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Spider, This is an amazing piece of contemporary art you've created! It's tastefully done, and tactfully presented. It would be a great gallery piece. ~Tammy

I've enjoyed seeing pictures of your workshops, and thought I would share a few of mine. You'll notice it's full of '80s brown furniture - this isn't my personal style choice, but they were all free. It started with the table, then the bookshelf, then the little 'night stand', and then the desk (which is by far the heaviest thing we own!) Now there's also a room divider in front of the black table where I store my leather, and in front of that a padded bench with a big pillow propped against the wall. It's a perfect spot for sewing, drinking coffee, daydreaming, etc. The good thing about the bench is that from there I can't reach the computer, so I sometimes manage to get a few things done : ) The room is 9'x12'. It's well-organized though, and although I could almost open a used furniture store with all the things I've managed to fit, it actually functions rather well. My chair spins between my desk and my workbench, I have several places to set my coffee, and all of my tools are within reach - especially since they're usually in a heap on the table! This is the 4th version of workshop for me. I started at the same table, in the corner of my son's room, in 2004. Later that year we moved to a bigger house and I had the front room with a water view! It was also the main entryway of our house, so I was constantly interrupted. In frustration I moved my shop to a rental space for six months, which was really nice but a little inconvenient. Finally, we moved once again and I've got a private, finished room in the daylight basement. The ironic thing? The wall in my current shop was already the exact same shade of greenish-yellow that I painted my rental space : ) Taken early in my mask-making days, when prototype bags still had the 'spotlight': And how it normally looks these days: And now, I better get back to work! Thanks for looking! ~Tammy

Roo, I don't have a name suggestion, but I really like this one! I agree, the eyes are really cool. Great job! ~Tammy

Spider, this is very nice! Great job! I think everything looks good in black, but that's just me. : ) ~Tammy Oh - the goggles I make are just Russian GP-5 gas masks I get at Army/Navy and hack up to make my own little creations from. I've bought up most of their black ones though, and they don't plan to get more. I'll have to look for a new source eventually.

"The eyes look very nice on this mask but I think the nose has more of a mosquito touch to it". The thing is, I intentionally made it so long and slender and without a bottom... lip? or whatever the lower beak is called... and I kept wondering to myself why. I almost shortened it, I almost widened it, and at one point I even removed it but then I stitched it back on again. I kept it thin and long and had no idea why - until you called it a mosquito. I wanted to make something that was rooted in history but with a contemporary feel, and the Black Death was so long ago. West Nile Virus, however, is definitely a scary contemporary illness. Now I know what to call it! Thank you! (He's actually kinda cute in real life). And yes, we were thinking of the same Plague Doctor. I think I'll try that with the sewn-inside beak like the Italian one Tom made. I'll need to make the hat, too - but first, I've been commissioned to make a top hat. Which I have NO idea how to do, so it'll be a fun learning adventure : ) ~Tammy

TomSwede, It turns out that I cut the eye openings a tiny bit too large for the eye pieces I was hoping to use because when I shaped it, one popped out. Later, I cut too far into a gas mask while making a pair of goggles for a helmet. Being the opportunist I am, I created a different version of the Plague Doctor than the one I was envisioning. It's not very photogenic, and hopefully it's not too scary! I think it's kinda cute. I promise to make the original version I had in mind as soon as I get a chance; I think it'll be more along the lines of what you've described. It'll be based on the famous wood block print by... oh, I can't think of his name! It's on Wikipedia, under Black Plague. Tom B, I could spend hours looking at your creations on your website! You have such a wide range of talents! My intended direction seems to be similar to your path: I bought the History of Costume and plan to make helmets, Ren shoes, and all sorts of other antiquated pieces. When I have time to work on my next pair of shoes, I may have a couple questions for you. The textures are my compromise for not using a bunch of flashy colors. I prefer a more subtle visual aesthetic, but with some sort of detail. Lately I've been looking at everything I come across to see if it might add a fun texture to my work. Obsessed, I think. : ) Alex, My 'ceramic' look is achieved by adding a metallic paint - usually silver, but sometiems gold, pewter or copper - to my base color while it's still a little wet. When it's dry I buff it with a piece of nylon stocking. I prefer not to airbrush, so I've been trying really hard to perfect my painting technique instead. I'm happy with the results lately. I have to sew some bags for a boutique in my neighborhood, so no masks for awhile. I look forward to looking at everyone else's beautiful work though! Have a great week-end! ~Tammy

