Once the first half of the mold cured, next came doing the other half. I took out the clay and poured the silicone.

I finished the basic shape of the western tree—which meant sanding! No part of the tree will show when used with a saddle, but it’s better to start with a good base.

My sister was scrolling through Facebook marketplace and sent me an ad for a Canon AE-1 Program camera. It was a great price and seemed taken care of. I hopped on it since I watch a bunch of photography and film TikToks and it’s a popular camera for people who want to get into film photography.