Everything Else Studio forum: Ohoyo Leathersmiths

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Views: 17, Replies: 27 » Jump to the end
Imagezhinu
Feb 26, 2010 8:43 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
My mother (Trisha_S or Zhinusmom) and I started a leather crafts business a couple years ago, that has now turned into a handmade business. Here is our main site Ohoyo

We started out doing mud flaps for bicycles. My father is in the bike industry and saw a market for them. Mom and I are both interested in most crafts, so we decided to try our hand at it.

I really enjoy doing leather decoration. It's one of my favorite arts, and one of the ones I feel I'm best at.

So here are some of my creations:

A Greenman barrette, this was one of my early creations. I really like it, but I would like to go back and redo it with my current skill, I just haven't found the time.

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
Imagezhinu
Feb 26, 2010 8:52 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
A stained glass humming bird book cover I did for a swap.

Here it is flat, so you can see the front and back.

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
Imagezhinu
Feb 26, 2010 8:55 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
A stained glass humming bird book cover I did for a swap.

Here is a closer view of the front.

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
Imagezhinu
Feb 26, 2010 8:58 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
Greenman book cover, this is what my banner on Modern Mythology cubit is made off of.

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
Imagezhinu
Feb 26, 2010 9:02 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
A set of mythology based coasters.

Eye of RA, Greenman, Elemental pentacle, Celtic boar, Tri-moon, and Celtic knot.

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
Imagezhinu
Feb 26, 2010 9:22 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
Thor's Hammer oversized barrette

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
Imagezhinu
Feb 26, 2010 9:24 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
Gecko wallet

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
ImageUniQueTreasures
Feb 26, 2010 10:43 PM CST
Name: Janet Colvin
Z8~Beaumont~Southeast Texas
Proud member of Cubits.org
Oh Laura! I am in awe of your talents! Absolutely beautiful! I'm ashamed to admit that I sat here with my mouth hanging open as I opened up each photo. You and your Mom are so lucky to be able to share this passion.

Your book holders are gorgeous! I bet whoever got the one with the hummingbird loved it! I am an avid reader myself and would love to have something so special for my current book. The greenman is beautiful also. I've always appreciated Greenmen!

I love barrettes like those you make but my hair isn't thick enough for them to hold right. I can remember them from my high school days. My hair was shorter then and I was always jealous of the girls that had them with their long thick ponytails. I wear my hair up most of the time now, but when I've tried to wear a barrette like this, I feel like it's falling off to one side. Am I doing something wrong??? I've got a copper one too and saw one at the Reniassance Fair that had a square copper peg in it. When you inserted it into the holes of the copper, you'd turn it so the curve was against the barrette. But I can't wear that one either. About the only thing I am comfortable with is the banana clip and it has to be metal with a strong spring clip.

I have a question for you. Do you start with a piece of leather and do the stitching yourself, like with the wallet? By the way, my sister loves lizards and will appreciate that very much when she sees it!

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful work Laura. I hope you'll come back and visit soon.

Janet

Imagezhinu
Feb 28, 2010 1:40 AM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
Janet, thank you for the compliment. The business hasn't taken off like we hoped, but I love doing the work. Right now all my creative time is going to a huge cross stitch project that was supposed to be a wedding present for my brother-in-law, but I'm hoping I'll have finished by their 1st anniversary; though I do have a mud flap to do for my brother.

I hate to say it, but I can't remember who got the Hummingbird book cover. *Blush* I was doing a lot of swaps at that point and I can't remember which one it was for. Though the book covers are intended for bibles, and could be used for books, we actually make notebooks out of them, below is the inside view.

If you can pull your hair back with a hair tie you can wear one of the barrette sizes, you just slide the stick through your hair above the hair tie. We've made oversized and small ones as well as the standard size.

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
Imagezhinu
Feb 28, 2010 1:53 AM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
As far as how we make the items it depends. With the book covers for instance, it comes already put together and we just decorate it, though we have made a few from scratch; I'll try to remember where mine is and get a picture of it. The coasters and the standard barrettes are precut, but the small and over sized are cut by us. The mud flaps are cut by us. The wallet is a kit, but all the outside stitching is done by me, it's just the inside pockets that are premade, here is a picture of the inside. We've made bags from scratch and from kits, some hand sewn and some done on a sewing machine, depending on the thickness of the leather. Though the machine sewn ones can't really be decorated like most of our stuff. We've also done some odd jobs by hand. It's hard and boring to punch the holes for the hand stitched items, so honestly I try to avoid it, but there is some satisfaction taking just basic parts and making something.

