Surface Preparation For Gold Stamping?

[Patina]

Hi everyone,

I have trouble keeping the solid gold leaf still while stamping individual letters using hand stamp tools (set made by Hanson). I remember seeing a Florentine artisan using some kind of glue to prepare the leather surface, thereby keeping the gold leaf in place. Does anyone have suggestions on preparing the leather surface to make the task easier? I only need to get three letters (my monogram) on the items I made. Thank you for your time helping me with this.

[TwinOaks]

I picked up a gold leaf "kit" from Hobby Lobby that includes the leaf and a pen with adhesive in it. It has a pretty hard felt tip that can be sharpened for precise application. For cleaning, I just wiped down the leather with deglazer. I've had better success putting the gold leaf in inverted letters than just on the surface.