To Infinity and Beyond

Quotes, expressions, mantras and personal messages are quick in becoming the latest trends amongst couples.  We offer several styles to accommodate everyones taste. My personal favourite are the braided signet set pictured below. 

We use only the finest leather available which is always supple and without blemishes. All our wristbands are hand-cut, hand-stamped and dyed to perfection. They are available in many dye colours but our buyers tend to gravitate towards the earth tone dye finishes - amongst them are: acorn (title picture), medium brown, dark brown and mahogany (pic. 3). 

I am pleased to announce that we have just aquired a wonderful cursive/script font that I am planning on using as soon as I can and will post the outcome for those interested. 

Our Infinity and Beyond series

His n Hers - Braided Signet - set of 2 - 5/8 inch wide

 

Adjustable His n Hers Signet Wristband

Custom His n Hers Ultra thin Braided -To Infinity and Beyond Wristbands  

The set above are 1/2 inch wide and can be dye in various colours.

To Infinity.. and Beyond - His n Hers - 5/8 inch wide - set of 2

This was our first set that sold very well.. and continues to do well. :)

Christmas is just around the corner and time is running short so if you haven't decided on a gift for that special someone in your life - take a browse at our shop and we will be happy to assist you.

Leather Made Nice

Our shop will be going on Vacation mid-night Novemeber 30th and will not be re-opening until Jan. 2, 2012.

Thanks for dropping by

Anne & John



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)

Two years strong

Tomorrow will mark our second year selling our unique and hand-crafted products on the Internet. We have come a long way from making a simple name band to designing custom portfolios and bow and arrow quivers.

As trends, styles and mediums have changed so have we. I was hoping to have completed a unique bag that I have been working on for some time but, and I will say fortunately, we have been rather busy to afford the time to finish it. Maybe next month I will be able to unveil it for you. *fingers crossed* However, this is what I have designed this year so far.

"For Your Eyes Only" wedding Edition

$27.00 Hand-crafted from tooling leather, beaded lace and white deerskin. The interior reads the bride and grooms names, date of marriage and "From this moment on"...,

Loving braided wristband as I do I designed this wristband for the romantic at heart. This design allows several options for the buyer, from a name band to a medical alert bracelet.

Personalized braided signet wristband

$15.00

The braided wristband below was commissioned by a university student for her friends as a keepsake/reminder of the great work they did for unfortunately family.

I have, for some time, wanted to create a wrapped wristband but was waiting for the right time and text to stamp on it. Thoughts become things when shortly after a young lady commissioned this very article. It is 10 mm wide and can accommodate up to 134 characters including spaces.

Personalized triple wrap wristband.

$24.00

My latest design is my favourite of late. This ultra thin braided wristband is only 1/2 inch wide. And although I love the mystery braid, the only width I have been making for the last two years is 1.25 inch wide. I have worn my "Family -BFF" wristband but wanted something less obtrusive. Something more delicate. So, after experimenting with a remnant piece of leather - I created this one. I wear constantly. I recieved a request for it but hadn't listed it until recently. This wristband can accommodate up to and including 15 words.

Personalized - Ultra thin - braided leather wristband.

$15.00

This one (mine) reads "He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge. Psalm 91:4"

If there is something that you have in mind but just don't know where to find it look no further.

You can either contact us , visit us at Leather Made Nice or Etsy .

Thanks for dropping by.

Anne & John =]

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

ADOPT- A- FAMILY

About this time twelve years ago I was happy with three young children, a wonderful husband and a thriving career in law enforcement. Having a double income lifestyle made everything comfortable for us. I was preparing to return to duty after my maternity leave when life presented a unexpected change. My career ended and my husband and I found ourselves with half the income we had previously enjoyed for several years.

Christmas Ornament Earrings - Box set of 2 - $9.50

I was devastated. The commitments that we easily met before were difficult to fulfill. Things like coffees, take-out and buying clothes became luxuries to us. There came a day that buying milk for my youngest daughter, approaching her 1st Christmas with us, was non-existent.
Worried for the welfare of our children we did the only thing we could. We visited our local food bank sponsored by the Salvation Army and received a box of food and a $25.00 food voucher.

It was a humbling experience, but we were grateful it was available to us. Christmas wasn't as elaborate as we had wanted and our children were confused because it was so lean. We explained to them, in a way a child could understand, our circumstances.

Box set of 2 pairs of Earrings

Miraculously, our situation worked out in the long run. It was a long, tough road ahead but we survived. The following Christmas we saw a Christmas wish tree in the mall. It was then that we decided to pass it forward. We picked two names from the tree, a boy and a girl, to buy gifts for. It filled our hearts knowing that some child, like ours, would have a Christmas.

