fanciful devices: Stuuuuuuf!

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.

7/9/12

Stuuuuuuf!

Our Love of Emptiness. Urban Primitive Rustic Choker with Pyrite Cube and Tribal Bell.

Our Love of Emptiness.
I showed you this in that awful scanner image.
Our Love of Emptiness. Urban Primitive Rustic Choker with Pyrite Cube and Tribal Bell.

But as you can see, the bulkiness can't be contained by scannage. Our Love of Emptiness. Urban Primitive Rustic Choker with Pyrite Cube and Tribal Bell.

Praise.
And remember I said about a necklace without a focal? This is it.

Praise. Primitive Rustic Choker with Raku, Garnet, Horn Chunky Beads.

Tossed a bunch of homeless chunkies on a chain... Then undid them and re-strung... then undid them again because the balance wasn't quite right... lather rinse repeat ad infinitum...

The Marys. Ceramic and Religious Medal Dangles

The Marys. Ceramic and Religious Medal Dangles

The Marys.
Feel like it's been forever since earrings. I'm not sure if I'm OK with the medals being rectangular.
Maybe they could make a rectangular impact some other where... or not.

The Marys. Ceramic and Religious Medal Dangles

Oh- jenna, just do an etsy search for zombie mini print set.

Sugar Candy Kingdom. Antique Whistle Toys in Bright Colorful Hoops.

Sugar Candy Kingdom.
Tell me these don't make you smile. Only the yellow one whistles, in keeping with its astringent yellow nature.

Sugar Candy Kingdom. Antique Whistle Toys in Bright Colorful Hoops.

Bone to Stone. Victorian Tribal Assemblage Pendant in Ivory White.

Bone to Stone.
Here's another piece with a central bit from my toy haul. Cellulose. Looks vaguely Asian.

Bone to Stone. Victorian Tribal Assemblage Pendant in Ivory White.

And then a whole nuther buncha stuuuufs thrown on there. It sounds so fun when I say I throw or toss something on another thing, when in fact it's this whole slow process of trying everything out in every possible configuration, holding up to check the overall balance and visual weight, ad infinitum.

A Declaration of Love. Victorian Tribal Rustic Antique Bronze Hardware and Druzy Geode Slab.

A Declaration of Love. Victorian Tribal Rustic Antique Bronze Hardware and Druzy Geode Slab.

A Declaration of Love.
Oh, here's three simple pendants. Yay! Salvaged metal bit plus druzy geode slice equals I'm done! No infinitum!

A Declaration of Love. Victorian Tribal Rustic Antique Bronze Hardware and Druzy Geode Slab.

But I'mna make you look at two pictures of each anyways. A Flowering of Intentions. Victorian Tribal Rustic Antique Cut Button, Leaf and Druzy Geode Slab.

A Flowering of Intentions.

A Flowering of Intentions. Victorian Tribal Rustic Antique Cut Button, Leaf and Druzy Geode Slab.

Cuz I'm bombastic like that. The History of Time. Victorian Tribal Rustic Antique Bronze Hardware and Druzy Geode Slab.

The History of Time.
My new Pinteresting has me noticing how goddamn mutherfucking much stuff I've made. Which in turn has me feeling like my life is just a giant hamster wheel. And not even that giant.

The History of Time. Victorian Tribal Rustic Antique Bronze Hardware and Druzy Geode Slab.

Like I used to wonder about artists who could be so consistent in what they made over such a long time. Like, even wondered how they didn't get bored, some of them.

The Collector. Victorian Tribal Rustic Gypsy Choker.

The Collector. Victorian Tribal Rustic Gypsy Choker.

The Collector. Finally got these buggers up.
Point being- I've been obsessed with this Victorian Tribal whoo-ha for what feels like ages and I've accomplished the look repeatedly but so yeah well. What am I still doing?

The Ritualist. Victorian Tribal Rustic Gypsy Assemblage.

The Ritualist. Victorian Tribal Rustic Gypsy Assemblage.

The Ritualist.
Not that I'm complaining by any means. Any measure? Any millipede? So yeah, I'm not complaining by any millipede. It's a fun obsession to be stuck on.

The Deliverer. Victorian Tribal Rustic Gypsy Choker.

The Deliverer. Victorian Tribal Rustic Gypsy Choker.

The Deliverers.
So have you ever lost a listing?

Camera Obscura. Victorian Tribal Dome Compartment Choker with thick woven leather.

Camera Obscura.
I lost this one ages ago. So I listed it again. The end. (Goddamn I'm a good storyteller!)

9 comments:

Louise said...: Goddamn you ARE a good storyteller.

And a damn fine huntergatherermakerofstuuuuf.

Love it!; 7/10/12, 2:57 AM
Penelope said...: "I've been obsessed with this Victorian Tribal whoo-ha for what feels like ages and I've accomplished the look repeatedly but so yeah well. What am I still doing?"

Well that's what I'm on now, I think I've wanted to do this thing and now I can do it so good I do it good every time, so now I gotta find a new better thing to be good at. Evolve n stuff. Point is that up there that you said, that was what I thought a while back- it turned out to be the seed of doing what I'm doing now. Don't let the millipedes hold you back.

See- imma good stories too!; 7/10/12, 4:46 AM
Lorelei Eurto said...: I seriously don't know where you find some of this stuuuuf but I do love it. Everything is so interesting and fabulous to look at! Love the last necklace in your post.; 7/10/12, 6:58 AM
Alice said...: I love stuff. Especially your stuff. Never get tired of seeing it.; 7/10/12, 7:10 AM
Flotsam Tide said...: Sugar Candy Kingdom definitely makes me smile, those little babies are awesome, and I love the sweet beading on the hoops. Your colorful pieces are just so wonderful.; 7/10/12, 11:08 AM
Numinosity said...: Seeing what you did with those whimsical little crazy pieces just makes me grin right here right now.
You have such a gift for putting it together and I'm grateful for your obsession.
I haven't been doing the tribal thing for very long, people are making comments that have been seeing my work for years. Your name does seem to come up in that conversation often! You and a few others.; 7/10/12, 12:53 PM
Beatnheart said...: well i haven’t done anything for very long like since january when i first met you and got obsessed right along wit the rest of your mob now i’m obsessing over your obsessed so i guess as the popular expression goes its all good...whatever its paying for my bead lust.; 7/10/12, 2:17 PM
Juliette said...: Works for me, chica!

And thanks for the earrings, I'll wear them Sunday for my big meeting with Open Studios Guy.

xoxo Juliette; 7/10/12, 5:36 PM
Katie said...: so happy to find your blog---and your shop. love the jewelry. Must come back and actually read,too. ha!; 7/16/12, 10:12 PM