Are you currently taking pre-orders or customs?
1
We are absolutely accepting custom orders, we love working with you guys! 🙂 Get in touch with your ideas and we'll see what's possible!
Do you sell in person?
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Nope. I’m a shy hermit and I like to hide in my comfy studio. Meeting in person would be awkward for both of us. 🙈🐢
Do you make the pieces on your site yourself?
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Yes! I make all the leatherwork you see here in our little little blue house in the heart of WIsconsin. Our living room is my studio and my hands draw, cut, tool, stain, paint, sew, condition, pack, photograph and ship everything we offer.
How do I care for my Mesa Dreams leather?
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All leather is a natural skin, it retains moisture, gets dry and can warp and crack without proper care.. Just like us ;)
For our tooled and painted vegetable tan pieces we use only the best eco & health conscious finishing products - eco-flo environmentally safe stains and varnishes. These varnishes are water-resistant but by no means waterproof.
For any of our pieces, remove before bathing, swimming, showering or hand washing. if your piece does happen to get a splash on it, blot it dry with a soft absorbent cloth immediately in order to lessen any adverse affects, then condition.
On all pieces, I add a conditioning creme to keep it supple and flexible. This is a wax based polish that really helps protect the piece from the elements.
You will want to condition your pieces over time as the coats I've applied wear away. You can use conditioning cremes like Fiebing's Aussie Leather Conditioner to keep your pieces supple and to rejuvenate them... This cream is a combination of natural and synthetic wax emulsions (with bees wax) and does an amazing job!
Please make sure to inspect the leather, clips rings and buckles on your camera straps and belts for signs of wear and tear with use and age.
Do you accept Exchanges or Returns?
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All sales are final; we do not accept returns or exchanges, except in some instances we've outlined below:
If your product is not the item that you ordered - if we goofed - we will replace it immediately! Just let us know as soon as you notice the error. (Errors include spellings that differ from what you wrote, the wrong color or a size that is different from what you requested) If the item cannot be replaced for any reason we will offer you a credit in the shop or a refund.
If you ordered a custom item and measured incorrectly and it just doesn't fit, we are sorry but no refunds or exchanges are possible. Please make sure to measure twice, we will as well! :)
*** Items can not be returned because of water damage or mishandling. Please read our Leather FAQ and CARE info on this page. Leather needs to be treated with care - it will cut, rip, fray or warp with rough handling.
We have a 60 day window from the ship date for any issues that might arise with your order. If you have a question about the status of your package in shipping - please bring your tracking number (if available) to your local post office for assistance. We cannot replace lost or stolen packages.
Do you ship internationally?
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Yes! All customs charges/costs for buyers outside of the USA will be solely the responsibility of the buyer.
**I will provide an accurate description and value on the customs form. Please do not ask us to misrepresent the cost of your goods on customs forms to avoid fees, this is illegal and we will only list the true and accurate amounts, not including shipping.
If you are having us ship to a PO Box outside of the United States, please include your phone number in the checkout notes, as we have to include it on the postage label.
Unfortunately, we are currently unable to ship to the European Union.
Do you offer vegan alternatives?
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Unfortunately, no. For the specific techniques I use—such as tooling, stamping, staining and painting - traditional vegetable-tanned leather is currently the only material that works.
Most 'vegan leathers' are essentially high-grade plastics (polyurethane or PVC) or delicate plant fibers bonded with resins. Because they lack the dense protein fibers of real leather, they cannot 'case' (absorb water) or hold a permanent impression from a stamp. Instead of tooling the material, a stamp would either bounce off or melt the surface.
While synthetic options are available, they often crack and peel within a few years because they are petroleum-based. A well-made, hand-tooled leather strap is a 'buy it for life' item that eventually biodegrades, whereas synthetic alternatives stay in the environment for centuries.
The leather industry is actually a by-product of the food industry. Unlike the fur industry, cows are not raised for their hides. If artisans didn't transform these hides into long-lasting goods, they would unfortunately become massive amounts of landfill waste.
Why was my order cancelled?
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We reserve the right to refuse and cancel a sale. This is not something we would do lightly, but there are situations where we simply cannot complete a sale due to a conflict with our values as artists, e.g., a request to copy someone else's work, and we will always let you know why. We will of course refund you in full in that situation. Thank you for your understanding.