Fabulous! That IS one of the classic Italian styles, and it turned out wonderful! I never thought about sewing on the inside. I've always outstitched everything, but this is an idea for a future mask - specifically, a dragon. Thank you! I thought the smoke was ruffles, part of the costume! In addition to being a great mask, it's a great photograph since we all see the smoke as something different : ) May I ask, why did you not make other masks? ~Tammy

I really like the design, and especially the way you attached the straps at the shoulders. It has something of a futuristic tribal look, to me. Very cool! ~Tammy

Spider, I've been going a little crazy with noses lately - the bigger the better, it seems! I just started making ears, too. Roo, I was originally thinking 'Mother Goose' when I had the glasses and mask idea, but I didn't have leather at the time to make a goose. So I 'cheated' and used the owl. In retrospect, I think it was the better choice. I don't like the oval eye openings with the round glasses, but I suppose it makes it more anthropomorphic. Tom, it's funny that you mention the plague doctor mask - I'm working on a variation of it at the moment! I misplaced the eye pieces so I couldn't finish it yesterday. I think a lot of cartoon owls wear glasses, but as far as I can remember they're all male. This owl seems female to me. The pearl chain is easily removable though, so I suppose it could be either male or female. Thank you all for your comments, and the inspiration you provide with your amazing leatherwork! ~Tammy

Thanks! I'm not familiar with that book - I'll have to look it up! Your new masks are great! ~Tammy

Hello! I've been a mask-making maniac lately with a big science fiction/fantasy convention coming right up. I've been making 4-7 masks a day - crazy! I won't bore with you with all of them, but I wanted to share these two. My friend knows I pick up every piece of scrap metal in my path, and eventually find a use for it. While he was in Prague last year, he found a piece of a broken gear and brought it back for me. I used it to make the dragon's 'scales'. The owl was originally just an owl. At the women's conference last month there was a very nice lady crocheting with her glasses on the tip of her nose. She kept looking down through her glasses and then back up as we talked about sewing, costuming, etc. When I got home, I had an idea. I had a pair of 1890's Oxford spectacles that were missing the nose pads, and I'd never gotten around to getting them replaced. Looking at the owl mask, I wondered how the specs would look with it... perfect, I think. I stitched the glasses to the beak and added the little chain. The great thing is, it's functional too. When wearing the mask you can look through the eye holes straight ahead or look down through the glasses and actually use them. They're approximately 1.25 reading glasses. I suppose I should figure out what to make next - trolls, aliens, faeries, more dragons? Or maybe a big dish of chocolate ice cream : ) ~Tammy

Steve, that's lovely! I've never seen a wallet shaped like that before. And I have to say once more, I absolutely love the texture you put on your designs. It (almost) makes me want to try! Instead, I think I'll just admire your work : )

I LOVE it! Well done! The texture is amazing! ~Tammy

Thank you for this link! I'm currently using colored Nomex cord that I got at a garage sale for hand sewing with color. It works, but the cord is flat and wider than thread so it's got a bulkier look. Great for some things, not so great for others. This looks like the perfect alternative to my standard black or brown Nyltex : ) Tammy

