wombatsucker

Behold, the capybara trilobite!

2012-01-29T09:42:00.000-08:00

Finally got around to making the capybara trilobite wallet. It's a design I've had drawn for a while now, but it's been unused...till now.

I've also been playing around with some ideas for multipurpose cases, and here's one that holds a smartphone and doubles as a wallet:

New year, new work

2012-01-21T10:36:00.000-08:00

2012 is off to a productive start, and even though only a little of this work has been from the waiting list I think the benefit of trying new things will only do me good. First up are a couple of projects that take advantage of some of my new leather that was recently added to the stash. This bifold is constructed from a mustard yellow cowhide belly:

One of my Xmas gifts was a Kindle, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to put that fake alligator to use:

As someone who builds and repairs books during the course of my day job, I wasn't sure if I'd like an electronic reader, but I've come to really enjoy the portability of the device. I have to say that, to me, it still can't compare to having a beautiful, well-bound book in my hands.
Up next - knife sheaths. My girlfriend got tired of having to hunt for knives at her job and bought herself a few good paring knives to keep with her. They didn't come with any kind of sheath, aside from a sleeve of stiff plastic, so I made her a couple of sheaths. This first one is much more interesting to me but isn't particularly practical, due to how easily it would snag on clothing or other things:

Also, tooling this sheath in the round didn't yield the best results. This next version is much more practical and I was able to do a clean job with the tooling:

I don't know how this happening as it's not something I've ever advertised, but word is spreading that I'm able to repair leather goods and there are more and more requests for repair/modifications. A coworker recently wanted to add a handle to his guitar case. The original one broke, and he'd been using a "fits-all" version that he picked up at a local saddlery. Here's what he was using:

And here's what I made for him. Please forgive the terrible photos:

Holiday work

2011-12-31T15:33:00.000-08:00

I'm currently on a holiday break from my day job, and even though I should be relaxing it's hard for me to sit still. This was a good time for me to not work on commissions and instead do some of the things I haven't had a chance to work on. As a result, there are a few projects to share. First up is a belt buckle that came about during all the welding a couple weeks ago:

Next is a lacing fid, which is used for knotwork/edge lacing/plaiting. They're great for loosening and/or tightening knots, braids, etc. This one has been ground down from half of a 15mm ratcheting wrench that I found on the street:

It's a little stubby, but very satisfying to hold. As to be expected, there can't be creation without some destruction, and my knuckle was on the receiving end of a little of that this morning.

It was while I was finishing up some edge filing on the spines of my Spyderco pocket knives:

And last but not least - totes! I've had an industrial sewing machine (Juki DDL-555-4) for a while now, and even though I sew all my leather projects by hand there have been some other things I've wanted to make that could be done on a sewing machine. This machine is a beast, and kind of intimidating, and as a result I haven't made much time to sit down and get some practice. Till now. The Juki, myself and some canvas sat down for a few days to get better acquainted and, once we were all on speaking terms, I made myself some sturdy canvas tote bags. The olive green ones are a little more burly, as the webbing goes all the way around the bottom, and I intend to cart my groceries in them. The tan/drab ones aren't quite as tough, but should be just fine for grabbing a few things at the store:

2011-12-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been pretty busy, despite not having a ton of Xmas orders. I've been doing a little welding, and though I definitely need some more practice I've managed to make a couple of serviceable creations. Up first is a front bike rack for the Hipster Incinerator:

It didn't need to be pretty, but I did want something to hold the heaviest item that comes with me when biking - the U-lock. The welds are disgusting but they'll support my weight, and as long as it can hold the lock then I'm happy.
Up next is a bottle tree that I made for my mother's Xmas gift. Because, let's face it, when your mom wants a bottle tree, you make her a bottle tree. Most of the examples I saw online were pretty boring, and usually consisted of a straight post then a few straight "branches" coming out at angles (side note - why do most bottle trees only use blue bottles?) I thought it would be more fun and interesting to make something a little more tree-like and spooky:

Arts and Drafts recently celebrated the holidays with our annual white elephant gift exchange, which is always a great time and usually involves a lot of scheming, plotting and thieving. For one of my contributions I made a plain leather Moleskine cover, which is not dyed or sealed in any way. This prevents any oils or dyes from bleeding into the notebook and also allows for the leather to get darker with use. There are some fantastic examples of these kinds of leather covers out there, and many allow the elastic band to be utilized, but I thought that design element could be improved. Without naming names or pointing a finger, the examples I saw had the elastic wrapping around the notebook cover, continuing into the leather cover for an inch or so, exiting a small hole, turning around then wrapping around the outside of the wrapped notebook. This creates excess bulk and also means that there's only a small amount of leather between a stitch line and the exit hole, which is a weak spot and a point of possible failure. For my version I have the elastic exit right at the edge of the leather cover, which avoids having to create a weak spot, is much simpler and negates the excess bulk of having the elastic doubled up inside:

This is just a prototype and I'll probably refine this a bit more on a later version, but for now it's functional.

And finally, this is a project that's been waiting to happen for a while, but I was only able to get to it in the time between Thanksgiving and Xmas. The cabinet maker who made the top for my work bench has a really large pistol that needed a holster, so I made him one. It's set up for either belt or shoulder strap carry, and here it is:

Battle Clutch!

