fanciful devices

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.

11/8/11

Here's the last neutral bangle stack in a while.

Next several will be colorful, seeing as I seem to have made about a million of them.

OK, Kathy, how about this: I will let you reserve a set if it's something you see on the blog before it's listed.

Cuz that's easy for me, and even keeps me from some of the ass-pains of listing. So I'll put up pictures before listing and you can tell me which you want. Or something. (...aaand insert smooth transition here....)

You guys! Do y'all know how much I love you all? How much joy I get anticipating comments and deciding what to post about?

This is my entire social, life, too. I never had friends who liked the stuff I like. So I'm just so thrilled with my travesty of a social life!

And I know I've missed a bunch of questions and stuff along the way. I totally treasure all the comments though, even if I seem to be ignoring them when I'm busy trying to post pix of the new stuff.

Any question I don't address, just ask again. As anyone who's ever asked me for something custom can attest, I respond best to pestering.

Recently I went back through a bunch of comments on my blogger comment page- it's amazing! How much love I get! It's redonk!

I wanna spread it around some more. Start a charity to share love with the unloved.

What else? Never know how to end these thing.

Ta-daaaaa!

(How's that?)

6 comments:

Numinosity said...: If I would have ro pick just one blog each day to read , yours would be the one... yes, more love... I said it...
You continually inspire and entertain me, yes you do!
BIG X oh X oh today for all those days I missed commenting.
Kim; 11/8/11, 7:06 PM
Janet aka Kathy said...: Awwww you're the best! See I'm assuming you were responding to me (Janet) about calling dibs or er reserving blog listings even tho you said that only Kathy could. I'm just gonna let my power of positive thinking convince me that you meant me! Btw, I don't care what you call me as long as I have a chance of buying some of your cool new stuff. I'm telling ya, you make it, you post it and swoosh, gone!!!! Man, that must feel amazing.
Kim is so right, your blog is fantastic. It's a bright spot. Lol funny. Now if you just had the time to blog every day...........:)
thank you for sharing your art, wit, humor and yourself with
all of us.; 11/8/11, 10:19 PM
stregata said...: I still can't believe that there was a time, not so very long ago, that you were talking mostly to yourself here. This is much better, don't you think?; 11/9/11, 12:11 AM
Petra Carpreau said...: Now then, I'll have another shot at this today.I tried and tried yesterday, but my posts just kept disappearing into the ether for some reason.
I can't believe my luck at finding your wonderful blogspot. It's been like discovering this other fantastical world. Like Narnia or somewhere! So THANK YOU, you gorgeous creature, for sharing yourself in such delicious style!
I've been inspired to finally get my arse in gear to sort out my own blog. Is it actually quite straightforward to figure out how to put things in where you want them, because I'm buggered if I can do it! You've made the fiendishly difficult look effortless on here. Are there some clues on blogspot for the truly retarded??!
Anyway - Oh God - your latest beauties - they're all absolutely stunning. It's bloody depressing you know! One person having so much talent is just obscene!
Your collars are just to die for - and all those bangles!! Oh, be still my palpitating, arrhythmic heart! Holy crap, it's like Exclamation City in this comment.I'm not alone in that though, because everyone seems to come on here for a gasp and a swoon! I can't wait for the next installment. You're helping to keep me out of the no sales gloomery.
Much love, Petra xx; 11/9/11, 9:19 AM
Anonymous said...: The bangles are so well cool! Don't know how you manage to get the balance right and how you've done the ones with memory wire. I hate memory wire, I don't know how to get that triple layed effect with memory wire cos evey time I've tried it mine flop about like a slinky on dope. I'll have to stick to one at a time. But I big thank you for the inspiration and sharing of tips. Cheers; 11/9/11, 11:30 AM
ruby said...: Oh, you really should do a book. Why?... because your stuff is so inventive and cool!
I have looked at many of the wire jewelry making books lately, as I am just getting started making some things, and there's not much interesting to look at... not much artfulness to inspire.
I think some of the more hip publishers would jump at the chance to offer you a book.
Thanks for sharing some of your techniques here.
Its very kind and generous of you.; 12/15/11, 6:23 PM