Life of a Maker, C and B Leather: Custom Hand Made Leather Goods, Page 2

Finding Motivation

Ever have trouble finding motivation?

Hand tooling a flower in leather. — Process of carving a flower in leather.

Every artist, no matter what your medium, will run into creative blocks that stop the flow of ideas and creative energy. Sometimes it is a brief feeling that causes you to hang up your tools or put away your brushes for the afternoon but sometimes it’s a feeling that can stifle you for days or weeks. That’s when you have to do something about it.

Don’t get me wrong. Every once in a while taking the afternoon off to enjoy being outside or doing some other fun (and usually unrelated) activity is a necessary break to keep us creative and sane. But if your feeling like your creative juices aren’t flowing and the feeling is hanging on, here are some ideas you can try to overcome the block, find your motivation and get back in the groove again.

Try taking a break

Sometimes it’s the pause that refreshes. Finding motivation sometimes involves a complete break to do something different and reset the brain. Try going outside for a walk or exercising. Changing your mental gears and doing some other activity you enjoy or that challenges you a different way might just be all the break you need to get your flow back on track. This is good when you just need a small break but if your creative block has been going on longer it will probably take more than this.¨

Set a goal

Often our motivation is blocked because the project at hand seems too big or it doesn’t excite us like other projects. I sometimes get this when working on leather projects that don’t involve a lot of artwork or carving, or if it’s a big new project working on something I’ve never made before. When this happens it helps to set small goals to make progress towards the overall completed project. It can be difficult to find motivation when a project seems overwhelming. By setting small goals that are easier to reach you can make progress is small steps. Those steps will help build your confidence and your motivation, all of which helps with finding motivation.

And if you find it difficult to reach your goals or keep on track, tell a friend about your goals. Telling someone whom you can trust can help you feel accountable, especially if they are someone that will remind you of your goals and keep pushing you to reach it.

Make a series of small goals

Small goals can act as manageable steps toward a bigger goal. Setting up small steps can create more manageable goals, and each small goal gets you closer to the overall large goal and builds your momentum towards completing the project and getting your motivation back.

Celebrate success!

As you reach each goal, celebrate your successes! Even small steps are an accomplishment towards completing your project and getting your creative momentum up and running again. Celebrating each positive step resets your feelings towards the project, turning what may seem like a chore into a feeling of accomplishment.

More to come!

Next time we’ll talk about some ways to find our motivation by releasing your creativity.

The Labor of Creativity and Making

Creativity, Life of a Maker

I recently read an article talking about the importance of labor and finding ways to express our creativity through what we make or build. It made me think about the importance of creativity and making for those of us that build, make or create items that are very personal and/or have an artistic touch to them. Many people have jobs where they make something. You can work in a factory where you build electronic devices or make a food product, but how many people get to work in a business where they make something extremely personal or something that takes fine craftsmanship?

Leather money clip with oak leaf carving designs.

While many people have daily jobs where they work in a factory and make something or a part of something, the jobs where people have true craftsman skills are much fewer and far between these days. For the most part, when things are made these days it’s in a mass production, factory oriented environment designed to efficiently make hundreds or thousands of a particular item. Often that item isn’t made to last a lifetime. It is functional but has a designed obsolescence and you will need to replace it in a few years. No thought is given to repairing it. If something goes wrong you replace it.

There used to be many crafts and trades that operated in a town and made products that were used locally by the people of the area. Those makers made the whole product from start to finish and they were judged on the quality and skill of that finished product. Their creativity came into play in the artistry or personalization they could build into the final product. Creativity and making went hand in hand. This was true if they were the local baker, a blacksmith, a shoe maker or someone from my industry, a leather worker. Just over a century ago, every town had someone who worked with leather and made harnesses or saddles for horses, because most work and transportation was done with horses. Someone who was skilled with leather was needed to build and maintain all that gear the horses needed.