2011-12-11T09:08:00.001-08:00

Just finished this scaly Battle Clutch. There are 12 card slots, two large pockets for cash or receipts, plenty of room in the middle for a cellphone, cigarettes, etc., and sturdy brass zipper will ensure years of use. The interior pockets are veg-tanned leather that's been dyed a subtle mix of green and purple, and the exterior is a mix of deer-tanned cowhide and doe kidskin. Available.

Sneak peek

2011-12-05T20:42:00.001-08:00

A couple of sneak peeks of projects-in-progress. Check back soon for more photos once they are complete.

Recent wallets and current goings-on

2011-11-27T07:48:00.001-08:00

There was a wallet I made as a Xmas commission last year, for a friend to give to another friend, and it was recently involved in an accident. It took a trip through the washing machine, and they wanted to see what I could do to fix it. Here's the washed leather after disassembly:

It clearly needed some help. What it took was to be deglazed multiple times, to get rid of any old dyes and sealants, a lot of dye and a lot of oil and conditioning. The end result:

It still had some variations in the dyeing, especially inside on the pockets, as I don't think all of the original sealant came up, but at least it's close to it's original coloring.

Onto the next wallet. This was a commission for a Bar Mitzvah, and the idea was to place imagery from a Menorah on the outside, and the inside was to be inscribed in Hebrew with his name and the date of the ceremony. Luckily I work with a Hebrew bibliographer at the library, and he was able to help me with the translation and font choice.

My camera doesn't handle black leather very well, but I'm told the recipient was very happy with his gift. Up next was a birthday commission for the same individual who commissioned the above wallet. His wife wanted to replace his aging biker trifold with something more personal, and suggested using Ray Harryhausen fighting skeletons for imagery. This was a fantastic idea, and I set about making a sketch for something that would be recognizable as such without directly ripping off anyone:

This design snaps securely shut and utilizes a chain, just like a biker wallet, but without the bulk of a trifold. And last but not least, a couple of photos of current projects. I'm in the middle of making a molded leather holster for a gigantic pistol, so here's a photo of the in-progress molding:

And here's a pic of some recent additions to the leather stash. I walked into the store intending to buy rivets, and walked out with rivets and eight hides. The lure of odd leather at a great price was simply too much to ignore:

2011-11-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

I was recently approached about doing some restoration work on a clutch and a wallet. They were made about 60 years ago and were gifts to the client and her mother. The clutch had been obviously cared for and was just a little worn, and the job was to replace two sections of broken edge braiding and replace a wrist loop. The wallet was in worse shape and was dried out and stiff, and all of the edge braiding had to be replaced. Plus, the interior pockets weren't very useful, so I changed the inside to include more card pockets and two sections for cash. Here is the wallet after removing the original edge braiding:

And here's the finished wallet. I redyed and oiled it, added a more practical interior and all new edge braiding:

I forgot to take pictures of the clutch before I started working on it, but it was in pretty good shape. There were some small areas of dried leather, but a good cleaning with saddle soap improved those. The original wrist loop was a simple strap, and she wanted something that looked nicer and could also be tucked into the clutch when not in use. I opted for a plaited strap positioned where the zipper closed, so it could be zipped into the clutch. The edge braiding had some broken sections where it curved around the bottom, and here's a photo of where the old braiding ends and the new begins:

Random Work

2011-10-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

OK, so after a frustrating amount of time spent wrestling with the new Blogger interface, I've finally posted some photos of recent work. First up is a good illustration of my recent obsession with whip making, which was sparked oh so many years ago by Indiana Jones. This is the second leather whip I've made, and is a bullwhip. It's about 54" from the butt of the handle to the end of the braided portion (thong), and if you include the fall, cracker and wrist loop it's right at seven feet. As this definitely counts as a learning exercise, I've been using oily utility leather for all the strands. It's not very strong, especially when you start tapering the strands, and I had to splice a bunch of strands that busted while plaiting, but I'm nowhere near confident enough to attempt this with kangaroo.

There is a wooden dowel in the handle, which then tapers down to a core, which extends all the way down to the end of the braiding. Here is where I deviated from the normal method of construction - usually this would have another plaited core inside, but the leather isn't strong enough to get a good, tight braid with the thin strands. I had another core laying around from a paracord whip project that never got started, so I used that instead. It's a length of canvas that was tapered, rolled up and glued, and surprisingly it worked perfectly.

It's much tighter than my first whip, the stockwhip, and it unrolls smoothly and is much more precise. However, the wrist loop at the end of the handle seems to me to be unnecessary. It's not quite long enough to fit around my wrist and still allow for wrist movement, so it ends up slapping me in the wrist whenever I crack it.

Up next is a tool bag that I made for my dad. He recently had a birthday and, due to the immense amount of tools he owns and uses, I thought he could use a burly leather bag to lug tools around.

It's the same utility leather as the bullwhip, and the bag has one large compartment and two side pockets. I'm hoping this will look better and better the more beat up it gets.

There's a project in the works that required a braided leather wrist loop (more to come on that later), and I ended up cutting the strands way too long. I couldn't let them go to waste, so just for fun I made them into this, which is sort of a quirt:

It's a little too floppy to be of any practical use, but it was fun to crank out.

