Leather woven mat

Leather is not for the timid, you have to be brave to have leather and a large pocket book. Not everyone appreciates the uses from leather, it does come from many different...animals. It binds books, we ride on leather saddles, cowboy boots, sandals, shoes, belts, saddle bags on motorcycles, jackets...a culture of leather art and crafts, jewelry and bags.

I collect things, and leather is a favorite if I can find scraps. A leather clothing business was moving out of town and sold bags of scraps from the garments and accessories they made. I rummaged around and picked out a bag of colored leather small scraps and another scrap bag of mixed leathers that were larger very thin scraps. So two bags for $25 and I was happy for my find but I feel I went over budget for the cost of scraps.

Until...when I got home, I found one of the bags had within it a large, uncut hide of the softest dark brown, very thin hid as soft as butter....that alone was worth it all. It still remains uncut or altered on my orphaned wood chest I keep all my fabric in for sewing. Now, here is what I did...

American Indian artwork has all kinds of weaving in baskets and leathers. I found a pattern on a wallet that I liked.

Taking a base firm piece of about 4" by 8" with a smooth side out. Taking the colored leather very thin choice pieces I found blue, red and a light tan. I made these into the width of shoe laces, about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and as long as the scrap was, which was about 4" to 6 ". Cutting into the base leather with an sharp pointed Exacto Knife slits from which to weave into. This is the first pattern formed from these scraps.

Taped the leather down on my cutting mat, and with a ruler, next I made sliver thin strips. The next pattern is a border for the center piece.

 I cut two more base leather pieces. Using the same method and altered the pattern just a little bit. Using only red for the center focus point made these two bookend pieces.

Now, I have this pattern and border design.

I used this to line a western jewelry chest, but now placed them on a bookcase as mats under family pictures.

...man hide or? scent to your liking and save $$. Commercial Free!!

Start with an empty spray bottle. Starting with a facial toner that is witch hazel based and adding neem oil, jojoba oil and almond oil. This is the base for thirsty and dry skin. We don't always eat right, stress shows up on your face and all those hot steamy showers drains the moisture out of your skin...and you never returned the moisture! So here you can enjoy the development of new skin on your man or woman hide before the summer.

I am using a small spray bottle that can hold about 6-8 ounces. For this batch I am using Zum face or witch hazel of your choice. Fill the bottle almost half full with the witch hazel.

Neem oil is very expensive, concentrated and you only need a two complete dropper full squirts, that is all, not more. The warmth of your hands on the bottle before using will help the oil flow as it is a very thick oil in cold climate and flows readily in warm, shake the neem oil well before adding to the witch hazel.

Jojoba oil is your moisture, you should only add as much as will bring the total almost level to about mid way now as in the picture above.

Almond oil balances your moisture of the skin. This is added to bring the total level to just over half of the bottle. Now for the fun part...shake, SHAKE, S H A K E the container...if you shake too, go to the gym, do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars.

You need the room in the bottle to shake the ingredients each time before you pump the sprayer. Check out these ingredients yourself online. You can add other oils, but this is a base, I use it plain like this daily. Remember this is commercial free, I use it daily and after every time I wash my face. It refreshes and you can apply as much or as little as you need. Place enough on your face so you can with your flat of your palm of your hands gently press onto the skin of your face.

Refresh and enjoy your skin that you are in!