The Calistoga Arcana – a leather stamping study for Calistoga, Volume I-D

From the Practice Log.

A September study – Volume I-D.

Calistoga is built over hot water – a geyser that keeps its schedule, a forest that turned to stone. We pressed the town's quieter legends into leather and named the set the Calistoga Arcana.

First, the geyser's promise. The plume goes up on time, comes down, and goes up again – so we drew it rising off the ground line and set I WILL RETURN beneath it, which is the only thing a luggage tag should ever say.

The black-and-white i will return stamp plate from the Calistoga Arcana leather collection of Calistoga, California.

The black tag carries it in gold; forest green and gray sand press it blind.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

A black leather luggage tag stamped with the i will return design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

A forest green leather luggage tag stamped with the i will return design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

A gray sand leather luggage tag stamped with the i will return design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

Next, a pendulum for the keyring – keys already dangle and divine. A faceted point on its chain, and under the tip, KNOWS THE WAY.

The black-and-white knows the way stamp plate from the Calistoga Arcana leather collection of Calistoga, California.

On the black fob the pendulum swings in gold.

A black leather keychain stamped with the knows the way design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

A forest green leather keychain stamped with the knows the way design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

Then the old prescription for a spa town: TAKE THE WATERS, arched over mineral bubbles climbing off the springline. We pressed it into the corner of a toiletry kit in honeyed russet over dark espresso – warm amber riding on mud, the whole Calistoga treatment in two leathers.

The black-and-white take the waters stamp plate from the Calistoga Arcana leather collection of Calistoga, California.

A indian summer dark espresso leather toiletry bag stamped with the take the waters design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

The catchall tray took the long view – the ridge of Mount St. Helena over slow strata, with ALL THINGS SETTLE set between the layers. Pressed generous into the golden tan, it waits every evening for keys and small finds to prove it right.

The black-and-white all things settle stamp plate from the Calistoga Arcana leather collection of Calistoga, California.

A arizona leather catchall tray stamped with the all things settle design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

And finally, the one we liked the most. About 3.4 million years ago volcanic ash buried a redwood forest just up the road, and mineral water kept every ring of the wood in stone. The journal corner carries that cross-section – growth rings on one half, crystal facets on the other – above WRITTEN IN STONE, in warm gray and in black.

The black-and-white written in stone stamp plate from the Calistoga Arcana leather collection of Calistoga, California.

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather.

A country gray leather journal stamped with the written in stone design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

A black leather journal stamped with the written in stone design from the Calistoga Arcana collection of Calistoga, California.

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 these made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.