Last year I started selling glass ornament earrings at our local farmers market and donated the proceeds to Adopt-A-family. The results were overwhelming. With every $50.00 we raised, our money provided a turkey with all the fixings and a small gift for the children in the house.

Glass Ornament Earrings - box set of 2

As I write this I feel overjoyed about the recipient families. This is a time to help one another and what better way than purchasing a gift box that includes 2 sets of ornament earrings and helping to give a Christmas to another family.

You can either contact me (type "Adopt-a-family" in the subject box and I will invoice you) OR click on the title link to purchase this set Or visit our shop at Catch A Shining Star.
Please note that the earrings will vary in design (glitter and pattern) so when you order please advise what colour you want.

I will post the amount raised each week on this blog. 50% of the proceeds (the rest to cover the cost of materials) will be delivered to the Town of Cobourg Women's services via the LCBO drop off.

Thank you and God bless,

From our family to yours!!

Anne & John

A very special anniversary gift

About two months ago I had the great pleasure of chatting with a wonderful lady named, Meredith, about a special gift she wanted us to make for her husband for their anniversary. This gift took a great deal of planning from both us and her. She wanted us to create a unique watch band that had a carved exterior and a sentimental inscription on the interior.

Alone the carved exterior or the inscription interior were not a challenge. But combined it drew many obstacles. We had to take the assembly, functionality and doable possibilities into consideration as well as making it look aesthetically pleasing. The swirl design on the exterior has a special meaning, something only the buyer and her husband can identify with. So we had to replicate it as close as possible to the diagram she sent us.

The interior, was to be created just like one of our "For your eyes only" wristbands. However the text needed to be situated so as not to be hidden by the whip stitched edging or the buckle holes she wanted on the finished watch band.

As John and I often do, we sat in the evening and stared at the unfinished article and brainstormed. Will this work..., maybe but no.., this has to change. This went on for some time until we were both satisfied with the outcome. The watch face that the buyer sent us had to be fitted on the band before any holes or dying could take place. John meticulously measured and re-measured it until it was flawless. My task was to fit 62 characters of text onto the interior band keeping in mind the buckle placement and holes for both lacing and buckle.

I must say we did have several sleepless nights thinking about the process.

When all was said and done, we were able to deliver what she wanted.

With the clink of wine glasses together John and I toasted ourselves for another job well done.

We sent the watch to Meredith sometime ago and have not heard from her since. Her anniversary date in coming up soon, John and I would like to extend our best wishes to her and her husband on their anniversary.

This entire watch band was hand cut, hand stamped and carved entirely by John and I. If you would like us to create something similar to this we invite you to visit our shop or contact us.

Pricing available upon request.

If you can think it, it can be made. Our shops at Etsy and Artfire

Anne and John

It's All Goode - THG

This was a summer of making Good friends.

I met Jan via a convo through my Etsy shop. She is a huge follower, buyer and seller of the famed Hermes scarfs that have Wall Street bank execs. lining up on their lunch breaks waiting to buy.

Prior to getting an education on the fashion sect from Jan I had never heard of the Hermes line. *red faced*

Jan lives in New York city as well as operates her own website selling Hermes products which include jewelry, leather bags and scarves.

As the leader of a group called "THG" Jan wanted to design a tag that members could carry, on their person, as a quick representation of the following.

My Goode friend convo'd me with various ideas as to what she had in mind and after many ideas passing back and forth in emails this is what we came up with originally.

She already had the authentic Hermes name ribbon and was going to attach it to the tags I made which were made of thick leather and dyed in an acorn colour that closely represented the Hermes design.

A few weeks later Jan contacted me again and asked if I could incorporate a section of authentic Hermes crocodile leather into my tags. This is what I was able to do. She went with a natural dye instead of the acorn so as not to offset the crocodile leather.

Although this type of item is far removed from my daily life, Jan in her very gracious and unassuming manner, invited me as an honorary member of the "THG".

Do visit her website at It's all Goode.

Anne ^i^

P.S. I would like to ask for prayers for Jan's dear husband, Gus, as he has been battling cancer and could use all our prayers. God Bless!!

Decisions - decisions...,what to choose?.

I have been faced with a dilemma. I have to decided which item in our etsy shop to pick for the "treasure hunt" giveaway this month. I solicited some ideas from my family and this is what I came up with.
Renee, my youngest daughter, choose a very stylish pair of white deerskin earrings from our sister shop. Not surprised - she has acquired all of my jewelry and make-up that wasn't nailed down or hidden. *palm to cheek*

White Deerskin and Crystal Earrings

Amanda thought that the "ahhh-dorable baby moccasins" would be a nice choice for a new mom to win.

