fanciful devices: Winner, ear bits, wrist wraps.

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.

5/29/13

Winner, ear bits, wrist wraps.

Winner of the earrings- LUCIE! Etsy convo me your address.

So here's some earrings with greybirdstudio yums, archeological button and wrapped opal moonstones and such.

Damn greybird howyoudoit?

I was at a loss for what to do with my crazy long strip which Marcela so admired so I cut it into three and made them into double-wrap bracelets.

Secured the ends with more stitching, added buttons for closures and made some button loops with torn bits of an old Tshirt.

In fact a lot of the backing on these is that same old Tshirt.

That's from when I found myself in Wisconsin wanting to make a sewy thing but realized I hadn't scrounged enough fabric and decided it was time to sacrifice the old T I'd brought for sleeping in.

Well worth it. I also used some white Rub-n-Buff on bits that were too dark and added a lot of paste wax to the fabric to make it look older and to strengthen/stiffen it. Except I feel like it just looks wet.

So after dinner I'll list. For now, its taco bar night at Mom's house so I'm gonna make like a doe and get the buck out of here.

Oh I almost forgot:
sneeze. via

7 comments:

Jiorji said...: that's funny cos that's what we think of you...

DAMN FANCI HOWYOUDOIT?!?!

heheh; 5/29/13, 7:03 PM
Beatnheart said...: the marriage of the two godesses...; 5/29/13, 11:59 PM
Wildthorne said...: Little goat is precious!!! I missed a giveaway it seems,.. this is what happens when you have sporadic internet and moving.. but I have fallen in love with your wrapped stitched romantic whites! Eep! Those earrings are drool worthy. <3; 5/30/13, 12:16 AM
Lucie Tales said...: Wow! I've won!!!!! :D

Is that what you're sayin? You made the awesome bracelets in your NIGHTIE?! So they're kind of Fanci's relics!; 5/30/13, 5:42 AM
Unknown said...: Yummy stuff - peaceful whites and so romantic and the earrings with the ceramic and Roman glass are just plain elegant.; 5/30/13, 9:36 AM
Numinosity said...: You keep me in stiches, honestly!
I'm so glad you're presenting us with some fabricky bits to admire, I keep threateneing to do something along those lines but never seemtogettaroundtoit. Anyway it's a bunch of luvliness and inspiration and and Ihaven't sent you a fanci love letter in awhile but don't think I don't think it every time I gaze upon your blog.; 5/30/13, 1:45 PM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: happy wraps...; 6/3/13, 1:02 AM