Where is everyone from?

[Beaverslayer]

Hey all, I know we have the Frapper Map, and some of us do list where we live, but so many do not. The thread about the "Front Window" got me to thinking, I know there are people here from all walks of life, and all parts of the world, but it would be nice to be able to put the style and type of work each of us does with the region of the world.

I think this would give us a better understanding of what the styles of things are in all the different parts of the world we come from.

I'm from Calgary Alberta, Canada, which is a very "Western" oriented city, although my main work is the biker community, "Western & Native" styles are really my passion. Just haven't gotten around to doing any yet.

So if we could list such it would be great.

Thanks

Ken

[leatheroo]

Good topic Beav, i live in the state of Victoria in Australia. i work in a hospital neurology department performing tests and research. i test people with nerve problems, epilepsy, MS and motor neurone disease etc. In the past i have worked in casinos dealing bj and roulette and my husband and i owned a pizza shop for about 8 years. I used to ride a motorbike but stopped when the kids were born and really miss it.

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

We're about 7 hours north of you, Beav, just out of Valleyview, Alberta. It is only about a 2 hour drive from our place to Dawson Creek, BC, Mile 0 of the Alaska highway, and if any of you have driven up to Alaska that way, you went right through Valleyview. (Did you blink?) We were down just north of Calgary over the Christmas holidays and for fun I inquired into land prices in the area. They were going for two times per acre what an open quarter (160 acres) goes for up here, which reminded me why we live so far north. Mountain views are nice, but we can afford the beauty around here!

Not as many cowboys up here as in the southern part of the province, but still enough. And our business is mainly over the phone and shipping by mail anyway, so long as we have a source of hides (1 1/2 hour drive) and good wood (4 hour drive once as year).

[Kani]

Hey Beaver I have a sister that lives in Calagary. Been there it is beautiful. I live in the states.

[ericluther]

I live in Ft Myers Florida with my wife Nicki, I'm a photographer, well until I become a famous leather worker lol

[rharris]

I am a transplanted New Mexican that now lives in the Texas panhandle. Am retired rancher spending my time with 10 horses a few cows and leatherwork.

[Luke Hatley]

well here is where i am east of the Mississippi River

in my shop.

Edited March 2, 2008 by Johanna

[HorsehairBraider]

I live in New Mexico, way up in the northern mountains at about 7500'. I raise horses and goats. But the way I pay for it is braid horsehair, and make horse jewelry. My husband is a paramedic and works in the ER at a hospital... and he's quite a good musician.

[Rawhide]

I live in Fort Worth, Texas, originally from Louisiana. I am a design engineer. My wife is an educator at a daycare in town. I have one 5 yr old son, and my mother lives with us as well. (Yes my mom and my wife get along very well, probably better than me).

Marlon

[rdb]

I'm from Salem, Ma.

Now my wife and I, and whatever stray dogs we come across, live in Chatham County NC., on my 5 acres of woods.

The shop you can see in my avatar. I built that about 4 years ago. I do wood, clay,and leather. The wife does fused/stained Glass.

I up and quit a good paying IT job to become an artist (Pottery and Garden stuff). Well that didn't pan out so well, too many potters around here (really great ones), and the IT job market doesn't want us old "old style" admins, so here I am firing up the old leather tools again.

Starting out from scratch trying to make a business from leather is going to be hard, but this is what's gonna happen. So far the response has been good, and almost payed back my initial $1000 investment.

Soon as I can, I'm aiming for a sewing machine, but at this rate, it'll be half a year.

I miss New England until winter comes...lol.

[Johanna]

I live in a small town about an hour north of Dayton. It's flat farmland and well kept neat towns in all directions. My husband and I have a blended family of five kids, and a brand new baby granddaughter. I make hot subs and pizzas part time in our local store, and I have a bunch of websites. I work with several of the local historic associations as a historian, mostly on the Miami-Erie Canal. You can see some of my pictures here. I was born in Cincinnati, but raised in New Hampshire, New York and Pennsylvania. I have also lived on the beach in Charleston, SC and near it in Norfolk, VA. I liked living in Macon, GA very much, and miss it when it's cold outside, like today. If I had my choice, and a guaranteed Internet connection, I would live on a hilltop near Beckley, West Virginia. Or maybe in Maine. Or the Smoky Mountains. Well, I narrowed it down to the Appalachians anyway, I guess.