Baby's First Moccasins

When I asked Chris his response was, "pick something for a guy." He choose the very masculine and rugged chap leather mystery braid wristband. Actually, the wristband is unisex and can be worn by both guys and ladies. But we won't tell him. *finger to lip*

Chap Leather Mystery Braid Wristband

Johns choice was a more practical one. He thought that since father's day was the 3rd Sunday in June - why not the magnetic money clip?

Hummm. All very good choices..., but I still wasn't sure.

Alligator Embossed Magnetic Money Clip

I thought a pair of my Spatz would make a nice prize for our winner - considering our etsy community is top heavy with female members.

But after a great deal of consideration I came up with this idea.

SPATZ - Boot Jewelry Royal Blue Water Mark Set

I will let the readers have the opportunity to submit their choice of prize via commenting to this blog.
If you have your eyes on one of our treasures drop a comment and I'll add it to the list of possible winners. Keeping checking though, you never know when I will list the free item in our shop. *raised eyebrows*

Have a great weekend! _\00/

Anne ^i^

The Ring is the Thing

It was about 2 weeks ago and I was working on a project when I looked down at the table and noticed a concho laying next to a strip of leather I had cut. *light bulb* The powers that be presented me with a very neat idea..., not an original one..., but a neat one non-the-less. I dug into my supply drawer and pulled out a ton of things. *big smile* I made my first ring. I showed it to my oldest daughter, whom I might add doesn't care for leather products AT all - *sigh*. She loved it. She put it on her finger said, "cool" and walked out of the room. I had to chase her to retrieve it or it would have disappeared into the abyss - her bedroom - never to be found again. 0_o!!

Florentine & Crystal Leather Ring

Wow, I thought! She liked something I made without coaching for a positive reaction. I was feeling pretty good about myself actually. I had stepped out of the box for a moment and was pleasantly surprised.

Well, needless to say I went ring crazy. I pulled out all my best fasteners, rivets and rhinestones and went to town. I was looking at everything thinking - this will work.... *whew*

Turquoise & Celtic Leather Ring

I was on a roll. By the end of the day I had created four rings and....yes I was very pleased with myself. *pat on back* Amanda would walk through the room periodically and smirk at me...., "Very nice, mom", she said, patting me on the head like a well deserving child of praise. Yes, But I had succeeded in creating a teen "cool" item. ah-huh.. that's right!! You know it :D

Rope Edged Concho Leather Ring

The best idea came later from John. He said, "You how people sometimes tie a string on their finger to remind themself to do a task. Why don't you make a ring like that but with leather cord instead." I thought it was hilarious..., but perfect..., and so novel. Why "knot" ?

Forget-Me-Knot All Leather Ring

And that is how I started making leather rings. Funny though, I was never one to wear leather jewelry when I was younger ...., times have changed and so did I... sounds like a song. :D

If you have an idea you want me to try out for you, drop by my shop and leave me a convo.

Smiles,

Anne ^i^

TREASURE HUNT - PIF

A super nice friend of mine, Delina, who owns a jewelry shop in New York, had a giveaway on her site yesterday. I thought it was a wonderful idea eventhough I didn't win. LOL

The concept of a giveaway is a great idea. I get to do something nice by PIF (passing it forward) and the recipient gets a free gift for participating. It's a win - win situation!!

But my nature dictates that it was too easy. Hehehe! Where's the sport in that? Lets make it interesting.

So here's my plan. Sometime during the month I will change the price on one of my listings in my shop Leather Made Nice to $0.00. (Normally there is a monetary value of no less than a dollar but since it was already listed I should be able to change the value to $0.) In the event that it does not accept the $0.00 value, I will change the cost to $1.00 and the buyer will need only to complete the transaction stopping at PayPal.

Shipping included.

I will post the winner and the item won.

Happy hunting!!! :D

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^

"SEX AND THE CITY" GUINEA!!

This is Spike \00/_

To lift spirits - I would like you to meet one of our pet guinea pigs.

This is Spike!!

He's not your average everyday, garden variety guinea pig ..., he's a punker pig.

My son, Chris, made this wristband before the movie, "Sex and the City" aired. Imagine our surprise to see SJP wearing the very same belt!!

We are huge fans of the show and we were thrilled to see it.

It just goes to show you that fashion has no limits. \00/_

I would be remiss if I didn't also introduce to you the other punker pig, his brother - this is Smokey. He is the noisier but smaller of the two.

I hope this brought a smile to your face - because we have to live for today because our tomorrows may be few!!

Drop by and visit our shop!! \00/_

Anne ^i^