The White Way Collection – a leather study for Springdale, Arkansas

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

An August study.

In the 1920s, Emma Avenue in downtown Springdale carried so many electric signs that people called it the White Way. We borrowed the name for a small leather collection. What follows is the rest of the town, pressed.

First, the namesake. We set THE WHITE WAY in marquee capitals, every stroke a row of round bulbs, after the signs that earned the street its name. The black tag carries the gold – on that one, the sign is lit.

Black-and-white marquee stamp artwork for The White Way leather collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

Three leather luggage tags stamped with THE WHITE WAY for The White Way collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

Next, the ride out of town. Two rails run into the dark of the Winslow Tunnel with the Boston Mountains stacked over the portal – the grade the restored passenger cars still climb. We pressed it into the corner of the toiletry bags, black over deep brown, railroad iron over crosstie.

Black-and-white Winslow Tunnel stamp artwork for The White Way leather collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

Black and brown leather toiletry bags stamped with the Winslow Tunnel design from The White Way collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

Then, the orchard years. Apples came first here, before anything the town is better known for now, so the golden tan tray takes a single apple ringed with OZARK GROWN – a shallow basket for whatever the day picks up.

Black-and-white OZARK GROWN apple stamp artwork for The White Way leather collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

A golden tan leather catchall tray stamped with the OZARK GROWN apple design from The White Way collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

The rodeo has run here since 1945, so the keychains take a saddle bronc mid-buck under SPRINGDALE, with RODEO SINCE 1945 beneath the hooves. We stamped it on golden tan and dark espresso – saddle colors.

Black-and-white Springdale rodeo bronc stamp artwork for The White Way leather collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

Keychains with the bronc stamp look just awesome.

Two leather keychains stamped with the Springdale rodeo bronc design from The White Way collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

And finally, the one for the journals. A ruled line runs level for a while, then folds into switchbacks and climbs the ridge to a single pine – TAKE THE LONG WAY underneath. That is how the railroad gets through these hills, and how anything worth writing gets written. Deep green and warm tan.

Black-and-white TAKE THE LONG WAY switchback stamp artwork for The White Way leather collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

Two leather journals stamped with the TAKE THE LONG WAY design from The White Way collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

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 the White Way belongs on a shelf in Springdale, or you'd like anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.

P.S.

A black leather luggage tag stamped in gold with THE WHITE WAY for the Springdale, Arkansas collection.

A pale warm leather luggage tag blind-stamped with THE WHITE WAY for the Springdale, Arkansas collection.

A warm tan leather luggage tag blind-stamped with THE WHITE WAY for the Springdale, Arkansas collection.

A golden tan leather keychain stamped with the Springdale rodeo bronc design from The White Way collection.

A dark brown leather keychain stamped with the Springdale rodeo bronc design from The White Way collection.

A deep green leather journal stamped with TAKE THE LONG WAY from The White Way collection of Springdale, Arkansas.

A warm tan leather journal stamped with TAKE THE LONG WAY from The White Way collection of Springdale, Arkansas.