And finally, I recently saw My Neighbor Totoro for the first time, and was inspired to carve a brass acorn for my girlfriend.

A cycling bag for Persimmon

2011-08-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

For the birthday of my lovely girlfriend I decided to make her a cycling bag. She commutes to and from work by bike and needs to carry clothing, food, tools and sundries, and has been resorting to strapping a purse to the rear rack with bungee cords. I thought that a design with the least amount of removable parts would be ideal, but it would need to be easily installed and removed. I also wanted it to double as a purse while off the bike, and she's a sucker for giraffes, so the following bag was born:

The strap is removable, and can be carried in the bag while it is strapped into place.

Continuing the giraffe theme, there are giraffe heads at both ends of the bag for the purpose of mounting a rear blinking light:

The underside serves two functions - to hold the bungee cords and also to carry the u-lock. When in place on the rack, the hooks can be snaked under the rack and hooked onto the d-rings, providing a simple and secure method of holding the bag to the rack. As they're attached to the bag there isn't any chance of losing them:

The u-lock in place. It slides into a slot on the underside of the bag and eliminates the need to carry it elsewhere:

The bag in place on her bike, Persimmon:

This better illustrates how the bag attaches to the rack. It doesn't matter how much gear is stowed in the bag, as the low attachment points will keep it firmly in place no matter what:

A better shot of the u-lock in place. The bungee wraps around it and keeps it from sliding out:

Camera case and edge braiding

2011-08-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent project - a case to protect an Argus Argoflex 75 camera. The straps are built into the camera, so all that was needed was a case to keep it from getting scratched. It needed to allow access to the tripod mount, shutter advance, attachment points for the flash, the film indicator and the shutter. Of course, the lenses needed to be easily exposed without having to remove the case, so when the flap is opened there is access to the viewfinder and the lenses and the case stays in place.

Current project - making a replacement wallet for one of my favorite clients. He loves the fact that the bright blue of this robot wallet sparked so many conversations, but unfortunately the original wallet was misplaced. Luckily I hang onto all the designs and patterns from previous jobs, so replacements are a snap. Here's a couple of shots of the edge braiding in progress:

New works and the endless creation of key fobs

2011-07-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lots of work happening in my little kitchen workshop as of late. First up is a commission for a bifold wallet birthday gift. The recipient is a big fan of the George R. R. Martin series " A Song of Fire and Ice" and the wallet was to reflect imagery from "A Game of Thrones." Full disclosure - I haven't read the series yet and don't know if this is from the series or just the first novel. The images were the request of the client, and no matter where they came from this is the result:

Next is a pocket case for 3" x 5" index cards. I've done this type of wallet before, where tabs on one side enable someone to keep a piece of paper for quick and easy note taking, and more cards can be stored inside the case:

My first attempt at a sunglasses case. Well, I lie - I kept the first attempt for myself but didn't photograph it as it's a much sloppier version of this. Soft chrome-tanned leather on the outside and vegetable-tanned leather for the interior should wear well, and the case closes with a magnetic snap. My first version had a glove snap, but it's kind of a pain to snap shut when the glasses are inside:

I've done quite a few key fobs for a local hotel, the Hotel St. Cecilia, but now they want to change things up and make a different version. The ones I've made before were intended as giveaways, but these are destined to be used for the room keys. The one on top with the key is the mockup I was given, and below are some variations I presented to them. These are also meant to be stamped with a small logo for the hotel, but they haven't gotten one made yet:

Finally, the Tentacle Restraint Unit. My lovely girlfriend has a nest of dreadlocks atop her head, and it's been quite a while since the high temperatures dropped below the triple digits. She wanted something to restrain the "tentacles" and keep them off her neck, so I sewed a simple leather strap and made a hairpin to go with it:

The hairpin was once a rod from an old wooden card catalog drawer. I cut it short and carved the brass end into a skull:

Experiments in traditional and newer materials

2011-07-11T21:05:00.001-07:00

Up first is an experiment in synthetic materials. This is the second whip I've made and this time I set out to create a snake whip in paracord. It's a lot smaller than the first whip and has four feet of thong (the braided section), no real handle and with the fall and cracker (the black single strand and the white twisted cord at the end) the total length is right at six feet. There are four layers, three plaited, at the handle and the number of layers reduces as everything tapers towards the tip. It took some getting used to, as it's much stiffer than my stockwhip but doesn't have a solid handle, but once I figured out how to handle it the crack is pretty nasty.

Up next is an idea that got stuck in my head and simply had to be created. Instead of tooling and carving an image, I wanted to really play with the properties of leather and create something more 3D, something that stuck out from the surface of the item. This tentacle wallet is mostly constructed with raw vegetable tanned leather. Most of it is 2-3 ounce , but I cut out holes for the suckers and inserted 4-5 ounce leather in the shape of suckers, covered it in dyed doe kidskin and stitched them into place.

Just a minimal amount of tooling to give the shape of the tentacle, which continues off to the side to be the strap that keeps the wallet shut.

Six card pockets, two currency pockets and one coin pouch make this a fairly thick wallet. This will probably fit better in a purse or a bag than in a back pocket.

The dye used to color the doe kidskin ended up nearly matching the tarnished brass of the anorak snap used as a closure - lucky coincidence!

