fanciful devices: Days of Unexpected Productivity

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.

1/22/11

Days of Unexpected Productivity

Days of Ill Omen.
Days of Ill Omen. Antique Assemblage Choker.

Etheromaniac.

Boustrophedonic. Boustrophedonic. Religious Medal Token and Czech Glass Leaves.

Haruspex.

Holometabola. Vitis Vinifera. Antique Jet Stones Czech Glass and Grapes.

Vitis Vinifera.
Sitting here just as PMSed as can be, and still able to etsy-function. Now, if I had to get dressed and go be productive in the real world, I might just cry. But here in happyprettyland I am Queen of the Magical Realm.

7 comments:

Regina said...: Your designs take my breath away and improve my vocabulary! Love it!; 1/22/11, 5:58 PM
jamberry_song said...: Gorgeous! I love the darkness and the earthy, dug-out-of-an-old-chest feel these pieces have. Lovely, lovely.; 1/22/11, 8:33 PM
stregata said...: Still loving that old domino...
and the Vitis vinifera is fantastic.
Also, I am going to have to have a dictionary and a book of Latin near the computer when I visit you - I am feeling so under-educated...; 1/23/11, 12:36 AM
fanciful devices said...: Thanks you guys! I just found these words googling 'strange words' and picking some I like. Really. Or I looked up butterfly on wikipedia to find a some neat nomenclature. <--That was a fancy word I actually do know, but proly spelled wrong.
Just telling you b/c I've gotten convos where people are all intimidated by my brainy listing descriptions. Also, the word definitions are available upon clicking the links.
And once I'm done posting, I forget the words immediately, too.; 1/23/11, 1:34 AM
Malin de Koning said...: Looooove the ring!
And the earrings too.
All very nice!; 1/23/11, 12:38 PM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: only YOU would think of an amazing ring like that! LOVE it my dear.
Your christmas gift has now grown to epic proportions and it is now a Valentine's gift.
I can hardly wait to send it!
LOVE the butterfly earrings also...and your brainiacedness.; 1/23/11, 2:54 PM
romantic decay said...: It's good to be the queen; 1/24/11, 8:54 AM