fanciful devices: In the works

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.

7/1/11

In the works

I've been wanting to try some beach stones for a while. I need to do something to balance the silver foil piece with the other colors- maybe a thin wash of pale gray acrylic paint?

The Mary and crazy bone buttons are from Uruguay and readbetween sent me that huge tooth. The ceramic beads are from gaia.

I got a neat belt from an etsy clothes shop to make into cuffs. I created the flat crimp end from a chunk of tobacco tin and I think I might add that cavalier musketeer and the gaia bead. I don't think it needs a lot since the leather weave is so intense- just a couple really dramatic things.

This is going to be a bracelet. The wire is going to be a series of scallops that reduce in number til I can connect it to something else in a balanced way. I think that something else will be a bird SacredCake gave me.

Oh here's the cuff from the tea tin.

And a bracelet with long dangles. In this picture you can see some cute shoe buttons.

In this one you can see the blue stone. Or blue goldstone I guess it's called. But interestingly, the bracelet itself used to look like this:

And measured a redonk 9 inches. The shop landandseatreasure treasure had 2 for sale for $3 and $4 which was not possible to pass up.

Well you can see I grunged it up and in this one I added pale, double-sided danglings with a hammered sterling hook.

More updates as developments unfold.

7 comments:

Pretty Things said...: I love coming here -- everything is so unique and inspiring. My work is absolutely nothing like yours yet I'm drawn completely to all you do. My mind is just SO not wired like yours is -- disappointedly so. But I digress!

Keep doing the beautiful things you do!; 7/1/11, 8:16 PM
Jackie said...: I'm glad I visited today, you are on an awesome roll!! You are so talented. I love every piece, like Pretty said above, your work is so inspiring.

...Jackie xo; 7/1/11, 11:40 PM
Christine Wallace said...: Hello,
I am such a fan!!! I love everything you do and love the way you "push the envelope". Keep on inspiring us!!!! Also, love your imaginary followers and wanted to let you know, your blog is soooo BEAUTIFUL!; 7/2/11, 12:43 AM
Penelope said...: Man I know you prolly just snapped it and moved on, but that pic where you're holding the cuff and all the bits are dangling down all crusty and coal black and gunky n toothy shaped...I about peed my pants.

I have to go make something.; 7/2/11, 4:31 AM
Gardanne said...: I'm with Pretty Things, I have no idea why I am so drawn to your pieces. There is a lot of jewelry out there that is made of repurposed jewelry, but yours still stands alone and is so unique.
I guess I am intrigued by your design process, I am not sure if this is something you can learn or you are just born with this talent.
If you ever figure it out and teach a class I will be first in line.; 7/2/11, 12:14 PM
Jackie said...: I will be the second in line!!

...Jackie xo; 7/2/11, 12:36 PM
Marin said...: Sooo purdy! I just don't get it. How do you work so quickly?! You and Sparrow and Salvage-- you ladies are always crankin it out! What is your secret? I can work on a piece for days and days...; 7/2/11, 2:27 PM