Introduction

[Mike Phelps]

Morning Mike and Welcome

I think Skidboot barked at me. Am I sure that bison skull was leather and not bone?

Now I'm going to have to try my hand at embossing and carving pictures.

[Mike]

Thanks for the compliments. A tip... when embossing, watch how the piece is turning out. Especially in embossing cutouts. I have found that I frequently have to nudge lines around cutouts. When looked at flat as in a tracing, the line will look wrong. When embossed, they work. Usually the embossed items are only partially embossed (the part facing you is embossed and the back half meets the leather background).

Just my 2 cents.

[The Major]

Welcome aboard. One question. You are worried about being good enough to compete? I think others should worry if you do compete. Your work looks outstanding.

[Mike]

I just get an urge and create something once in awhile. Or when someones really wants something. Right now I'm trying to come up with a good deer profile for a checkbook. I'm almost done with the main drawing. Then I'm thinking along the lines of scenic side panels. It will depend on how much room I have and how much detail I can cram into small frames.

I submitted an entry to an IFOLG show just once. It was inadvertantly placed into the wrong category prior to judging and as a result was ineligible for judging. That was many years ago. Since then I have thought about it but never got around to entering another show. I do worry about having work good enough to be shown in competition but I am believe I am getting past that. Maybe I'll enter something at some upcoming show.

Mike