As always, hand stitched.

Superhero belt, cash carry and an experiment in new materials

2011-06-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Lots of new goodies for the blog this afternoon. Up first is a utility, or superhero, belt for a local derby gal, one Scrape Myrtle. She requested a custom belt that would also have a couple of removable pouches, so that the essentials could be carried while skating. This tool belt was to have a small pouch for cards and maybe lip balm, plus a clutch that could carry more cards, cash, phone, etc. The clutch also needed to do double duty as a stand-alone clutch. A third idea for a water bottle holster was scrapped, but could possibly be revisited later. The overall theme was to be tree branches and tentacles, which was a great concept to keep the design flowing. Here's the belt:

Here's the card pouch:

The clutch. The belt loops use snap closures to keep them as loops or to cinch them tighter for stand-alone clutch use.

The superhero belt in action:

Up next is a simple case that I made on a whim. I've been using it on those rare occasions when it's necessary to carry a lot of cash. The outside leather is deer-tanned cowhide and the case is lined with vegetable-tanned leather:

Finally, here's a tote bag. As you and I both know, tote bags are plentiful and cheap, but for some reason the idea to make one got stuck in my head and the only solution was to go through with it. The construction for this was a first for me, in that it's mostly made of cotton duck canvas and all the edges are lined with leather . Hand sewn, of course:

Cycling bag - prototype

2011-05-15T20:11:00.001-07:00

Here is a new cycling bag that I've been working on lately. It's meant to be as versatile and useful as possible, will fit on most bikes, and allows one to carry their u-lock, essential tools for roadside repair and a few personal items. It attaches to the seat rails of any saddle (no bag loops required!) and sits far enough back that it won't brush against your thighs while pedaling. As this one is intended for myself, it was constructed to hold my u-lock, which is a smaller one. It would be a simple thing to modify it to allow for a larger lock.

Both of the straps for attachment to the bike are removable and a shoulder strap can be attached. It can then be carried like any other shoulder bag. This prototype I've made in a dark gray utility hide, but it could be constructed out of many different types of leather. It could even be made from veg-tanned leather, so it could be tooled and personalized.

This is everything I managed to cram into it. The bike lock goes in the outside slot, and the inside will carry front and rear lights, a multi-tool, a patch kit, air pump, notebook, pen, wallet, phone, the adjustable shoulder strap (not pictured) and a folded up spare shirt. There's probably room for a granola or energy bar too.

What do you think? Is there some other feature that it should include? Would you carry this many items on your typical ride, or less/more? This is just a prototype, so future versions will include a strap for rear light attachment and possibly another attachment point for the saddle strap, so the bag could be raised higher than what's pictured. Please let me know in the comments what you think.

Scrape belt project in progress

2011-04-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

Details of the latest project - the belt portion of a tool belt destined for the derby sessions of one Scrape Myrtle. Pre-dyeing, pre-stitching, but it allows you to see the carving and tooling in all its glory.

Accomplishment level - high

2011-04-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Work has continued on the latest project, an Australian stock whip, and even though a nasty thumb laceration slowed things down I'm finally finished. Note to self - working too quickly with a straightedge and a utility knife usually results in sutures. I posted a pic of the thong in a previous post, and above is the oak dowel handle with an eight strand plait. Below is after the excess was trimmed flush with the handle, and a strip of leather was tacked to the handle, then taken to the belt sander to build up a knob for the butt of the handle.

Second attempt at the turks head knot. This is before tightening, and this arrangement still had too many gaps near the rest of the handle.

The finished turks head, after adding a third strand to the knot where it was closest to the handle plaiting.

The keeper lashed into place.

The finished stock whip. It measures nine feet from the butt of the handle to the end of the cracker (white nylon string at the very end) and is surprisingly easy to control. I worried that the attachment of the thong to the handle would be too loose and would leave things too floppy, but it turns out that my fears were unfounded. It might have helped that I cut the slit in the end of the thong just big enough to accommodate the keeper, and kept the keeper tight too, but as this is my first whip I really have no idea if this affects it or not.

Works in progress (for you to covet)

2011-04-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

Last week was the four year anniversary of Arts and Drafts, and like all of our celebrations we had a white elephant gift exchange. The guidelines are to either give crafting supplies or something handmade, and considering the number of extremely talented ladies (and a few men!) the gifts can be pretty amazing. This was my contribution to the proceedings - a simple leather pouch that's large enough to carry cash, checks or whatever else strikes your fancy:

But not all of my projects lately have been leather related. My girlfriend is in the process of classing up Persimmon, her mixte, and recently purchased some Velo-Orange fluted metal fenders. I've put a pair of VO fenders on my own commuter bike before, and that was a frustrating, multiple hour and beer affair, so I was able to take that experience and make this installation a much smoother and shorter job:

Velo-Orange metal fenders are designed to work with multiple styles and geometries of bike frames, and in order to accomplish this you have to do some drilling, cutting and modifying. And maybe some hair pulling, and hand wringing, and sometimes cursing. Also, some of their stock mounting hardware, while classy, leaves a lot to be desired in the "keeping things quiet" department. I figured out a modification that keeps them from rattling but still keeps things simple and hopefully clean looking.