Now those kind of skilled jobs are rare. You still find them in the construction trades (think carpenters and the like) but there aren’t that many jobs where an individual’s creativity and skill can be expressed in what they make. It’s something that is much rarer to find these days than it would have been a century ago. I feel lucky that I have my business as a way of expressing my artistic side and hand making items that are unique and often crafted for a specific individual.. It’s something that I feel very fortunate to be able to do, and it connects me to a time where a maker’s skill and craftsmanship were a badge of honor. I like to think it is still one today.

What Goes Into Making a Custom Leather Belt?

Creativity, Leather Carving, Leather Construction, Life of a Maker

The Artists Method (for Custom Leather Belts Anyway)

So you’re in the market for a custom leather belt? Wondering why they cost so much more than a belt from the department store? Read on.

Hand carved leather belt with floral design and silver and turquoise buckle

Having a belt custom made to your specification takes a surprising amount of work. This is especially true for the carved or stamped belts that I make.

Usually the process starts off with a question about making a belt with a specific kind of design. Maybe it’s a basket weave design or maybe something more complex like a floral carving. One of the first important questions is what length the belt has to be. There is a specific process I follow to make sure the belt is the right length for your waist and it goes beyond just knowing what size jeans you wear. People are usually surprised to find out their belt length is longer than their pants waist size!

Once we work out the belt dimensions it’s then a matter of determining the design. Sometimes this is easy as the customer is ordering a standard design from my shop such as one of my standard floral designs or a particular geometric design. But sometimes they are looking for something more custom. I’ve had a request for a grape vine design from someone that owned a vineyard. Or someone might want me to make a design that matches something else I’ve made for them like a carved notebook or wallet. In those cases I need to draw a belt design that will work on the size of belt they want and that matches their request.

A custom belt design including carving artwork and belt templates. — Custom belt being designed on my bench.

The width of the belt is a consideration too. Some people like wider belts and some like narrow belts. Or maybe they want something that is mostly wide but is tapered around the belt buckle. We can do that too, and those changes in width may need to be taken into account when designing the artwork for it.

And do they want it personalized? Maybe they want their name on the back or initials on the billet? Maybe they want their brand on the belt? These are all considerations when working with a customer to develop a custom belt for them.

So there are a lot of design steps and things to consider. This is what you are paying for when you work with a professional leather crafter who is making you a custom belt, and it is reflected in the price. But the end result should be a belt that will last you many years and that you will be happy to show off.

If you want your own custom leather belt, contact us now to get the process started! We would be happy to work with you!

A Little History of Handbags and Purses

Life of a Maker

For a long time I’ve been working on handbag and purse designs. They have almost exclusively been custom orders for people but recently I’ve made one design (a cross body bag) available in my shop for purchase.

A soft leather handbag with a carved front flap. — Cross Body Bag

The history of handbags and purses is fascinating! Handbags and purses are a key part of many modern women’s wardrobes and often make a statement as an important accessory. But that wasn’t always the case. According to this Wikipedia article, the term handbag didn’t come into common use until the early 20th century. While both sexes had carried a ‘purse’ which was primarily used for coins for many years prior to that, the term ‘handbag’ began appearing in the 1900’s as a description of men’s hand luggage. However apparently over time women’s bags grew larger and more complex and the term ‘handbag’ became more associated with women’s bags.

The First Luxury Handbag

The first set of ‘luxury handbags’ is believed to have been made in 1841 as a custom order for an English Industrialist, Samuel Parkinson. According to history (and the same article referenced above) he ordered a set of traveling bags from a London shop called H. J. Cave. As part of the order he specified a “traveling case or bag for his wife’s particulars after noticing that her purse was too small and made from a material that would not withstand” long journeys by train. He also requested that several be made in different sizes for different occasions and he specifically stated they needed to be made of leather. While this was good news for me and other future leather workers like me, it wasn’t that popular at the time. The finished bags which are considered the first ‘modern’ handbags were considered too heavy by many critics of that time. They were concerned that the bags were so heavy that they would result in back injuries to the poor frail women of the era. H. J. Cave apparently only made handbags occasionally and stopped making them in 1865 except for certain customers. Like the Queen of England and other royalty on request. They would start making luxury bags again for the general public in 2010.

