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.

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.

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.