To Paris with Love

In the 3 plus years that my husband, John and I have operated our leather business we never imagined, or even thought, how a postal strike would effect us.

On June 2 there was a rotating strike with the Canadian Postal workers. It didn't seem to affect us much for the first 12 days. It was hit and miss and we continued to send out packages as quickly as possible while keeping our standards at level of excellence. I believe it was the 14th that the workers were locked out and that's where our concerns set in.

We had 45 orders completed and packaged and ready to go. Each day we received inquiries from folks that didn't mind waiting to for their package and wanted to order regardless. After about 4 days of this our stress level reached new highs. I was getting sick to my stomach fielding calls and concerns from potential buyers. So, knowing that the strike could be indefinite and as not to frustrate our customers we put our shop on vacation. The inquiries continued to come in and my heart sank with every, "we will look somewhere else, thank you!" I was devastated. My husband, the rock, kept me balanced and optimistic.

One day a very charming lady by the name of Samantha contacted us and stated that she and her fiancee were going to be married in Paris. Her parents and sibling whom live in Toronto were going to make the trip to Paris for the auspicious occasion. It sounded so romantic and exciting. She wanted to order 3 sets of custom luggage tags.

Making them was not a problem - getting them to her parents in Toronto was. Alternative shipping in Canada is outrageous. I suggested against the expenditure and discussed another option with John. We offered to drive the package, a hour and a half, to Toronto if she would agree to pay for the gas.

Needless to say she was thrilled an accepted our offer.

I met Samantha's mother, Kim at a gas station and it was like meeting an old friend. We hugged and discussed the wedding. She showed me a lovely wedding rug, she hooked, that she was going to present to her daughter and son-in-law, Vincent on their wedding day - July 6, 2011

When we parted I had such a great sense of accomplishment. We had played a very small part in someones life. As everyone knows a woman's wedding day is a monumental occasion.

I asked Samantha for a photo of her on her wedding day and was pleasantly surprised when I received this and another photo in an e-mail.

These are the tags we made for Samantha and Vincent and would like wish them a happy and long marriage.

Just Married - His n Her - Luggage Tags

Mother and Father of the Bride - luggage tags

Custom Favourite quotes - luggage tag

(both tags below)

A Knife Sheath Like No Other

If there is one thing I learned about men, especially sportsmen, is that they take their knives seriously. Over the years I have had all kinds of knives in my home while my husband handcrafted a custom sheath for them. Some of them quite impressive while others I wouldn't use in my garden. But all of them have something in common. Sentimental value to the proud owner.

I slipped once, while at our local Farmers Market, when an avid knife collector brought three knives to our table. They were wrapped and bounded in layers of soft cloths. I looked on as the owner gingerly unwrapped each one and recalled the story behind the knife. With cautious consideration he handed my husband, John, one of his Bowie knives. John with the same care handled it like it was gold. I slipped, something I will never do again, and stated rather quietly, "it's only a knife". If ever I felt small it was then. The gentleman gave me a look that would freeze alcohol.

I have since learned to respect and understand the value of one's prize possessions. In retrospect it is like comparing an aluminum camping pot to a set of Lagastino cook wear. The user will know the difference.

That said, I will show you some of the awesome custom knife cases John has made for some very satisfied customers. Only recently has John found the time to make the sheath below for a knife he has cherished for over 40 years. Both knife and sheath were handed down to our son, Chris.

The next case was one of several made for a collector - the gentleman I previously spoke about at the Farmer's Market. The buyer choose the sheath to be able to slide on his belt. He also choose the stamp pattern and dye colour.

The next two cases, which will be used to house the pictured knife, are used for underwater divers. I personally wouldn't suggest leather for underwater but the owner was okay with it. The sheath was hand formed around the knife to give it a fitted appeal.

One case was customized with the owners surname and the other with wolves.

The following cases were handcrafted according to the owner's specs. One for a left handed person and the other a right handed person. Every detail right down to the thread and snap colour are left to the buyer.

When John makes each case he actually creates a new pattern, a new design. As I have seen there have never been two the sheaths the same. And that is the beauty of a custom case.

What John has been doing lately is making cases from knife outlines. As we all know it is virtually impossible if not insane to attempt to send a knife over the boarder. So in an attempt to fulfil orders he has been working with cardboard cut outs. We are happy to report that it has been successful thus far.