In progress right now is a ninja-themed belt:

Also in progress is my first attempt at making a whip. It's a basic four strand Australian stock whip with one belly. The leather used is from an oily utility hide and so far the whip itself is about six feet long.

Finally, a new bag for me

2011-03-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

I finally took a chunk of time to make myself a new bag for daily use. When deciding on the design, the big question was "should it be simple and refined, only what it needs to be, or should it be elaborate, eye-catching and something to show off what I can do?" Showing off won out in the end, plus I've really had the urge to experiment with scales. But not just any scales - they needed to be longer, thinner and more withered looking. I ended up using a lot of the edges of the deer-tanned cowhide that was used for this bag, so there are variations in the leather from the tanning process and more frayed and ragged edges. With the exception of the flap, the bag itself is fairly simple and straightforward. One large zippered compartment, lots of smaller pockets on the outside with snap closures, and a number of slots for pens and pencils. An adjustable strap was constructed from a different leather (oily utility hide), and a brass buckle was ground on and distressed prior to tarnishing. I've gotten lots of comments on this particular bag, although some of them have been more along the lines of "why the hell did you make this?"

One thing to note - I don't know what's wrong with my camera, but there was only one leather used for this bag and it's all the same shade of black, not the purple-tinted black that the photos show.

Oxford redye

2011-02-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

This is a pair of oxfords I found in a local thrift store. They were cheap and in really good shape. I'd been on the lookout for a pair, in either dark brown or black, and despite the too-bright color these were comfortable and fit. However, that shade of brown had to go.

After a scrubbing with the deglazer. I decided to keep some of the original color, in the middle portion of the shoe (the name of that piece escapes me.)

After the first try. I used a light brown dye. It looked, well, just OK.

Both shoes have been dyed, but there really isn't enough contrast for my taste. I grabbed a bottle of cordovan dye, and:

Much better contrast this time around. I was very happy with the results, but upon further reflection realized that I'd probably never wear shoes in this dark, reddish shade of brown. Days later I gave it another shot:

Deglazing again with an old sock.

You can kind of see the difference. The shoe on the bottom has been deglazed, but not the shoe on top.

Applying black dye.

After dyeing. The shoe on the right has been buffed to remove any excess surface dye. This is before sealing with Neatlac.

The finished product. I only used one coat of black dye so some of the cordovan shows through, but it's subtle. Now, if only the ground wasn't covered in melting snow...

Making a clamshell box

2011-01-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

One of the tasks at my day job is the creation of custom enclosures for items that need housing. It doesn't come up very often but when it does it's a welcome change of pace and a nice challenge. I used to make clamshell/dropspine enclosures all day long at my first bindery job, but this is probably the third or fourth one I've made in the last ten years. This particular one was needed for a stack of wood-bound, accordion-fold books that were beautifully, but awkwardly, housed in a wooden box. It is a circulating item, so something a little more practical had to be created.

New wallet available

2011-01-15T13:10:00.001-08:00

I've just completed this new biker wallet and for a change it is available and not already promised to anyone. It's tooled with imagery that is a twist of western floral, scrollwork and filigree, but with a ribcage, teeth and eyes thrown into the mix. Please visit my Etsy store for purchasing information.

Catching up

2011-01-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Another year down, and more work to show off. Most of this was commissioned for Xmas presents, so it had to be kept under wraps until after the holidays. Now that everyone has been gifted and is happy, it's time for blogging. First up is a beer-themed belt for a local brewer, complete with his brewery name and a matching sheath with a removable bottle opener:

You can't really see too well in the second photo, but the bottle opener has edge filing along all sides. Next is my contribution to the Arts and Drafts white elephant gift exchange - a versatile pouch/wallet. Two different colors of doe kidskin for the outer, and glazed pig skin for the interior:

Next is a front pocket wallet with hamscorpion (hamster/scorpion hybrid) imagery:

This wasn't exactly a holiday gift, but was a lot of fun to make. A carved brass skull bead with an opening large enough so it could be fitted to a dreadlock:

For the same lovely lady was the next item - a clutch purse. The outer is constructed of black doe kidskin and purple watersnake skin and the flap snaps shut with a magnetic closure:

The interior is constructed with veg-tanned leather and has many useful card and cash pockets. Plus there's a surprise when it's opened:

This small sheath is for one gorgeous folding knife:

And last but not least is a guitar strap for a local musician, in my favorite shade of rusty green:

Jacket mod and holster belt

2010-11-21T10:39:00.001-08:00

Quite a while back my friend Doug asked me if I could modify his WWII bomber jacket. It had an elastic panel at the bottom which wrapped all the way around and cinched in at his waist, which he didn't like. It seemed like a pretty straightforward project, so I agreed to take it on. Between the time that I said yes and the time the project actually got underway, I acquired a Juki industrial sewing machine. It mostly sat neglected as I was working on hand sewing projects, but with this project it seemed like the perfect time to have a crash course with the Juki.

Using a seam ripper, I removed the elastic from the jacket, and then hand-sewed the panel of leather that was to be installed. After getting more acquainted with the sewing machine, it was then used to attach the panel to the jacket:

The finished result. Finding leather that matched the jacket proved to be quite a chore, but luckily there were some scraps in my leather pile that were pretty close:

At the same time, this gun holster belt was in process. It essentially duplicates an existing belt, but adds a few inches to the overall length to account for an expanded waistline:

Up next - the mad scramble to start and finish all the commissions that are intended to be Xmas gifts. I won't be discussing any of the details until after the holidays, just in case any of the recipients stumble across this site.