Johanna

[wildrose]

I will always consider myself a Jersey girl: I was born in North Brunswick, NJ, and raised in Hunterdon County, just outside of the Clinton/Flemington area. My parents had a small horse farm there (Arabians) We even had ostriches at one point (mean, but tasty!) I went to college at Grove City, in western PA, where I met my husband (he's from Girard, OH, near Youngstown). Since there was no way I was moving to OH (no offense to the Ohioans, but it just wasn't for me!), I dragged him back to NJ. For several years, we lived there and "just over the river" in PA (the local phrase for those crossing the Delaware River which divides the region).

Then we moved to the state of Delaware for 3 years before we happily moved back to PA. (Again, no offense to DE residents...but anyone who thinks Jersey is small hasn't been to DE!!!) All moves courtesy of my husband's job dissatisfaction...hopefully he's happy at his new one though: we are moving to Virginia next month as he recently started at VA Tech. I will be sad to leave this area where I've spent the majority of my life, but my parents retired down there and it will be very nice to live near family. Our 3 yr old son adores my father, and my husband gets along with my folks really well. In fact, he's staying with them now 'til we move.

I hate moving! If I had the money, I'd be back in rural NJ. I know it's not as rural as where many of you live, but I miss it dearly.

[Mike Craw]

I live on St. Simons Island, Georgia. I retired as a Senior Special Agent, U.S. Customs Service and was a Law Enforcement Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, Georgia. A lady I worked with at FLETC had horses at her home in Kingsland, GA. When I took my younger (horse crazy) daughter over to meet her in 2005, I met her husband, Carlos, who is retired and running a small saddle shop out of their home. He calls it "Rancho No Tengo". I had been doing leather work since 1981, making my own holsters and gunbelts, and Carlos needed a little help finishing some Christmas presents, so I started helping a couple of days a week. After Christmas I started helping with saddle repairs. The first custom saddle I built was my daughter's wedding present in May 2006. If the computer gods are willing, there is a photo of the shop attached.

Mike

[gunfighter48]

I'm out in beautiful, if somewhat rainy, Seattle Washington. Born and raised in Washington but we've lived in almost every area around the state. When I was 12 we spent 2 years in Orange California. We had to move back to Washington because the smog was so bad ( 1960 - 1962 ) 2 of us couldn't take it, missed 3 months of school because of lung infections. Also spent three years in the Garden State, NJ, thanks to Uncle Sam. Was stationed at Ft. Monmouth, at Eatontown NJ. Met my wife at the USO in New York City, always knew I went back one too many times!! She was a volunteer at the USO. We've been married 39 years, and they said it wouldn't last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have two grown daughters and 2 grand kids, one boy and one girl. Love to spoil them and sent them home, revenge on my one daughter!!!

John

Edited January 15, 2008 by gunfighter48

[Mike]

I live in the Quinlan/Lake Tawakoni area of Texas. For those not in the know, it's about 50 miles east of downtown Dallas. Both the wife and I were born and raised in Dallas. My daughter had to go and be born in Connecticut. Shame on her. Of course, it could've been worse. She could've been born on Guam. That's were my wife and I spent our first 3 years of marriage.

Mike

[Regis]

well here is where i am east of the Mississippi River

in my shop.

Without seeing for yourself, you just would not believe what all Luke has in that shop!!! AND, it's pretty neat.

I'm 7 1/2 hours southeast of him down in the Florida panhandle.

Regis

[rawhide1]

I was born in Newton KS but was brought up in Sallisaw Okla. Moved back to Newton when I was 12 after parents divorce. My moms people are all in Newton. I'm a firefighetr/emt for Newton Fire/Ems. The wife is a RN at Newton Medcial Center we have three kids 2 girls( 8 and 4) and a 2yr old boy. We live on 10 acres with 5 hay burners, 4 dogs, 4 cats, a rabbit and some fish. Mike

[SCOUTER]

Somehow I was delivered to the wrong address, I should have been born on a farm or in the Mts. but I wound up here in Queens, NYC --- Have you ever felt like a pair of Brown shoes in a city of TUXEDOS? That's me. (I'll make it right when I retire from the NYC Transit)

[Cora]

I live in a small town called LaBroquerie, which is located 45 mins. southeast of Winnipeg Manitoba. Just to the west of us is a small city called Steinbach which is primarily mennonite, and LaBroquerie is mostly french. We have a draft horse association, a lot of people are into ranch rodeo and with living 15 mins. from a provincial park we also have a fair bit of trail and endurance riders. We also have a lot of motorcycle and winter sports enthusiasts.

Cora

[pella]

Cora, if this picture your workshop WOW!!! Do you speak french yourself? Happy to know about this city, look interresting.

