Six Blocks × Leatherius Woodman – a Springfield, Missouri leather stamping study

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

Volume I-B. A September study.

Six Blocks is a small original collection for the old commercial district of Springfield, Missouri – six walkable blocks of tea and spice, with a farmers market down the street and a 1902 footbridge at the rail yard. Each design below was drawn for that neighborhood and stamped into leather.

First, the footbridge. We set its long steel truss over thirteen ruled lines, one for each track it crosses, and wrote OVER THIRTEEN TRACKS beneath – a tag for luggage with crossings of its own ahead.

Black-and-white die artwork showing the footbridge and OVER THIRTEEN TRACKS lettering for the Six Blocks leather collection of Springfield, Missouri.

The black tag carries the design in gold. Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

A black leather luggage tags render stamped with the footbridge and OVER THIRTEEN TRACKS lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

A caramel leather luggage tags render stamped with the footbridge and OVER THIRTEEN TRACKS lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

A forest green leather luggage tags render stamped with the footbridge and OVER THIRTEEN TRACKS lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

Next, we drew a star anise pod as an eight-pointed compass rose and ringed it with EVERYTHING IN ITS SEASON. On the golden tan tray it lands exactly where keys and loose change do.

Black-and-white die artwork showing the star anise compass and EVERYTHING IN ITS SEASON lettering for the Six Blocks leather collection of Springfield, Missouri.

A arizona leather catchall trays render stamped with the star anise compass and EVERYTHING IN ITS SEASON lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

The same star rides the keychains. The black fob carries it in gold.

A black leather keychains render stamped with the star anise compass and EVERYTHING IN ITS SEASON lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

A arizona leather keychains render stamped with the star anise compass and EVERYTHING IN ITS SEASON lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

Then, the journals. We set a kettle mid-whistle above PUT THE KETTLE ON – tasting notes and recipes start the way evenings do.

Black-and-white die artwork showing the kettle and PUT THE KETTLE ON lettering for the Six Blocks leather collection of Springfield, Missouri.

It looks genuinely beautiful on the deep green and the wine-dark leather alike.

A forest green leather leather journals render stamped with the kettle and PUT THE KETTLE ON lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

A sangria leather leather journals render stamped with the kettle and PUT THE KETTLE ON lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

And finally, the design that named the collection – six storefronts shoulder to shoulder above SIX BLOCKS, pressed small into the corner of the toiletry bags. A district that packs light.

Black-and-white die artwork showing the six storefronts and SIX BLOCKS lettering for the Six Blocks leather collection of Springfield, Missouri.

A country gray dark espresso leather dopp kits render stamped with the six storefronts and SIX BLOCKS lettering from the Six Blocks collection of Springfield, Missouri.

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.