I sometimes struggle with fancy notebooks, getting a kind of writer's block from wanting to make sure what I write in them is worthy of how nice they are. The solution for me was making a cover for a basic, 5"x7" spiral notebook I was already using as a catch-all journal. Now I can just replace it when I fill it up.
One of my "Attainable Dream" projects is a protective case for paperback books. This is an upgraded version I made for my wife for her Cain's Jawbone bookclub. See next photo.
The Sleuth Case 1.0 with Cain's Jawbone, paper cutter, pen, small notebook, and annotation stickers built in. There's also a pocket for stray pages. Now I just need to figure out how to trim it down from a 16 hour build.
I'm really pleased with how this tote turned out. I designed it with books in mind. Two standard paperbacks (or one standard hard back turned sideways) fit flat on the bottom side by side, perfect for stacking. It has a large internal pocket and a smaller external pocket with a cover flap that fits most phones. There is also a closure tab if you that is mounted so if you don't need it, it can be tucked into the internal pocket so it's not in the way. I'm really looking forward to getting feedback on this one.
A Christmas gift for my wife made from a pattern she gave me when she was trying to encourage a burgeoning hobby. Definitely the most impressive and classiest thing I've made.
This was a first attempt at a sling-style carrier for my water bottle. For long walks and renaissance festivals.
This is the evolution of the water bottle carrier. A snug fit using butt joint and box joint stitching. It's in daily use now, even if I'm not using the strap... or going anywhere.
An early attempt at tooling leather. The design was created for me by a dear freind.
Part of a challenge my brother issued me. I found a similar design that was selling for $150 or something like it. This was to prove to myself that I could produce something of quality.
And this is my follow up attempt to the first wet molded knife sheath. I would make improvements to it if (when) I do another version, but this was the first project that really made me feel like I could make things worth selling.
One of the first big pieces I made from a pattern (foxesandravens.com). It was a first draft of a gorget for a friend's Princess Zelda Halloween Costume.
A cuff I made for my wife with leather and hardware she picked out. Personally, I think it's the prettiest thing I've made to date.
It's amazing how much I love organization, considering how not organized my space can be sometimes. This leather cup was one of the simplest, most satisfying thing I've ever made. I have four of them on my desk right now.
This is a very simple cuff design, but I went to the trouble of lining it with a very flexible and smooth veg-tanned leather rather than just slicking the flesh side down. It's so ridiculously comfortable to wear. I'm just really pleased with it.
In an effort to make something simple that could be of frequent use for people, I took a swing at leather coffee cup sleeves. I don't think I've nailed it quite yet, but as works-in-progress go... this one is pretty nice.
This is a bigger version of the coffee cup sleeve, that was just a little too big for the coffee cups, but works very well on a standard pint glass.
I took an ax making class from Arnon Kartmazov at Bridgetown Forge (bridgetownforge.com) and this is the result. For safety I made a custom mask for it.
The mask I made for my ax went through a few iterations. The one on the right is the one still in use today.