Safekeeping – a leather gift collection about being looked after, Volume I-D

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

A September study – Volume I-D.

Safekeeping is a small collection of leather gifts about being looked after – about the one who leaves the light on and the one it is left on for. Five original stamps, one line each, pressed onto everyday leather from a luggage tag down to a catchall tray.

First, for the one leaving. We hung a porch lantern over the words THE LIGHT IS ON, so the tag says on every trip what the house says every night – you are expected back.

Black carries the lantern in gold foil; caramel and deep forest green take the blind press.

Black-and-white THE LIGHT IS ON porch-lantern die artwork for the Safekeeping leather gift collection.

A black leather luggage tag stamped in gold with THE LIGHT IS ON and a porch lantern.

A caramel leather luggage tag blind-debossed with THE LIGHT IS ON and a porch lantern.

A forest-green leather luggage tag blind-debossed with THE LIGHT IS ON and a porch lantern.

Next, for new keys – a first car, or a first front door of one's own. We set that door slightly ajar above YOU MADE IT, so the keychain repeats its quiet congratulation every time the keys come out. Looks great when stamped onto the leather, once in warm poppy red and once in chestnut sicilian brown.

Black-and-white YOU MADE IT open-door die artwork for the Safekeeping leather gift collection.

A poppy-red leather keychain blind-debossed with the YOU MADE IT open-door design.

A Sicilian-brown leather keychain blind-debossed with the YOU MADE IT open-door design.

Then, for the one who travels. We crossed a razor and a toothbrush into a little coat of arms, with a half sun rising above them and WHEREVER YOU WAKE UP beneath – a small private press in the lower corner of the bag, deep navy over dark espresso.

Black-and-white WHEREVER YOU WAKE UP razor-and-toothbrush die artwork for the Safekeeping leather gift collection.

Blueberry and dark-espresso leather toiletry bags blind-debossed with WHEREVER YOU WAKE UP.

Then, a tray for the end of the day. We put HOME SAFE in large capitals and dropped a single door key beneath the words, so the golden tan tray says it each evening as the pockets empty out. It looks genuinely beautiful.

Black-and-white HOME SAFE key die artwork for the Safekeeping leather gift collection.

An Arizona-tan leather catchall tray blind-debossed with HOME SAFE and an old key.

And finally, for the one who writes everything down. We borrowed the printer's old pointing hand and aimed it at WORTH WRITING DOWN, so the journal takes its owner's side before the first page is filled – in deep wine sangria and in pale gray sand.

Black-and-white WORTH WRITING DOWN manicule die artwork for the Safekeeping leather gift collection.

A sangria leather journal blind-debossed with WORTH WRITING DOWN and a pointing hand.

A gray-sand leather journal blind-debossed with WORTH WRITING DOWN and a pointing hand.

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.