CitizenKate

I'm guessing that is what is referred to in art supply stores as "illustration board", a very rigid, dense cardboard. But what I do normally, is run packing tape across the back in criss-crossing layers. That stabilizes the leather quite well for carving. On some occasions, if the leather is permanently mounted on something rigid, I mount it first, then case and carve it. Kate

LOL! You just need to watch your hourly stats and do your tinkerin' when there's the least amount of traffic. I'm jumpin' through those hoops all the time! Kate

Good point. I keep telling Clay I'm going to get out one day and shoot some photos of the Kansas Flint Hills region I live in. If I ever get around to that, I'll have to post them here for everyone to see. It really is quite a sight at certain times of the year, just hope the photos can do it justice. Black bass... fairly similar to the largemouth bass that is very plentiful in this region. We also have a lot of crappe, bluegill, and my personal favorite, white bass. The biggest one of those I caught was probably just under a pound, but it apparently thought it was 10 pounds! Ha! It was delicious! Kate

Wow, Rick, maybe you should be giving us pointers on stitching.... nowutimean? Glad you're here! Kate

I know what you mean, Tom. If you can't make a living at it, it at least helps if you can make a good side income from it. That's quite an introduction - nice pieces. Glad you're here, and hope you post more of your work. Kate

Wow, Bruce, that IS a very interesting site. When you said "traditional" I didn't realize you meant back as far back as the 11th century! Lotta great leather history there. I've got it bookmarked. Kate

I know, man, I'm in the same friggin' boat! I hope there is leather in heaven. Kate

Much obliged, pardner. Kate

That look awesome! What species of fish do you fish for there? Kate

Alessandro, I have used my sprayer with both acrylic and liquid wax finishes. It works fine for either, but with acrylic, you just need to return any remaining finish to the original container and rinse out the sprayer very thoroughly with warm water after each use. With wax-based finishes, you can leave the finish in the sprayer indefinitely, and it rarely clogs up. I'll be looking for the photos you posted... I love to fish, and I've been to Switzerland. That must have been heavenly. Kate

Romey, that's a pretty clever solution, as well. Amazing, all the things you can do with PVC pipe, eh? Kate

That's a great idea, Regis. I've been trying to figure out ways to get some distance between the subject and the background. Look forward to seeing your photos... Kate

Hey gang, I came across this site while traipsing about the web. This is a site of Tim Skyrme of Australia, who has written a book on shoemaking that I had not seen before. There are also several free online videos you can watch that cover various aspects of shoemaking. Great stuff! Front page: http://www.shoemakingbook.com/Index.htm Videos: http://www.shoemakingbook.com/ShoemakingVideos.htm Kate

For those of you not familiar with this, it's called a light box, or a "soft box". The idea of it is, when you're photographing your work, you want your subject fully saturated with strong lighting from numerous angles, to minimize shadows. But the lighting needs to be "softened", or diffused, to reduce glare. The method JustWakinUp shared is a great way to build a smaller one. I needed a larger one to accommodate my large game boards. So I built this one out of PVC and vinyl shower curtains. You can use this method to make it any size you want. The nice thing about this one is, I can tear it down, fold it up, and store it in the closet. It was a little more than $5, but it's also quite a bit larger than the one in the tutorial, as well. I think I spent between $30-40 for the whole setup, including the lights. Kate

That's the sound of a broken nose, no doubt. Kate

Hello Alessandro, To get started with airbrushing I would recommend something like this, a Badger 100LG with a fine head: http://www.bearair.com/prodinfo.asp?number=100114 This is an affordable airbrush that will spray anywhere from a pencil line to about a 2"-wide spray for background spraying, which makes it a good general-purpose brush for most uses. I use a single-action sprayer for wide-spray applications, like spraying on finishes that cover the entire piece, or color washes that are controlled with a friskett mask or tape. Kate

That sounds great, Patrice! Here's mine: Potato Brunch In a large, non-stick skillet, heat - 3 Tbs. olive oil over medium-high heat. When the skillet is up to heat, add - 1 28 oz. bag frozen Potatoes O'Brien - 1 cup frozen 3 pepper onion blend and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the potatoes and vegetables are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add to the skillet - ½ cup bacon bits or pieces (the “real†ones are way better!) And cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes, or until all ingredients are thoroughly cooked. Serve portions of the mixture topped with any of the following: - ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese (optional) - Salsa to taste (optional) - Tabasco Sauce to taste (optional) Also great served with toast, fruit, juice, and other breakfast favorites. This is a Saturday morning favorite of mine!

Even an affluent university alumni... something to think about. Find a place to put a team logo on it. Kate

Very good point, Charles. What are the main considerations for craftspeople/artisans? Kate

I was thinking something similar... whenever I see a field of cattle, I actually see racks of tanned leather. Ha! But meat is also an addiction of mine. Kate

Freak, that is one of my favorite things I've seen posted on this forum. Can't wait to see what you come up with next! Kate

My favorite steaks are the ones I grill myself. My favorite cuts are fillets or top sirloin. I marinade them with Lawrey's meat marinade, with the water substituted with Chianti, Cabernet Savignion, Merlot (in other words, a nice full-bodied red wine) or with two or three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar added to the normal amount of water. The fire is charcoal with chunks of mesquite wood thrown on. Ahhh... just the smell of that mesquite drives the neighborhood crazy. And I use a pretty hot fire; the outside is nicely cooked, but the inside is still a little pink. A little less heat for the fillets because they are thicker. My second favorite was a fillet I had at the Texas Roadhouse. Cooked and seasoned perfectly, it practically melted in my mouth. It's usually a good sign when you push away the steak sauce. Third, the steaks my dad made; one of the best things I remember him by. But mine are better. He knew about Lawrey's, but he didn't know about Chianti or mesquite. Kate

Nice work, Jo! Kate

Wow, freak, that is lovely work! Kate

I haven't tried the aerosol package, but if you use the bottled version, put it on in multiple, very light coats to preserve a natural leather surface texture, and let it dry good between each coat. For me, preserving a natural appearance of the leather is very important. Grumpy, do you have a link to more information about this finish? It sounds like something we should know about. Kate