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Crystal

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Posts posted by Crystal

  5. Posted · Report reply

    Finally- All done! The coloring tutorial worked as well as the carving instructions. I didn't use quite the same colors as Clay did, but did use what I had in the same way. The white was difficult to get the way I wanted and I needed to go over it a few times. I didn't use the blue for shadowing, I used gray instead and ended up adding a little bit of tan to it.

    Swan15.jpg

    I need to get a sealer on it, yet.

    Thanks Clay!!!

    Crystal

    post-6163-1240190050_thumb.jpg

  7. Posted · Report reply

    Crystal,

    Outstanding job! :notworthy:

    Hopefully it was on a larger scale then your last project. ;)

    Johnny

    Thanks Johnny! Yes this is larger than usual - it's huge! Pattern is about 10" or so. I might get used to this - not quite as much squinting needed with this size. :)

    Crystal

  9. Posted · Report reply

    Crystal, that is awesome - I'm adding you to my 'Those who inspire you' list. I can't imagine ever reaching your skill level. I'm thinking of starting a 'Those who depress you' list.

    :blush: Thank you, Ian.

    I have those lists...I seem to have the same names on both. :)

    Crystal

    WOW Crystal...what a good job! That turned out really well and Clay told us how you improvised where you had to in order to make things work...that's huge! You can be really proud of that! And Clay, congrats on a great tutorial!

    Bob

    Thank you, Bob. I figured out how to grind metal - watch out now! ;) (Hubby is running to lock up the tool box.)

    Crystal

  11. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks, everyone! I really enjoyed this and hope others give it a try. It's hard to go wrong with step by step instructions.

    Clay- I haven't gotten over the feather phobia yet - I still haven't gone at them with a scalpel. Then there is that "hair" thing and add embossing to this list.... painting....

    There are a few things that I did that I shouldn't have - tried some other things and got lucky. Still so much to learn. Thanks for taking the time to help me out and for getting the ball rolling on this to begin with. If you hadn't jumped in and done the write up I'd still be looking at this on a piece of paper!

    Crystal

  14. Posted · Report reply

    Hi All-

    ClayB did such a nice write up on the swan that he did, I had to give it a try. All the instructions worked! I wasn't brave enough to lift the feathers like he did. I'll try that another time. I haven't colored it yet - (that's the next lesson I'll try to follow).

    Swan9b.jpg

    Thanks, Clay!!

    Crystal

    post-6163-1239848768_thumb.jpg

  16. Posted · Report reply

    I must say that the answers I got to my questions have surprised me. How can insecurity be an issue in this multi-faceted and multi-talented leatherworking community? Okay, I rarely post pictures of my stuff on the board because I don't feel it 'jumps high enough' when compared to the other stuff I see; but I failed to see that most everyone else is concerned about their products too. Thanks guys, I feel a lot better!

    As this thread developed I had had a few ideas myself about ways to improve the look and 'purchase factor' of my work. Having listened to everyone else I'm rather less worried about the quality of the workmanship as I concentrate a lot of effort on making stuff as well as I can and already try to pick up on all the things that have been mentioned. In fact I already spend far too much time looking for problems!

    I am always quite concerned that the first view a customer has of my work leaves a good impression so I have recently invested in a big pack of plain white tissue paper to wrap individual items in before they are shipped. I don't care what the thing is, somehow tissue paper seems to add value - anyone got thoughts on that?

    I have already gone down the route of buying in nice cloth bags for my larger leather items. They also add some perceived value. I'm now toying with the idea of paper or leather 'tags' and have just purchased a couple of shield shaped cutters from eBay to see how shaped tags look with my maker's stamp on them. Does anyone else do this?

    I have mentioned in the past that I always include a set of care instructions with my leather bags and can say with some authority that these have definitely bought me in more business. They simply carry my name, email address, website and phone number along with some basic care hints. I wrap them around a jar of Skidmore's cream and a yellow duster and hold it all together with a rubber band - it ought to be a leather thong really I guess...

    Anyone else got any ideas? Red tissue? Blue Tissue? Ribbons - I don't care as long as it works!

    Ray- I've had the same thoughts on the tissue paper. I've bought some clothing from a few stores that carefully wrap up your purchases in tissue paper before they put them in a nice paper shopping bag with handles. Somehow, as a buyer, I get a good feeling about coming home and then unwrapping it. Seems like a present. I haven't spent any more money than I would have at Waly-World, where they just dump everything into a plastic bag, but I don't have the same good feeling coming home and taking those things out of the plastic bags. Color of the tissue paper? I don't think that really matters as long as you use the same color all the time. Make it like a brand mark. I loved TomSwede's keyfob with his maker's stamp on it. I think that is a brilliant idea to include that as a tag. Maybe make it up as a keyfob for higher end items?

    I like what you are doing with the cloth bags for your other goods. It's that little something extra that I think says that if you are putting that much effort into the packaging, you must be taking the extra effort with the items you produce. All that said- I go back to "You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear." If the quality of the work isn't there - other than wrapping it in gold, I don't think the packaging is going to matter much at all.

    I made a holster a little while ago - first one. It came out okay - had lots that I wasn't happy with. I showed it to my farrier the other week. He loved it. He pulled out a manufactured holster he had that he bought from a store. Mine was nicer than that one, but not as good as most shown on here. Does that make my holster "well finished". Not to me, it was better than that one but not at a level where I think my work should be. Ultimately I think customers decide what "Well Finished" is.

    Crystal

  25. Posted · Report reply

    Thank you, Clay! Great write up. :thumbsup:

    I liked the texture you got with the tape. Any trouble with residual tape stickiness on that? Would that texture technique would work for the cat-o-nine tails? And - the usual question - what weight leather are you using? 6-7 oz? You've done such a nice job on this tutorial - I actually think I can do it.

    Crystal

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