fanciful devices: What've We Got Here?

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.

We got some bangle stacks. Actually, more of these to come. Liquid Light. Ivory, White and Grey Victorian Tribal Rustic Gypsy Bangle Stack, bracelet set.

Liquid Light. Ivory, White and Grey Victorian Tribal Rustic Gypsy Bangle Stack, bracelet set.

Liquid Light.
A Second Heart. Tribal Gypsy Assemblage Bangle Stack in Back and Darks.

A Second Heart.
We got this chunky thing ~ Art Will Remain. Rustic assemblage statement necklace with art beads, gold leaf, victorian tribal.

Art Will Remain. Art Will Remain. Rustic assemblage statement necklace with art beads, gold leaf, victorian tribal.

Two ways to wear, I like it!
Farewell to Glory. Rustic Victorian beach collage found object assemblage necklace.

Farewell to Glory.
We got these guys up.
Before Dear Mother Died. Rustic Victorian frozen charlotte collage found object druzy assemblage necklace.

Before Dear Mother Died. Rustic Victorian frozen charlotte collage found object druzy assemblage necklace.

Before Dear Mother Died.

I also wanted y'all to look at this-->

It's an "aleen spach ip." Aaaand now you're dying at the cute. Me and Marcela also made some -as she pronounces it- Awt. See? "She's going to a pawdy." Cut to 10 minutes of me trying to get Marcela to pronounce Rs.

It is endlessly fascinating to my niece and nef that I do not have a normal sleep schedule. They've thought about it a lot. Marcela told me. "You colow good because you don't sweep at night. You stay up and do awt things. I wanna be an awtist too."

So as I was wasting time on Pinterest last week, I found this.
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And even though I'm MUCH TOO SERIOUS a grown-up to like that kind of thing, it stayed and wormed it's way into my brain and made me want to make something stitchy and girly. So while I was in Wisconsin being an aunt I took along a bunch of scraps and bits and made whatever this is:

Which had Marcela mesmerised, to the point where she prepared her own "sewing bag" full of cardboard paper and dolls, which she carried everywhere, see picture. When I told her the strip could be a headband, she had to make one for herself. By the end of the weekend there was more duct tape than headband. Please forgive my maniacal expression in this picture. I was apparently very hungry and Susie the dog was looking delicious.

10 comments:

Anvil Artifacts said...: Your nephew and neice are too adorable and your awt is intewesting too.; 5/21/13, 10:40 PM
Eva said...: Oh, the necklace Art (?) Will Remain is just beautiful...

And so entertaining to read about your and Marcelas conversation about Awt! Cute.; 5/22/13, 1:26 AM
HenrietteWhite said...: Allways love you stacks of beautiful bangles!!!; 5/22/13, 6:02 AM
darlene said...: sharing the art from the youngsters and your self is darling.art saves lives!; 5/22/13, 7:02 AM
Beatnheart said...: so the whole dang fam if full of adorable.

cool stuffs whatelseis new....you kill girlie.; 5/22/13, 5:43 PM
Tribalis said...: Two cute girls.. you and my boy.. ops!.. her and my boy would have fun..
:DD; 5/23/13, 12:35 AM
annamei said...: You look fantastic when your hungry:)))
and Marcela is adorable!
I love your stacks but your neckpiece beat it all!; 5/25/13, 4:25 AM
Unknown said...: Love the earrings and stacked bangles!!; 5/25/13, 11:18 AM
Unknown said...: Love the stacked bangles!; 5/25/13, 11:19 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: my heart feels melty seeing you smiling...; 5/30/13, 9:28 PM