I started working with leather when I was in elementary and middle school with my grandmother. She taught me and other kids in the 4H program leatherworking skills. Growing up, my family always had leather belts, key chains, and wallets made by my grandmother and by us kids. She has since passed away several decades ago now, and then life happens, I was busy with school, work, and then family. The
n just a few years ago I ended with all of her tooling and supplies. Which I needed at that time, to make a custom dog collar (For my Catahoula Leopard dog, that no one online would make) and I needed to shorten some leather dog leashes. I just kept creating, designing, and learning leatherwork again. I enjoy the craftsmanship of leather and to find new ways to use leather to make items that solve a problem. Over the years I keep finding myself annoyed with low quality leather goods and products that are not even "really" leather, but they are much "more" affordable. In the end they didn't last. Which is why I enjoy to make leather goods that will last. FYI, the name Houla is short for Catahoula, which is the dog that made me "restart" my leather working.
