CitizenKate

You can get a more satiny finish by buffing a little more lightly. For a more glossy finish, put on some extra, and buff it longer. Hi Aaron, that sounds like something I'd like to try. Where do you get it? Kate

Oh... does that mean it's okay to eat peanuts again? Kate

This is a YouTube video that someone shared with me recently. It's from "Britain's Got Talent". Evidently, they do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luRmM1J1sfg Kate

Acrylic finishes can be removed with a wet sponge. Then try either a lacquer-based finish (as Josh suggests), or wax. Tan-kote is not as water resistant as either of those two finishes. Kate

When all the Eco-Flo stuff came out, I bought a bunch of samples of the dyes, hi-lighter, all-in-one, carnauba cream, etc., and started playing with them all. I have gotten the same results with the Carnauba Creme and the water-based antiques/stains as you have, it just smeared the stain all over the place, and made a huge mess! Tan-Kote was one of finishes I tried that went on with the least amount of disruption to the water-based stains. All the wax finishes I tried (other than carnauba creme, which I don't think really has much wax in it, anyway) went on with no problems at all. The ones I tried were Kiwi neutral shoe polish (very inexpensive and easy to find anywhere; just wipe it on, then buff), Bee Natural (more expensive, but very good; I sprayed it on in several light coats), and Trewax liquid floor wax (also sprayed that on), and Johnson paste floor wax (wipe on, buff off, and this stuff creates a very glossy finish!) I also poured water on my samples to test for how well the finishes repel water, and the wax finishes all passed my tests with flying colors. Another thing I discovered was, mixing tan-kote with the all-in-one (which is also a water-based stain) improves both the appearance and the stability of the stain considerably. By "stability", I mean, how well it stays put when you try to apply something over it. It also makes the stain easier to work with. I have not tried this with the hi-lighter, but it's something I would suggest trying. On scrap, first! Hope this helps, and please do let us know how our suggestions work out for you. Kate

Nice doodles, Brent! Kate

Josh, Don't be discouraged. I was listing on Etsy more than a month before my first sale came. But eventually, I was getting some sales, until a big project came along and I had to take some time away from it. Here are some general guidelines for selling on Etsy that I picked up along the way: - What to sell there... A good variety of your offerings, both in function and pricing, will improve your odds for a sale. You can't have something for everyone, but the more you can spread out, the better your odds of selling. Try to add more smaller items, and save the feature spots for your specialties (like those cowboy cuffs - nice!). - A well-stocked and well-appointed shop is more attractive to buyers than a shop with very few items little attention to the overall theme. Get at least a couple of pages of items to show. Provide plenty of information about yourself and your business in your profile. Your banner is a good concept, but it doesn't do your work justice. Try to come up with a better one. (Sheesh, I should talk - I'm in the process of making a better one for my shop, too. ) - The photography must be as good as you can get it. Learn as much as you can about taking good product shots. This is true of any online selling venue. The images you provide are all buyers have to determine the quality of your work, so the time you invest in learning to take good photos of your work will have an impact on your sales. Here's a couple of good places to start: Product photography tips at tabletopstudio.com EtsyWiki Photos And here's a thread here on LW on an easy and cheap way to build a light/photo/soft box. - You usually get the most traffic from Etsy searches when you have something newly listed. So it helps to list things often. If you have several items to list, instead of listing them all at once, list them at extended intervals. I don't subscribe to the practice of re-listing items that haven't expired, as many seller do. Etsy likes to see the frenzy of new listings, so the searches are weighted in favor of them. I think they need to earn their Pfennigs like the rest of us. - Participate in the forums. It's mostly sellers who hang out there, but a lot of sellers are also buyers. Every time you post there, a potential buyer may see your post an check out your shop. There's more, but hopefully this will give you some ideas. Hang in there, Josh, you're awesome! Kate

