Archive for May, 2014

2014 Anniversary Piece

Saturday, May 24th, 2014

The past several years I made a piece for our wedding anniversary. This year I went simple, a board with pennies attached.

Even in a simple piece I choose materials that I really like to use. Cedar for fragrance and the reference to a cedar chest or wedding chest. I like brass/copper. They are easy to age/add patina. I chose not to patina this piece because I wanted the dates on the pennies to be visible.

I love pennies. I like them for the superstition of good/bad luck. And I like them for their history. And I like them because they have become insignificant. I often use pennies in my work. Sometimes I attach a single penny to date the piece.

2014 Anniversary Piece

Materials:
Cedar, pennies, copper roves (the dome pieces between the pennies), brass nails, wool, hardware cloth, brass eye hook, stainless steel washers, Dorland’s Wax.

Pennies–A penny for each year. They are dated 1983 to 2014. The 1983 and 2014 pennies are attached to the ends of an Icord.

2014 Anniversary Piece Detail

Hardware Cloth Border—stitched with cream wool. Attached to the cedar board with brass nails. Planned for an overlay of the two ends. Inserted the brass eye hook through the overlap.

Icord of cream wool–washed by hand and then tossed in dryer for 20 minutes.

Coverd two stainless steel washers with cream wool. Attached a 1983 and 2014 penny. Stiched them to the Icord. Then attached the Icord to the eye hook.

Applied Dorland’s to entire piece. Used a heat gun to smooth out wax.

Drilled a single hole in the back of the piece for hanging.

Roves are very cool. I found them at Lee Valley Tools.

Time to let the piece rest until gift time.


New Addition to My Garden

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014

Calochortus or Mariposa Lily grows wild on the mountain behind our house. Now I have some growing in my garden.

Mariposa Lily

Mariposa Lily


Calochortus on Wikipedia

Pacific Bulb Society


Stick Bug

Sunday, May 11th, 2014

Whenever I see a stick bug, I watch and wait. Will it become something else?

Stick Bug

A Stick Bug in the Greenhouse

Nope, not unless it is in a Guillermo del Toro film.

Stick Bug

Stick Bug Moving About


A Gift of Pods

Sunday, May 11th, 2014

Pods

Pods, the Perfect Gift
A Friend Gave Me These Gorgeous Pods.
She Thought That I Could Use Them in My Work.


Not From A Lack Of Water

Sunday, May 11th, 2014

Not From A Lack of Water

Plant that was in my mother’s room.
Now is being cared for in my plant hospital.
When and if it becomes healthy I will transplant to one of my gardens.