fanciful devices: I'm back!

A Stone Is Nobody's

A man ambushed a stone. Caught it.
Made it a prisoner.
Put it in a dark room and stood guard over it for the rest of his life.

His mother asked why.

He said, because it's held captive, because it is captured.

Look, the stone is asleep, she said, it does not know whether it's in a garden or not. Eternity and the stone
are mother and daughter; it is you who are getting old. The stone is only sleeping.

But I caught it, mother, it is mine by conquest, he said.

A stone is nobody's, not even its own. It is you who are conquered; you are minding the prisoner, which is yourself,
because you are afraid to go out, she said.

Yes yes, I am afraid, because you have never loved me, he said.

Which is true, because you have always been to me as the stone is to you, she said.

Russell Edson

FAQs

1. Are you a Southeast Asian dancing girl from the 1800s?

No, sorry to disappoint. My avatar and banner images are from an ancient book I found in the depths of my grandmother's cabinets. More on that here.

2. How do you make everything look so old?

First, you need a good oxidizer to brush on every bit of metal you can reach. I'll tell you all about it here.

Then there's this wax. I first mentioned it here. You'll have to scroll down a lot.

3. How can you be so productive?

I'm insanely obsessed and I have no offspring. I do nothing else- I don't have a day job, I don't clean my house or cook, I spend all day in pjs, often completely abandoning personal hygiene... I only interact with other humans when I walk my dog. And I like people! But I prefer dogs.

And I'm sloppy- but I make that sloppiness work for me.

4. Any tips you'd like to share?

No! Except for these 16 posts about techniques and this one about how to find your aesthetic.

5. Would you be offended if I took some inspiration from your designs?

Well, I'd be happier if you outright copied them.

No really, imitation is how we learn. I have enough ideas to go around. And even if I don't- please. No one's going to do this obsessively enough to threaten my business. (Probably.) I learned by copying others and I've seen others copy me as a step toward developing their own voice. So feel free. (I'd love if you tossed me a link in my comments, so I can feel like a proud momma.)

6. What do you look like?

Why, what have you heard? Really? Wow.

3/8/10

I'm back!

So strange to be back. So strange to have left. Here's some of my haul.

The guys in the airport had a time figuring me out. The rusted pocket knives didn't make it. They were also baffled my my gringo (hubs) w/a local team's cap on his head. We were the funniest thing that happened to them in a while.

8 comments:

Unknown said...: Ok, I've been poring over the photos for too long. Amazing finds! Must have been an awesome trip! Welcome back. :); 3/8/10, 8:40 PM
Jo Archer said...: A very good haul indeed! Hope you had a great time.; 3/9/10, 12:56 AM
Penelope said...: I can't get over how amazing all this is!!! I've been staring and staring for hours. Lucky lucky lucky.; 3/10/10, 2:29 AM
bloodmilk. said...: oh my. what will you make with the calendar piece?; 3/10/10, 12:06 PM
fanciful devices said...: why, blood milk, a big ol' necklace of course!
I guess it could be a brooch.
that's about it. can't very well hang it off my ear or affix it to a wrist. could staple it to my forehead, but then how would I sell it? It's jewelry, there's not that many options. Which is why it works for me, actually.; 3/10/10, 3:30 PM
bloodmilk. said...: haha i guessed as much!
i guess what i was really saying is:
i want it.
xo; 3/13/10, 11:31 AM
fanciful devices said...: I actually have another, you can kinda see it in the 1st pic, it has enamel so there's some red and black, maybe green.
Since your note, I realized you could make a great big ring, too.
(Oh, and it wouldnt work on the wrist b/c it's huge, and wont curve.); 3/14/10, 12:42 AM
Lorelei Eurto said...: Am.So.Jealous.
I am in love with everything in every picture!!
Geesh.
I gotta go antiquing.
HONEY! get in the car, we're going on a road trip!!!; 3/21/10, 9:01 AM