fanciful devices: Crash

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.

1/11/13

Crash

So I was clicking away, feeling quite happy with myself for making progress on the photoing...

As I shifted my crap around I felt something start to tilt over.

I watch in slow-mo as my fancy new lamp falls from the little coffee table directly to the floor.

It manages to turn big-expensive-lightbulb-side-down in the millisecond it took to fall.

The weird compact fluorescent bulb shatters into a zillion bits. Tiny shards go everywhere.

These are the pictures I was able to get before that.

Then the rest of my day was me trying to get myself to clean that up. But while I was procrastinating that, I managed to make a buncha jewelry!

Someday I might take the rest of the photos of these item and list them but til then, I gotta go to ebay to shop for some lightbulbs...
UPDATE:

I took advantage of some minimal light available today and may have been able to take some more pix... I dunno...

Here's an amethyst (hubs: "What's an amberfist?") that I affixed to a base with... plumber's epoxy! Then tinted with alcohol inks in the 'lights' variety. Really all I have of alcohol inks are a bottle of black and this set:

Called "woodlands".

Another mercury glass.

The paper with the girl has a bit of interference film behind it, folded to form rays.

An old bookmark, curved to make a bracelet, paired with some amazing beads happyfallout just sent out of the blue.

She also sent most of the ones in this necklace.

Guess what? the square ones are modeled after wombat poops!!! They were unglazed clay, so I rubbed them with some dirty wax paste and now they have that awesome matte finish.

I make these rudraksha beads look aged with my alcohol inks. You'll have noticed I'm all about this recycled cotton thread yarn lately. It's really soft and has all kinds of variations and I lurves it. Also? Those binoculars? You can see a different antique nudie pic in each little eye-hole. No, I didn't do that, they came that way. Squeee...

Remember this broken guy?

I am myself kinda stunned to say I fixed it! With? Plumber's epoxy! Which is basically the same thing as epoxy clay but cheaper and a nice neutral grey.

I textured the outside bit to meld into the rock, didn't even color it or nothing. I mean, it's not impeccable but it's pretty good.

As well as the inside, which you can hardly see. Then re-leafed and ta-fucking-da. Sometimes the gods smile down upon us.

Finally, this guy which I need much much better pictures of.

A section of paper, resined, leafed, affixed with prongs to tin.

It's actually from the decorative sections of alchemy paintings.

Closed with a big ass one of those vintage sewing hook-y thingamas.

And that is all for now ladies. Turned out to be a not-insignificant batch.

16 comments:

Juliette said...: ai yi yi, I need to get rich quick because I want the first three necklaces, please. Especially the third one.

So sorry about the bulb! Hope you get a replacement somewhat inexpensively.

I love the clasp you put on the last piece, I forged some of those for a steel necklace I made and didn't realize what they looked like until someone who knew how to sew said that's what they looked like. Now I think I should get some to play with!; 1/11/13, 5:33 PM
Juliette said...: no wait, it's' the SECOND necklace I want. I just have to get rich, and pay off my car and all first. Ugh. Ha!; 1/11/13, 5:34 PM
Laura said...: When are these going up? Loveeee the blue dangly one!; 1/11/13, 8:39 PM
Tribalis said...: hey woman, this is a sequence of the most beautiful necklaces that you ever made! Oh! My Gosh!...

I can imagine the scene of the bulb.. you could draw your face's expression watching the bulb falling down in slow motion..he,he...; 1/12/13, 1:47 AM
Sandra said...: Imma go send my new phone right back so I've got the monies for your jewelry ... I wish. Unfortunately I really need that new phone. *heavy sigh*

I hope you took care cleaning up and let in some fresh air? Because, last I looked, those bulbs still contained mercury. And, when you go buy a new one, don't fall into the same trap as I did, don't go straight for the cheapest choice even if it does say "natural daylight". You've got to look for the lumen (lm) as well, because that says how BRIGHT that bulb is gonna be. Of course, you probably knew that already ...; 1/12/13, 5:05 AM
Jiorji said...: yeah the long dangly one..the last one is deliciousness!! and the ring....so neat!

i love your use of those druzy rock things. I love them so much. they're so shiny and neat but i can't get my head around how i would use them myself.

and i just noticed you put the cord into the key step. UGH!!! you DESERVE to teach a class!
by the way...did you tell your mom you kinda got a real job?? heheh

those lucky bastards are in for a treat and i'm jealous of all of them :(; 1/12/13, 9:44 AM
Unknown said...: Oh no, Juliette and I are in love with the same necklace...it's going to be sold for sure. And I totally agree with the last bracelet. That clasp is shear genius. Nice batch of work. Hey, watch out for those shards - or pick them up and encase them in deep resin and turn it into some focal piece with a great name.; 1/12/13, 9:45 AM
Kathy Barrick said...: QUITE not-insignificant!! Love it all, as always. Vacuum up those glass shards before they end up in your feet!; 1/12/13, 10:24 AM
Numinosity said...: Hot damn, this is an amazing chockablock full post of stuff in which I am filled with admiration. ( grammar police are watching me)
Make sure you check out my next post which will feature my most recent haul from the Sea of Cortez...worm tube exoskeletons,, theengs that will make you go squeee!; 1/12/13, 11:05 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: Lordy.lordy. Lord. Lord. Lord.
Kind of like saying "oh my God!" But there is no sex involved...
Girl you can make some seriously gorgeous stuff.
It's eye sex. That's what it is.
Eye sex.; 1/12/13, 12:02 PM
Laura said...: Oh my GOSH! I wanted that girl glass one and waited all freakin day and it's reserved. I'm stomping my feet. Is the blue one reserved too? humph.; 1/12/13, 3:15 PM
Flotsam Tide said...: Yowza, my heart is doing the squeezy thing looking at all this awesomeness. The higher love necklace is pure perfection I ADORE it! Also the detailing you did with the alcohol inks on the ring... is not only crafty genius but looks really neat. A sprouted crystal. xo!; 1/12/13, 5:10 PM
Spirited Earth said...: i love that cuff..sorry about your lighting disaster..i've spent the better part of today trying to sort out my bead/work room..doesn't look much different to me.
you have discovered the wonder material..plumbers epoxy..i've used it for years..shhhh..on all manner of things..a good roll of duct tape, some wire and Plumbers epoxy and you can fix anything.; 1/12/13, 6:30 PM
Claire Maunsell said...: Could not live without plumber's epoxy OR alcohol ink...I have a sad addiction to alcohol ink pens...
And for your stuff, just yum....; 1/12/13, 9:48 PM
Penelope said...: Oh that's all for now she says, like she hasn't just laid out a BANQUET OF INSANE. I got a picnic of amazing here, all that colour and tribal and every single thing has a connection or link or little theeng that you're like 'i would never think of that'. You're SO good at the fresh.; 1/13/13, 10:22 AM
Cate said...: What the first commenter said! Love everything here.; 1/19/13, 7:25 PM