fanciful devices: 3 things

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.

11/12/10

3 things

Feels like years since I posted new things. TGIF, yo.

Funiculus.
Winter Absence. Grungy White Assemblage Bracelet.

Winter Absence.
You Spread the Nighttime. Sterling and Tin Slice Earrings.

Thaumaturge- A Worker of Marvels.

11 comments:

stregata said...: Your tat - wow!!!
Your jewelry - marvellous.
The earrings are a the work of a thaumaturge. The bracelet is fantastic - love the pale colours.; 11/13/10, 12:41 AM
~Debi said...: Great stuff as always. I really like the Funiculus earrings. :); 11/13/10, 2:13 AM
Mary Harding said...: These are great pieces. Enjoyed the pic of your tat. Quite an expressive one. I like the pale colors of the bracelet too.; 11/13/10, 3:13 AM
Linda said...: Better late than never, right? Sorry to have missed the unveiling. I absolutely love the tat! More than that, I love seeing your face.; 11/13/10, 4:29 PM
Pretty Things said...: The last pair of earrings -- fav!; 11/13/10, 8:14 PM
fanciful devices said...: oh I'm so glad you guys liked the Thaumaturge earrings, they were a real experiment for me. thank you all for your sweet and super encouraging comments. where would i be w/o y'all?; 11/14/10, 12:19 AM
Spirited Earth said...: love all these..the last earrings have such wonderful color.
you did fabulous things with the angel and connector beads..your style suits them well.; 11/14/10, 1:27 AM
Malin de Koning said...: All amazing!; 11/14/10, 4:30 PM
MiddleEarthsJewels said...: oohh..I used to think I was reasonably good at what I do until I found your wondrous creations..humbling.
Love ambling around your shop..must make a wishlist for Santa..:); 11/17/10, 5:32 AM
Angel Whisperer said...: You create the most gorgeous stuff !; 11/21/10, 1:34 AM
fanciful devices said...: aw, thanks guys! and welcome brigitta and middle earth- yay new blog buddies!; 11/25/10, 11:20 PM