Alex, This is a great topic and one I've recently spent a lot of time thinking about. I'd like to think my style is conservative avante-garde. I'm working on getting beyond the 'conservative' part... As far as mask-making goes, I'll soon be vending at a convention along side another mask-maker who feels my work is 'too similar'. His friends agree; my friends disagree. I've decided to make whatever I want, truly believing that it's not our work that's so similar but our influences, and let the customers decide what they want... although I've decided to make more bags than I had originally planned. 'One-of-a-kind stylized wearable art masks' is how I tend to describe them. I spend a lot of time obsessively edging them and take a particular pride in how well the edges look when they're done. I also tend to 'spit shine' many of them to get a deep, high luster. Unfortunately, I usually photograph them before they're actually finished. My bags and tool cases derive their beauty (for me, anyway) from the quality of their construction, their practicality, functionality, and smooth, clean lines. Spending 6 years in the Army back when the boots were black and highly polished definitely left its mark on my aesthetic sense. I do seem to be among the minority of leatherworkers who choose to work with oil tanned or chrome tanned leathers, and I wonder sometimes if 'real' leatherworkers even see my designs as leatherworking at all. Prior to discovering LW.Net last week, I didn't have much to compare my work with. Now I wonder what direction it'll take, with so much exposure to new or different ways of doing things. My influences are definitely eclectic and draw heavily from military, industrial, sci-fi, fantasy, gothic and fairytale genres. I take pride in my 'range'. Just this week I made a sturdy black camera case, two shimmery ladies' masks, one textured gargoyle mask and one neon green child's purse with a huge white daisy applique' : ) ~Tammy

Looks great, Drac! But I would be remiss if I didn't warn you that it's addictive... : ) Looking forward to seeing what's next! Tammy

Each time I think I've selected a favorite of your work, you come up with something I like even better : ) I really like how the blue 'pops' on this one. Tammy

Roo, if you find a way to capture the irridescence in a photo, please share your secret! Thank you, Ken and Alex! This one and the one I just finished (very similar, only a shimmery purple/red/silver) are for the artist consignment store where I sold my first bags. The tiny bit of Mardi Gras that happens in Seattle takes place right outside her door so I decided to see what people think of them. If nothing else, they'll help decorate her store : ) Back to bags for awhile now. The neon green awaits : ( ~Tammy

Not my usual style, but I like it. The picture doesn't show the irridescence, but it's a layer of green acrylic covered with a layer of antique gold, then a layer of purple, and then a little more watered-down gold. When you look at it in real life, it's impossible to know what color it is because it changes as the position changes. I'm vending at a women's conference in a few weeks. I signed up for it because someone saw my masks on display in October, then met me, and said, "Oh! I thought the mask-maker would be a big guy named Darrel or something!" My work is clearly not very feminine, so this is an attempt to achieve balance. I've been procrastinating and now I'm running out of time. It's good to push one's limits, but is it ever hard to work outside the comfort zone! Perhaps in this case, balance is over-rated : ) Tammy

Alex, Is your wallet hand sewn? If so, what thickness of leather did you use? Someone was just asking me about making them a wallet yesterday, but everything I currently have is too thick for a sleek, lovely wallet like yours. Very nice! Tammy

This is AMAZING! I LOVE it! Great job! Tammy

Hey Spider, Thanks! Maybe you could make something like this: These are in-progress shots, before the chin strap was added, and unfortunately I didn't get finished shots until it was bought and the customer was wearing it. He wears it snowboarding, with a little beanie under it : ) King of the Mountain in his haute coutre helmet! I doubt if my version would offer the protection necessary for riding, but it could probably be built over an actual low-profile helmet. The goggles came from a local Army/Navy surplus. They're inexpensive knock-offs of British Aviators. I'm currently working on a 'tankers helmet' built over an English-style riding helmet, with the velvet removed. If you decide to make a mask, I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Tammy

I love the style of your work. Very nice. Tammy

I do this a lot when working with oil tanned or chrome tanned leather, especially in the places where I've sewn two or more layers together, and always and at the bottom corners. I've been carrying the same bag around for the past 4 years and the exposed threads on the edges haven't shown a single bit of wear yet, so it seems to work ok. Plus, for me it's a style thing. That is, if 'utilitarian' can be called a style : ) Tammy

I love it! The contrast of the types of leather provide just enough subtle detail. Very nice! Tammy