Fortunately for me and my interest in making custom leather handbags and purses, the idea did eventually catch on and now they exist in all sorts of shapes, sizes and artwork designs. If you are interested in a custom leather handbag or purse, please feel free to contact me. I’ll be thrilled to add my work to the history of handbags and purses!

This article has been sponsored by Loveland Heights Cottages near Estes Park, CO and along the banks of the Big Thompson River. They have played host to many luxury leather bags over the years. The cabins have been around almost as long as there have been modern handbags for women but the cabins still have modern conveniences like WiFi. Check out their website to contact them and arrange reservations for your Rocky Mountain summer getaway!

Celebrating World Leather Day!

Life of a Maker

April 26th is World Leather Day

World Leather Day is a day created by the leather industry to celebrate leather and leather products and to focus on the sustainability of leather as a material. Leather is actually a byproduct of the food industry. According to the tanning industry if cattle skins were not tanned and used to make leather approximately 10 million metric tons of waste material would end up going to landfills annually. Instead this material is used to make clothing, boots, gloves and some of the carved leather items that I make and sell here on my site.

Leather is one of the oldest man made products, having been made since before the dawn of human civilization. Mankind’s earliest creations were probably leather clothing for protection and leather bags for carrying and storing things. Like the teepee of the Plains Indians of North America early man probably developed their first housing from mobile leather structures. We went on to develop leather armor, saddles and protective gloves and boots. In many of these cases, leather is still a great choice in these applications despite the development of many modern synthetic fibers.

Leather has a beauty and durability that few other materials can match. The carved leather items that I make are generally one of kind creations that are made specifically for that customer. The artwork often represents something special about them or their family, and the finished product is intended to be a family heirloom that will be handed down from generation to generation. Whether it’s a leather handbag or a family Bible cover it is made to be durable and to last while being used for the purpose it was designed for.

Leather has that unique property that it can be carved, dyed and crafted into so many unique items. Here on World Leather Day we are celebrating this amazing material and the wondrous and long lasting works of art we can create with it. I am honored that I have a medium where I can create a functional work of art that will be used and cherished by people probably long after I’m gone.

Focusing on Your Work (as an Artist its Hard!)

Business, Creativity, Life of a Maker

I tend not to be the most organized person, as anyone who looks at my work bench would clearly see! Despite appearances though I do have a good idea where most things are and what I should be working on.

However for creative people especially it can be hard to stay focused and motivated to work on a specific product or customer order. On MANY occasions I’ve had trouble staying focused on a project that isn’t as exciting artistically as some of my past work, and it can make me easily distracted when another more enticing idea comes along. It is very easy for me to get distracted by seeing other’s work on social media like Instagram and thinking “What a cool idea!”

For artists and other creative people staying focused on tasks, especially if they are not a particularly creative task, can be hard because of the way our brain is wired. If your right brain is more dominant, meaning you’re more used to flexing your creative muscles, you will naturally gravitate towards those skills versus more left brain tasks that are more logical and analytical. If you are working on something that isn’t particularly artistic or creative, it can be easy to be side tracked from something that you don’t enjoy. Plus if you are like me, a good creative idea can jump in and disrupt whatever you are trying to concentrating on.

Focusing For Artists and Creatives

One of the easiest ways to fight this and stay on track is goal setting. Having written goals and reviewing them daily is a key way I keep on track and get projects done. When I’m struggling to move forward on a project, it’s usually because I’m not staying focused on my goals and I’m allowing myself to be distracted. Focusing for artists and creatives can sometimes be a difficult task. I’m as guilty as anyone else! Look a squirrel!

There are important steps to goal setting. First is knowing what you want to achieve. You have to know where you want to go before you can start a trip. Once you have a goal you have to have a plan. This is your map on how you are going to get where you want to go. Then Take Action! It’s no good having a plan or a map unless start the trip to reach your goal. If necessary break it down into smaller steps. And once you reach your goal review how it turned out and if necessary renew your goals.

