The Gone Reading Collection – a Sarasota leather stamping study

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of leather stamping studies. Volume I-A.

A September study.

For the readers and writers of downtown Sarasota.

The Gone Reading Collection: three original stamps drawn for a town where pineapples once grew and stories grow now. Everything below is rendered onto leather, from luggage tags to journals.

First, we laid an open book face down, the way a reader marks a pause without ending it, and set GONE READING beneath the spine.

Black-and-white GONE READING stamp artwork for leather goods in The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

The black tag carries it in gold foil – the gilt edge of a well-bound book.

The GONE READING design stamped into black leather luggage tag, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

The other two tags take it blind, pressed straight into pale sea-blue and into dusty rose. Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

The GONE READING design stamped into pale sea-blue leather luggage tag, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

The GONE READING design stamped into dusty rose leather luggage tag, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

Then we pressed the same stamp into a navy keychain, and into the corner of a toiletry bag – navy over chestnut – for wherever the reading happens next.

The GONE READING design stamped into navy leather keychain, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

The GONE READING design stamped into navy and chestnut leather toiletry bags, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

Next, the pineapple. They really grew in Sarasota once, and downtown an avenue carries their name – so we drew one still seated in its long spiked leaves, crown up, and set PINEAPPLE AVENUE around it.

Black-and-white PINEAPPLE AVENUE stamp artwork for leather goods in The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

On the golden tan tray it lands centered and generous – the bowl where keys and bookmarks end the day.

The PINEAPPLE AVENUE design stamped into warm tan leather catchall tray, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

The keychain wears it in the same golden tan.

The PINEAPPLE AVENUE design stamped into warm tan leather keychain, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

And finally, for the writers among the readers. We crossed out PERFECT and let FIRST DRAFT stand – a cover that forgives the page before a word is written.

Black-and-white FIRST DRAFT stamp artwork for leather goods in The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

Pressed blind into pale warm greige and into deep pine green.

The FIRST DRAFT design stamped into pale warm greige leather journal, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

The FIRST DRAFT design stamped into deep green leather journal, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

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're a Sarasota reader and you'd like the Gone Reading Collection made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.

P.S.

The GONE READING design stamped into pale sea-blue leather luggage tag, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.

The GONE READING design stamped into dusty rose leather luggage tag, from The Gone Reading Collection of Sarasota, Florida.