fanciful devices: 07/2010

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.

7/31/10

sneak peek

I tried to start taking pictures too late in the day. So they came out meh. I'll try again, earlier, tomorrow. I'm almost done w/a 4th necklace that I'm itching to show the world.

7/30/10

Roundup

Here's what I worked on today. It's a horrific scan but it's 11:00, so that's alls I got. The top of the focal is a metal belt tip. And I betcha can't find the closure.
I need to separate those 2 wooden branch bits...
Well, we'll see. I don't know if I like it or just made it out of a sense of obligation to use the ceramic hand from Spirited Earth...
So, I got into this treasury all about crosses, and the first comment was about how God in his infinite Godness brought Jesus to blah blah blah. So I wrote, "Thanks for including my domino necklace, even if i'm not christian. and i daily sacrifice virgins to satan. Kidding! It's more like weekly..." And now I feel like I'm gonna get in trouble!
It may have something to do w/the fact that some loon came into the school I work at trying to bless people by sprinkling water on them. She went right into a classroom and splashed a whole bunch on the teacher and caused a big distraction, to say the least. He was pissed. I love religions and spiritualities, but I hate anyone trying to force their whatever down my neck. Like, 'I don't have to try and understand your point of view, but you have to get mine'?Pushy. The treasury itself is lovely.
I Cross my Heart by 2GIRLSINTROUBLE.
follow me . necklace

She Looked Inside and Was Reborn Vintage Stratton Makeup Compact Necklace

Dark Beauty in Mourning-Steel Grey Hematite Cameos and Rhinestone Statement Necklace

Silver and Black Revamped Vintage Necklace

Blue Birds Fly Necklace. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by a Borage of rosary beads and Blue Bits.

His Life For Me -- Tiny Treasure Bottle Necklace with Cross, Pearl and Vintage Christian Music Script

Where Grace Abounds Necklace Retro Steampunk Jewelry

HEAVEN CAN WAIT - VINTAGE LARGE FILIGREE CROSS - VIRGIN MARY PENDANT NECKLACE

Sinner and Saint Series Religious Rosary Necklace

Necklace, Emerald Shabby Roses with Vintage Cross Brooch

Dominus. Domini. Antique Bone Wood Horn and Rosary Neck Wear.

Earlier today, I was put into ❃LACE❃ by Adita.

Also, thanks you guys for all the comments on my "Shimmy-shimmy" post. It made my heart swell w/joy. Finally, my sister is in from California and she made Pad Thai from scratch. And spring rolls and Thai salad. It was madness, a taste bud orgy. Hope y'all's Fridays have been as nice as mine. What is up w/this formatting, Blogger?

Moodies in the Gail!

I mean goodies in the mail!

The glorious and legendary Opulent Oddities sent me a gorgeous cigar box full of gorgeous things! I must have such good karma saved up from my youthful depressions to be getting such pennies from heaven.

My mom wanted me to read her the note sent along, and it said things like "these bits are from a Victorian milliner," and I'd have to be like, "Oh, that's just at thing you don't know or care about."

I was just thinking of all the 1cm film I'd gotten rid of when I used to sell packages of ephemera, and how if I had some now, I'd be curious to wrap it around some of my thick leather and see if that looked like anything, and sure enough:

Gasp!

And Loooook! Curly-Qs!

I was thinking these pictures just didn't express my enthusiasm somehow. Then I realized it was the expression of ennui worn by the lady on the left.

This leaf is my favorite of all.

And I know what you're thinking about this piece- "What the hell happened to the 6th year?!" No! You're thinking, "Why the hell can't that be mine?"

I also purchased some Asian-factory goods that came today. It was when I decided I needed more bling for the "euro" part of my Victorian Tribal. These are cute. But those purple beads were freebies. Don't want you to think I've suddenly gone bonkers.

WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG POST TO PRESENT THE NEWEST IN NEW:

EXTREME OXIDIZING!!!!

Just like the Extreme Sports of the 90s, Extreme Oxidizing became all the rage in the 2010s, spreading across America and leaving a black, sludgy wake.

But seriously. I realized that all the really ancient bits I like are achievable if I just let stuff sit in the chemicals for a long, long time. As in, days.

THIS IS WHAT HE FOUND ... to use in your ASSEMBLAGE mixed media JEWELRY or in any way you would want it to CHARM lot Mar 05

THIS IS WHAT HE FOUND ... to use in your ASSEMBLAGE mixed media JEWELRY or in any way you would want it to CHARM lot Feb 07

THIS IS WHAT HE FOUND ... to use in your ASSEMBLAGE mixed media JEWELRY or in any way you would want it to CHARM lot Feb 21

These are from CoolVintage.

Lots of time you just end up finding out a piece was plated and you have to start all over again. B/c once the plating comes off, the item beneath just reveals a pale copper metal, and doesn't look oxidized at all. I hate plating.

Also, I'm working on:

The piece on the right I took out of the store when I felt it wasn't too successful. I'm thinking of adding grey shell heishi.

And I have this. The crystal is from Uruguay, though not vintage. The whatever it's attached to is extremely old. I think it was a bracelet. On the left, a Greek rosary. The clearish glass rings are from Sparrow's lovely supply shop. The beads are from Fancylinda, from my previous box of surprise, unrequested goodies in the mail. Ah, me.I'm not sure if it's well-balanced yet. Plus the silk strip is still wet from all the messing about I did to it. So I'll wait and see.