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Submitted: January 19
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Make:Canon
Model:Canon PowerShot SD780 IS
Shutter Speed:1/3 second
Aperture:F/3.2
Focal Length:6 mm
ISO Speed:320
Date Taken:Jan 19, 2013, 5:41:07 PM
Software:Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 Macintosh
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The Misadventures of BlackJackby ~BlackBackedJackal

Artisan Crafts / Leatherwork / Taxidermy

_{So this is what I've been doing instead of my homework. Bonding with my jackal, who I think is female now that I've spent some time with her.

BlackJack has been vying for my attention for a while. I received her in December and did a little bit of reshaping to help out with her ear situation. They were stuffed inside the head when I first got her.

When I tested her leather she seemed to be fine, but once I soaked her, the more prominent her weak spots became. One major problem in particular was her right ear. The leather became almost like wet paper and ripped extremely easily. I eventually stopped working on her for fear of messing her up any more than I already had. I hung her on the wall to dry, and she's been there until I took catalogue pictures of her about a week or so ago.

Today, I woke up to her lying on the floor (my hook system is not the best so sometimes the tape can't hold up the pelts). She seemed sad so I picked her up, looked at her face, and decided to try again.

I soaked her in warm water to continue cleaning out her ears (one was FILLED with sawdust while the other was filled with Africa Dirt). Parts of her leather came loose and floated off her, and her earhole grew even larger. I panicked for a moment, freaking out about what I had done to my poor BlackJack. I rushed to grab my sewing kit, and, for the first time, I sewed up animal leather in an attempt to salvage her ear.

It ended up being a very calming expereince. I love sewing, but I was always afraid of damaging the pelt or doing a crappy job. It was kinda funny, but the more I sewed her up, the more I could feel her telling to me that it was ok and I didn't need to be such a spazz. She didn't mind that I had put a hole in her and trusted me to patch her up like new. I felt her trust in me, and began trusting myself.

So now her ear's all sewn up. I put some cardboard in to reshape her ears better and filled her head with some towels to make the dry product look more natural. She still needs some degreasing ad brushing, but I'm now much more confidant than I was before about taking care of my babies !}

~InkAndbones Jan 20, 2013 Hobbyist Artisan Crafter

What a beauty!
Oh my..the title of this >.<
I love it XD

~BlackBackedJackal Jan 26, 2013

Thank you XD!!

=MattsyKun Jan 20, 2013 Hobbyist Digital Artist

LOL Africa Dirt. I dunno why, but that made me giggle.

Glad everything turned out okay!

~BlackBackedJackal Jan 20, 2013

Lol yeah, when I was cleaning her I had a good laugh about it XD! idk why, I guess I though it was funny she was just filled with dirt from the motherland XD.

Thank you

=MattsyKun Jan 20, 2013 Hobbyist Digital Artist

Now I want to rehydrate my coyote's face, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow X3

=BaileeDanielle Jan 19, 2013 Student Photographer

^{Awww, lovely Blackjack <3 I have yet to meet her, don't I? Glad to know she trusts you <3
Also, the name of the deviation totally made me think of "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack," ehehehe.}

~BlackBackedJackal Jan 20, 2013

I don't think you have, but you'll be able to one she's dry

! She's really mellow :3!
You win a cookie

because you saw what I did there X3!

=BaileeDanielle Jan 21, 2013 Student Photographer

^{<333 She's such a sweetie!

AND YISSSS COOKIE <3}

~AtypicalAnimal Jan 19, 2013 Hobbyist Artisan Crafter

I hear mixing non-iodized salt into the water soak will help to prevent breakdown in unpredictable pelts like that. It's good to hear that you had such an opening experience with your pelt

~BlackBackedJackal Jan 19, 2013

Oh yes, I made sure to use salt water on her since she's older XD! I didn't want to take too big of a risk, but I'm glad everything worked out all the same. These are the experiences that I love when it comes to collecting. Cleaning them, sewing them up, and taking care of them just makes the whole experience more worth while

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