Ridge Lift – an Elmira Heights leather stamping study

From the Practice Log – Volume I-C, an independent stamping study.

A September study.

Elmira Heights sits in a valley the wind takes seriously. On the ridges nearby at Harris Hill, air deflected upward carried motorless aircraft through the first thirteen national soaring contests, and just north the glaciers left eleven long, narrow lakes across the map. We pressed that geography into leather.

First, the namesake. We drew a sailplane banking over the crest that does the lifting, wings long and engineless, and set RIDGE LIFT into the open sky beside it.

A ridge lift die die plate for stamping leather accessories from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

It runs lengthwise along the tag. The navy carries the valley sky and the golden tan its autumn hillside; a pale warm greige makes the third, quiet as the cloud bank in the flight photographs.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

A ridge lift luggage tags blueberry leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

A ridge lift luggage tags arizona leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

A ridge lift luggage tags gray sand leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

Next, we counted lakes. Eleven of them, long and narrow the way the ice cut them, standing side by side as they do on the map, with the tallest pair near the middle – and ELEVEN LAKES underneath, so the eye knows what it just counted.

A eleven lakes die die plate for stamping leather accessories from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

On the journals it sits in the lower corner, in pale sea-blue for the water and deep green for the hills between.

A eleven lakes leather journals turquoise leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

A eleven lakes leather journals forest green leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

And centered on the catchall tray, in golden tan, where the day's pocket change settles.

A eleven lakes catchall trays arizona leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

And finally, the one we liked the most. A glider gains height by circling inside rising air, so ours spirals upward, tightening as it goes, over the words STILL CLIMBING. A small gift that fits a graduation as well as it fits a Tuesday.

A still climbing die die plate for stamping leather accessories from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

On the keychains, in deep green and warm tan.

A still climbing keychains forest green leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

A still climbing keychains caramel leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

And in the corner of the toiletry bags, honeyed russet over deep brown.

A still climbing dopp kits indian summer dark espresso leather product with a blind stamped design from the Ridge Lift collection for Elmira Heights, New York.

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.