CitizenKate

I really like that, Jordan. I never would have guessed the shading around the edges was done by hand. Nice work! Kate

The diamond hole punch will make holes that are much too big, but they're great for marking where the holes should go. Then use an awl to make the actual holes. I use the awl exactly the same way as Jeffzilla. The only difference is, I just use a couple of pieces of foam core. I tried the method in Al's book, where you're juggling two needles and the awl at the same time, and that just did not work smoothly at all for me. Punching the holes all at once while the project is laying on a flat surface works much better. Kate

I really like that carved design - very handsome - and the lacing is really well-done. Nice work, Johnny. Kate

Ah, the old "divide and conquer"! I'd put my money on your approach. You sound like you've "been there". Kate

I read it on ebay, of all places where I bought some leather that had that property. I really like the stuff! Kate

My first thought is to get a classroom assistant. Or two. Or three? Kate

Nice! "Pull up" leather changes to a lighter color when it is flexed (as you can see in some places on your case), creating a nice, distressed-looking, two-tone effect. Then when the leather is relaxed again, it gradually fades back to its original color. It should make a gorgeous messenger bag! Kate

Names can be deceiving, too, Windy. (Ever seen "genuine leather" on a piece that was obviously not real leather?) I will agree that the straps look like they could be made of bridle leather, but I'm pretty sure the rest of it is not, because bridle leather has a very smooth grain, and the shell material of this bag has more of a pebble texure. Kate

Great album, Clay! Thanks for posting it. I'm glad you took lots of pictures of the people who attended as well. The one you took of the kids at Tony's workshop was priceless, and it was nice to see a few familiar faces. Kate

That doesn't look like latigo to me, either. It looks softer, like chap or upholstery leather. But I have seen messenger-style bags that were done in latigo that were also very nice! Just depends, I suppose, on whether you prefer a softer or firmer hand. Kate

Wow, this thread convinced me to get an Artisan. Thanks, guys! Kate PS to secondcrk: It's bad business to dishonestly discredit your competitors. You might have gotten a little more consideration if you had focused on your good points... if you have any... other than your product costs more.

Wow, that put a smile on my face! Thanks for posting that. Kate

That is some great stuff, Ben. I also noticed quite a few links to tutorials on how to create HDR images. As soon as I finish my current project, I'm going to try some of this with my new Lumix. Thanks for posting this. Kate

Cool effect! Thanks for sharing that, Roo. Kate

Seattle Fabrics is a great source for grommets. They even carry the #00 (3/16") ones that nobody else carries. http://www.seattlefabrics.com/gromsnap.html Also Seigel of California has them. Kate

Very nice bag, Ed!!! Wow! Kate

That gave me a good laugh! After about 15-20 minutes... 319.1. Kate

Oh yeah, I don't want to discourage members from helping out with the hosting fees! Kate

I will gladly do it for nothing, because I want them back as badly as anyone. Nice thought, though, thanks! Kate

Hi rdb, We are working on it. We were able to recover enough of the data, including the attachments, to reconstruct the old posts, and we have the knowledge to do it. But this will take time... please be patient. (But since you brought it up again, I will try to sneak in some more time this weekend to make more progress with it.) Thanks, Kate

Were both projects done from the same hide? Is it possible something oily might have gotten on the first one? Kate

Roo, I think Createx paints only require heat setting when using them on fabrics. Here's what I read on the labels of both the "transparent" and the "pearlized" Createx paints: Shake well before using. When sparying , use of a mask is recommended. For permanence on fabrics: Heatset with a hot iron for 2 minutes, or shirt press 15 seconds. All other surfaces permanent when dry. May be diluted with water. Maybe I'm not interpreting this right... and I'm not sure what the difference would be between fabric and leather, but I do know that if I put it on too thick or heavy, it can crack and peel or rub off after it dries. If I thin it enough to absorb easily into the leather, it seems to stay on quite well, and I've never done the heat set thing. I suppose I could reconsider if someone sent back an item I made that was in use a couple of years, and I found that the paint was coming off over time. Kate

Most of what is in LCSJ is more traditional stuff, although they have had a few articles on some of the newer ideas in leather work. Are you mainly talking about patterns for leather parts, or artwork patterns? Kate