Learn the Art of Braintanning - A natural & traditional way of preserving animal hides.
FRIDAY JUNE 22 - SUNDAY JUNE 24
THIS IS A THREE DAY WORKSHOP ALL TOOLS & MATERIALS, OPTIONAL ONSITE LODGING AND MEALS INCLUDED.
Harnessing the alchemical process of this foundational skill allows you to create all sorts of things including leather for crafting clothing, bags, rugs, blankets, coats, gloves and shoes to keep you warm and keep you moving and shaking.
Developing a foundational skill such as Braintanning, is a wonderful way to invest in a real tangible currency. We must RE-MEMBER our abilities, what we are capable of, nurture our strength and reclaim our power by building community that values self reliance.
HOW TO REGISTER:
Click the (Register Here) link below. You will be taken to my shop where you will choose which sheepskin/hide you want to tan and take home.
Select & purchase the sheepskin that you want.
Upon purchase I will send you an email with all the workshop details. Please email me if you have any questions, comments or concerns. info@sparklespositron.com
REGISTER HERE <---<<-
Sheepskin Brain Tanned & Smoked
WHAT IS A HIDE?
A Hide is the skin of an animal.
WHAT IS TANNING A HIDE?
Tanning a hide is a process that preserves an animal hide/skin, converting an animal skin from rawhide(most widely used for drum heads, rattles etc.) to leather (used for clothing etc.) There are many ways of Tanning a Hide, some processes require harsh chemicals that are toxic to the environment and compromise the integrity of the hide in the long term. There are other natural ways as well such as bark tanning and vegetable tanning, but we will focus on Braintanning in this workshop. Why do we need to tan a hide? If not properly cured, rawhide will quickly decompose. Once tanned, the hide is water & bug resistant, softer and more durable. Ready for leather and fur crafting.
WHAT IS BRAINTANNING?
Braintanning is a natural process that employs "Animal Brains" rather than other "Harsh Chemicals" to preserve the hide. Every animal has enough brains to tan/preserve its own hide except the buffalo. I will go over the science and chemistry as I've learned and understand during the workshop very fasscinating stuff!
SOURCING THE HIDES:
I sourced these hides through my friend Chris Lamb who raised them on open pasture in grass valley last spring. The lambs were fed a healthy organic diet of fresh pasture greens, the only medicine they received was love!
I am excited to announce the offering of my first workshop! This class has been years in the making and I'm honored to be in a place where I feel I can share my knowledge and experience. I’d like to take a moment to honor the woman who taught me how to properly Braintan and smoke hides. Shele Jesee, thank you for sharing and helping me grow. This practice is sacred to her and for me as well.
In this class we will explore the history and science of Braintanning. I’ll share my resources, experiences and experiments in Hide Tanning (there have been many) and why I have chosen Braintanning as my preferred method. Then we will jump right into the work. We will each start with our own salted hide and with patience, perseverance, muscle, deep breaths, water, fire, air, earth, brains and spirit we will by Sunday night all have snuggly sheepy's we will want to curl up and fall asleep in.
PHOTO RECAP:
