Here is a site you can get on to see the 2007 TCAA catalog.
www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/tcaa/index.htm

Thanks Stewert.......In My Dreams

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The winds of heaven blow between a horse's ears
Black Mountain Bits and Spurs & Big Game Hounds

I smell hair burning, I think my brain is shorting out. I can't even understand that stuff it is so great. To dream up things like that is amazing, but then to have the ability tobuild them is mind boggling. Last year my boss went to an induction at the hall of fame, and told me I needed to submit some work to the tcaa. He must be crazy. My junk shouldn't even be in the same state....
Jim

Steve,

I agree, these are the things dreams are made of!..... With each days work, every tap of the hammer, every stroke of the file, I hope to take one step closer to being able to produce such outstanding work.

Really gives a guy something to look forward to!.... May take many years, but I feel it's definitly time well spent!... or should I say invested?

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Billy & Amber Dodson.
BAD Western Wurks.
Geronimo,Tx.

I agree Billy.... i just hope i have that much talent

_________________
The winds of heaven blow between a horse's ears
Black Mountain Bits and Spurs & Big Game Hounds

What you don't realize is practice gets you farther than talent.

I think I could practice till the cow fly to Mars and never get 1/2 way to that level.

While I agree, practice will make you better, practice does'nt make perfect! It still takes a eye for design, and skillfull hands to carry it out. Maybe I'll have it, maybe not!.... Time will tell.... and oh what a beutiful ride!.........

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Billy & Amber Dodson.
BAD Western Wurks.
Geronimo,Tx.

No doubt those items are nice. But remember, they spent alot of time making them. I'll bet you guys could build the same given the tools and the time.

I don't think so.

Spend a minute before you answer this question. Tell me your reason or reasons that given the tools and TIME, why could you not accomplish these fine products? I would like everyone's reply please.

I dont have the know how or the experince to do that kind of work at this point.....do i have the talent? I dont know,I do know i will keep working to get better and trying to learn.I may be to old to ever reach this leavel of craftsmanship but ill keep plugin away!!

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The winds of heaven blow between a horse's ears
Black Mountain Bits and Spurs & Big Game Hounds

I just went back and looked at the TCA stuff again. In regards to the Chuck Storms travel bag. My friend Charlie Barnett makes those for him. Now maybe Chuck made the one submitted to the TCA himself I don't know or care. I am assuming he made it himself. I would hope that if Charlie made that one that he would get the recognition. Nothing torques me more that when someone submits a product for recognition and they do not give credit where credit is due. Remember I am not saying that Stormes did not make this bag himself! I just know that Charlie has also made those bags for Storm. One more rant. If you are in this business for recognition, you are in it for the wrong reason. You will find that there will never be enough recognition to satisfy you. I know some of those guys in the TCA and those products that they submitted all took a lot of time to produce. If they had to kick out a nice simple product in an extreme rush, they could not get it done. Time and tools allows then to put their talents to work. I want some feedback to this rant. Lets get real! You can't offend me.

I'll give you that. With the tools, and probably more importantly, the education, I might be able after some time be able to approach that level. The thing that impresses me almost more than the actual fabrication is the imagination required to come up with the designs in the first place. They are thinking up things that have never been done before. Or at the very least applying methods from other disiplines never used in the cowboy world before. I'm just a huge fan.
Jim

I can say that with out the recognition and effort as a group,I don't think we could have done what we have for the different trades.I am only one of many in the group and while my contribution is small,I believe in what we're doing -creating a vein of reccognition for the trades so that others will be able to continue making their products and adding art to them while getting paid for thior efforts!
Lately I've seen a ressurgance of craftmanship and art across many fields,I only hope that we have had a little to with that.

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I'm only as good as you think I am.