Recent work

2010-10-31T08:55:00.001-07:00

This large zippered billfold was a birthday gift and a lot of fun to make. Deerskin for the exterior and veg-tanned leather for the interior. Squirrel imagery for the tooling, and the whole thing is topped off with a hand-carved brass acorn zipper pull. Right after constructing this I had a request for a belt bag, to be used for the Texas Renaissance Festival and also for possible daily wear. Here is the result:

New work

2010-10-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

First up is a front pocket wallet, nice and simple, with just 3 pockets for cards and a clip for currency. Next are a couple of knife sheaths, one for my semi-custom William Morris friction folder:

and another for my Jens Anso kiridashi. It came with a great kydex sheath, but no clip. I created this leather one out of elk and sewed the kydex into the leather, that way the chisel ground edge won't cut into the leather.

2010-09-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of experiments in leather. The first is a card pouch or simple wallet that utilizes a number of scraps that were laying around, and the second is a belt pouch or simple clutch that fastens with a magnetic snap. Both of these projects were fun ways to play with layering leather, but I'm not sure the results are stellar in either example. If I make more of the card pouches I'd want to hide the stitching on the interior, and maybe move away from snake skin as a liner. As for the belt pouch, even I think it's just plain odd. Thoughts?

Tool roll

2010-09-25T15:05:00.001-07:00

Just finished another tool roll for one of my clients. Like the previous one, it's for carrying a set of hand bookbinding tools, but this one contains a spokeshave, a sharpening system, scrapers, an ebony folder and one impressive knife. There is a curtain of sorts, which covers the tops of the tools and prevents them from damaging each other in transit.

New wallet for me, new tampon case for someone else

2010-09-21T22:37:00.001-07:00

Things have been busy around these parts. In addition to working on the commissions in the queue, I've managed to squeeze in an extra project or two when I can. Here's a zippered wallet that was created for myself:

Lessons learned - leave more of the zipper out along the edges, so the zipper itself doesn't rub on the interior pockets. On the outside is two different depictions of a Hand of Glory:

Also had an opportunity to customize another of the smaller Curse Purses. The request was for rockets and retro-futuristic robots:

Changes are afoot

2010-09-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

As of today, 9-8-2010, I will no longer be taking orders for work. My waiting list is getting out of control and it's not helping that I've been squeezing in small orders here and there. It has also come to my attention that some of my construction techniques are not as refined as they could be. Instead of trying to work on as many projects as possible, I am instead going to focus on the commissions in the queue and on cleaning up my work. Thanks for your understanding.

Once the waiting list is at a more reasonable length I'll resume taking commissions. In the meantime there are plenty of paintings available, and as always there is work for sale on my Etsy store.

An unexpected project

2010-08-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

Someone that I used to work with at my day job went on to work for a local hotel, and a very nice one at that. A chance encounter in a grocery store parking lot led to a discussion of what I've been doing with my time (leather working), and the conversation ended with "we may have need of your services." Fast forward to last Thursday, when I got an email from her asking if I could assemble 50 key fobs for an event that would occur that Saturday. I figured this was a challenge that couldn't be ignored, so of course my response was "Yes!"

After this rush project, I went on to create a biker wallet with North Western Native American imagery, specifically that of a thunderbird.

This also was a good challenge, as I'd never drawn anything in this style before. It was a good exercise for me, learning how to draw in that particular style and then adopting it to the shape of the wallet.

Up next - redo of a leather cuff that unfortunately was too short, a couple of front pocket/minimal wallets, and a small case for bookbinding tools.

Too busy to post

2010-07-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

What a workbench should look like. This led to the two belts below:

More workbench porn:

And the end result is this briefcase for mixology implements. It involved lots of sneaking around and measuring, but I'm very happy with the end result.

Complete!

2010-07-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

I think the photos speak for themselves. Onward to the next commission.

This might be the best wallet ever

2010-07-11T18:52:00.001-07:00

Another bifold in progress, and this has to be one of the best requests for custom work I've had yet. An owlbear on one side (consult your Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual) and a Gug on the other (consult your Lovecraft.) A particularly warped inscription on the inside rounds out the request, and I'm tempted to keep this one for myself. Photos will be posted once it's complete. Also in the works is the recreation of an existing holster belt. A few inches will be added to the overall length, to account for an expanded waistline:

New goodies

2010-07-04T11:20:00.001-07:00

More finished goods. First is a tooled leather case for 3"x5" note cards, with imagery inspired by Ta' moko (Maori facial tattoo) designs. Also pictured is the finished gorgon wallet - a very simple bifold design that can easily be modified to become a chain wallet.

2010-06-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

New wallet in progress. Stay tuned for further details.

2010-06-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

This cuff is a collaboration between myself (leather) and Jen (http://www.etsy.com/shop/CherryFire), who made the lovely chainmail piece. This is to be a not-so-secret present for a certain someone. This project was a bit challenging, as I've never really worked with chainmail, but ultimately very satisfying to solve the logistical problems this request presented.

