House Rules – a leather stamping study in the gentle laws of home

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of leather stamping studies. Shops Waterfall, Volume II.

A September study.

House Rules – a small collection of the unwritten laws every good home runs on. We wrote five of them down and pressed each one into the leather object that keeps it.

First, the rule for the one who is leaving. We gave an envelope a pair of swift wings and set it flying ahead of SEND WORD – the oldest law a home lays on its travelers, pressed lengthwise on the tag that goes with them.

Black-and-white die artwork of a winged envelope above SEND WORD for the House Rules leather collection, Volume II.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather – in deep navy, and in warm red, the two colors of an airmail edge.

A deep navy leather luggage tag blind-stamped with a winged envelope and SEND WORD, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

A warm red leather luggage tag blind-stamped with a winged envelope and SEND WORD, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

The black tag carries the flying envelope in gold.

A black leather luggage tag gold-stamped with a winged envelope and SEND WORD, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

Next, the rule that hangs by the door. One key on its nail above LAST ONE OUT LOCKS UP – and since whoever reads it is already holding the keys, the rule enforces itself. In chestnut, the wood of an old doorframe, and in a warm porch-paint gray.

Black-and-white die artwork of a key hanging from a nail above LAST ONE OUT LOCKS UP for the House Rules leather collection, Volume II.

A chestnut leather keychain blind-stamped with a hanging key and LAST ONE OUT LOCKS UP, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

A country gray leather keychain blind-stamped with a hanging key and LAST ONE OUT LOCKS UP, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

Then, the rule everybody grew up under. A bar of soap with its bubbles rising stands over WASH BEHIND YOUR EARS, pressed small into the bag's lower corner – found in private, the way the rule was always delivered. The stack sets a warm mid-gray bag over a deep espresso one.

Black-and-white die artwork of a soap bar and three bubbles above WASH BEHIND YOUR EARS for the House Rules leather collection, Volume II.

Country gray and dark espresso leather toiletry bags blind-stamped with soap and WASH BEHIND YOUR EARS, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

Then, the rule that ends the evening hunt. We drew a small house whose front door is a keyhole and set KEYS LIVE HERE beneath it – pressed into the golden tan tray, it makes the tray the keys' own address. Drop them once and the rule is kept.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

Black-and-white die artwork of a cottage with a keyhole door above KEYS LIVE HERE for the House Rules leather collection, Volume II.

A golden tan leather catchall tray blind-stamped with a cottage, keyhole door and KEYS LIVE HERE, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

And finally, the rule of the kitchen table. Two cups face each other with the steam still rising above TELL US EVERYTHING – the law that greets every homecoming. A journal keeps the table set: one in deep espresso, the black coffee; one in warm tan, the coffee with cream.

Black-and-white die artwork of two steaming cups above TELL US EVERYTHING for the House Rules leather collection, Volume II.

A dark espresso leather journal blind-stamped with two steaming cups and TELL US EVERYTHING, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

A caramel leather journal blind-stamped with two steaming cups and TELL US EVERYTHING, from the House Rules collection, Volume II.

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.