phlegmaticdog

I agree with Ray. I'd want to keep them on display behind glass for fear of scratching them! Seriously though, these are truly beautiful. Dave M

Beautiful work and very unique. Any chance you could show a photo of the carved leather before you wrap it around the template on a future project? Thanks, Dave

Nice work. Good job on the hand stitching! Dave

This was Eco-Flo scarlet dye Dave

I make 3 or 4 different dilutions of the dye mixed with water; 1:10, 1:5, 1:2, full strength, etc. After dipping the brush in the least intense color (1:10), I brush it onto a paper towel until the brush is almost dry, then use that brush to color the entire rose. Since the brush doesn't have much paint on it, it takes several repetitions to achieve the desired color but by selectively adding layers where you want the color to be most intense--such as at the centers of the rose petals--you have a lot of control over the gradient of color and can get a much more appealing 3D appearance. Then change to the dilution one step higher and repeat the process, but only in the areas where you want more color. Repeat again with the next dilution. Finally you can use undiluted dye in a very few select areas but don't overdo it. In a few areas where I want to give the illusion of reflected light I add a few drops of cova white to the most dilute mixture and --again, using a very dry brush-- touch-up a few spots on the outer edges of the petals. The same process is used on the leaves but I don't use as many different dilutions since there isn't as much detail to complement. This dry-brush method takes some extra time, but the results can be very nice.

This was a Christmas present for my niece .

Oops, I missed this one:

I've been lurking instead of posting for awhile (admiring the work of lots of others here), but thought I'd post a couple of checkbooks I've made recently.

The bag is awesome and I like the stamp too. Is the "skinjob" moniker an allusion to Battlestar Galactica?

I think the perceived value of an item is greater if it's presented with a little fanfare. Along that line, I'd like to have some inexpensive boxes to present small items in, such as wallets, etc. I don't want to spend a lot of money, but am wondering if anyone has found a source for small boxes. The local dollar store has some boxes that actually look fairly nice, but none are the size and/or shape I want. They have small cubes and shirt-box types. Thanks if anyone has any ideas about this.

All my staff wanted a personalized key fob once they had seen one! Thanks to my friend Brian Walker of Tandy in Littleton, CO for teaching me the dry brushing technique that gives some depth to the mortar and pestle design. Dave M

If you know a nurse or some other medical professional who works in a hospital, they may be able to scrounge some blank x-ray film. The x-ray process produces a lot of wasted blanks and they just throw them away. The film itself is a little stiffer than cardboard file folders, and being plastic, is durable enough to make virtually permanent patterns. They measure 14½ x 17 inches, so are large enough for a good-sized project.

I used a "sharpie metallic silver" marker on this and gave it a coat of Neat-Lac. That was a few weeks ago and I've been using it as a coaster since then so it has had some exposure to water. It still looks the same now (for better or worse).

One more option to add to all good ideas here is a trick I learned from a local leatherworker: Mix a little turpentine with some thinly sliced beeswax. It takes some time and patience to mix, but eventually forms a thick paste. I've only tried it with a nylon edger, but it produced a very nice edge. Of course, it has the typical turpentine odor for awhile, but that dissipates after a day or two. Dave M

Let me know what you think! Dave

I especially like the pattern you used for the belt. Very nice.

Tom, What a wild, wonderful mask! I'll call you, asking to borrow it next Halloween! ==Dave M

Spider, I especially like the wood grain on the front (or "lid," I suppose) of the wallet. As usual, your work made me smile. Very cool. -- Dave

Beatiful piece of work. It took a bit, but I see E Tan......the T is the tiger's nose, right? Dave M

Thanks for all the great ideas! Your posts helped me pinpoint exactly what I was looking for; not just patterns that I could copy wholesale into my own work, but rather inspiration and ideas for things I can carve into leather and for ways to do it. There are lots of sources for that, many of which I found right here on leatherworker.net in the forums by looking at others' work. Also, art and craft books, magazines, artwork. Some websites that have been mentioned here in the forums that are useful to me include: thecoloringspot.com/animals/animals-set-9.html , http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/ , http://www.harvestfields.ca/clipart/index.htm , Also the International Internet Leathercrafters' Guild website. Thanks, Dave M

I made these on a thick chunk of scrap leather. The quality of the carving isn't consistent but there are a few areas that came out pretty well. Best though, is that I learned a lot and really enjoyed the entire process. Constructive criticism from the very talented members of this board is appreciated.

I was a pretty good hand at leatherworking in the distant past and am now starting again. However, I mostly used kits that included patterns. Now I'm looking to be a little more inventive and creative. Where does one go for ideas for new patterns? Or do you just make them yourselves? I saw patterns in the Tandy store but thought the price seemed a little exorbitant.

I was visiting my dear ol' Mom last weekend and noticed that she was still using the checkbook cover I made for her when I was in high school--back when gasoline cost 49 cents and Richard Nixon was president. It got me wondering why I gave up such a rewarding and fun hobby. It probably had something to do with lack of time due to school, work, kids, etc. So I got out my old tools and got right to work on...what else? another checkbook cover. This seems like a really nice bunch of folks. I'm looking forward to chatting with you. Dave Mumaugh