Post Cabin Fever

Well - the weather is typically fickle but at least it's somewhat warmer during the days.  We were snowed in for a couple of days when both snow and ice accumulated but the roads are clear now. Did manage to get to town and got Cathy some peach colored roses for Valentines Day.  She reciprocated with a box of chocolates, which neither of us need but oh, well.  Love that gal and I also love chocolate  ; )

 For the past couple of days I have been working on a purse to replace the battered one she has.  She picks out the design and I make the purse.  Here's how it goes  -  -

After she picks out the pictures she wants and the style of alphabet for her initials, I transfer the design on to a leather blank that will represent the back and front flap of the purse.

Just in case you didn't know, if you left click on the pictures, you can enlarge them..
If you look closely on the lower left corner of the blank you will see her initials (CME)  and on the right corner you can barely make out a horses head.  That is an image of the picture of our horse, Jim, that she has on her current purse.  On the top of the blank, which is back of the purse is another design of a horse running across a field in front of a fence.  This took a few hours to copy the designs and transfer them onto the tanned leather blank.  Next I have to carve the designs into the leather in preparation for tooling the leather to give the designs an embossed appearance.

Of course it's never as simple as it sounds.  You have to keep the leather somewhat damp in order to properly tool the leather around the design or pattern and you have to use certain tools designed specifically for that purpose.  What you see above are the lines cut or carved into the pattern of Jim.  The mouth, hair, eye and muscle will be done last.

This is the design that you couldn't see very well in the previous pictures.  This picture will require the most detailed work and a lot of free hand cutting/tooling.

Doesn't quite look the same, huh.  If you could see close enough you would be able to see the nails holding the fencing boards in place.

And lastly - the finished product after it has received an antique stain and leather sealer to help preserve the leather against weather and wear.  Now all I have to do is assemble the purse, adding a bottom, end pieces, a strap and a fastener to keep the purse closed.  Oh, I forgot to mention about the 30 yards of leather lace that will be required to lace this thing up to hold it together and that'll take about 3 days of work.  It's hard on the fingers.  I'll include a pic of the finished product when I get it completed.    Then I promised my brother, Bob, that I'd make him a personalized leather guitar strap.  He plays in a band and could use a new one.  So that'll be my next leather project.  Wow - that should be enough for now.   Later.