I wish i was born in a warm place...I live south of Québec, so now, it pretty cold, i am in celcius, so winter range is -5 to -30decgree celcius, that mean you have difficulty breathing and your eyebrows are frozen lol!

Here, there's a lots of horses around, always been popular in our province, but we as less "western" than Alberta, it is half/half classical and western ( i think...)

Myself, i am a half/half horsy person. I love both style, so i do both style saddlery and repairs, but i make my living doing high quality doggy stuff. Lots of dogs around too lol! But i ship 85% out of Canada.

[gesa]

Hi all,

I live my whole live in Hannover , Germany exept one year in France at school ( yes I also speak french) and I am saddlemaker at G.Passier&Sohn. Hannover is like "many small villages in one place" an Australian from Sidney said to me, so you just turn around the next corner and there are farms and flat land.

Here horse people are mostly english riding dressage and jumping. So I am a little bit exotic with my Paint Horse -> my avatar <- and western saddle.

Gesa

[Drac]

started life in Lousyana (yes, LOUSY-ana) and even ended up stationed there when I was AF. done every type of security work there is except police (bouncer *about 7 different clubs/bars*, bands, personal/private, uniform, government). moved to austin, tx and was stuck there for about 10 years. best things about being there was starting me leather biz (out of necissity) and working at then co-owning a comic book shop. now live in atlanta, ga and have been here for almost 3 years and still like it. been doing BDSM leatherwork professionally for about 13 years and have set up at private parties, club nights, vendor markets and Dragoncon.

and here's pics of me shop

[gary]

I've tried sticking a pin in the map but it must keep falling out as it's never there when I check back.

We live in Carlisle (England, not Pennsylvania) just South of the border with Scotland.

27 years in the Army for me (16 years for my wife, Ruth) and now I'm a police officer in a small and supposedly sleepy rural town after working for some time in Carlisle City. I'm getting too old to be chasing young criminals so we're moving to the West coast of Scotland as soon as we've sold this house and I'll be starting my own leatherworking company (web site link will be added once it's up and running) as well as letting the house to holidaymakers in the summer season.

Three dogs, two horses, one house and three acres just outside Carlisle (open to offers if anyone's interested - for the house, not the dogs and horses, they're moving with us) and a house and thirty acres in Scotland.

Did some 'resettlement' training in saddlery and harness-making when I left the Army after messing about for ten years and I realised I needed to learn properly. The leatherwork just took off after that. I've even made my own western saddle (as I could never really understand British style saddles) and retrained my horse. I would make more but it is not easy getting parts over here and no-one does any trees apart from Ralide.

I learned to ride in Namibia and South Africa while serving there. Ruth learned with the Household Cavalry when she was serving in London so rides better than I do. My horse is just a 15.2 chestnut mare with three white feet and a white blaze (so I don't believe the rhyme [you know the one, "One white foot - take a look," etc]). Ruth's horse is a 17.0 grey mare which was mistaken two days ago for an appaloosa as she is so muddy at the moment.

So glad to find this forum - a great source of inspiration, ideas, humour, and stunning work from everyone. I lurk quietly on the sidelines most of the time, being awed at the knowledge and experience there is here and people's willingness to share it unconditionally. I won't post any pictures of my work until I've done something that's worth looking at.

Also, I won't post pictures of our house, land or workshop until we've moved; then there'll be something to look at.

And I'll supply the cups of tea if anyone wants a change from coffee (good though it is).

Gary

[Cora]

Pella

My shop used to be an old farm house that we decided to dress up with verticle jackpine siding (slabs) just to give it a bit of character. We have a few older draft horse guys that come for coffee in the summer and sit in the screen porch to talk about the good ol days. I only speak a little french but I can understand a fair bit if it is spoken slowly, I am of irish heritage. I know about cold I woke up this morning and it was -34C before the wind chill. We raise and train arabian horses and not one would come out of the barn. We ride english, western and mostly bareback and do a fair bit of driving, we have a weakness for antique horsedrawn vehicles. Most of my leather work is harness making and repairs.

Cora

[Canuck]

I now live in Stratford, Ontario. I grew up in Northern Ontario. My former career was a stager manager of opera (Hurtin' songs done in Italian)....This allowed me to travel to many communities in Canada and abroad.

I also have MS and this has slowed my involvement in theatre. I now build kilts and work out of my home. This is a full time venture. A number of years ago I was asked if I would make a kilt out of leather. I took on the project and am now reputed to be one of the best leather kilt makers in the world...who wouda tunk....

Cheers

Robert