Flyway & Furrow – a Merced leather stamping study

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

A September study. Volume I-B.

Flyway & Furrow is a small collection of stamped leather goods rooted in the valley around Merced, California – its winter birds and its orchards, each given a die of our own design.

First, the sandhill cranes. Every autumn they cross half a continent to land in the same shallow water near Merced, so we drew the flock at rest with two more coming down to join it, and set HOME FOR THE WINTER beneath – words that earn their keep on a luggage tag.

On the black tag the design carries the gold.

The other two run pale sea-blue, close to the refuge water in winter, and warm caramel. Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

Black-and-white artwork of sandhill cranes and HOME FOR THE WINTER for leather goods in the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A black leather luggage tags render stamped with sandhill cranes and HOME FOR THE WINTER from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A turquoise leather luggage tags render stamped with sandhill cranes and HOME FOR THE WINTER from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A caramel leather luggage tags render stamped with sandhill cranes and HOME FOR THE WINTER from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

Next, the burrowing owl, the one neighbor in the county that keeps its front door at ground level. We stood it tall on its long legs beside the burrow and set GROUND FLOOR beneath – a fair motto for the thing that opens doors. It comes in golden tan and in deep green.

Keychains with the little owl look just awesome.

Black-and-white artwork of a burrowing owl and GROUND FLOOR for leather goods in the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A arizona leather keychains render stamped with a burrowing owl and GROUND FLOOR from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A forest green leather keychains render stamped with a burrowing owl and GROUND FLOOR from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

Then the orchards. We cut an almond branch in full blossom and wrote THE VALLEY PROVIDES beneath its arc. It sits centered on the golden tan tray and rides the corner of the toiletry bag, warm tan over chestnut.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

Black-and-white artwork of almond blossom and THE VALLEY PROVIDES for leather goods in the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A arizona leather catchall trays render stamped with almond blossom and THE VALLEY PROVIDES from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A caramel sicilian leather dopp kits render stamped with almond blossom and THE VALLEY PROVIDES from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

The wildlife refuge outside town runs a five mile auto tour past wetlands and winter grass, and what gets seen there wants writing down. So the journals say FIELD NOTES, with the owl perched on the lettering to keep an eye on the entries – in warm caramel and a soft warm gray.

Black-and-white artwork of a perched burrowing owl and FIELD NOTES for leather goods in the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A caramel leather leather journals render stamped with a perched burrowing owl and FIELD NOTES from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A country gray leather leather journals render stamped with a perched burrowing owl and FIELD NOTES from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

And finally, one for everyone climbing Highway 140 with granite on their mind. A straight orchard road runs toward the high peaks, and over it we set THE MOUNTAINS CAN WAIT – the valley's own case for pulling over. Pressed on passport covers in deep green and pale sand.

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather.

Black-and-white artwork of an orchard road and THE MOUNTAINS CAN WAIT for leather goods in the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A forest green leather passport covers render stamped with an orchard road and THE MOUNTAINS CAN WAIT from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A gray sand leather passport covers render stamped with an orchard road and THE MOUNTAINS CAN WAIT from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, 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 would like these made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.

P.S.

A turquoise leather luggage tags render stamped with sandhill cranes and HOME FOR THE WINTER from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.

A caramel leather luggage tags render stamped with sandhill cranes and HOME FOR THE WINTER from the Flyway & Furrow collection of Merced, California.