Ex Libris – a leather collection for readers

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

A September study – Volume I-B.

Ex Libris – a small collection for readers, and for the people who love buying them gifts. Four stamps, each about a habit any reader recognizes on sight.

First, we drew a bookplate – a tree growing out of an open book, with EX LIBRIS across the top, the mark readers have pressed inside their books for centuries. On the cover of a blank journal the old formula turns around: this book belongs to whoever fills it.

Black-and-white EX LIBRIS stamp artwork for the Ex Libris leather collection, showing a tree growing from an open book.

It looks genuinely beautiful on the deep wine leather, and just as much at home on the deep green of an old library binding.

A deep wine leather journal blind-stamped with the EX LIBRIS tree and open book from the Ex Libris reader collection.

A deep green leather journal blind-stamped with the EX LIBRIS tree and open book from the Ex Libris reader collection.

Next, we gave a closed book a suitcase handle and wrote THE BOOK COMES TOO beneath it – the one packing rule a reader keeps without being asked. It stands upright on the luggage tags.

Black-and-white THE BOOK COMES TOO stamp artwork for the Ex Libris leather collection, showing a handled book and bookmark.

The black tag carries the design in gold, the way gilt sits on a good spine. Navy and honeyed russet take a blind deboss.

A black leather luggage tag stamped in gold with THE BOOK COMES TOO and a handled book from the Ex Libris reader collection.

A navy leather luggage tag blind-stamped with THE BOOK COMES TOO and a handled book from the Ex Libris reader collection.

A honeyed russet leather luggage tag blind-stamped with THE BOOK COMES TOO and a handled book from the Ex Libris reader collection.

The same stamp rides in the corner of the toiletry bag, honeyed russet over deep espresso brown.

Honeyed russet and deep brown leather toiletry bags blind-stamped with THE BOOK COMES TOO from the Ex Libris reader collection.

Then the keychains – a leaning stack of books with TO BE READ underneath, for the tower by the bed that grows faster than anyone can read it down. An easy first gift for a reader of any age.

Black-and-white TO BE READ stamp artwork for the Ex Libris leather collection, showing five stacked books and a bookmark.

On the black fob the stack is pressed in gold; on caramel it is a blind deboss.

A black leather keychain stamped in gold with a TO BE READ stack of books from the Ex Libris reader collection.

A caramel leather keychain blind-stamped with a TO BE READ stack of books from the Ex Libris reader collection.

And finally, the catchall tray. A reading lamp lit over an open book, ONE MORE CHAPTER arched above – the tray takes the glasses and the keys at the end of the day, and the lamp stays on a little longer than promised.

Black-and-white ONE MORE CHAPTER stamp artwork for the Ex Libris leather collection, showing a reading lamp and open book.

Looks great stamped generously on the golden tan.

A golden tan leather catchall tray blind-stamped with ONE MORE CHAPTER, a reading lamp and an open book from the Ex Libris reader collection.

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 these were designed with your shelves in mind and you'd like them made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.