Between the Lakes – a Wasilla leather collection, Volume I-D

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of leather stamping studies.

A September study – Volume I-D.

Between the Lakes is a small leather collection for Wasilla, the Mat-Su town that grew up where a railroad crossed a wagon trail, with a lake on either side. Five original stamps, from luggage tags to journals.

First, the crossing itself. In 1916 the Alaska Railroad met the old wagon trail here, and in 1917 the townsite was auctioned from the railroad platform. We crossed the rail and the trail and set a single star where they meet – WASILLA above, EST 1917 below.

Black-and-white the crossing stamp artwork for the Between the Lakes leather collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

The black tag carries the design in gold foil.

An upright black leather luggage tag stamped with The Crossing from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

Navy and warm caramel take it as a blind deboss. Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

An upright blueberry leather luggage tag stamped with The Crossing from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

An upright caramel leather luggage tag stamped with The Crossing from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

Next, the word people here use for home. THE VALLEY stands between a mountain wall and two quiet lakes, the way the town itself does. We pressed it on keychains in deep green and warm red.

Black-and-white the valley stamp artwork for the Between the Lakes leather collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

A forest green leather keychain stamped with The Valley from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

A poppy red leather keychain stamped with The Valley from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

Then, for the travel kit, a dog team crossing an open snowfield in paired traces, the sled far at the rear – THE LONG WAY HOME. Whoever unpacks this bag has taken that route at least once. We stamped it on the caramel bag of a caramel and dark espresso pair.

Black-and-white the long way home stamp artwork for the Between the Lakes leather collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

A caramel and dark espresso leather toiletry bag stack stamped with The Long Way Home from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

After that, the namesake. Wasilla sits between Lake Lucille and Lake Wasilla, so we drew the two lakes with a small star for the town between them, ringed by the words BETWEEN THE LAKES. It went onto the golden tan tray – the dish where keys land when someone makes it home.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

Black-and-white between the lakes stamp artwork for the Between the Lakes leather collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

A golden tan leather catchall tray stamped with the Between the Lakes medallion for Wasilla, Alaska.

And finally, the one we liked the most. A glacial river splits into many channels and gathers itself back into one – MANY CHANNELS ONE RIVER. We put it on journals in pale warm greige and deep green, for a valley full of makers.

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather.

Black-and-white the braid stamp artwork for the Between the Lakes leather collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

A gray sand leather journal stamped with The Braid from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

A forest green leather journal stamped with The Braid from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

We made this out of love. Leatherius Woodman is on a mission to create and share artifacts of beauty, craft and love – this study is one of them, and we hope the feeling is mutual. Every image is a render – how we prototype before cutting a die.

If you'd like any of these made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.

P.S.

An upright black alternate leather luggage tag stamped with The Crossing from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

An upright blueberry alternate leather luggage tag stamped with The Crossing from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.

An upright caramel alternate leather luggage tag stamped with The Crossing from the Between the Lakes collection of Wasilla, Alaska.