For the most part the majority of knives John has created cases for are antiques. There is nothing quite like it to see the face of a customer when John hands him/her their knife in a new case. It is like they have just received fine crystal and mustn't drop it. I have asked John to wait for me to be home when a buyer drops by the house to pick it up. If you can imagine it can be rather spiritual. But only someone on the receiving end will understand. I can only aspire that people receive my work with that kind of reaction. Luckily John is a very modest man so I will do the bragging for him.

The sheath below, in my opinion, has to have been one of John's favourite ones to make. It was made for a Bowie knife that has no hilt. Many hours of planning and pondering went into this one. The owner didn't want snaps on the back of it because he is a hunter and felt it would most likely fall off when he bends down. As a matter of practice now, John hand stitches all his sheaths rather than snap closures over belts.

Each one of these knife cases are unique and as individual as one's finger prints. I have not attempted to make one yet, and maybe I won't too soon. But for now I will leave this aspect of our business to the true master - my husband, John :D

'Nuf said. If you would like to chat with us about having a knife case custom made please do not hesitate to email us. We are always happy to create something special for you.

Thanks for stopping by and do visit our shop Leather Made Nice

Anne

Minimize and Accessorize

Over the years I have found that less can be better. Once that diaper bags and huge messenger bags full of kids' teddies and toys were no longer required, I liberated myself and carried only what was necessary. The large totes that I adored in high school and college no longer hold the appeal they used to. It's hands free all the way. I do wear a mini leather shoulder bag, across the body, and that is it. And on days when even that is too much, I carry my cell phone on my belt.

Alligator Embossed Leather Cell Phone Case $30.00


I wanted something elegant and durable. This cell case has two layers of leather. I finished with a matching topstitch and celtic concho to dress it up. I used a velco closure to prevent damage to the phone.

Also available in our ArtFire shop.







The interior was finished in a rich black dye with two coats of waterproofing conditioner.




The metal spring belt clip that was used on this cell case will secure nicely to your belt. All interior rivets are covered with felt to prevent scratches.

This is a sample of our handstamped cell case. This is the classic basket weave pattern with rope concho closure.

Our cases will hold most flip phones and can be personalized with initals and other patterns.

If you are looking for something unique this is where you will find it.

We have various colors including; walnut, med brown, acorn, mahogany, red, blue and green.

If you have any ideas that you would like to pass by us, send me an email and we can discuss the possibilites. Visit our shops at Etsy or ArtFire.

Thanks for viewing and have a great day,

Anne ^i^

A Walk In The Park

AWWW! look at that face! Yes you have seen him before but I can't help it. Isn't he adorable. This is Toby and his owner is my friend, Michelle . Am I bad? I miss my Friday, so now Toby is my...., surrogate doggie. :D

Now that spring is officially here it's time to get our quadruped friends all prettied up and outside for some fresh air and exercise. It wouldn't hurt me any either ;D

Toby is wearing his personalized and very fashionable mahogany collar. My most favorite style and color.

When I jogged. Yes I used to jog..., once-upon-a-time...., I hear snickering back there!!! I would take my dog, Friday with me - for company mostly. Funny though, I always knew that she would take off to parts unknown the second I unclasped her leash. Subsequently, I designed and created this stylish Shake-A-Paw ID bands (and pendant set) just in case she lost her way back to me. One buyer suggested a phone number instead of a name ..., great idea!

With bigger dogs like Friday, she needed a 6 foot leash. We cut ours from a continuous strip of premium "Live Oat" sole grade leather. Trust me even the big dogs can't break this one. :D

It's always nice to get a new piece of jewelry. So why wouldn't you think about your pooch. Whether it's one piece at a time or all together - they deserve it too?

Any and all of our products can be customized to suit your needs. We can add rhinestones, grommets, eyelets, studs.... whatever you want we can create it for you. So give us a try.

It's sunny out in my neck of the woods so I think I will take advantage of this gorgeous weather and work in my garden. :D

Thanks, Michelle for helping me set up my gadgets. It worked!!! You rock !! _\00/

Anne ^i^

A Verbose Anniversary Gift

I am no stranger to texting leather objects. Actually I find great satisfaction in creating things that come from the hearts and minds of our customers. I feel privileged to be given such a task. My customer provide me with a list of 60 or so words, places, names and dates that conveys their special memories of particular times in their lives.

Each belt is handcut from premium tooling "Live Oak" cowhide - the best leather you can buy. Once we have choosen the hide we hand cut it to size. We take great care in measuring, centering, stamping and finally finishing (dying) the leather. It must be perfect to our standards - no short cuts, no flaws, or it doesn't leave our hands.

