, awesome, friggin rawk, no shite!!!!!!!!!!!!! Each one better than the last. quit it will ya? The rest of us need to catch up... Brent

Dang. I wanted to know where the cool purple antiquing came from. Well, when light goes bad, it goes real bad. Nice pistol rugs though. Brent

Drac, Thank you! I'm knot much of a braider (hahahahaha), but some GREAT tips on toy making here. I will definitely be adding one of these to my list of things I can't show my mother in law. Brent

Cheat?? Leathercraft has been built on using someone elses pattern. Cheating would be doing so and saying it's yours. So in that light, where can I get the pattern? I love the dragon and would like to put it on something, though I have NO idea what yet. Both pieces are very nice by the way! Brent

OK, so I'm reading "Rifle Scabbard" and thinking "Man that's one hell of thing to hang from your belt..." Then I see the saddle. My brain goes "DOH!". It's a beauty! Is that hairy bit in the middle cow or something else? Brent

For the next one, give us more time! I didn't even see the post until the thing was half over. Not that I could have done it in a week anyway (haha). Looking forward to the next one! Brent

Johanna, Thanks for the shout out about the donations for the raffle table. I think that post probably got lost in the crash. YES! Anyone who would like to can donate a raffle item for the raffle tables. Heck, donate two! We're looking primarily for leathercraft related goods, (finished items, supplies, books) but if you have a secondary art and feel it's worthy, I'm sure it will be accepted with a big thanks. My mother in law always makes an afghan (the blanket type, not the bedouin type) for the raffle table, and since I don't have any leather stuff yet, I will probably put in a framed photo. It's my "other art". I hope to have something pretty in leather for the fall IFOLG show. Brent

Billy - I'll second that request. Thanks, Brent

I finally have the show packet for the spring leather craft show (for the Midwest). This spring it's hosted by Calumet Area Leathercrafters Guild and will be in Michigan City, IN. PDF of show packet attached. CALG_show_pk.pdf Michigan City, for those who aren't local, is in NW Indiana not far from Chicago. It's a 3 day event (Friday evening through Sunday) April 25-27, 2008. While it's not an official IFOLG event, they will be using the IFOLG categories and judging criteria. You do NOT need to be in a Guild to come to the show, enter a piece or two in competition, or just hang with other leather nuts. Jim Linnell of Tandy will be giving his beginners class at this show. I took it in October and look at me now! He must be pretty good. Plus, it's free! Bring the kids! Special kids only raffle table, plus kids craft project with Monica Nibbe. If you are interested in being a vendor, tables are still available! If you want to demonstrate a particular technique, contact CALG, I'm sure we could use more! Rooms are cheep, admission is free! Small fee for contest entries. Raffle tables, vendor tables, and demonstrations... What could be more fun than whacking some dead cow! CALG_show_pk.pdf

No, and that was part of the joke. It was my second piece ever (I only started in October) and the first one I can show anyone. My holster is #3 and the knife holder is #4. I just started a checkbook cover (Deeeluxe check writer kit) which will be #5. I did do a couple of rounders with Grateful Dead art, but those were just practice doodles. Brent

Hey folks. Reposting the IPOD case I made for my son. It's my favorite piece to date. Yeah, I know I have done OH SO MANY! The original artwork is the album (CD) cover from "Kiss the Sky" Hendrix compilation album. Brent

David, Thanks for the follow up comments. I better appreciate what you were saying. I think we're all going to land on the same page, though we're coming from different directions. My daughter is doing an art project for school where they are studying MC Escher and the relationship between positive and negative space. I think if I had paid more attention to her project in the past few weeks, I'd have caught on with your post a bit quicker! Thanks, Brent PS: Oooo, now there's an idea... I wonder if I could tool up some Escher stuff? [brain going into overdrive...]

Wolvenstien, I don't know much about cool bike stuff, but for colors I was going to suggest the opposite of someone elses! I was thinking a dark wrap with lighter weaved laces. Dark brown and saddle tan come to mind. I hadn't considered the "feel" of the grip as Steve has noted, but I figured the darker colors would help hide dirt & wear better. Browns in general would go better with the blue accents on the bike IMHO. Brent

Flippin COOL man. I like the orange stitching on that. Sets off the rather maniacle dude on the right. Probably from the staining? Or was it designed in? Cool either way. Brent

Tina, very nice strap! And it's not even naughty. I like it! -Brent David, PLEASE don't take this as a flame, it's a legit question. Who says that the pattern has to contact the border? While I strongly agree that too much white space would affect the design, she's used some creative beveling to leave islands in the white space. If it was all backgrounded, it might look funny, but the islands sort of fill the voids, avoding, I think, the very trap you are talking about. So, I can appreciate the comment, but still wonder "says who"? Maybe because I can appreciate it, I've answered my own question. How Zen of me... I'm doing a checkbook cover (see critique threads) and the design overlays the border in spots. Jim Linnell did the original, and I adapted it to the checkbook cover. He put a specific pattern to fill in his white space, and I have been noodling on what to fill mine with. I will take your suggestion to heart though, and will look at filling it with specific design elements, not just backgrounding. Brent

Gorgeous work. It's art for sure, and nice art. Jim's stitching is 100% better than mine, so I'll still tip my hat to it, but it's the only detail on that piece that isn't top grade. I hope to get that good someday... Brent

Wow, this thread's hot enough to warm your beer. Service, kids, it's the name of the game. Sounds like someone has had bad experiences with just about every major supplier. That hurts when it happens. Hurts you, and as we can see here, hurts the supplier as well. Life is also too damn short. If someone gives you crappy service, don't go back. Have the courtesy to call them and let them know what happened, but don't feel you have to go back if the overall service is bad. I think Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery Scott said it best: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." (those of you who get that, put on your ears and salute) After reading the thread, I can see that Tandy store service quality will vary by store. That is expected. If it's bad enough, let Tandy corporate know. You might not get the butt-kissing response that you probably deserve, but one hopes THEY get the message. Enough complaints and they will do something about it, though it might take a while. I also come to realize that none of the suppliers are all digital and online like a McMaster Carr, where they know where every friggin' locator pin and extension spring sits, even if it is on a cart getting ready to ship. But they ship millions of friggin' locator pins, not hundreds of D rings. The good news is, these folks either shape up and get their collective acts together, or they will fail. All we can do is let them know when they do something bad, and DO let them know when they have done something good. It's only fair. I'm too new to sing praises on any of the suppliers, and have no negative experiences either. After reading this, I will know that backorders are common, usually not flagged, and I will have to call to find out what's going on. It's also VERY interesting and comforting to note that I could actually call the owner/president of just about all of these companies and they WILL talk to me! Try that with Microsoft... Back to the beer... Brent

Kevin, thanks. I shot beer out of my nose. Thank goodness it missed the keyboard. Roo, thanks for posting so I don't do that. Up until now, I would have considered it... Brent