Hi, I'm Stuart. I'm new to leather but I've been working with my hands, crafting goods for some time now. Usually it's been carpentry on a much larger scale, but life's taken an interesting turn and I'm not able to continue down that road any longer. I've been getting excited about learning the art of leathercraft, even more so after stumbling upon some of Philip's students and seeing photos of their work. When a few people with fantastic results all point the same direction it didn't take much convincing for me to sign up. It was more a matter of juggling the checkbook to figure out how to cover some basic tools and the course while I kept the lights on after being off work on disability for six months so far. I've jumped in with both feet. The first round of tools should be here by the end of the week, and the notepad's already filling up with things to keep in mind. Not sure if it'll be a blessing or a curse, but Tandy's just up the road. Once all the goodies are here and my work space is set up I'm planning to head there to get a feel for the place, grab some remnants and thread and start practicing pricking iron, awl and stitching work ... a lot. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's progress, and picking your brains.