Black Friday Finds

Yesterday I caved in to cultural peer pressure and ventured out into Richmond on "the largest shopping day of the year".  But unlike "normal" people, I avoided the malls and electronic stores.  Instead I made my way to Tandy Leather Factory!  Black Friday was the first time I'd seen the Richmond store, and I was very impressed.  The staff was very nice and incredibly helpful!

Leather working is a new hobby for me.  Like many of my other new skills, this one is motivated by a desire for better costumes.  I would love to be able to make custom belts, pouches, and holsters for me and the other members of the Mandalorian Mercs.  I could also use leather for a whole host of Steampunk costumes.  If I stick with it, I could potentially gain a great skill and earn a lot of money.  Most of my tools were packed away for the summer, and now that they're out of storage I am itching to get started!

I've had the supplies to cut, case, dye, and hand-sew leather, but what I lacked were the stamps needed for tooling.  Thanks to Black Friday, two of the kits I wanted were 40% off!  Below are pictures of the basic stamp set used for standard floral patterns and a very nice set with more elegant floral designs.

I also bought two of the stamps that will be discontinued in 2012.  With these I can make some pretty flowers!

I bought a rawhide mallet for three dollars at a yard sale a few weeks ago, and that will work fine for the stamps.  However, I still need a slab of marble so that these stamps will make good impressions on the leather.  Marble will also be necessary to keep me from tearing up the surfaces in my apartment while I learn to use the swivel knife!  The wonderful chicks at Tandy's recommended that I find a place that does marble countertops and ask for any scraps.  I might be able to pick up a good-sized chunk for pretty cheap!

Soon there will be some leather projects in the works, but the next update will feature Christmas cards.  Stay tuned!