Guitar Strap, Paul Gilbertish Carving

This guitar strap is going to be a graduation present this summer.  The recipient is fan of the Paul Gilbert style of guitar straps so the client was hoping I could mimic that.  After trying some tap-offs and a dozen variations we settled on a free hand pattern repeated down the length of the strap.  It was kinda neat to be able to break out my cams and veiners again.  They're "classic" carving tools but I don't get to use them that often.

Scattering Tube Case & Leggings

I was initially contacted by the client back in Feb to see if I'd be comfortable taking a commission that would ultimately be used to transport human ashes.  The client was arranging a memorial service for a loved one who'd recently passed and as part of that service they would carry the remains over a long hike.  The ashes would be contained in a scattering tube but they needed a case to carry the tube in.  

The deceased had been an artist and they requested some of that art be added to the case.  Additionally they'd wanted a couple of leggings with the art for the deceased's daughter to wear.  As it turned out the art couldn't have possibly been better for leather carving.  The way he used color and lines was ideal for leather.  They added the deceased's name to the art as well (which I've blurred in the photos to protect their privacy) which seemed really fitting for a memorial.

This was a challenging commission from an engineering standpoint.  Purpose-fit tubes don't have a lot of tolerance and if a seam is half a millimeter off in its diameter the result could be too tight or too loose.  I addressed some of that by adding a splice up the back of the tube which also allowed me to install the handle directly opposite the art.  Leather being leather though, it stretched and contorted a bit during the carving and assembly.  Not enough to impair anything but just enough to make the opening just a bit loose.  My testing seemed to indicate that would still friction-fit but in hindsight I wished I'd included a direct connection between the body and the lid.

It was an honor and a privilege to be able to play a small role with this.  I don't personally know any of the persons involved but it's just so... human.

Range Card Holster and Belt

Another Range Card Holster for a motorcycle instructor in the states.  The client opted not to add any personalization but they did throw in a nice little belt to hold the holster over their clothes.

I got a glowing message back once they received their order:
Good Morning Fallon,

I opened my range card holster and belt last night and they are PERFECT!!!

My husband is impressed that my range cards no longer fall out of the holster as the pouch is a little deeper and sturdier than my flimsy holster. I will not miss the teaching days when I would bend over to pick up cones on the range only to re-bend to pick up my cards 3 dozen times in a day. :-) And Fallon, I LOVE the quality, plain leather...you definitely provided the classy look that I was seeking.

With regard to the belt, I was a little off on my measurements (strictly my fault) so I am using the smallest hole setting and have a large "tail" but the range card holster clips over the "tail" nicely, keeping everything in place, so I think it will be fine for now. If the leather stretches, I might order another belt in a smaller size but obviously, I would rather have the belt too big than too small. Again, absolutely LOVE the belt buckle and the medium weight of the belt.

Fallon, I can't emphasize how happy I am with your work and even more impressed that you were able to capture my desire at a distance. It has been a tremendous pleasure to work with you! I am looking forward to teaching in a few weeks and displaying my new items.

Thank you again for everything!

She even ordered another, shorter belt right after sending that. 😁

Giant Order of D&D Awesome

I have a few awesome clients who keep coming back to snag more and more and this guy's one of them.  They moved this summer and had the opportunity to set up a dedicated game room which meant loads of new goodies.  This order started with the map case and coaster set but we added the Ehlonna chain pull while the others were being produced.  It's now hanging off ceiling fan in the finished game room.

5e Spellbook

I can't remember how long this idea's been sitting in my development queue just waiting for everything to come together for it to become a physical thing.  I had to figure out bookbinding, formatting, what sort of information was useful, etc.  I didn't want to just copy paste the SRD into yet another product but it isn't easy to improve on Wizards of the Coast's own products.  This was a prototype but it was building on a dozen other projects. 

And after all that I playtested it on my druid for about a month before calling it good.  The appliques are still solid and what minor looseness there is in the binding comes down to it being a prototype.  It's a solid build and I'm proud to finally add it to the shop!

Dice Cup, Keymaster

This was part of an order for multiple dice cups and the client was looking to mimic another cover of an early edition DMG.  It's the one with the creepy guy holding open the grand doors with all these demons and a volcano-y thing behind him.  It wasn't the easiest image to convert into a carving but I'm fairly happy with the result.  It's hard to see in the pictures but there's a nice gradient over the keymaster's head that kind of mimics the volcano-y bit.

I have a few tweaks in mind I could do regarding the shading and coloring and I'm hoping to get another chance at the design.  So of course there's a listing for it on the shop. =)

Straps, Double Trouble

Two totally separate clients from two separate countries contacted me around the same time to commission essentially the same thing: double 1" black straps at a custom length.  The orders themselves might not be that interesting but the symmetry was amusing.  I had to be really careful not to mix them up and I'm pretty sure the right straps got to the right client.  I hope...