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During 2018 I found myself in a desperate search for a new hobby, my main one being a singer/songwriter. I dabbled in mask sculpting, charcoal drawings and anything else that caught my eye, but the one that stuck was leathercraft. I bought a cheap set of beginners tools and started off mainly making coasters and wristbands for family and friends as birthday presents.

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As a massive Country and Western fan I noticed that all the great performers had one thing in common, a kick ass personalised leather guitar strap. After being unhappy with my guitar straps of the past, I decided to have a shot at making one for myself. I spent days researching all the materials I would need, the techniques I would need to learn, and the different styles that I had to choose from. I learnt, and continue to learn from watching hours upon hours of YouTube videos and tutorials, every one offering something different and unique.

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I started making the strap and realised how daunting it was, even one mistake could render the item useless. However I took my time and powered through, until I had an item I was extremely pleased with. After showing it to my friends and fellow musicians they too were surprised with what I had created after not much practise. However that's when I first realised, no matter what I make, there will always be room for improvement. There's always one way you can better yourself or something you create, we can't dwell on our mistakes and short sightings. This is what has driven me since then and will continue to drive me in the future.

 

G. Wilde

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