ABOUT
My introduction to leather craft started as a gift gone wrong. My decision to create this missing online gift sparked my appreciation and love for leather work. Leather craft became a hobby, which is now passion.
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Leather holds a nostalgic quality that is no longer found in today's disposable society. The items I strive to produce are ones that will be cherished, handed down and last a lifetime.
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The price of craft made items vs store bought items
Craftsman products are an investment.
High up front cost, yet pay for themselves over time.
Craftsman hold pride in quality, durability and individual customer satisfaction.
We as craftsman don't have large factories or underpaid staff.
We don't cut corners in manufacturing processes or use products from disreputable sources.
Each item that passes through my hands holds a personal value, and is a representation of myself.
Items with a long potential lifespan alone demands a price higher than a disposable one time use product.
Made in the USA
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Personal background:
Studied in classic 2D and 3D animation and graphic design at the Art Institute of Houston.
Gaining knowledge in multiple digital art programs, logo design, photography, typography, audio engineering, color theory, anatomy, art history, ethics and pricing, web design, character design, story boarding, freelancing and more.
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I started my first job at Domino's pizza as part time delivery driver while attending the Art Institute. After college I was promoted to assistant manager followed by general manager.
Here I learned customer service, point of sales systems, staff management, scheduling, marketing, food handling and storage, inventory control, maintenance and sanitation standards.
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Years later I left the small town life and moved to Houston, TX. Where I was hired for quality assurance at the University of Houston's Division of Research department.
The University of Houston is held as a tier 1 school for their advances in research. The department director Dr. Brammer is world renown for implementing leading edge vivarium management strategies.
Introducing me to Lean Six Sigma concepts and other standardizing ideals while honing my abilities of attention to detail.
*Lean Six Sigma is a method that relies on a collaborative team effort to improve performance by systematically removing waste and reducing variation. It combines lean manufacturing/lean enterprise and Six Sigma to eliminate the eight kinds of waste.
Six Sigma techniques are applied in aerospace, telecom, banking and financial services, IT, HR, marketing, and many more industries. Individuals having six sigma certification are knowledgeable in dozens of different methods that can be applied to streamline business processes, improve employee acceptance, reduce costs, and increase revenue—all of which lead to a better bottom line, no matter the industry.
The university allowed personal freedom to use and develop problem solving skills: to search, eliminate, and correct wastes throughout current work processes. The first work procedure I changed was in the cage wash area. The solution changed the washing process and eliminated the need for 2 bulk storage units. The previous SOP's required washing these at least 4x a day. By lowering the number of wash cycles needed per day by 4, at a wash cycle of 20min. resulting in 2 of the 4 employees in limbo with no product during those 4 cycles. Not only eliminating the labor waste, square footage of storage units and the amount of wash time but also more efficient for both processes during breakdown on the dirty side and production on the clean side. Requiring a lower numbers of physical repetitive motions with a more effective cleaning for the end product. If that's not enough the additional savings to this method was in water, energy and chemical usage as well.
All published in the Lab Animal magazine.
There has been many improvements I contributed to through out the years for my department, this being a major one, still in place for 10 years.
I have assisted in multiple scientific papers, posters, and even co-authored a students paper.
I found joy in creating excel spreadsheets, data collection/analysis, creating/updating standard operation procedures.
After hours I volunteered to PHD students with lab studies, emotional support and friendships. Here I quenched my hunger for continuous learning in science. Assisting in labeling, collecting, and analyzing samples. methodology, LCMS (mass spectrometry), creating cultures, reconstitution, inoculations, imaging, histology, practicing dissertation presentations, bleeds, and injections.
Most rewarding achievements at the university is my gratitude working with the students and the freedom to search continuous improvements in different work environments.
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In 2021 after (15) years of persistent dedication in chasing my high school crush we finally married in the midst of covid-19. During the housing boom we were lucky to buy a comfortable home located in Cypress, TX.
Now a proud new father, I wish to share my knowledge and time with him.
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I am delighted to share my gifts with you. I hope you enjoy and respect them as I do!