Leather labels

On By CarynIn Craft

I wanted to add labels to my handmade items, so used the laser cutter to make some from thin leather. I added pairs of holes to the edges so they could be sewn on, my signature mark, and the primary material used for the item.

Photo description: labels cut from leather with a blue laser cutter, pencil for scale

I’m really pleased with how these came out. I’m getting better at estimating laser cutter and engraving settings; I had only one test cut before dialing in to settings that gave me my desired result. For the cut I had a speed and power of 100, and the fill engrave was power 30, speed 100, line density 100. The labels are 1cm by 5cm, which is just about as small as I can go and still sew them into a circle.

Paper serendipity

On By CarynIn Uncategorized

Sometimes, not very often, when I’m wrapping presents the paper pattern and the box size coincide and the fold at the back is a perfect continuation of the pattern. Ah.

Photo description: “let it snow” wrapping paper that has been wrapped around a box with the two ends meeting up to complete the snowman pattern

Throwback Thursday: silhouettes

On By CarynIn art, Craft

In April of 2016 I took pictures of my kids against the strong light of a window to get an image of their silhouettes. I then digitized the outlines and used my Cricut cutter to cut colored cardstock. My favorite result was where I layered the two cut outs on some beautiful hand marbled paper my sister gave me.

Photo description: silhouettes in dark green and light green on a marbled green background in a brass picture frame

I really admire the people with the skills to cut out silhouettes free hand. I leaned heavily on technology for this setup.

Wrinkled leather

On By CarynIn Craft, Life Hack

In my stash I have some nice thin goat skin leather. Unfortunately, it was wrinkled and was starting to feel a little dry.

Photo description: wrinkled goat skin leather

I used a generous application of Weiman’s leather conditioner to ease the wrinkles and return the suppleness.

Photo description: restored leather and a bottle of Weiman’s leather conditioner

Other leather conditioners, such as mink oil, would have also worked to add oils back into the leather.

Unexpected light show

On By CarynIn Cats, photography

I set up our laser holiday lights, but forgot to turn the timer from “on” to “timer” and when I let Sophie out for her morning constitutional was greeted with quite a spectacular laser show through the morning mist.

Photo description: green laser beams making beams of light through the morning mist, that isn’t the sun, but our neighbor’s corner light. Sophie the cat’s tail is swishing because it is cold out. She didn’t stay outside long.