fanciful devices: Eye Candy and Whines

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.

3/9/11

Eye Candy and Whines

Collections of trade cards,

many in this amazing style called 'Gaslight',

'wrong sided' label envelopes,

photographic backs,

extreme typography

accidental works of art

And other odds and ends

All this and much more can be found at Sheaff Ephemera, a site I found via Cafe Cartolina ages ago. I find these collections to be frustratingly beautiful, since you can't really do anything with them but ogle. At least beautiful jewelry I can look and consider if there's any ideas there I'd like to try out. Beautiful clothes I can wonder if I'd wear it, beautiful nick knacks I can wonder if I could slap 'em on a necklace. Here, all I can think is, "Those should be posters," and then I sit there all frustrated not knowing what to do about that since he emphasises how very copyrighted they all are. Though how is that possible when he didn't make them himself? I'd ask but his emphasis on their copyright makes me feel like he's gonna yell at me. And I'm so beyond PMSed and sorta sick since my hands aren't letting me sleep that I couldn't handle some strange man yelling at me.

I'm seeing my hand surgeon tomorrow and by now every time I'm in pain I think about how he said to call him when it hurts again but then didn't give me an appointment til 3 weeks after I called. And it was only a 'consultation' at that. And the reason to wait til it hurt was in part because he loves this moment of amazement when the patients feel instant relief and are awed at his prowess with a laser scalpel or whatever he uses. I can tell you ahead of time that I'm not going to be awed by anything. I'm waaaay too pissed for awe. I can't even wrap up packages right now. Looking at etsy just hurts. Looking at my supplies hurts. I've read all my books and the ones my mom has are the book equivalent of Lifetime Television for Women.

On the upside the night before last Mr. Husband went out at midnight to get me Americone Dream and Chocolate Brownie Fudge. I know! And it did help, temporarily. And today we had Indian buffet. But I feel like we were in and out of there way to fast for me to get any solace from the yumminess....

OK, I can't stand my own whininess now.

8 comments:

Gardanne said...: Your doctor should operate after pain but before pissed. They should have covered that in med school.
Thank you for all the great resources, JanJewels is now a regular on my paypal account.; 3/9/11, 5:35 PM
jamberry_song said...: I love your blog. It's always an insightful adventure to wander here...; 3/9/11, 5:38 PM
Regina said...: I hope you find relief tomorrow.; 3/9/11, 6:33 PM
stregata said...: Hoping your doc will do something to relieve the pain - because otherwise, I am afraid you will be causing him pain...; 3/10/11, 1:23 AM
Chelsea (TangoPig) said...: Augh, I'm so sorry about the hand troubles. I marvel at how frustrating it must be; I used to have tendonitis issues in high school and I spent all my time whining at the sports therapist to "Make it better!" And I wasn't even doing jewelry yet. Hope blogging is a comfort!; 3/11/11, 7:15 AM
Unknown said...: I love the trade cards, but how does he own copyrights on images that are over 100 years old and in public domain? I'll ask for you, Fancy, I love when people get mad at me, it makes me giggle.

I am really feeling for your poor hands. I am believing in complete healing for you.; 3/15/11, 8:17 AM
Anonymous said...: Images that are in the public domaine (and if over 100 years old are pretty safe to say are)can't be copyrighted again, but his photo of them can and/or if he's changed them somehow. If he's used them in creating a new image of his own design or something like that, okay. But you can't say, 'I've found it now it's mine.' For example a photo of Michelangelo's David - you can't copyright the image of David, but you can copyright your own photo. Hope you get some lasting relief soon, that hand sounds painful.; 3/16/11, 3:18 PM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: Thinking of you my dear friend...
Healing thoughts and lots of love and light to you during this frustrating time.
xoxox; 3/17/11, 2:16 AM