fanciful devices: Makin' Machine!

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.

11/4/10

Makin' Machine!

2 bracelets and some earrings:

Instead of resting as I should have, I ended up making all day. Big surprise, I know.

But loooooook! Neat stuuuuf! So what if I'm feeling like a big sack of shit?

Brooches:

I always overdo it when I start to feel better, and then I remiss. As in remission. Though that instantly makes me think of cancer and I don't even have a cold. I'm just wore out, as my Southern hubsicle would say.

Gotta admit, it's a whole lotta stuff.

These are all in my recent simpler style. One thing about simple, it sure is a lot faster.

Maybe it just feels faster.

Oh! Did I tell y'all? I talked to my boss and it's official: after new year's I'll be working half as much as now. I think we all know what that means. Oh yeah baby! I'll be hermeted away at home, busy and happy in my own little world. OUR world, a world of beauty and joy and the internet. (Where the horrific things my students describe happening in Mexico never happen.)

10 comments:

Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: When I scrolled down and saw the praying hands necklace I found that I was holding my breath. I mean, it actually took my breath away. I adore the bracelets too! That Scotty dog looks a little familiar.....
xoxox; 11/4/10, 4:47 AM
Lorelei Eurto said...: ooooh love love the bracelets!! I love it with you bring in a little more femininity into your designs- maybe it's the buttons, or the colors.
delish!!; 11/4/10, 5:09 AM
Malin de Koning said...: What can I say? Soooooooooooo incredibly wonderful things! Wow wow wow wow! Gosh you make such nice things. So inspiring and fun and interesting and special and unique and so you.; 11/4/10, 8:51 AM
stregata said...: Oh my goodness - so this is how you get well?
The bracelets are just downright gorgeous (especially the one with the mother of pearl button - I adore mother of pearl buttons...) but I also love the last necklace - so unusual!
We all know now what you will be doing after new year's - and we will be sitting breathlessly in front of our computer respectively, swooning and swooning and swooning...; 11/4/10, 9:52 AM
Spirited Earth said...: wowza wow..these are amazing..i love them all..
this new "Keep it simple" style is workin' for you..
plus your photos are great..
the shots you took of my beads made me realize my photos need a lot of work..
congrats on cutting your hours..; 11/4/10, 10:28 AM
fanciful devices said...: aw, thanks guys!
wow, these sure got a reaction right away!
that's interesting what you said lorelei cuz i didnt think these were particularly feminine. So, hu. gotta think about that one. They do have a little 'cute' to them, maybe that's it.
im so glad you guys liked these! yay, happy start to my day!; 11/4/10, 11:44 AM
~Debi said...: All great thangs! I like the praying hands the bestest. Keep it going girly!

Coolness on getting to cut back to half the hours. More time for making rockin' stuff as you do so well. ;); 11/4/10, 12:55 PM
carol said...: OMG fanci!!?/
those bracelets are awesome..
love love love them..

and WOW
congrats to you. or should i say lucky you..
more time to tintelate your growing clan of
fanci-a-olics...

caRolS; 11/4/10, 5:55 PM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: OH YEAH!
I LOVE THE "Fanciholics" clan idea.
Precious.
Love you Fanci...
xox; 11/7/10, 1:40 PM
fanciful devices said...: HAHA- you guys are too funny.; 11/10/10, 6:21 PM