fanciful devices: Pretty Papers Anyone?

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.

7/20/10

Pretty Papers Anyone?

As I was wrapping packages to send out tomorrow, I was also trying to organize my paper bits. I have a collection of lovely ephemera which I don't know what to do with, since much of it is too nice to use as wrapping, which is what I do w/most of it. ANYways, there were all these little bits that plague me b/c they're always there and in the way, but I can never get myself to throw out. So instead of finishing up and going back to making my new studio fit for human occupation, I found myself slapping a bunch of little collage tags together out of all the little bits. A bunch of them went on the outsides of the packs I was making. Here's the rest, scanned on a book board, which I also have a bunch of. One of the things that were plaguing me were these elaborate letter rub-ons, so I just slapped them on! I had glue all over myself, just sticking things wherever they landed, just to finally be rid of them. I know I have more little baggies w/bits I can't toss. Maybe I'll make more. NO! Must organize and get going on a million projects waiting to burst out of my mind and into being!
Any of you gals want a pack of ephemera? I have a stack of National Geographics from 1980 w/glorious pictures, I have maps and dead gorgeous antique book boards. I have wallpaper samples from Germany. I have a stack of joss papers and gorgeous chinese posters of those calligraphy paintings. I have decorative papers from paper source. A bunch of currency from occupied Asia in WWII... I have an entire ledger book, mostly blank. It's glorious... Illustrations from children's books...
I'm just thinking if I sell them in collage packs if it would even be worth the bother. You have to take all these great pictures, then sell the thing for... well, I don't know for what. But then I'd have to muddy up my shop w/supplies...
Well, tell me if you want them. You. Out there. Whoever you are.

4 comments:

stregata said...: It sounds and looks yummy. How about a second shop?....; 7/20/10, 3:52 AM
Unknown said...: I also have my own endless stash of scraps, but who doesn't want more...!; 7/20/10, 7:14 AM
TesoriTrovati said...: I do have a thing for ephemera. Bought a pack on eBay some time ago with all these German cigarette trading cards, playing cards, vintage European movie star trading cards, and even cigar labels. Got them from an old gent who was so very sweet and had a lifetime collection of the stuff. He was slowing down and suffering from Parkinson's but we had some nice chats about it all. I would definitely be interested...
Enjoy the day!
Erin; 7/20/10, 11:26 AM
Venus Soberanes said...: I would be interested too, since I do collage...; 7/20/10, 1:33 PM