Edges

I got sent this picture a few days ago (though the sender said it was not his). It's a bracelet, worn for around half a year. I loved seeing this picture because of the edges. I normally leave the edges of my bracelets unwaxed, so that whomever buys one can choose how they'd like to take care of it. You can use oil, wax, even water to slick edges- or you can simply leave them be, and they'll age and slowly smooth out. I'm not sure how this bracelet was cared for, but I love it. 

Three Years Later

September 27th kind of feels like a second birthday these days. Three years ago today, I was a Junior in college living in a 9ft x 9ft bedroom of a tiny 2 bedroom apartment in Boston. Sick with a cold, I spent my grocery money on a piece of leather and an awl and skipped Thursday and Friday class to watch Law and Order reruns and make a wallet for myself (in a very unorganized fashion, as you can see in the picture above from the actual day). I can't say this is when Corter Leather formally started, but for those who have been following along the whole time on forums, it is when "Corter's Leather" started. 

Today Corter wanders into it's 4th year with an amazing amount of support. An interview on one of my favorite blogs (might as well call them a magazine, with all of the interviews and fresh new material) Free/Man and a wonderful mention in Valet Magazine have filled my inbox with kind words, orders, and people looking to learn the craft. The release of the Standard Bifold Wallet in the shop introduces the beginning of my own, Corter-designed line of basics that will become the backbone of the Corter lineup. And on top of everything, our first retail account will soon be announced. 

I can't thank everyone enough, as usual. I've got a ton of awesome, unique jobs lined up, and remember to get your holiday orders in as soon as possible! The que is filling up quick, and there are only a few spots left to be able to guarantee Holiday delivery. 

Sample Sale

Doing some prototyping for Spring, and cleaning out some samples. There are two in the shop now, with more to come in the next few weeks. Each will be $82 plus shipping. 

Packaging

Regardless of how much I use my design degree in everyday life, I love designing and printing our packaging. I'm not high tech at all, so I just use a Gocco and a pen. First I draw with a carbon pen. I decided on a whale tale with an anchor in the middle, but didn't worry too much about it being perfect. 

Then I burn a screen, ink it up with my first color, and print. 

Then I clean the screen, reink, and add the second color. I don't really align anything, but use blue so it'll be nice looking regardless. Some line up, some don't, but I like how every one of em came out. 

Holiday Ordering Info

This year I'm trying to make sure everyone gets what they need in time for the Holidays in a better way. To do this, I'm going to be accepting custom orders until November 12, 2010, to make sure I get them all made and shipped. Custom ordering will resume on January 4th, 2011. The store will stay open, but I'm expecting lead time for belts to be around 3 weeks (we get super busy this time of year). If you're ordering from anywhere other than the US, please try and get your orders in as early as possible to guarantee you receive your items. 

Above- Brewster Ring Wallet, 6 Months.