|
Sue Pieper 9/03
How can I 'distress' my
leather for a weathered look? You can bend and roll and fold your
leather back and forth and as you work you'll feel it soften. For a very
distressed finish you can sand your leather with sandpaper. Try this out on
a scrap as it can be a dramatic look and isn't suitable for all types of
leather.
Christine Cox
(natural tan kit) 7/03
What can I do to personalize my
journal?
The sky is the limit on this one!
-
You can make a bookmark from really cool fibers
which is inherent to the journal itself.
-
Add beads and
charms to the spine or the front of
your book.
-
You can put a snap to hold it closed.
-
Add a shoulder strap made from
Strap Webbing
-
Stamp your initials or other words into the cover using
leather
"stamps" and a hammer.
How can I weatherproof the
cover of my journal?
You can rub the face of the leather with either Neatsfoot Oil or Mink
Oil. Both are available in several places like motorcycle shops, some
grocery stores, shoe stores, etc. Be sure to try it on a small piece first
as it may change the color of your leather or any painting you may have done on
it. |
Christine
Cox 2002
Other than how it looks, is there
a reason to get one color over another? This depends on what you are going
to do. For instance, the leather used for this journal is naturally light tan
color and accepts acrylic paints very well. If using translucent paints
you'll want to purchase the natural tan color.
Christine
Cox 2001
Natural Tan; painted with Radiant Pearls and dyed with leather dye.
As seen in Somerset Studio
On the other hand, if you are
going to stamp on the cover with fabric ink or Crafter's Ink
(you'll need to heat set both of these) you can either start with the natural
tan or choose one of the dyed choices we offer.
Christine
Cox 2001
In the collection of Bill Gaglione and Darlene Domel |
What if I don't have leather dye
and decide I want my journal to be a different color? You can dye the
journal using permanent ink, such as Memories, and a compressed sponge. Be sure
to wear gloves, your hands will be stained for days if you don't. It takes a
long time and dye is really more efficient but dye is not really sold in
quantities that make sense if you're only making one journal.
Leather Shoe dye is wonderful
too. It's transparent so you'll get very different results than you will
with more opaque dyes.
If you are using leather dye,
try diluting it or mixing colors for different opacities and effects.
Marian Janicik 2002
Natural Tan; painted with Radiant Pearls and dyed with leather dye.
|
