Leather Love

From Raw Copper Wire to Wearable Art: Inside My Spiral Earring Making Process

From Raw Copper Wire to Wearable Art: Inside My Spiral Earring Making Process

From Raw Copper Wire to Wearable Art: Inside My Spiral Earring Process

Every finished piece of jewelry begins somewhere.

For my Arial Spiral Tassel Earrings, that beginning is a length of raw copper wire.

What looks effortless when worn takes intention, heat, pressure, patience, and a practiced hand.

Here’s what that process looks like inside my studio.

raw copper wire coiled in artist's hand

Forming the Spiral


How to Make a Leather Eye Patch (With Ladder Stitch Strap & Miter Joint Construction)

How to Make a Leather Eye Patch (With Ladder Stitch Strap & Miter Joint Construction)

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

The Origin of My Leather Dragon Scale Technique

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...


The Secret Sauce - How I Stiffen Leather

The Secret Sauce - How I Stiffen Leather

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 well.


2025 HOLIDAY SHIPPING & ORDERING DATES

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....