CitizenKate

Great way to show what the choices are. I'm working on something similar to that (small samples of border and corner carving/stamping patterns) for my furniture trim pieces. When people can personally see the final result, touch it, smell it... that's marketing. Kate

Do you mean this? Or this? Kate

That appears to have excellent masking properties. Thanks for sharing that info, Bree. Kate

Overall, that looks like a fairly good approach. You don't mention the type of adhesive you use, but the clamps may be unnecessary if you use something that makes an instant bond like rubber cement. On the other hand, the rubber cement may not hold those small, stiff pieces well enough. It does not need to be a permanent bond, just strong enough to hold the parts together until sewn. Maybe wet-molding them to get them more in the shape they need to go for stitching will make the sticking power of the adhesive less of a requirement. As far as matching the edges so they blend when burnished, I think you may find that just sanding the edges will work a little better than the grinder. Slightly better control over where and how much of the material gets removed. I'm sure others will chime up here, shortly... these are just some ideas... hope this helps. Kate

In "All About Us & Off Topic", members can post on any topic they care to discuss. I believe the topic was labeled clearly enough. Kate

Bree, that looks promising! Can you post a link to more detailed info on this product? Thanks! Kate

She didn't want to give up hers? Why does that not surprise me? They're only about 3-1/2 bucks. Most families can afford more than one. Kate

It can drip a little if the sponge becomes too saturated with nothing drawing off liquid. So when I set it down, I just lean it up against something to elevate the sponge end slightly. Other than that, I've been casing leather all day today, and no muss, no fuss. An envelope moistener... why didn't I think of that? I bet it would work, just maybe not quite as fast. Kate

For years, I've been going back and forth between applying my casing solution with a sponge dipped into a bowl of casing solution and applying it with a spray bottle. I don't like either method very well. The sponges are kinda messy, it's hard to keep my hands from getting wet, it drips a lot, and a lot of the casing solution gets thrown out. The spray bottles are a little less wasteful because you can save the unused portions, and my hands stay dry. But they are very messy because over-spray goes everywhere, so I spend extra time keeping the mess under control. Today, I was thinking, "There's GOT to be a better way!" I want something that - dispenses the solution in a more controlled way than a spray bottle, - lets me apply it without having to get my hands in it, - safely stores the unused portion for the next project. Hmmm... how about one of those bottles with a sponge applicator? You know, like the ones that liquid shoe polish comes in. Searched on-line, couldn't find anyone who sells them. (You might know of someone, if so, I'd still like to know.) Hmmm.... thinkthinkthinkthink... what is there that is LIKE a sponge bottle? I got it! One of those sponge-tipped dish soap dispensers. So I ran out, got one, tried it... AND IT WORKS! IT WORKS GREAT! I know, I know, I'm getting way too worked up over this. But casing my projects just went from high-maintenance to low-maintenance. If you don't like the idea, it won't hurt my feelings one bit. Everyone has their own ways they like to do things. But I haven't heard of anyone else using one of these, so I thought I'd pass it along. Kate

Sounds like you unwittingly found a way to remove dye, which can be a good thing to know if you accidentally drop some where you don't want it! I think you may be confusing a resist with a mask. If you're using something like Block-Out as a resist (to keep antique from absorbing into the leather, creating a lighter antique effect) you leave it on, and put the antique on over it. This type of product is a very thin, light liquid that absorbs into the leather and is not meant to be peeled off. If you're using the heavier liquid latex as a mask (to control where dye goes when you're spraying it on), then you do peel it off before applying anything else. Incidentally, someone found out it's also very difficult to get dye to absorb into leather where liquid latex has been peeled off. So you probably only want to use it where no color is going to be used. Kate

There are a couple of ways I can think of. One would be to apply a resist to the piece (such as lacquer, wax, or latex), then antique. That will cause the antique to not absorb as easily into the leather, but will still settle in the depressed areas. The other would be to thin the antique so it isn't as dark, overall. I haven't used much highlighter, but I have used Tan-Kote successfully as a thinner for Fiebings antique paste and the water-based antiques/stains, so you might want to try that. Please do test your trial formulas on pieces of scrap before committing to your final project! Kate

Glad you're here, outofdoors. We'd love to see your work when you've got something you want to show off! Kate

Exceptional work, John. Thanks for posting it! Kate

That's so neat! I really like the applique braid, too. Kate

Great topic! I took a course offered by our local SBDC on how to develop a business plan. It really was a challenge to focus on it, for the reasons Bree mentioned: too preoccupied with operational management. But the course really kind of forced me to get it done, and it was well worth it! Here's are some free business plan templates you can download from SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives). They have different ones for new businesses and established ones. SCORE Template Gallery And if you explore around the site, you'll find an abundance of other useful free resources they offer to people starting and running businesses. Kate

Wow - nice artifacts, Ray! Kate

Do you know about Nova Leather in Canada? They've got a huge assortment of wallet kits. They don't show all the products they make on their site, but you can go there to order a catalog. http://www.novaleather.com/ Kate

How about this, Windy? Just a thought. Kate

I love the concept! Kate

You'd be amazed at some of the things that can make an interesting impression on a piece of well-cased veg-tan. Leaves can be pressed into the leather with a rolling pin. A few other things I can think of... metal buttons, wood siding, any kind of textured stone or even concrete... embossing dyes made for scrapbooking... nuts 'n bolts... just take your imagination to the local hobby store, or even a hardware store, and see what else turnes up. Kate

Good for you, Tex! That is exactly what I hope to accomplish one day. Kate

Yeah, right. More like the other way around! LOL Kate

It's so fascinating to see what everyone does! I'm just a nerd... ...an IT project manager for a very fast growing company (yes, even in these times - but only 25% this year, rather than the usual 50-60% annual growth we've been seeing - *whew* - finally get to take a little breather!). We do things like build networks, build database, file, email, and web servers, set up spam filtering, set up computers for the employees... and of course provide most of the support for all of it. Kate

Thanks for sharing that, Terry! That is very cool! (or, warm, depending on how you look at it - LOL) Kate

Closer to 2000, actually... Kate