Photo heavy, because I sure do love the materials that make things. The leather, the hardware (hello snaps, hooks and tubular rivets) and then, of course, the tools; awls, punches, blades, nippers and hafts…

Suffice to say, a personal fetish of mine… Before Christmas, Olympus put on a little camera strap workshop for the Pen E-PL7 run by shoe and accessories designer Elizabeth Dunn. We got to choose our materials and decide on design and then were patiently shown how to make our straps. I used to be more of a DIY whizz, but these days seem to have lost the skilzz. Definitely struggled slicing a skinny leather strip in a straight line with a super sharp blade…! Although I did like banging in the rivets, I won’t lie. 

Elizabeth is a saint and excellent teacher as we all thumb-fistedly tried our hand at cutting leather in straight lines, glueing neatly, punching holes and hammering in rivets – not the easiest thing to do accurately!  We also customised our straps by stamping in our names. I find names a bit boring and next personalisation plan to go for something like moon child, mermaid, maneater or maniac. Despite concentrating hard on making my strap, I managed to get a few (hundred) shots in…

Laura from Fab Tips looking super cute hard at work

Kristabel from I Want You To Know getting handy

My new handmade strap!