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.

12/14/12

Juliette, if you think I'd care enough about hair to lie about it, then you haven't truly been staking me at all! :-(

In these pix you can really see my big ol' potato nose. And here you go Flotsom, me being my goofy version of punk or something----->>

taralinda, fishing spoons:

Jiorji, the pink in my necklace isn't because I got sun, the photograph was able to be taken because there was sun. And patty, I didn't get him to go- my husband decided to go with me to the gemshow all on his own! I know.

10 comments:

Beatnheart said...: Phew!,, no comments... You rendered us speechless for like the first time ever.; 12/14/12, 9:39 PM
Flotsam Tide said...: Just as I thought.. you are adorable... thx for the pics and for sharing... this is the first thing that has made me smile all day. <3; 12/14/12, 10:34 PM
StaroftheEast said...: Oh dear...; 12/15/12, 2:51 AM
Lucie Tales said...: Bravo to the new hair cut!!!; 12/15/12, 6:49 AM
Penelope said...: You need to get some hair jizz and put that little bit in front into a tiny pompadore, like some kind of new romantic. Oh wiat, that would count as grooming though, that's probably too much effort.

I wish I had hair courage like you. Mine is half way down my back again, and the longer it gets the harder it is to cut it! Some times I wish I could make the effort to put it into a beehive, I fuckin' love behives.; 12/15/12, 7:52 AM
martinisfor2 said...: Your hair looks great! I've done that twice myself, but shorter on top.

Loved the burst of color in your latest jewels and the gold foil.

Bead show....mmmmmm.... four more weeks to go....in withdrawal.

Please send the sun back to Florida.........; 12/15/12, 9:51 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: I so love the hair! I've dyed mine red and opting for bedhead more and more...it is perfect with my fanciful earrings!
I agree that you just need a tad of that bedhead paste and mess it a bit...perfect!!
You rock that hair!
And your nose is not potato ish at all.
It's cute. And so are you!
Big big love to you fanci...xox; 12/15/12, 10:30 PM
Anonymous said...: Wheeeee-hoo! Punk-a-licious! LOVE it. ;); 12/16/12, 1:23 AM
Tribalis said...: are you going to make some jewelry with the leftovers? :)
After 3 or 4 days crying since the tragedy on Friday, just you to make me think about something funny..; 12/19/12, 12:01 AM
betweenreader said...: I think I'll run over to Rudi's (local tonsorial emporium) and yell, buzz it one inch!

Could we have follow up pix of the grow-out?

Now for more jewels . . .; 12/20/12, 2:49 PM