Intro

A well-made leather eye patch should look intentional, comfortable, and refined — not like a costume piece. It’s a small project that combines precision cutting, edge finishing, strap construction, and decorative structural stitching.

In this tutorial, I walk through how to build a professional-quality leather eye patch using clean edgework, a miter joint strap, and a traditional flat ladder stitch braid. These are real techniques I use in custom leather commissions — scaled down into a project that’s both practical and skill-building.

Whether you're building...

The Origin of My Leather Dragon Scale Technique

By Lisa Maria Cantalupo — Where Leather Meets Lineage

Some techniques are not born overnight.
They’re forged — through trust, experimentation, and the responsibility that comes with a client who expects excellence.

The leather dragon scale technique I teach today began not as a tutorial idea, but as a commissioned solution for a client who wanted something that didn’t yet exist.

How It All Started

In early...

WHAT IS IN THE SPRAY BOTTLE?

I get asked this question more than any other: "What is actually in that spray bottle?"

For over 20 years, this "secret sauce" has been the backbone of my studio work. It is the exact solution I rely on to wet-mold leather, stiffen delicate flower petals, and give my dragon scales their signature hardened shape.

Depending on the project, I’ll sometimes add a small extra ingredient as...

Hello Leather Art Lovers!

It is that time of the year again and boy, it got here fast!

No matter the season upon us, I am committed to creating your leather art pieces and shipping them off to their intended destination in a timely manner. To ensure their arrival for Christmas, please take a look at the schedule below before placing your order. Thank you!

Should you have any concern about receiving your order in time, please upgrade your choice of shipping method. This can be done during the checkout process....

Reflections on Growth, Grace, and the Unexpected Ways Art Becomes a Lifeline.

After sharing my last reflection on staying strong through life’s storms, [Part I: “Where Strength Is Forged in the Fire”], a young woman I once mentored reached out with a message that moved me to tears. Her words reminded me that the lessons we learn in struggle don’t stop with us — they ripple outward, shaping others in ways we might never see. This follow-up is a story about that ripple — about growth, grace, and...