The mister and I are in the Poconos this week tending to the family property here before winter sets in. It’s 9 parts vacation and 1 part work and it’s been lovely.

When we pulled in the driveway the other day I saw this pile of wood and bricks. Now, I’ve seen it dozens of times but never thought much about it.

This time however, I felt the need to do “something” with it. But that is as far as that thought went.

The next day Warren mentioned that he had to go to the hardware store for some supplies. Now, I don’t know about you but I love a good hardware store. Always so much creative material hanging on those pegs. It makes your brain think in entirely different ways.

As I was wandering around the store I spotted some copper wire and copper pipe fittings and I knew just what I wanted to do with a piece of the wood in that old pile by the driveway. I wanted to combine my newly found love of weaving with the copper and see what I could create.

So when we got home I grabbed a few nails and a hammer and went off to create.

I fished a piece of wood off the pile that was big but not too big. I used the hammer to pull pieces off the pile just in case some critter was living in the pile. I’m a little crazy but not crazy enough to have some mouse come out and run across my hand. Nope!

I whacked the wood a few times with the hammer to knock off loose debris and at the same time admired the weathered surface and the tiny bits of moss that were starting to take hold. So much texture and color.

After my little exploration of the surface I pounded a few nails into the back of it. One at the top and the bottom and a couple in the center so that my wire would stay taught and not slide down too much if I put something heavy on the front.

I threaded the copper pipe fittings onto the wire and and anchored one end around one of the nails. I wrapped the copper wire, all 50 feet of it, around the board pulling it tightly. I just wound it in an free form way, overlapping in some places and leaving larger open areas in others. No real rhyme or reason.

As you can see I spaced the copper pipe fittings randomly along the front of the board. Since they are strung on the wire I can move them around a bit if I want too .

Then I went off into the woods searching the ground and trees for materials. I found leaves, bark, stones and pine and wove them all into the copper wire.

I even found some moss and tucked it in.

There must be a dozen kinds of moss that grow here and they are all so beautiful.

The texture is amazing!!

Can you see the tiny bits of moss that are growing on the surface of the board?

And I love the idea of the copper gaining a patina over time and adding to the overall look.

I plan on taking this home and leaving it outside. I will change out the elements in the weaving according to the season and it can be an ever evolving piece of art.

Oh yeah, and I even found the rusty old crown in the dirt near the trash can and wired it on. It doesn’t quite fit in and I think that’s what I like most about it.

That one thing that just doesn’t fit. Kind of like me.

I can’t wait to see what I can add to this in the spring!