Goal setting and staying focused on your goals is not always the easiest thing for someone who is creative. Let’s face it, the logical process of setting and focusing on goals isn’t always the strength of someone who is creative minded. But if you are an artist or creative who is operating as a freelancer or in your own business it’s important to keep on track, meet your goals and finish your project so it can be delivered to your customer. And in the end, shipping that project frees you up for your next creative project! That can be a reward in itself.

Carved leather pendant with wire wrapped bezel. — Leather Floral Pendant

Quality Handmade Leatherwork

Business, Leather Carving, Life of a Maker

The Quality of Consumer Products

Recently I was reading an article on Vox about why consumer products that are made now are not holding up to the quality of just a few years ago. The author of the article makes very good points about why consumer companies from clothing to tech products are driven to reduce quality and make manufacturing easier in order to maintain a certain price. The point of the article is that cost of materials and cost of labor have constantly been increasing (this last year especially so!) and to maintain prices that consumers are used to, the quality of the materials and the way they are assembled has to be sacrificed.

This made me think about the quality of handmade leatherwork like what I make here at C and B Leather. The items that I make are not only intended to last for many years of service, but ideally they can be passed down to the next generation and still be useable.

So much in our culture is looked at now as disposable or as being useful for a period of time but then cast aside as newer and improved versions come about. We don’t expect our clothing, furniture or appliances to last for years. With electronic tech we even will replace something because we want the newer model even if your existing model still works fine.

When I make quality handmade leatherwork I want the finished product to rise above those expectations. I want it to be something that will last for a long time and that you will keep using for a long time. It should also reflect something about you or your personality. It should be something that fits your personality uniquely. It’s going to cost more than the disposable version, but it will also have more VALUE!

There are craftsmen and women making really high quality items all across the U.S. These people make the things they make because they have a true love of their craft. Each item, be it wood working, sculpting, painting or working with leather, is made with love and care. It’s their goal to make something that is a unique expression of themselves as well as the best quality they can make it. It’s also usually a unique expression of the end user. That is what I’m doing with my leather work, I’m striving to make the best quality handmade leatherwork I possibly can, and if I can make it unique to you I will do that too.

If you are ready to invest in quality for yourself, let me know. If you are looking for a custom made leather notebook, a custom belt, wallet or handbag made just for you contact me to get the process started!

Carved Leather wallet with Sunflower design — Minimalist wallet with sunflower design.

Handmade by a craftsman produces quality that cannot be equaled by today’s mass market consumer items.

Thank You for 2022!

Life of a Maker

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

2022 has been another eventful and at times crazy year! There have been many interesting new projects this year and many new customers. I want to say thank you to all our customers this year. We appreciate your business and hope we can make many new and cool things for you next year!

Look for new products next year. I planning on doing more with belts next year. If you’re looking for a custom floral carved belt or something with a more complex geometric design, let us know and keep an eye on the website. We have some interesting designs coming that go beyond just a basketweave design. Also, look for new handbag and wallet designs coming soon! And as always, if you have a leather work idea that you would like custom made for you, let us know.

Also, look for more value added content for both the leather worker and for the leather consumer. We want to make this site more interesting for both our customers and our fellow leather workers, so stay tuned and see what’s coming in 2023!

Once again, thank you to all our customers! It’s your support that allows us to make all the cool things we do here! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It has been wonderful to serve all the customer’s we’ve been fortunate to have this year!

Improving your leather carving skills – One Simple Technique

Leather Carving, Life of a Maker

One question I am frequently asked is how to improve your leather carving skills. People who are just starting out wonder if there is some magic technique that can make your carving stand out. The answer is that there is nothing magical about it. It’s just a matter of practice!

Veg tan leather carving — Floral carving in leather.

It turns out you don’t need to sell your soul to the devil or perform any magical rites. You also don’t need to possess any superhuman strengths or skills. An average person can improve their carving skills and become really good with one simple technique: Focused Practice.

