Leather Tooled Mass Embrace Alongside Koi In Addition To Hibiscus!

Leather Tooled Book Cover amongst Japanese Koi as well as Hibiscus Flowers!

If y'all haven't ever tooled leather...carved it...you haven't actually done leather work!

You've gotta endeavour this!

Leather Tooling or Carving is giving 3D effects to Leather past times cutting as well as stamping.
It's such a cool fine art form!
I wishing a giant leather mural to hang on the wall--like an former globe map or something...

My hubby is real skillful at tooling leather.
He's non a saddle maker...or a cowboy...so he doesn't carve the "traditional" patterns.
Like this purse he did for me!

Leather Tooled Book Cover amongst Japanese Koi as well as Hibiscus Flowers Leather Tooled Book Cover amongst Koi as well as Hibiscus!

Leather tooling is a real unlike creative medium!
I was interested inwards having my children start learning to leathercraft...so
I contacted Tandy Leather!
Tandy Leather sent me a fabulous starter kit!
The Deluxe Leathercraft Set ($75)
This comes amongst all the tools needed to brand vii amazing projects!

Including a BELT!
Which nosotros did so rapidly nosotros didn't accept whatever "how to" pictures!
but my 12 twelvemonth former boy stamped arrows (from this Native American Stamp set)

We used two Sam Browne Studs to fasten the belt instead of a buckle...
(although the buckle is included inwards the kit!)

Because it's cool as well as unique!
And he dyed it black--it'll await bully amongst his accommodate or jeans!

Anyway!
This is a bully laid to acquire an older tween or teen, so they receive got everything they ask to acquire started!
We e'er similar to acquire something for our kids to help spur their inventiveness as well as this is perfect!

I also got this Book Cover Kit ($24)

So, for $100 plus transportation we've got a bully gift persuasion that teaches
a whole novel degree of creativity!
The mass embrace is unfinished, but already stitched as well as snapped...so
there are no additional setting tools needed.
It's best to locomote on a difficult granite, quartz or marble surface.
If y'all don't receive got enterprise counter tops y'all tin purchase a slab from Tandy Leather...or endeavour working on whatever pounding surface y'all have...cement is skillful too!
Detailed instructions for sharpening your blade as well as how to concur the swivel cutting tool
come amongst the Deluxe set, so I won't embrace that here.
Keep the leather damp as well as the blade sharp.
Trace your desired designing onto the leather past times pressing over the designing amongst a stylus or a pencil.
Then purpose the swivel cutting knife to cutting the lines y'all only drew.
(I institute this epitome from an online search, so the designing is non mine to portion here)
The mass embrace kit comes amongst two patterns as well as the Deluxe set
has patterns as well as instructions equally well.

Once the entire designing is cut, the adjacent procedure is stamping.
This volition create the relief, the 3D effect.
Use the beveler to press the leather downwardly on i side of each cut.
Place the border of the beveler inwards the cutting as well as hammer gently.
Move the beveler equally y'all hammer to plow over a shine imprint.
Bevel the places y'all wishing to locomote darker inwards color. This is the shadowing effect.
Use the Seeder to add together modest circle shapes, similar the hibiscus stamen.
We also had a hair business tool already that was used to brand the subtle lines inwards the fish fins.

After the epitome has been beveled, so the background is next.
We used a splotchy looking tool for the background.
This is the expanse behind the fish, flowers as well as water...but non the border.
Next the cutting knife was used for decorative cuts inwards the flowers,
approximately the fish human face upwards as well as on the waves.
These are shallow cuts, only used to add together texture as well as dimension. (big picture)

Because this was to locomote a mass cover, nosotros opted to purpose Neatsfoot Oil to soften the leather.
This makes the leather darker inwards color as well as real soft.
Next, nosotros used Dark Brown antiquing gel...it's thick as well as spread all over the leather.
Then the transcend surface is wiped clean...like glazing...gives the impressions a darker finish.
I beloved the await of antiquing. It's my favorite, as well as hence what I recommend!
It makes it await so rich!
We held the leather upwards to the light...check this out!
I'm wondering if I tin practice some sort of awesome light shade amongst this technique!?
Hopefully this projection makes the 2015 "to do" list!

After drying, the mass is slipped inwards the embrace as well as admired!
I beloved how it turned out!
It's a bully magazine embrace as well as fits whatever mass near five past times 8"...
ours is two inches thick...but thinner books locomote too!

The fish only wraps approximately the book, I beloved the spine!
I beloved the fish scales!
(my half dozen twelvemonth former boy did non similar the "extension cord" coming off the fish face--hahaha!)

I beloved the await of tooled leather!
What practice y'all think?

And all those niggling details!

This would brand a bully gift too!
We are working on another fabulous leather projects to plow over equally gifts
to others this vacation season!
I've got some leather things for sale inwards my Etsy Shop too!

Check out your local Tandy Leather...or shop online this weekend
for unique gift ideas at bully prices!
They receive got loads of kits for summertime or spotter camps, groups or parties!
I only ordered a bunch to a greater extent than materials from them too!

Follow them on Facebook for to a greater extent than ideas as well as specials too!