tashabear

You ain't gonna believe this... http://www.blueguns.com/ (Why yes, Google *is* my bitch.) :-D

If you're going to make a duct tape double, be sure to put an old t-shirt between her and the duct tape. Instructions can be found here: http://www.leanna.com/DuctTapeDouble/ Rather than using fiberfill, use expandable foam insulation. They tell you to use the fiberfill so you can pin into it for sewing, but that's not what you want to do. Just besure to do it outside -- it can be messy.

What boobs have YOU been looking at, that you think that's what they're shaped like?

I use regular acrylic craft paint, thinned with water. I can get 4oz bottles at the craft store for <$2.

That's so pretty. Someday...

Whereas I can't wear metal -- I'm allergic!

Urweg's stuff is GORGEOUS but pricey. I covet a set of their women's pierced brooches, but I can't afford them. Take a look at Raymond's Quiet Press if you're looking for historic metal bits at reasonable prices: http://www.quietpress.com

Really lovely! How much does it weigh?

Very nice! As far as the photography goes, the lighting is all right, but the pics are blurry. A lightbox won't really help with that, if you're still shooting handheld. Try using a flash. If that washes things out, use a tripod. If you can't do that, at least try holding your breath while you snap the photo. It's kind of like sharpshooting -- the act of breathing will affect your aim. I don't think you need to go so far as to try to snap the picture between heartbeats, though... ;-)

http://www.pacouncilonthearts.org/pca.cfm?...amp;level=First <-- look for "Folk Arts Apprenticeships"

You might find something good here: http://www.armourarchive.org/patterns/

The needles that Tandy sells for hand sewing are crewel embroidery needles. It's possible to find shorter ones. Plus, if you do add a closure on the flap, you can make it so it opens on the long side, and it'll be both a shorter seam and give you more room to work. I can think of a couple of ways to do it that won't even require hardware.

Thanks! I tried to get down to the shop today to show you (and swap out that modeling tool) but I got caught in traffic and missed you. Plus I forgot the modeling tool. I'll try to swing by tomorrow.

Never let it be said I don't give good fanservice. It's just a Tandy kit, though; I was a bit pressed for time.

I made this for my husband last night. The dyeing is uneven, but it's kind of what I was going for anyway. I learned something very important about my acrylics, too: if I want grey paint, I need to go buy grey paint. Mixing the black and white I have does create grey, but it has an unpleasant green tone to it on leather. Lifting a lot of it with water and overpainting with silver metallic fixed it, but I definitely need proper grey -- it's too useful. I surprised myself by achieving this watercolorish effect. I'm usually more fussy about precision, but last night I just let that go and painted, and it turned out really well. Best of all, my husband loves it. And lastly, go go gadget Craftaids. I never could have drawn something this nice. Carved and tooled: Painted and dyed, but not finished: Finished and stitched:

Folks, I saw this one in person this morning and it's GORGEOUS. What Froghunter neglected to say is that he did that in about 5 hours. (Froggy, I'll come by for that $20 later this week.)

HI! I actually grew up in Harvard, but my husband had already bought a house here when I met him. Um... I did jury duty in Lynn in April... And you need to come to Chelmsford and visit Froghunter!

That's gorgeous! I have a biker friend who's a guitarist and has a koi tattoo -- he was going to have my husband airbrush a helmet for him, but changed his mind. I'd better not let him see this, or I'm going to be volunteered for another project! (Except I'm totally showing him this.)

At the risk of sounding arrogant, it looks even better in person. I'm excited, too! See you in the morning!

It looks very elegant on him! Gorgeous work!

Hey folks, I'm Tasha. I just finished my first project (well, everything but the lacing). I got sucked into this by Froghunter, the manager at the "Boston" Tandy store (he's AWESOME -- y'all need to come in and say hi!). I walked into his store just wanting to make a tank panel for my bike; next thing you know I'm signed up for a motorcycle saddlebag class! The class wasn't till September, though, and got pushed back two weeks in favor of a visit from Jim Linnell, so I opted to give in to my creative urges and take the notebook class that started last Saturday. We have one more class this weekend, where we'll assemble the covers. I'm in the SCA, so I decided to do my coat of arms. The background is supposed to be black, but I like it with the dyed leather instead. This is the front flap. The runes say "Tasha made me." I forgot to dilute the dye, but it looks all right. I painted over the runes with antique gold acrylic to make them glow a bit. It still needs to be sealed; I took the picture when it was drying. Looking forward to learning a lot -- I have lots of ideas!