Finders Keepers – a stamped leather collection for treasure hunters, Volume I-B

From the Practice Log – Shops Waterfall, Volume I-B: an independent study in stamped leather.

A September study.

Finders Keepers is a small leather collection about the moment a shelf gives up exactly the thing. We designed it for the people who go looking and come home with treasure – and for everyone lucky enough to receive the spoils.

First, the magpie – the patron bird of everyone with an eye for treasure. We drew her mid-getaway, an old key in her beak, caught between the words FINDERS and KEEPERS.

Black-and-white die artwork of a magpie carrying an old key between FINDERS and KEEPERS for the Finders Keepers leather collection, Volume I-B.

She perches on the chestnut keychain and rides the corner of the toiletry bags in honeyed russet over dark espresso.

A Sicilian-brown leather keychain blind-stamped with a magpie carrying a key and FINDERS KEEPERS, Volume I-B.

Indian Summer and dark-espresso leather toiletry bags blind-stamped with a magpie carrying a key and FINDERS KEEPERS, Volume I-B.

The black keychain carries her in gold – the one shiny thing a magpie would steal for herself.

A black leather keychain gold-stamped with a magpie carrying a key and FINDERS KEEPERS, Volume I-B.

Next, we put a tag on a tag. A string-tied inventory label, drawn the old way and stamped lengthwise, carrying the only stock note this collection needs – ONE OF A KIND.

Black-and-white die artwork of a string-tied inventory tag marked ONE OF A KIND for the Finders Keepers leather collection, Volume I-B.

It looks genuinely beautiful on the deep wine and the deep green.

A sangria leather luggage tag blind-stamped with a string-tied ONE OF A KIND label, Volume I-B.

A forest-green leather luggage tag blind-stamped with a string-tied ONE OF A KIND label, Volume I-B.

The black tag takes the label in gold.

A black leather luggage tag gold-stamped with a string-tied ONE OF A KIND label, Volume I-B.

Then we gave the catchall tray its standing orders. EMPTY YOUR POCKETS sits at the center of the golden tan tray, ringed by the small things pockets actually surrender – a key, a coin, a button, a pocketknife and their friends.

Black-and-white die artwork of EMPTY YOUR POCKETS surrounded by eight everyday pocket finds for the Finders Keepers leather collection, Volume I-B.

An Arizona tan leather catchall tray blind-stamped with EMPTY YOUR POCKETS and eight everyday pocket finds, Volume I-B.

And finally, the paperwork. Every good find deserves a written history, so the journal cover wears a small ledger label – PROVENANCE, with blank ruled lines for ACQUIRED and KEPT.

Black-and-white die artwork of a bordered PROVENANCE ledger label with ACQUIRED and KEPT lines for the Finders Keepers leather collection, Volume I-B.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather – navy for one shelf, warm tan for the other.

A Blueberry leather journal blind-stamped with a PROVENANCE ledger label, Volume I-B.

A Caramel leather journal blind-stamped with a PROVENANCE ledger label, Volume I-B.

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.