fanciful devices: Destash Baby

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.

1/6/13

Destash Baby

So. First, I finally got some pix of this guy:

The Stuff of the Universe II.
Whose brother just sold, yay. Oh and I got my first ever comment from India. How cool is that? Telling me a bit about these vessels. Thankfully it wasn't, "You pretentious douche, those are tampon holders."

Also, I've received all kindsa goodies in the mail, including another epic SacredCake haul. I took all the beady bits and the odds and ends I knew I wouldn't know what to do with and made huge stacks of bangles, adding lots of yarn and banana fibers as well as using a buncha fabric scraps sent by Sparrow that I had no plans for. Philo-Sophia. Victorian Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in whites and greys.

Philo-Sophia. Victorian Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in whites and greys.

Philo-Sophia.
So remember how I was all, "Folded tin bezels are a great idea after all!" ?

Well, that's how I feel about bangles too. OMG, they eat up supplies like ... my font of metaphors has run dry. They use a shit ton of supplies.
Choose the Unknown. Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in black grey and purple..

Choose the Unknown. Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in black grey and purple..

Choose the Unknown.
Look, here I even strung a ton of little vintage sewing snaps I got in my antique button haul that you better believe I had no plans for. Really, you can string anything on a bangle. Choose the Unknown. Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in black grey and purple..

I even priced them slightly less cheap than I previously might have... Just cuz people always tell me I price mine too cheap. Thing is that I didn't make them with any aesthetic in mind other than "USE ALL THE THINGS!" Choose the Unknown. Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in black grey and purple..

Here's an amberish stack. The Lining of the World. Rustic Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in Grey/Amber/Beige.

The Lining of the World.
I have to say the pix don't do them any service. I guess that's why I feel like I priced them too high. In reality they're full of little surprises and good bits. The Lining of the World. Rustic Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in Grey/Amber/Beige.

But photoing them in that light tent makes things harder to mess with when you wanna re-arrange a million bitty details is no fun. Oh well....
Free Worldwide Shipping Sale. Almacantar. Amethyst pink Antique Kuchi Bracelet.

Free Worldwide Shipping Sale. Almacantar. Amethyst pink Antique Kuchi Bracelet.

Almacantar.
I had this in my shop a million years ago. Gave it to a friend. I guess she didn't wear it so much, she gave it back, so back in the shop it goes.
-->Reminder, my free worldwide shipping sale's still on.

Random segue-way into tales of my dignity:

Other day, Mom was like "Wow, you listed some really beautiful things. and your sales are good.... you're gonna be like , like..."

Me: "Gonna be? I AM. I am successful and happy now, there's no 'gonna be'."

Mom: "OK, OK, be modest!"

Which reminded me of this other totally heartwarming comment of Flotsam's in which I think she called me "so humble and driven" which really stuck with me cuz I was all "I'm humble and driven? Hu? OK, yay!" Though I can't actually find it now to quote so clearly I hallucinated it... or it was in a convo? anyway....

Me: "I had a commenter TELL ME I'm humble!! So there!" And I start doing an obnoxious victory dance and singing

"I am so huuuuumble!

And you aaaaren't!

I am so huuuuumble!

And you wish yoooouuuuu were!"

Mom was like, OMG, get the fuck out of my house right now.

How I do make myself laugh.

Also one night I stopped by mom and dad's and they basically ordered me to take off the sweatshirt I was (and am always) wearing and put it straight in the garbage. Is that as funny to other people as it is to me? Granted, they were right. It was a mess. That only makes it funnier! OK, I'll stop trying to entertain with my boring life and just stick with pictures from now on...

5 comments:

HundredColors: Art, Design and Photography by Sumi said...: :) Heyya, I think that Indian update was by me.. I really like your blog, and my blog is www.hundredcolors.blogspot.com,a beginner.
Have a great week ahead!!; 1/7/13, 8:08 AM
Anvil Artifacts said...: Congrats on achieving success in happiness and humbleness! :). I would love to be a fly on the wall for some of your family dinners. Too funny!
Great bangle stacks!; 1/7/13, 9:45 AM
Jiorji said...: heheh my mom's the same way. your family stories amuse me so much.

I happen to work as a photographer after art school, which not a lot of people even get to do, and from her i still get "when are you gonna find a real job??" BAHAHHAHA; 1/7/13, 2:59 PM
Penelope said...: HAHAHAHA tampon case! That's actually a pretty good idea...

You need to set up cameras at your parent's house, this is the kind of reality show I would watch. Real life sit-com! Except it would never get to air- someone would do something ethnic and then you'd get critised for being racist, cause no one's allowed to have an accent any more.; 1/8/13, 5:03 AM
martinisfor2 said...: okay I finally stopped reading through teary eyes after the tampon case comment...what a selling point that would be though!!?? Then I got to your sitcom at your parents house... my sides are aching! I agree with Janet and Penny about being able to watch this all in real time. I don't do reality shows but your's i would be riveted to!

I almost forgot, I love the necklace and your new bangles. You always know how to destash with style and grace...so stop sweating the "too much stuff" nightmare; 1/9/13, 4:14 PM