fanciful devices: Maxin' and Relaxin'

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.

7/14/13

Maxin' and Relaxin'

See my clever post titles? Lawl. No but really my goal for today was to max and relax. Well, to relax since I don't know what maxing would be. My goal was not to drive myself nuts taking pix of everything but to slow down and take a breath. So before I even glanced at the studio/pit I went to the library. Outside! Like a person. Then I went home and took and edited all the pictures and yeah. I'm so crazy productive lately. That's why I have nothing interesting to tell you about.
My brain is all

I fixed these up with the polishing paper. Thanks Jorji for the idea!

Now you can actually see them.

I made these with some silver findings I tried to oxidize unsuccessfully. Which is why me no likey the silver. But it's not shiny and it has an interesting slight verdigris. So that's good. Plus I think the silver works great with the rainbow titanium actually.

Look, here's another pinch bar frame piece.

I made the thing outta the thing.

Blabbedy blip blop.

That's it I got nothing.

For this reason, I now and henceforth put the onus on you.

I demand questions. (WTF is 'onus'?)

Srsly u gaise! Ask me questions. Do you even have any? My blog views are up but comments down so I dunno.

I'm sleepy, I slept two hours less than usual so I'll think of something to say tomorrow. Oh here's an extra gold-leaf ring I made for that one thing. The wire is from multi-colored bangles. The red sections I used for the one above that's red. Um.

Dude! Taledega Nights ends with a great big man-on-man kiss! Yeah the TVs on.

Also my dog's old now so he grunts when he plops himself down, it's awesome.

The little amulet doesn't slide off the moon because I put this epoxy cement steel-reenforced thingamabobular on it. On the tip to make it fat so the jumpring can't fit over it. And there were lots of missing rhinestones but I used some from several rondelles I've broken. I save the little guys for just such an occasion.
But yeah. Questions! Gimme something to write about.

13 comments:

big mamabird said...: As a lurker and lover of your crazy chatter I ask you this question, thinking I may already know what your answer will be: if you weren't following your muse an' creating up a storm , would you just go ape-crazy?! I sometimes thing I will If I don't have access to my art..Lovingly asked and respectfully lusting after most every thing you do with the things....; 7/14/13, 10:25 PM
gretchen said...: I don't like shinny, either. I work with it sometimes, just because I know other people like sparkle. Cop out, I know.
The coins in the earrings really show up now! I'd like to see the other side, if you think about it next time you take photos.
What did you get at the library?
when do you have time to READ?
xoxo; 7/14/13, 10:40 PM
Jiorji said...: 'ello ricky bobby!! hahaha

umm ok questions...... what is the meaning of life. for a struggling artist. why are artists stuck with scientist parents? is this our karma?!? is working as an artist just programmed into their brain as "unacceptable"?

ooohhhhh you meant REAL questions!!

(that necklace with the horse cab is amaaaazing. i can't stick to the gray tones for some reason. it's like...MUST HAVE EXPLOSIVE COLOUR!! WHAM); 7/14/13, 11:23 PM
Anonymous said...: Two questions:
1- Do you ever have a day where you are working on jewelry all day, but nothing is turning out right, and at the end of the day you have nothing to show for your work and then you feel like you did nothing all day?
2 - Do you talk to your husband about jewelry at meals?; 7/14/13, 11:42 PM
Numinosity said...: I kind of buried a question about midway through my comment on the last post so ...well you could answer that one!
and here's some...
So how much sleep do you get?
Do you thank your hands daily?
Do you ever get massages?
Do you ever get a weird metal taste in your mouth that makes you think you ought to be wearing gloves when you're making stuff?
What hurts first? your neck, your hands, your eyes or are you oblivious and in a constant zone of endorphic pain blockers of creativity?
Do you cook? what do you eat?
That's enough for now..thanks; 7/15/13, 1:15 AM
Numinosity said...: And really, those last two photos, rather incredible. A balancing act.; 7/15/13, 1:17 AM
Skye said...: I prefer lurking, but since you asked me ask..I'll ask :)

I love reading your blog and going all boggle-eyed, slack-jawed, and flabbergasted over some of the stuff you make and use, so I gotta ask... what do you think is some of the strangest stuff you've ever used in your jewelry work?; 7/15/13, 8:44 AM
Lela said...: What are the three "nevers" of your life?

And that balancing business necklace is most sexcellent.

haha. she said sex.; 7/15/13, 11:46 AM
Wildthorne said...: I really like the moon piece! Hmm questions..

1. What is your husband's Kale diet? Does he juice it? Eat it raw? Kale only?

2. What is your favorite animated cartoon series and or movie

3. Where is your favorite place to visit in Uruguay?
(not referring to the antique markets cause yah I know that is a given); 7/15/13, 12:09 PM
Penelope said...: There's lots of questions on my blog! Go see, go answer.

I have nothing else of value to say.; 7/15/13, 12:31 PM
Beatnheart said...: What time do you go to bed?

When you do go to bed to you fall asleep or do you toss and turn?

briefs or boxers?

how do you hammer and pound and make noises in a condo?

do you make something and then undo it or do you just go for it?

When are you going to do another tutorial and what will it be on?

Are you making more money this year or less?; 7/15/13, 1:52 PM
Maggie Zee said...: Oh no! Don't you be puttin no onuses on me!

(No, actually you can put just about anything on me if I keep on getting to see your amazing work. I picture sparks flying out of your brain...); 7/17/13, 9:02 AM
Juliette said...: Okay but what if I like all the questions everyone else has asked and feel satisfied not asking you anything right now?

OH, except I still want to know where you found that brass looking African knife amulet. xoxo Juliette; 7/17/13, 1:50 PM