2010-06-13T16:08:00.001-07:00

Fun and excitement continues with the brass carving, which has been mostly for myself up until this point. However, I've got some ideas for incorporating these little carvings into more practical applications, such as closure hardware for braided leather bracelets and cuffs. The bone was created just for this purpose, and the skull and pug head were for me:

I've also been experimenting with another wallet design. A discussion with a potential Etsy customer made me realize that there may be more interest in tooled leather chain wallets if they weren't all so big and bulky. He was interested in a design that was about halfway between the two main wallets I've been making so far - slim enough to be comfortable, would fit completely in a back pocket but with a snap enclosure and an attachment for a wallet chain. So, I came up with this:

This is of course a rough prototype, but I think with a little refining this will be a great bifold design. Plenty of room for tooling and customization, plus enough room to carry currency and a few cards.

2010-06-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wallets are complete, and now on to the next project - a small carved brass bead of an early hominid skull. Here's an in-progress shot:

Three day weekend - productive

2010-05-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

Lots of progress over the long weekend. I had plenty of time and very few distractions, so the latest wallet is ready to be sealed, have the hardware attached and sew it together. A bout of serious web surfing revealed a new source for chain, and a very unique solid brass chain has been ordered to adorn both this and the possum wallet.

2010-05-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a progress shot of the possum/skull wallet, with all tooling and dyeing complete and ready for sewing:

And here's where things are now. The wallet and belt loop are both complete, now I just need to order an appropriate chain to connect the two.

One of the projects that's been on the back burner for a long time is making myself an awl. I've had the awl haft for a few months now, and have had the ebony blank for a number of years, but never made the time to put the two together...until today. Finally, I dragged out the belt sander and made an appropriate handle, inserted the awl haft and voila:

Also started the next wallet today. This one will be of Baphomet, and here's a shot of the design with the interior pieces transferred to the hide:

Both of these wallets have yet to be claimed....

Measuring tape case

2010-05-23T18:02:00.001-07:00

As promised, here is the measuring tape case. Simple, effective, and possibly useful only to me. Also in progress is another biker/trucker wallet, and this one isn't promised to anyone as of yet.

Working, working

2010-05-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

My last post referred to a new case for a dressmakers tape measure, and I seem to remember promising photos of its completion. Well, forget about that, because the first version was terrible. Too small, which made it too hard to snap shut and distorted the shape. So I made another, better one, that will allow me to place my signature stamp in a better location. Once again, pictures will be arriving later.

I did finally get off my lazy rear end and post some of my inventory to my Etsy store. The two front pocket wallets with the racing stripes are new, and were just finished the other day, but the tampon cases have been laying around for months. The idea was to create a new page in my 'proper' website, just for these, but that never did happen. So, let's see how they fare amongst the Etsy crowd:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/orfeet

I've made custom versions of these, but want to see how the plain ones sell before offering the option for customizing.

Latest project

2010-05-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last night was spent working on a new project for myself, that could be useful to other creative types as well. Ever since the belts that I make became somewhat popular I've found myself with the need to carry around a dressmakers tape measure. I just rolled it up, placed it in a small plastic bag and thought nothing of it, and would be prepared to take someones measurement if they expressed interest in ordering a belt. However, while browsing for wallet inspiration recently I came across a Japanese leather brand that made a small case strictly for the purpose of carrying just such an item. Their product is lovely, but is a two-piece affair, and I thought the design could be simplified and still be useful. So I created my own version....which isn't pictured here, as I forgot to photograph it. It's also a prototype, and not really a finished version, but pictures will be posted as soon as a nicer version is complete.

Changing things around

2010-05-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's time to resurrect this blog, as there's a lot of information I'd like to share that doesn't necessarily need to clutter up my official site. Officially this will be where I can keep clients up to date on my progress, what projects I'm working on, who is next in line for their commission, etc., but also where I can post photos of works in progress or of things that don't really fit into a leatherwork or painting category. So, onward to the updates.

Projects that are complete and are waiting on the client:

Paul C. - bottle opener belt.

Mark H. - robot wallet. Also, let's talk soon about your bookbinding tool project.

Sandra Z. - tentacle bracelet.

Who's next in line:

David A. - belt(s) and bar mats (let me know when you've got time to meet.)

Ongoing:

Still creating some inventory, to stock my Etsy store and to keep busy while I'm in between commissions. What I'm working on is mostly wallets, but will probably expand that to include bracelets and cuffs. Recently I finished a batch of brass teeth, and there are seven of these available:

These would make excellent necklace pendants, key fobs, decorations for wallet chains, or whatever else you can think of.

Complete!

2007-06-21T06:11:00.001-07:00

It's done, finished on Tuesday night. Now it just needs a frame, wire, a finishing coat, a print made of the digital pic, some glue to keep the canvas edges from fraying.......maybe it really isn't done yet.

2007-06-18T22:36:00.001-07:00

I decided to go for it and added some details to the background, hopefully this will tighten up the composition and keep the painting from looking like a drawing plopped into the middle of a bland expanse of background.

If all goes to plan and my ceiling doesn't cave in, this painting should be complete as of tomorrow night. Keeping fingers crossed....