Focused Practice

Focused practice is concentrating on one aspect of your leatherwork and repeating it again and again with the goal of improving your work each time. In this case it’s working on your carving skills and self-critiquing your work each time. This was a tip given to me by one of my mentors, noted saddle maker and Hollywood holster reproduction specialist Dusty Johnson. Dusty was a great guy with years and years of experience and he really helped me out when I was starting off.

He made the suggestion that in order to make my leather carving skills better I should take a particular small carving design and repeatedly carve it. So I make this same suggestion to you: Find a small simple design. In my case I found a Tandy Craftaid (something like this) and carved it repeatedly. Dusty recommended carving it five times and after each attempt, take a step back and take a good look at what you have made. Note the parts that you like about it. Note the things that you don’t like so much. Think about those parts and decide what you can do to improve those. Then try the same design again. After you have finished that one critique it again.

Practice pieces for my leather carving skills improvement. — Practice pieces

The image above shows the fourth and fifth versions of the floral design I carved back then. They look pretty rough to me these days but I carved these over fifteen years ago! At the time these did represent a significant improvement in my leather carving skills, but over the years I’ve put a lot more effort into my skills and it shows.

Improving your leather carving skills

If you try this exercise I guarantee that by the time you finish the fifth piece if you place it next to your first attempt you are going to see some improvement. You will probably see a lot of improvement! Try it again with a different design. The more you do this the more improvement you will see. This is the core of focused practice. Concentrating on one part of your skills and working on them again and again to improve them. And you don’t have to be repeating a practice piece to make this technique work. Every time you carve something in leather, critique it afterwards to see what you liked and didn’t like and try to improve the stuff you didn’t like next time. This sort of honest critique will quickly improve your skills.

Common Types of Leather

Leather Construction, Life of a Maker

There are a lot of different types of leather and many terms that can be confusing even to those who normally work with the stuff. Here is a short list of some of the more common terms you will find on this website or in the industry. This list doesn’t cover all the types and terms used in the industry but it does cover many of the common ones.

Cordovan

Back leather from horses tanned with special processes to make it withstand water and wear well.

Full Grain Leather

The grain side of the leather is not sanded or otherwise treated to hide scars or marks.

Chrome Tanned Leather

Leather that has be tanned with chromium salts. This kind of leather often has a blue-green center and is somewhat water repellant. It is one of the most common types of leather consumers see on a day to day basis. Almost all your clothing leathers are made by this technique.

Suede

Leather cut from the back side of a hide of full grain leather and is often brushed or abraded to give it a velvety surface.

Napa

Usually an aniline dyed calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin. Usually a very soft leather. These types of leather are used when exceptional softness and a luxury feeling are needed.

Nubuck

An aniline dyed leather that has been sanded or buffed on the grain side. Sensitive to dirt and hard to clean.

Elk

Soft and durable leather made from Elk hides.

Deer

Soft and durable leather made from deer hides. Generally does not come from wild animals but instead from animals raised in captivity.

Kangaroo

A durable and soft leather commonly used in braiding items like whips. Also useful in high wear items.

Ostrich

Made from ostrich hides and frequently used in fashion items. The leather has distinctive surface with raised bumps where the feathers used to attach. Sometimes this also refers to leather made from the legs of the ostrich which has a bumpy or almost scaly look.

Rawhide

Untanned leather that is scrapped, soaked and treated with lime to make it stiff and brittle when dry. Used in some leather products for its toughness.

Split Leather

This is the bottom of a full grain hide that has been cut off with a long sharp knife. This can be used to make suede or it can be stained and finished to look like full grain leather as a low cost alternative to a full grain hide.

Vegetable Tanned Leather

This leather is tanned using plant extracts that give it special properties that allow it to be carved or stamped. The process is lengthy and sometimes takes months. This is the kind of leather I use for all the carved or stamped items I make. It’s also the kind used to make western saddles.

Alligator Leather

Leather made from the skins of alligators. Recognizable by the large scales and can be easily mistaken for Crocodile leather.

Crocodile Leather

Very similar to alligator leather except crocodile hides can often have knobby projections from the surface.

Crust Leather

Crust is a term used for leather that has been tanned but has not had dyes or finishes applied.