Thumbnail by zhinu

Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
ImageUniQueTreasures
Feb 28, 2010 7:03 AM CST
Name: Janet Colvin
Z8~Beaumont~Southeast Texas
Proud member of Cubits.org
Thanks Laura for the extra photos to show how your leather goodies come together and work. The decorations you put on them are what make them so special. You have a wonderful talent that you just don't see any more. I can definitely see the love that goes into each piece.

Janet
Imagezhinu
Mar 2, 2010 10:26 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
My dad is a custom bike frame builder, which is becoming a lost art, and I've always loved handmade items. I would like to do furniture without electric tools and learn to whittle. Yes, I know I'm nuts. I also like to sew by hand, etc... There is just so much character lost with production items. Though the stuff is way more expensive, way out of my current price range, but if I had the money...
Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
ImageUniQueTreasures
Mar 2, 2010 10:44 PM CST
Name: Janet Colvin
Z8~Beaumont~Southeast Texas
Proud member of Cubits.org
Laura,

Way back when, folks didn't have the luxury of the internet to help them learn how to create furniture without tools. They just did it. They learned from others, most likely their fathers, and applied themselves to their craft. There's no reason you can't do those things you wish to do. It's a wise person that does "for a living" what they love to do.

I agree wholeheartedly with this statement, "There is just so much character lost with production items." This is one of the MAIN reasons Connie and I custom build each and every sculpture we create. People have told us.... Make a bunch of them and sell them at craft malls and the Renaissance Festival. They just wouldn't have the same quality, or uniqueness that the ones we build specifically for each individual have. We like having a hands on approach to mold each piece to precisely fit.
Imagezhinu
Mar 3, 2010 5:55 AM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
It's the money for tools and supplies that's the issue, too many hobbies and not enough money, and that's one of the more expensive. My DH wants to make hand built guitars, but same problem, maybe one of these days.

UniQueTreasures wrote: They just wouldn't have the same quality, or uniqueness that the ones we build specifically for each individual have. We like having a hands on approach to mold each piece to precisely fit.


At the very least they wouldn't be made to fit with that person; though I often end up with it the other way, I'll make something up with no purpose in mind, and then find just the right person for it.

Mom and I have talked about doing pre-made sales, and I'm not really opposed personally, but it's like what I said above, I'd want to make whatever felt right and have the right person find it, rather than trying to make things just because I think they'll sell, but it's hard not to "sell out" when you need money.
Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
[Last edited Mar 3, 2010 6:02 AM CST]
Quote | Post #93269 (14)
ImageUniQueTreasures
Mar 3, 2010 6:11 AM CST
Name: Janet Colvin
Z8~Beaumont~Southeast Texas
Proud member of Cubits.org
You've got great goals Laura. Sounds like your DH does too. Stick with them and before you know it, they will materialize for you. Think about using your tax refunds on supplies and what you need to make those goals happen. Big Grin
Imagezhinu
Mar 5, 2010 6:32 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
Well, my goal at the moment is to buy a house, which I think is going to work. We'll see Sunday.
Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
ImageUniQueTreasures
Mar 5, 2010 11:46 PM CST
Name: Janet Colvin
Z8~Beaumont~Southeast Texas
Proud member of Cubits.org
If it's the RIGHT house, the deal will fall into place. It took me a while to realize that about house buying. I'd want it soooooooooo bad.... and then find out later on that the neighborhood I'd been looking in was in a major flood zone. Or some other horrific thing. I'd get so upset because the deals just weren't going through.

Finally realized I needed to Let Go and Let GOD handle the deal. In no time, this one became available and we got it for a steal! We looked for quite a few years before we found this house. Been here 20+ years now. :-)

I hope this one IS the right one for you. Wishing you the best of luck in this major decision.

Janet
Imagezhinu
Mar 7, 2010 9:56 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
We paid the down payment today, so it should be good.
Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.
ImageUniQueTreasures
Mar 7, 2010 10:10 PM CST
Name: Janet Colvin
Z8~Beaumont~Southeast Texas
Proud member of Cubits.org
YEAH!!!!! Good deal! Congratulations Laura! I know you are excited.

Take lots of photos BEFORE You move in. THEN, after you get moved in, take MORE photos. Print them out and put them away in case you ever need them for insurance. That was my Dad's advice to me when we bought our house. Thank God I took his advice. When 2 trees fell on our house, I had lots of photos of before and after.

Another good thing about taking before photos is that years down the line, when you get ready to remodel, you'll have photos of the before and after. HAHAHA
Imagezhinu
Mar 8, 2010 6:52 PM CST
Name: Laura
Olympia, WA
Yeah my mom started taking pictures of us signing the paper work.

We always took a bunch of pictures when we rented a house for proof of condition, makes sense to do so on a new house too.
Modern Mythology cubit Anything Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, or anything that touches these.
A Bicycle Place Anything bicycle related.
Ohoyo Laura and Trisha's handmade items webpage.

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