fanciful devices: A little feedback to feed the ego...

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.

8/13/10

A little feedback to feed the ego...

The lovely Ms. SacredCake, who is published not only in the current issue of Somerset Life, but also in this season's Artful Blogging, sent me a convo the other day:

All I could say when I opened my package was Oh. My. God.

Fanci, the necklace is incredible! I adore it beyond adoration....

I am totally "over the moon" about it..... I even took a video of opening it!

This is by far the most incredible treasure.....I'm sending my husband your way for Christmas. Seriously.

Love and Light,

Cake

That's right. A video. But also included was a picture of her modeling it w/the earrings:

Check out the hotness! Which leads me to the only possible conclusion: my jewelry makes people look hot.

So I answered:

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so happy!!!

btw- you look hot in that picture! did you change your hair color? i like, i like.

also-- you took *video* of yourself opening it??!!! I'm sitting in the computer lab at work smiling blushing and squirming in my chair. (also, whenever i read feedback of any kind, i always have this subconscious panic attack that someone's gonna say, like, they opened it up and there was a big pile of diarrhea inside. Or it exploded into a million pieces or it was covered in dog hair AND exploded AND it was a pile of diarrhea.)

OK, you best upload that video so i can show my entire family. lol.

Also, thanks for the gesture, but i'm not sure what i'm supposed to do w/your husband. i'm thinking: is he hot? can he clean? am i supposed to send her MY husband in exchange?

Did have me giggling my ass off, though.

xoxo

fanciful

(Ok, the wrapping looks like old newspapers, but the package was pretty on the outside.)

Even more of an honor because SacredCake is a fellow jewelry designer. Aside from that, some makes the loveliest found object photo displays out of the unlikeliest of things, which is what her 4-page (!) article in Somerset Life was about:

Be My Love...a Grate Expectations photograph display piece

Home, vintage assemblage printer's block display pieces

Periwinkle, as seen in Somerset Life, vintage assemblage photograph display holders by Jennifer Valentine on Etsy

As seen in Somerset Life Magazine, Sweet Nostalgia Oil Can Photograph displays

From the top: a cheese grater, printing blocks, a salt shaker, oil cans. Makes me wish I had pictures to display and no frames.

She also has a beautiful blog, full of intensely heartfelt writing. Go check her out.

6 comments:

Spirited Earth said...: this is soo cool, and i am laughing..too funny and wonderful ..; 8/13/10, 12:05 PM
TesoriTrovati said...: That is so awesome! Congratulations and well-deserved I might add. Your necklace is beautiful!
Enjoy the day!
Erin; 8/13/10, 12:27 PM
Emerald Window said...: The necklace is Fabulous. No wonder she was so happy.
Cenya; 8/13/10, 10:04 PM
stregata said...: So great to get feedback of that kind - congratulations!; 8/13/10, 11:53 PM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: I feel like such a goddess when I wear that necklace...thanks again Fanci! And thank you for the glorious compliments about my work!
Oh and yes, I feel pretty hot...pretty damn hot. It isn't every day one can wear such amazing, true ART.; 8/14/10, 2:04 AM
steufel said...: What a great reaction. And she really looks hot!; 8/14/10, 7:25 AM