| Leather craft is a fascinating hobby and many artists | | | | How To... |
| have taken this way beyond carving initials or | | | | This type of leather work involves getting the leather |
| embossing a logo. Leather craft requires special tools | | | | wet so the design of the embossing will dry stiff and |
| and specific types of leather | | | | stand out more. If you do not have a special |
| Embossing / Stamping / Tooling | | | | embossing wheel, you can use stencils like you would |
| An excellent place to shop, learn about leather craft | | | | have used in elementary school to trace your initials. |
| embossing, and gain knowledge on all types of leather | | | | Most hobby stores have a huge selection of stencils |
| craft information is at you'll find tools, hardware, leather, | | | | to choose from, giving you a good variety. Then, using |
| kits, and patterns there. | | | | a hammer made specially for embossing, you would |
| Embossing is art of creating a three-dimensional image | | | | tap out the design in the stencil, producing the |
| onto leather. The only type of leather you want to try | | | | embossed design on the other side of the hide. |
| this on is vegetable tanned leather, which may be | | | | To give you an idea of what leather craft embossing |
| described as "tooling leather". With leather craft | | | | looks like, if you have ever seen a notary public stamp |
| embossing, you do not need extensive training since all | | | | on an important document such as a marriage license |
| that is required are some special tools, embossing | | | | or birth certificate, that raised design is embossed. |
| plates or wheels, and some basic leather craft | | | | Keep in mind that the quality of the embossing is |
| knowledge, which can be learned in a class or even on | | | | dependent on the skill of the person swinging that |
| the Internet. | | | | hammer. The more detailing you see in a piece of |
| With embossing, pressure is created from underneath | | | | embossed leather, the more time and effort it took to |
| the leather item or from on top. For de-bossing, this is | | | | achieve it. |
| when the design is backwards, created from the top | | | | Blind-Stamping |
| side of the leather, which would produce a sunken look | | | | This type of stamping is a reference to embossing |
| on the other side. | | | | surfaces that are not colored. On occasion, |
| The great thing about embossing is that you do not | | | | pigmentation may be added or gold leafing added to |
| need extensive training or expensive tools to create a | | | | enhance the leather craft work. |
| remarkable leather craft piece. The most popular | | | | Stamping |
| method of embossing involves buying an embossing | | | | With stamping, a special press is used that looks like a |
| wheel. These wheels do range in size but the one | | | | rubber stamp to create the design. Additionally with |
| used most often is one-inch wide made of metal. On | | | | leather craft stamping, the design is often not |
| the metal wheel are various types of designs that | | | | three-dimensional but contrasting colors. The results |
| protrude, which is what will set the image into the | | | | are very nice but do not have the raised effect you |
| leather. | | | | get with embossed leather. |
| You can find embossing wheels with every type of | | | | Tooling |
| design imaginable. There are flowers, animals, scrolling, | | | | Tooling is an art form that takes time to learn. This |
| geometric designs, and so on. These embossing | | | | type of leather craft involves hand tools like a chisel |
| wheels are very inexpensive and easy to find at any | | | | and hammer to create intricate designs. Look up our |
| craft, hobby, or leather store. Just keep in mind that if | | | | article on "Classes" through the link below for more |
| you plan to emboss leather on a regular basis, it would | | | | information on where to find quality training for this |
| be best to buy the better quality wheel. | | | | amazing style of leather craft. |