The Toy Harbour – a Northport, New York leather stamping study

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

An August study.

Northport, New York began as Great Cow Harbour and once launched ships from five marine railways at the water's edge. We drew a set of five stamps for the town – we call it The Toy Harbour – and pressed each one into leather.

First, the launch. We set a toy sailboat at the top of the ways, bow tipped down the slope toward the waves – DOWN TO THE WATER, which is where every street in this village ends anyway. On luggage tags the trio runs harbor navy and pale greige, with one tag in buoy red. Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

Black-and-white sailboat and marine railway stamp artwork from The Toy Harbour leather collection of Northport, New York.

Three leather luggage tags stamped with a sailboat descending to the water, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

Next, the old name. The village was Great Cow Harbour until 1837, so we put the cow back on the water – she stands amidships in a rowboat, riding a little low and entirely unbothered. The keychains, one in warm tan and one in harbor navy, look just awesome.

Black-and-white cow in a rowboat stamp artwork from The Toy Harbour leather collection of Northport, New York.

Two leather keychains stamped with the Great Cow Harbour rowboat design, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

Then the key that starts the day. A tin-toy butterfly key with a single instruction beneath it – WIND DAILY – stamped small in the corner of the toiletry bags, because that is the bag where mornings get wound. Honeyed russet over dark espresso, the colors of attic light.

Black-and-white tin-toy winding key stamp artwork from The Toy Harbour leather collection of Northport, New York.

Two leather toiletry bags stamped with the Wind Daily toy-key design, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

For the catchall tray, we opened an oyster around one pearl – WHAT THE TIDE BROUGHT IN. Oystering was this harbor's working trade, and the tray keeps the habit: every evening it takes whatever the day washed up. Pressed generous on golden tan.

Black-and-white oyster and pearl stamp artwork from The Toy Harbour leather collection of Northport, New York.

An Arizona leather catchall tray stamped with an oyster and pearl, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

And finally, the blocks. Four of them, stacked a little crookedly, spelling ONCE, with UPON A TIME running underneath – the rest of the story goes inside. On journals in pale rose and pale sea-blue, it turned out genuinely lovely.

Black-and-white staggered story-block stamp artwork from The Toy Harbour leather collection of Northport, New York.

Two leather journals stamped with staggered Once Upon a Time blocks, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, 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.

P.S.

A blueberry leather luggage tag stamped with a sailboat descending to the water, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

A gray-sand leather luggage tag stamped with a sailboat descending to the water, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

A poppy-red leather luggage tag stamped with a sailboat descending to the water, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

A caramel leather keychain stamped with the Great Cow Harbour rowboat design, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

A blueberry leather keychain stamped with the Great Cow Harbour rowboat design, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

A blush leather journal stamped with staggered Once Upon a Time blocks, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.

A pale sea-blue leather journal stamped with staggered Once Upon a Time blocks, from The Toy Harbour collection of Northport, New York.