2007-06-17T20:53:00.001-07:00

I've been painting every day lately, with the exception of Wednesday, and as I haven't been posting each time a photo was taken I lost track of the time spent each day painting. Although I know for sure an hour was spent working Thursday, and about six hours today. So, here are the pics:

The obligatory studio shot:

Here is where things stand currently, and where I'm stuck. I'm tempted to push things and add some detail to the background, but would that be overkill? It doesn't really look like an underwater scene yet, but maybe that's not really necessary. Time for a break, and I'll come back to it tomorrow.

Bomb Scare=Productive

2007-06-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

So someone called in a bomb threat to the University Teaching Center today, which led to the (not quite so) immediate evacuation of that building and the PCL Library, which is where I work. After only working for one and a half hours we were told to go home and not come back till tomorrow. Hah! Turns out it was an empty threat, but who am I to complain? Especially when there's more time to paint:

After allowing for some serious goofing off I worked for five solid hours today, strictly on the crab body. Onwards to the detail shots....

The weekend

2007-06-10T19:36:00.001-07:00

Lots of painting this weekend, starting with making a royal mess out of the background:

And then fixing it. Turns out that after all this work on the background the earlier layers aren't really visible, except in one or two small spots. I'll just chalk those wasted hours up to experimentation.

A few base colors are added to the crab woman's lower anatomy and claws, and the shading is loosely worked out. Then, it's time to start playing colors against one another.

A bit more drawing and painting

2007-06-05T22:12:00.001-07:00

Since the last post I've done some work on the drawing itself, and have been working out the shading for the painting. Once again this is unfamiliar territory, normally once the drawing was committed to the canvas I would have just started painting and figured things out on the fly. But, I have to say, having a nearly completed drawing to reference is working out just fine so far.......although, it doesn't feel quite as loose and spontaneous as paintings usually do without a study to refer to. The following photo is after an outlining session last night, and some time spent working on the hair tonight:

This next photo is of my painting area. This isn't the entire studio, but the area dedicated strictly to painting. Also visible is the result of a leaking air conditioning unit from the upstairs neighbor....there has been a lot of water leaking from the ceiling lately, which explains the tarps over my stereo and computer. And the drywall on the ceiling starting to collapse......

More painting progress

2007-06-03T21:25:00.001-07:00

This is the drawing of my piece, executed on tracing paper and ready for transfer to the canvas. Normally I would have covered the canvas with brown paper and drawn this full size, and then covered the reverse of the drawing in graphite. The entire drawing is then heavily traced while taped into place, which transfers it to the canvas. This is laborious and time-consuming though, and now that I'm in the possession of an overhead projector it seemed like the time to try a simpler approach.

The drawing after transfer to the canvas, it isn't too visible in this photo but it's there.

This version of the background is after a few more layers of paint from the previous post. Once I really got going though I stopped paying attention to how long I was spending on each step. And who knows how much time was spent on the drawing itself. Also, I'd like to thank Tori for agreeing to be my model for this, especially after all the contortions I put her through to get just the right pose.

Painting progress part 1

2007-05-26T12:59:00.002-07:00

There is a group show coming up that promises to be a lot of fun, so I'll be documenting my efforts to create a painting for it. "Radical Nautical" is the title, and the loose theme as I understand it is the sea and related lore. There is only a vague idea lurking in my mind at this point, but that doesn't mean I can't at least get started on the background. So, on with the show! This canvas is 32" by 45", and after working feverishly for about an hour last night this was the result:

A complete and total mess, luckily this will be completely obscured by the time I'm done with the background. Another hour's worth of layering led to this:

The goal is a textured shade of green and blue, light enough to transfer a drawing to but interesting enough to keep me working. Still too dark at this point, so another hour of work this morning and:

Getting closer, but this is still a bit too dark for the transferred drawing to be visible against. Back to work......

Hero Abatement Process

2006-08-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons for starting this blog was to have a space where I could play around, and not have to worry so much about keeping it looking professional, like my other site. For the most recently completed painting, "Hero Abatement Process," I took photos during the painting process, although not exactly at critical intervals. The documentation was taken at stopping points, when it was time for a break or to stop for the day.

The much-labored over background, which never really seems to be complete. If you look closely the transferred drawing can be seen.
Outline of the drawing, usually executed in black but for some reason, variety maybe, I went with red this time.
The first layer of black work, there will be two layers ideally, and three or four where needed. Also, this is straight black acrylic, which is never dark enough for me, subsequent layers will be black mixed with dark green, blue or purple.

It's never too late to revisit the background, although at this point the color scheme is mostly worked out in my head, and the background is almost dialed in.

The background is complete, and now it's time to concentrate on the main figures. At this point the skull is mostly complete, and the first layer of paint for the clothing is done.

The home stretch, I've mostly been concentrating on the female figure at this point, with many layers of paint for the skin tones. Her face never seemed to be just right, and it kept getting revisited and tweaked. At this point I ended up taking a day off from work and spending the whole day blazing through it. Once the skin tones for the face fell in to place the rest of the painting was a snap.

The finished painting, which was delivered to the client last night. I didn't want him to see the painting until fully complete, but now that it is in his hands this can be posted.

Testing

2006-07-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Testing, testing. In an attempt to keep my real website more professional, this will be used for more informal but painting-related material. Let's see if this will last for more than a week or so.