We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Beth Derrick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Beth below.

Beth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

We can debate for hours about what makes the world go round: love, money, time, passion … and at the human level, there is a valid argument for the necessity of monetary exchange. Money enables us to travel to different places, to experience events and feelings in life we yearn for. It enables freedom, comfort, the power of choice. Having a certain amount can reduce stress, and in many parts of society, having more money means having a better state of health.

In the creative business realm, money is often the resource that can come and go just as freely as the wind blows. Raw materials cost money, and in leather working, is the most expensive component. Tools are another costly component, as well as art festivals and events. When analyzing the tools I’ve bought over the years, and the events I’ve paid $100-200 for and sold much less than that, it’s easy to see where the best investments happen, and the worst investments happen. I’ve bought cheap tools, and expensive tools, and immediately knew the opposite choice would’ve been far more useful and valuable.

It’s difficult to know before an event if it’ll be great, or not. The weather, their marketing strategy and frequency, other competing events, the convenience of the venue and parking, amongst other factors can make or break an event. Some research will yield insights that could be helpful in the choosing of a good event, but research doesn’t take us as far as real life experiences do. With buying the right tools, sometimes the more expensive option is the right choice for longevity, quality and durability, while other times, a less expensive option might do well enough. It’s very personal and circumstantial.

Some specific tools I bought multiples of before buying a higher end version of are hammers, knives and needles. I’ve broken about five hammers throughout the last few years, because such force is needed and some hammers simply aren’t up to the challenge for the long haul. Knives that can be sharpened and resharpened, that feel good in the hand, and are easy to control are a very personal choice for each maker. Some use only craft knives and replace the blades frequently, others use head knives and keep the same one sharp for decades throughout their crafting careers.

For me, being more selective and focused on the events I participate in, and the tools I purchase, make all the difference in my productivity, time well spent and overall happiness in this business of Leathersmithing.

Beth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In short, I make leather stuff that holds stuff. I make bags, wallets, keychains, bracelets, tech sleeves, journal and book covers, paperweights, and have a list of 100+ items I’d like to design and make. The ideas are endless, and the time of creating and making always feels too short.

Each item is unique, and more than half are intuitively made. I design some on paper, from a rough sketch to writing out a cut list, similar to my cousin that makes a cut list for her woodworking, but most items are intuitively made. I see a piece of leather and let it determine where to go. I make as few cuts as possible, and use all of the pieces possible to minimize waste. I continually am exploring ways in which to reduce the waste altogether, and I’m nearly to a new idea of items: leather stuffed balls. Once I work out how to make a round ball from a few cuts, I will definitely be putting the buckets of idle scraps to use!

I grew up with generations of family, up to my great-grandparents. They used everything available, made repairs to items when they broke, built their own houses and furniture, and grew their own food. While I’m not near as resourceful and handy as they were, some characteristics were passed down from our years together. I also grew up riding horses, 4-wheelers, playing in the mud, building forts with my cousins and always having something to do outside. As an adult, living in the suburbs, life isn’t quite that exciting and fulfilling in those ways, so my creative outlet is leather working. Making items from a raw material into items that are long-lasting, useful and made with basic hand tools is deeply fulfilling to my soul.

In my craft, I aim to use every single square inch of each hide I purchase. Most cuts start with making larger items like bags and large folios, tech sleeves and desk pads, then the smaller pieces get made into wallets, key fobs, journal covers, bracelets, miniature items and the like. The absolute smallest pieces are less than 1cm in size, and get saved to be the stuffing blended with Daisy BBs to be the innards of paperweights. Occasionally, I’ll sell off scraps by the bag or box, but mostly, I use everything to its fullest extent. Reducing waste is how leather got its start as a raw material, and I continue that characteristic through my craft as well.

Sully + Proper Handmade Leather Supply is my passion project, and my creative outlet. Sully is our 12 year old Labradoodle, and a very very good dog. He’s not very proper, but my late dog, Zephyr was very proper. Sully + Proper is a nice balance and juxtaposition of what a great life is: blends of messy and tidy, creative and structured, light and dark.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

This answer comes so easily, and is multi-faceted. The most rewarding aspect of being a leathersmith comes when someone comes into my booth and their face lights up. The scent, the hundreds of items before their eyes, and the simplicity yet dedicated work of the craft is a frequent topic of admiration and conversation. No matter the demographic of an event I have a table or booth at, people from all walks of life have fond memories and deep appreciation for handmade leather goods. To share that bond, especially when the top-down message is to be divided over every single aspect of life, is immeasurably special.

And that’s what we’re all here for isn’t it? To connect with one another, to share a common interest or passion, and to unite over something simple. Whether people choose to buy something from my collection or not is secondary, because the primary goal and reward to me is to connect with others.

Young boys walk up and see knife sheaths with a pocket knife inside, and purchase it with their own money. College students with very niche hobbies find the perfect pouch to hold their game pieces.
Artists that have special requirements for their drawing pads get elated when they learn I’d delighted to make them custom folios to their specifications.
People that’ve only had wallets made of genuine leather find the perfect one to hold their cards and cash, and come back later to show me how it’s wearing in.

These are just a few experiences of connections with customers through the last few years have shaped me as a maker, and as a person. Handmade leather goods are beneficial to many a folk. The characteristics and inherent quality of an item made with 2-3 materials are:
1. Earth conscious: leather is a by-product of the meat industry, and thus leather does not go to the landfills, it gets made into boots, bags, wallets, journal covers, cigar cases, keychains, pen cases, boxes for a loved one’s ashes, shoes, dog collars, belts, shoe laces, backpacks, clutches, laptop and tablet sleeves, paperweights, desk pads, mouse pads, coasters, plant hangers, tool wraps, pen wraps, furniture, lampshades, and so much more. Leather items last for decades, if not longer. It’s a durable material and often the breaking points of a leather item is hardware and thread, not the leather itself.
2. A responsible purchase. Buying a handmade leather item is a purchase you can make for life, and feel confident about it. I will always repair stitching and recondition leather, no matter how long it’s been from the original purchase. The leather (unless cut, burned or otherwise severely damaged) will last forever. Of course you can buy more, because who only needs one wallet? But if you wanted to buy one for life and know you wouldn’t need another, you definitely can, with confidence.
3. Supporting someone directly in front of you. We all decide where our money is spent, and supporting an artist of any type is always a very good allocation of our monetary decision power. Our son has autism, and is a Boy Scout. The money I earn from selling my handmade leather goods directly supports his scouting camps each year, his allowance and what he earns for doing good work in school. The funds also go to support other small businesses, whether it be makers or service providers in our area. Sully + Proper also supports first responders, teachers and others as the opportunities present themselves. Being a responsible and intentional steward of currency is an important value in life to me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

To connect with people is my main goal in this journey, and sharing a passion of creativity and utility.

Contact Info:

• Website: sullyandproper.supply
• Instagram: instagram.com/sullyandproper.supply
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sullyproperhandmadeleather3943