Welcome to Leatherworker! Bee Natural leather finish is one product you may want to consider. I've used it for years, and it's the only thing I put on for a finish. I've used it on top of spirit dyes, water-based dyes, and antiques, and haven't had any problems with the dyes coming off (except on the spots where I missed with the wax). As far as how long it holds up... for something like a dog collar, I would probably wax it maybe once a year. Just like you would do with a pair of leather shoes or boots. Kate

Maybe I can throw in another little tip that has helped steer traffic to my site, that also doesn't cost anything. Find web sites that publish information related to your product, that have a "Links" section. For example, my specialty is game boards, so I found lots of web sites that provide information for Chess and other board game enthusiasts, emailed their webmasters, and asked if my site could be added to their links section. I've only had one decline the request so far. If what you make is relevant to their content, they're usually all too happy to promote you. My web stats showed that quite a bit of my site traffic (not to mention a few orders) were referred from those sites. Another benefit is, the more other sites that have links to your site, the higher your site will appear in the search engine rankings. Kate

Those look great, BearMan! Those of you asking about the checkering, you can buy checkering files that are sold to gunsmiths and engravers. Brownell's has them, along with quite a few other tools that could be useful for stamp-making. Kate

That's a great idea, Ray. I know quite a few Etsyans have blogs to promote their shops, but this is a better twist on that idea. It focuses on the potential customers' interests, rather than the usual "look what I'm making that you can buy" kind of thing. Thanks for sharing your idea; I'm going to try it. Kate

I love it when people post images of where they live. (Or in this case, travel to.) That is some lovely scenery! Later on this spring, once things get a little greener, I plan to get out with my camera and try to get some good images of this area. (ClayB has heard this before, but this year, I think it's finally going to happen!) Kate

I decided to start a new topic on something that was posted on another one to avoid diverting attention away from the original topic: Hi Kevin, I'm curious why all the leather suppliers sell the white buffing compound, and nothing else? I decided to use the red once, and my knife tips are way sharper and smoother than I could ever get them with the white stuff. And I know there are other kinds out there (like "yellow" stuff and "green" stuff) that other leather workers seem to prefer over the white stuff. Que pasa, eh? Kate

That's a neat effect! How did you do it? Kate

One of my game board designs uses wet-molded parts. I leave the leather on their forms until they are dry because of how the leather tends to shrink and curl as is dries. Kate

Oooooo... she's dangerous now! Kate

I've used the propane torch/steel brush method on some Craftools I bought a few years ago (2004 or so). It did improve the clarity of the impression it made, somewhat. The tradeoff is, the underlying metal is quite soft, so heavy use will eventually cause the face of the tool to lose its shape over time. I'll have to replace the ones I removed the chrome from sooner than the ones I didn't. In the long run, it's probably better to leave the plate on. Kate

Very nice work, Crystal. Nice clean lines, and the feather textures are very convincing. Can't wait to see the finish. Kate

That is gorgeous, Kathy! I have always struggled with applying white paint to leather with bristle brushes. I find it much easier with an air brush, but I'd still like to be able to use a bristle brush. After seeing this, I think I'll go back and do some more experimenting. Kate

Josh, I have to say the quality of your work is really starting to get that professional touch. Clean, straight, well-slicked edges, even stitching, the braid is nice and even... your determination to pursue excellence is inspiring. All you beginners out there who are looking for encouragement should follow the links below and take a look at the work Josh posted when he first joined us here on May 1st, 2008 as a beginner. Suffice it to say, he has come a long way in a year's time. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...ic=2874&hl= http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...ic=3272&hl= http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...ic=3359&hl= Nice boot, by the way. Kate

Wrong series, Tony. MacMurry was the father figure in "My Three Sons". Kate

Are there any images of their work published anywhere on the web that you know of, Kevin? Kate

The applique braid is very cool! Kate

They're not senile if they're made out of bad-ass leather, nowutImean, bro? Kate

Since NeatLac is becoming increasingly scarce, maybe some nail polish will do the trick. Kate