I'm of the mind that the best products are made by folks who got excited about something, and did something about it. That's how this came about.

Here's a video of a finished cover: http://youtu.be/sBZMZ4SHPJA
And photos of how it was made: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwpY4XB

*MADE-TO-ORDER*
Each of my iPad covers is 100% hand-made by yours truly. I carved the embossing plate by hand, I pressed the leather with my own delightfully rustic method, and I hand-assembled and stress-tested the finished product. Since they are hand-made with leather from my local fabric store, each cover is unique. Each has its own little imperfections. I figure, if you're on Etsy, you probably appreciate these little idiosyncrasies, but I need to be up-front about it: as perfect as I try to make each cover, it's partly their imperfection that makes them so awesome.

This color cover will be made-to-order. The materials are ready, and I will assemble the cover when you order it. That means shipping happens as quickly as I can manage. Generally within a couple days.

*DETAILS*
• Rich black veg-tanned leather, no need for treatment or protectant. Color will not easily run or stain, but I don't recommend lathering your hands in bacon grease before touching it. Or, go ahead, I guess. I'm not the boss of you.
• Inside surface is color-matched microfiber fabric, which can help keep the screen clean. Since the cover doesn't have "ridges" like the Apple cover, it won't leave stripes on your screen.
• Magnetic hinge auto-aligns the cover on your iPad 2.
• Six more magnets are embedded in the cover for the usual functions: the cover will stay closed, and the device will wake up automatically, as soon as you open the cover.
• PLEASE NOTE: This cover does NOT fold into a triangular stand. This is by design. Much as I like my Apple cover, I hate that it flops around when I've got it folded around back. Plus, embossed leather isn't gonna keep its design if you're folding and unfolding it all the time.
• ALSO NOTE: I figure you know about Apple's iPad/Smart Cover dealio, but in case you haven't heard…this only protects the glass on the front. The back of your iPad 2 is your responsibility to keep nice. The upside is, this cover doesn't add much bulk to your wafer-thin device.

*THE STORY*
I was browsing the web on my iPad 2 one day, and I ran across a photo of an antique electrical handbook with this excellent design on the cover. The embossed cover read "Audel's New Electric Library", with exciting subtitles of "Questions and Answers" and "With Illustrated Diagrams". And I mean, seriously, how perfect is that description for the iPad itself? I got it in my head that I could make my own smart cover, and it turns out the way I did it made it possible for me to build a few more.