fanciful devices: Recent Faves

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.

1/26/11

Recent Faves

I've been obsessed with cotton pearls.

vintage cotton pearls - 2 pieces - large 14mm x 22mm size - beautiful, teardrop, lightweight, wedding

here

Vintage Japan - RARE - Cotton Pearls - Teardrop 22 x 13 - CP17

here
Revisiting an old fixation on vintage strawberry pincushions.
Vintage Style Handmade Velvet Strawberries.....Sampler set of 6

here

Pincushion, Handmade, Victorian Inspired, Hat Pins and Brooch Holder or Unique Christmas tree

here

here
And enjoying the eye candy of so many etsians.
Spiky orb bracelet

eyefun

Laburnum earrings - Belle epoque - earrings

LeeOhio

jennifermorrisbeads

An Assemblage to Wear -- The Ocean

readbetweenlines Over Bite Teeth Ring Made With Vintage Fake Teeth Garnet Onyx

dolldisasterdesign
As well as weird old things that cross my path.
2 Vintage Millinery Flowers

here

Four Vintage Assorted Shoe Gumball Machine Prize Charms

here
And even things that have nothing to do with jewelry if you can believe it. Bus illustration print

treasurefrey Advice from a Robin...

theaterclouds
And things I can't even explain.

thecattsuglybabies

2 comments:

Anonymous said...: Interesting stuff! I hope you do something with the strawberries again. I think the first piece of yours I ever admired was a necklace with a strawberry on it, and someone else bought it before I was able to.; 1/26/11, 10:41 AM
stregata said...: So much eye candy - yum! Thanks for sharing these. I'm going to have to take a closer look at those strawberries...; 1/27/11, 1:10 AM