When a cardinal appears sign is burned in and is stained. This is handmade by me. The stain in the first and second pictures is Cherry. Please select the stain that is right for you. It will stain and seal the wood. Size of the wood is approximately 9.5 inches by 12 inches and about 3/4 inch thick. The wood may have knots and wood grain features, this is natural, and adds character to the wood, and not to be considered a defect because wood is not perfect. I do try to pick from the best wood available to minimize the knots. They are also hand routed to make the wood look like a plaque. I do not use any pressure treated wood in any of my items. They come with a small silver sawtooth hanger attached to easily hang it on the wall with a nail.