Leather Made Nice - Custom 1.5 inch Memory Belt

The belt above was finished in our unique blend of brown dyes. The buyer decided she wanted a nickel plated buckle on this custom piece. It was an anniversary gift for her husband.

Happy 5th Anniversary, Sara and Brad!!

The text that buyers choose always intrigue me. As the words are stamped out I get a sense of the life these people enjoyed together and what was important to them. It reads like a novel as their life unfolds. What a wonderful keepsake!! The lady that ordered this one plans on having one made for her father. It will read the names of all the children and grandchildren. Again, what a wonderful reminder of the joys in one's life.

Happy 4th Anniversary to you and your husband, Camille @-}--

The last belt pictured was my first request. It came from a lovely young lady by the name of Ashlyn. She has been preparing for her wedding day and this is a gift for her husband-to-be. I have a bit of history with her. She has visited our site a few times and I feel rather akin to her. She has submitted some quite unique and refreshing ideas which have brought fruition to us. So this was a very special creation that I wanted to be perfect for her. For a young person she has the wisdom and insight of an old soul.

Our good wishes and love go to her and her husband-to-be on their marriage and life together!!!

Ashlyn and Justin - March 14, 2009 @-}--

Other text possibilities: historical anniversaries, favorite groups, favorite novel or books read, comic books, sports teams or personalities, sayings, concerts attended..., the possibilities are endless. If you have an idea that you would like to pass by us send us and email or visit our shop.

Smiles, Anne ^i^ & John

Luther's Legacy

About a month ago I received an email from a woman by the name Danni. She wanted to know if I could make her a custom key ring similar to the ones she had seen in our Etsy shop. She was having it made for her husband in memory of his beloved pet and recently deceased dog, Luther. I was touched by this and agreed. Her request was not a unique one, as I have made many of them before but this was to be my first as a keepsake in memory of a dog.

These are samples of our personalized, handstamped keychains

from our shop As I read further on, I realized that she wanted me to make two personalized key chains out of an existing dog collar that was previously worn by Luther. I had no idea at the time what the collar looked like nor if I could emboss it with the dogs name on it. You see, the leather was finished and worn for some time. Danni left the desicion up to me, regardless. But as I am sure other leather workers will attest - once leather has been dyed and finished with a protective coat it is unlikely that other impressions stamped into the leather will be able to leave permanently embossed markings.

I had forgotten about our conversation until the day I received a package in the mail. It contained the dog collar below. As I held it in my hands and caressed the extremely weathered and worn leather, fond memories of my dog, Friday, came to mind. I felt a sense of duty to Danni and her husband to deliver to them the best possible reconstructed item I could using this wonderful old dog collar.

John and I both examined it closely. It had years of grim built up on it from dirt and water. I had to strip it down, clean, and condition the leather to the base so I would be able to attempt the undertaking of embossing lettering.

It came out beautifully. I had enough of the collar left to make a personalized wristband as well.

A few nights later, I lay awake imagining how it would come out. Like every thing we do I handled it as if it were my own.

I had to wait patiently for the treatment to dry fully before John could add the new dye. The leather sucked up the first application of dye like a dry sponge. It took several coats of dye and two applications of "super sheen" to bring it to a rich luster. John and I were thrilled with the results.

This has to be one of my most rewarding and memorable moments in this business. For someone to part with and entrust us with this cherished article made me feel quite honored. If you have such an article that you would like us to give life to visit us at our website or Etsy shop. We would love to chat with you and possible deliver to you the same results as we did to Danni and her husband.

"Luther"

Anne ^i^

New Beginnings - 2009

Happy New Year - everyone!!!

We would like to welcome you to our blog. Applause!!!

We have had a website on Etsy for eight months and invite you to visit us.
Our site is quite unique in that we create custom and personalized leather products to suit everyones needs.

We are hoping to have our Flickr badge up and running soon. :]
The message on this wristband, which is listing on our site, has become pretty much our moto.

We have found that many of our buyers favour this attractive "mystery braid" leather wristband and have customized it with family names, sayings, expressions of love and BBF names. It is timeless and wears beautifully on both men and women alike...., as I sit here typing I am wearing my family band (not the one shown in the photo) with all 5 names on it. I am the least liking person to wear something of this sort. But attitudes change when it includes the people that mean the most to you - your family. :)

And finally, our personalized leather keychain -fob. The names are highlighted to stand out boldly against the dark brown back ground. They are handcrafted with the finest, virgin leather and finished with brass grommets and rings. A must have for the hard-to-buyer-for individual person in your life.

Thank you so much for dropping by and viewing our blog!!!

Anne ^i^ & John