CitizenKate

Now there's an idea... a lanyard eyeglass case. That is very sharp, Tom! The key fob almost looks like a designer label. Gives the piece a nice, professional touch. Kate

My pleasure, Tom. Thanks so much for your patience in waiting for it, since I shipped it quite a bit late! I like the location you chose for it. As for reaching "that skill level", based on recent work you have posted, I would say you are getting there in good time. It won't be long before others will be saying the same thing to you. Kate

I use 3M copier transparencies, but they don't work that great if you try to use them the same way you use tracing paper, i.e., pressing the lines into the leather with a tracing stylus. But here's a way to use them to print the design on the leather. It's very quick and simple, and reproduces your pattern very accurately. Once you print the design on the transparency, turn it face down on your dry leather, and use a modeling spoon to lightly rub the ink into the leather. The sooner you do it after it's printed, the more solid the lines will be. You need to be careful not to let the transparency shift around while you're rubbing the ink into the leather, but I've been using this method for 3 years, and still haven't messed one up. Give the ink about a half-hour to dry good, then case and carve. Kate

Glad you're here, zopi. Look forward to seeing your work! Kate

Here's a quick sample I hacked out this morning. It's from a Wickett & Craig double-split, which are cut relatively smooth. When you order a tooling side from them, they split it to any thickness you need, free of charge, and if you request it, they'll also send you the material that was split off the side at no extra charge (although I suspect it may affect your shipping charges slightly). Kate

Yes, either side of any veg-tanned leather is tool-able. It might be useful to tool on a split if you are looking for a rougher texture to put some carving or stamping on. The only thing I've used splits for so far is to make plugs for appliques. Kate

Don't feel too bad about that. I played one for a semester in brass ensemble. I loved how easy it was to nail those high notes, but it's a difficult instrument to play, more temperamental than a French horn. I was constantly having to bend pitches to stay in tune, and with all that bending, I was fracking a lot. Arrgggggh! That was enough to motivate me to buy my own euphonium, rather than continue to be subject to play what was available from the university loaners. Kate

I get it at WalMart in the fabric section, or at fabric stores. It comes on big rolls, and you can buy as little or as much as you like. Kate

You might be amazed how quickly it comes back to you. Kate

Here are some previously-posted discussions on this topic. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...amp;hl=airbrush http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...amp;hl=airbrush http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...amp;hl=airbrush http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...amp;hl=airbrush Also, if you do a search for "airbrush" a lot of other topics will come up that include some discusion about how airpbrushes are used for specific projects. These should be a good starting point for you, but feel free to ask more questions! Kate

Here are a couple that nobody has mentioned yet... Leatherwood Designs (Rod Stanger in Australia) Art-Goldberg (Michael & Vera Goldberg in Israel) Kate

I recently found on Youtube that someone had posted some old video footage of a drum & bugle corps I marched with in the late '70's. Wow, did this ever bring back some memories. It wasn't one of our better performances that year - everything was way too rushed in this show, but anyway... I'm in this... somewhere in the low brass. I was 19 at the time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIEi6L4iHJY&NR=1 Kate

No kidding... That is impressive, Pete! For my part, I was a music major my first time in college, playing mostly various brass instruments. I also have played guitar, some years better, some years worse, depending on how much time I put in at it. Gotta love the software programs that are available now that let you turn your computer into a home music studio! That has really gotten me motivated to arrange for and play my instruments more. (Maybe I'll post one of my projects sometime in the off-topic forum.) If you ever heard me sing, you would laugh until there are tears in your eyes! Kate

That moosebutter stuff is some great amateur a capella work, and they obviously have a flair for parody - Haaaaaa!!! Thanks for posting it. Kate

Sure, why not! When I saw that plane taking off, then heard all the other musicians kick in, I actually got goosebumps. Just a small example of what can happen when the walls and barriers come down, for once. I especially enjoyed Grampa Elliot - what a great voice. Thanks for sharing that! Kate

Oooooooh, THAT baby yak! LOL They did it again, snuck one in when you weren't looking. You're starting to get quite a little herd going. Congratulations! Kate

Kathy, that is beautiful!!! Can't wait to see it finished! Kate

Mine's just a 5"x15" piece of illustration board. I used to use the white stuff all the leather suppliers sell, but then saw some of the red buffing compound at Sears and decided to try it. I like it much better. I inadvertently got some oil onto it when I was re-sharpening one of my blades, and discovered the oil seems to improved the performance of the strop, as well. Kate

Great ideas! And I have a much better idea how to use my hairblade tool, now. Thanks so much for posting that, I'll be referring back to it on future projects. Kate

He speaketh words of wisdom. Kate

That's way tougher than anything I've encountered so far, Bree. Hope someone can provide some insight. Kate

I've been using it for at least a couple of years now. It's so simple, but amazing what you can do with it! Kate

Well, here are some of my random thoughts... I apologize for the length of this post. Thought 1: This site cannot be everything to everyone. The wider the scope of topics we try to accommodate, the more the quality and depth of content will suffer. Up until now, we've pretty much allowed any topic to be discussed in the "off-topic" forum, and it's worked okay, but more and more people are finding stuff in there they don't want to see, mixed in with the stuff they do want to see, with no way to distinguish them until they've already wasted time reading it. So we have two choices. We can create a separate forum to help people more easily distinguish between groups of topics. Or we can decide not to include the topic any longer. Since our primary dedication here is to share and learn about working with leather, it's my opinion that anything outside of that should be considered more strongly for omission. Thought 2: I understand that some people need a place to vent their frustration with the government, politicians, various groups, or just love to chew the fat on political topics. There are other people who just want a place to preach politics. Nothing at all wrong with any of that. If I want to participate in a political forum (with all the rants, preaching, debating, and accusations you can stand), there are way better places on the Internet to do that. Is that really what we want people to start coming here for? Thought 3: A few people here have said they would be in favor of having a section where anyone can literally discuss anything "... as long as it doesn't get personal," and "... as long as you go in there with a thick hide." When you have a membership as diverse as this one, and you post a rant about some group, any group (gender, nationality, race, religion, profession, age group, sexual orientation, you name it), chances are very good that we will have members who are in that group. The vast majority of us who visit this forum have matured to the point where we don't allow what someone says about us or some group we belong to affect us. We have seen in the last few days that not every single person visiting here has reached that level of maturity. The fact of the matter is, these topics do become personal, very quickly. There are also a few people whose idea of a "thick hide" is being able to deliver the most venom. My concern is that an "anything goes" topic may end up becoming a magnet for people who are just looking for a place to play out some unhealthy aggression. Thought 4: We have allowed some very controversial discussions to continue completely un-moderated because the individuals focused on facts, ideas, and particulars of the issue, rather than on personalities or motives, or resorted to name-calling or personal insults. This is one place where this is allowed to go on almost daily, regardless of the personal views of any of the staff, because controversy does have value to the membership at large, and it is highly relevant. Meanwhile, there is teaching going on, new demos being posted, questions being answered, ideas being shared... I personally would much rather focus on all of this. That being said, Johanna, I'll support whatever you decide. But if we do this, I too would like it to be set up like the adult section. Kate

When I'm applying dyes with a bristle brush, once I've made a few passes to get the overall color how I want it, I then go after the lighter spots with the brush loaded lighter/dryer. I dab more color into those areas, then blend the strokes from wet to dry to get them to blend with the surrounding area. Kate

Very nice, Tina! The boo-boo notwithstanding, your work gets more stunning with every project. Kate