Hand Tooled Leather

This beautiful hand tooled leather tissue box cover was my housewarming gift from Don and Mary.  Don used to make his living making horse saddles that were works of art, all hand tooled by him.  Now that he's retired he still likes to play around with his excellent craft and he's made a few of these for his family and friends.  

Don and Mary moved to the country a few years ago and he was very lucky to have a huge building on the property he could use to hold all his leather tooling tools and machines.  He keeps that workshop as neat and tidy as Mary keeps the house so it must be a huge pleasure for him to work out there.

I'll bet Don doesn't consider himself an artist but he truly is one.  Something I've become aware of is that there are so many people who are artists in their own craft.  There are weavers, potters, quilters, painters, gardeners, builders, etc., abounding in our world.  Many people have the urge to create, thank heavens, and they far outnumber the people whose urges are aimed at destruction.

I'll always treasure this tissue box cover and admire the artistry that went into creating it.  Thank you so much, Don and Mary!