fanciful devices: Golden Goldies

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.

1/2/11

Golden Goldies

Soul Eater. Jawbone and Figa Assemblage.

Ever been making stuff with a whole plan in place, stuff to do, things you intend, then just find yourself making something completely else? I've had all these pieces in the works. Suddenly find myself having made all these golden things with pearls and rhinestones and pretty buttons.

Soul Eater.

So yeah, I grunged 'em up and added a muskrat jawbone just so that I didn't feel like I'd gone totally off the glitter-barbie-rainbows deep end. Still. Odd. Odd to make things that you feel aren't quite 'you'. Cuz they are nice necklaces, I dunno. My mom was loving them and she does not like my stuff.

Thaumaturge.

And I was looking around fashiony pages on the internet- girls sure are girlie! That's my revelation. I'm just weird I guess. I bite my toenails, I've worn the same outfit for the last 4 days (I know, I'm nasty). And yet this is the normalest I've ever been. And happiest! Thaumaturge- A Worker of Marvels. Assemblage Lariat.

9 comments:

Spirited Earth said...: well i like em too..
hey perhaps you're just showing your range...you've been breakig out with colors for some time now..these are all wonderful pieces..
but pssst..i don't think barbie would wear em. ;-); 1/2/11, 5:28 PM
Anonymous said...: LOL, I agree with Spirited Earth, I don't think Barbie would wear ur stuff, it's too cool!

On another note, how do you store your WIP or completed jewels? I have quite a few things of yours and I don't think a traditional jewelry box will do the job. I read somewhere that someone uses a canvas to "store" jewelry (punches a hole through canvas for earrings, and other things) OR, maybe a good old fashioned string tied horizontally from one to another might be thing...Please share ideas...Thanks!; 1/2/11, 5:48 PM
Anonymous said...: i should proofread my stuff more often; 1/2/11, 5:49 PM
fanciful devices said...: well, anonymous, i focus my creative energy on making them, so I dont have a lot of fancy storage going on. But, yeah, you can get a cheap frame from ikea, pull some fabric over the cardboard insert, poke thumbtacks and hang anything from said tacks. this can also work w/garage sale art, fleamarket finds. also there are these u-pins that you can poke through anything and they're especially made to keen jewelry up: http://www.etsy.com/listing/61839795/jewelry-display-u-pins-silver-tone-200?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=u+pins&ga_search_type=supplies&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=supplies; 1/2/11, 7:27 PM
Anonymous said...: thanks fanci! ur IKEA reference reminded me I also need a dresser (it's time to grow up from my cardboard and crate set up); 1/2/11, 7:52 PM
stregata said...: You are using some different components - but I think these necklaces (that are gorgeous) are still completely you.; 1/2/11, 11:47 PM
Mary Harding said...: Great necklace. Love the components and color.; 1/3/11, 12:45 AM
Anonymous said...: I like the new pieces. They still have your style even though they are a bit more "delicate". And for Anonymous - I hang my jewelry on the branches of some little metal trees I bought from Urban Outfitters a few years ago. I think they still have them for sale.; 1/3/11, 12:52 AM
~Debi said...: Love the new pieces. You find the coolest objects to work with. I mean a muskrat jawbone? Where do you find things like that?; 1/3/11, 7:42 PM