The Stopover – a Merced, California leather collection
From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of original leather stamping studies. Volume I-D.
A September study.
The Stopover is a small leather collection for Merced, California – the valley town where Highway 140 turns off toward Yosemite and the sandhill cranes come down to spend the winter. Four original designs, stamped into full-grain leather.
First, the cranes. Every winter, lesser sandhill cranes come down the Pacific Flyway and settle in the wetlands outside Merced. We drew two of them wading in the shallows – one alert, one feeding – and set WORTH THE FLIGHT beneath the waterline. True for the birds, and for anyone who crossed an ocean to stand in this valley.
It looks genuinely beautiful.
On the toiletry bag the stamp sits small in the corner, honeyed russet over dark espresso – for the traveler whose flight is still ahead.
Next, the burrowing owl, who hunts along the refuge's driving route and traded trees for a hole in the ground. Ours stands watch on long bare legs while a second peeks out from the burrow, above the words STAY GROUNDED.
Looks great when stamped onto the leather.
The deep green journal is the field notebook – somewhere for the bird list to live.
Then, the road. Highway 140 runs east from Merced into the foothills and on into Yosemite, so we set its route shield in front of a two lane road climbing toward the high country, TO YOSEMITE arched across the top. The mountains are drawn from the idea of the Sierra, no particular peak claimed.
It rides a golden tan luggage tag, a warm tan road journal and a deep green passport cover.
And finally, the harvest. In the manner of the old California fruit crate labels, we ringed the words MERCED CALIFORNIA with a wreath of valley fruit and almond sprigs, tied with a ribbon at the base.
The black luggage tag carries the wreath in gold foil. Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather.
On the golden tan catchall tray it sits generous at the center – somewhere for the keys to land at the end of the drive.
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.
P.S.
