fanciful devices: PICTURES!

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.

12/26/12

PICTURES!

So shipwreck gave me the brilliant idea of using the old papers I used to photograph on to combat the antiseptic photolights. It may have worked!

Here's some resin tarots with ruby jade faceted rondelles.

Here's some resin tarots with gold leaf kutchi studs.

Here's just some resins. Note the fancy ear wires.

If you look close you can see I embedded these golden particles that's actually fine embossing powder in gold.

Blingy tribal. I'm doing a happy dance about these functional pictures.

Look at these fancies! With tin, pyrite and leaf. Again, continuing the fancy ear finding theme.

Tourmaline, old shanks, fancy lampwork and fancy ear wires.

Here's a Cosmic Victorian Tribal piece with more body piercing jewelry.

Some of these papers got dirty when I put all my freshly made stuff on them and rust and crap would come off, and I was sick of spending time cleaning the background in photoshop. So a lot of the grimy bits I just left. Though I did still clean them up a bit. Still, way worth it. Oh and I found this piece that the listing just disappeared on me somehow:

Now I wonder if I took the listing down intending to fix the broken bit on that geode... But it's not like I have the piece I can glue back on or nuthin.

Oh I also made a ring! That's a labret- a lip pierce stud. Now we do the pleased-with-ourselves dance. I had to find elements of just the right height though, is the flaw with this set-up. Maybe I can try hammering the next labret stud to make it taller.

And now you get a buncha pix of the same thing because because because I wanna make sure you can see the faux mercury glass effect I got going.

Can ya see can ya see?

This is mounted on folded finding but I have a series of these coming up all folded tin.

Yeah, folded tin like my tute! And as I made them I was like, "This IS a good idea. What a clever tute I'm selling." Cuz I'd sorta forgotten about it. Good thing it wasn't otherwise.

Check out the cute tiny clasp:

What else? I added copery gold leaf to scorpionweiner cuff:

Anyways, that's all. Thanks for putting up with the self-indulgent multiple images.

11 comments:

Juliette said...: Hey beautiful! Are those first Tarot resin pieces going to be for sale? I must have them!!! Please, can we discuss?

xoxo Juliette; 12/26/12, 7:43 PM
willowstudio said...: The ring rocks, very successful!
j; 12/26/12, 8:40 PM
Anonymous said...: The new photos are SO much better! Now your pieces look much more friendly than they did with the blue light. I love the Asian lady necklace, and would like to buy it if not already claimed. See my convo to you on Etsy regarding it. Thanks!; 12/26/12, 8:42 PM
Penelope said...: Okay I'm just gunna stop making jewelry altogether, cause you're making me feel boring and retarded over here. That faux mercury is AMAYZUN. And all the pretty colours, and techniques I never woulda thunk of... ugh. Also yeah I totally forget half the ideas I come up with, I have to regularly go back through my sold listings and steal my own ideas.; 12/26/12, 8:52 PM
Flotsam Tide said...: I love how you are selling things directly off of your blog posts to friends, and so you can circumvent the whole listing process.... although reading your listings is part of the fun too. Ok, those fancy pretty earrings make my heart do a squeezy thing in my chest. I am late to the party and catching up but thank you for the pinterest board mentions, it's funny because I go and look at your pinterest boards for all the prettties!!!! (you really should install a button link on here to them). Thanks for the Saint Nicholas info.. he looks great depicted in that Orthodox greek style. <3; 12/26/12, 10:18 PM
betweenreader said...: I seriously covet each of these and even more that wild wide open streak of whatever it is that gets you where you go with your materials. Gadz, faux mercury glass! nom nom nom; 12/26/12, 11:55 PM
Tribalis said...: gorgeous, all them, including the photos,perfect light!; 12/27/12, 12:33 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: (wide eyed staring face with a bit of drool from the corner of gaping open mouth)
That is all.; 12/28/12, 12:25 PM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: (wide eyed staring face with a bit of drool from the corner of gaping open mouth)
That is all.; 12/28/12, 12:29 PM
HundredColors: Art, Design and Photography by Sumi said...: Hi

The First pic in this page - The tubular pendant - is also used in many parts of my country - India, almost for the same purpose - a symbol of protection. It is known by many names depending to the state in which it is used. In southern parts it is called 'Elassu' and in some northern states it is called 'Thaveez', especially if it is used by Muslims, and if used by Hindus it is called the 'Raksha' - means one which saves or protects. Mantras are written onto either palm leaf or copper sheets, filled with a sacred ash -powder called 'Vibhoothi' and sealed off with caps on either sides.. It is worn on neck, wrist, arm or even on the waist.; 1/2/13, 2:50 PM
Benjamin Jones said...: IndianBeauty
Indianface
HotVideos
VideoGallery
ImageGallery
HotProfilePicture; 12/13/21, 3:40 AM