Gardenour Leather
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| Alligator Bag |
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While searching for items with the word "gingko" to make a treasury on Etsy a few weeks ago, I came across this month's featured artisans - Bill and Carol Gardenour from Gardenour Leather. I know, "gingko" and "leather" hardly seem to go together, but this husband and wife team pair these words excellently, as shown below.
Their Etsy shop is a new venture for Bill and Carol, although they have been working with leather for 40 years. Come along and take a look at some of their beautiful work, and learn more about their craft journey in the following paragraphs.
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| Leather Card Case with Leaf Pattern |
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| Small Leather Handbag with Leaf Design |
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| Leather Coin Wallet with Leaf Design |
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| Bill and Carol Gardenour at a Show |
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How Do They Do That?
"How do they get that leaf pattern into the leather?" you might ask...the leaves are pressed into the leather after we moisten it slightly with water. Once it has dried, we apply the leather dye and follow that with two coats of clear lacquer to seal and water proof the surface. In the card case above, they used oak, fern, orchid tree, and ginkgo leaves.Ostrich?Yes, some of their favorite leathers to work with are Ostrich, Shark, Stingray, and Alligator. Their focus now is on the design of unique and sometimes unusual leather handbags and briefcases.
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| Ostrich Leather Bag |
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| Bright Red Lizard Grain Notebook Cover |
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| Credit Card Coin Purse and ID Wallet |
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How They Got Started
Bill and Carol were formally trained at Michigan State University, majoring in the Arts. In 1969, they were introduced to leather by another couple who were designing and making custom leather sandals. They opened a small shop in 1970 specializing in one-of-a-kind custom leather sandals, leather jackets, pants, and skirts, belts, barrettes, and even jewelry. Later they decided to try Art and Craft Shows which gave them the opportunity to travel and interact with other craftsmen and artists. For the past 34 years, they have been selling at arts and craft shows throughout Michigan and Florida. If you would like to check out their craft show schedule, click here.
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To see more, or make a purchase, visit Gardenour Leather
They are happy to make custom orders too
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