fanciful devices: happy ears

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.

10/13/13

happy ears

Thank you all for all your lovely comments! I'm all giddy.

So I liked the thought of all y'all listening to super happy sounds today and this is a superhappy sound to me. I found it on soundcloud- which is something I just discovered. Free music! (Most of what I like I know y'all would hate- like dubstep and such. It's for the part of me that subconsciously thinks I'm a badass boy. Who likes to play with pretty pretty beads... )

There's a greybird button that I put a touch of glimmer on à la Anvil tute, something found in Uruguay that sez Hamburg on it, Roman glass...

Isn't this music is much too heavenly to ruin with a bunch of chatter about whatever it is I chatter about here? Or is it I don't have much to say about the above pair?

Robyn bells, smokey points (thank you Kathy!) vintage and found metal, linenwirebead wrapping.

That damned soundcloud (now playing some sick beats at my end) is waaaay slowing my computer. But making me feel like microscopic energy insects are crawling through my veins pooping happy juice. (Doesn't everyone think of vein insects when they hear great music?)

Used a bakelite game chip of Kathy's behind the heart. Also that bracelet from her. Filled missing spots with microbeads and globs of paint and alcohol inks...

That's her buckle thing, smaller faceteds too. I'll shut up. ScorchedEarth dagger... I'll shush.

Finally finished this bugger! I also I done been needing to re-paint Perky McPerkinsons here but because all I had on hand was some modeling paste medium from my Art days, she ended up looking like a frosting stucco horror, so I'm still needing to blurr it all up, just in a different way. Time to break out the sandpaper. Cuz nothing's funner than making more work for yourself.

Finishing up some stuff for sub-patroness who sent me a buncha stuff of hers a while ago you might remember. Really, all bits and bobs she sent. Just re-shaped some and decided to use as much of them as possible.
Silly, but also good in a random way.

What was left I made a double-wrap bracelet and earrings.

I have one more pair of earrings and one necklace to make for a couple others and then no more custom for a while. Phew.
Shoutout to new buyers who send me 10 convos per day asking all kinds of questions. And y'all know how questions make me feel important. Like my own personal ego fluffers. And boy is my ego fluffy. Er, but it could always be more so, hint hint. (Wait. That was a hint for questions, not ego fluffing.)

8 comments:

martinisfor2 said...: beautifully done as always. so hard to choose favs sometimes.

Congrats on your celebrity breakthrough into mixed media stardom!<--- had to ---> ! I'm am so proud when I see someone I admire published. can't wait to get my copy.; 10/13/13, 2:49 PM
Juliette said...: I love SoundCloud too! Here's my link - https://soundcloud.com/juliette-williams

I listen to stuff like mixes from DJ AM, and Henry Pope. Good to listen to while on a jewelry making high.

LOVE that necklace with the bones!!! Which reminds me, I owe you a package of bones. xo Juliette; 10/13/13, 3:21 PM
Unknown said...: The necklace with the bones has SO much going on in the best of ways! You've got these spikes that say, "Don't touch me - watch out" and then above that the hands and plates that say loyalty and so on. WOW - it speaks volumes in so many ways...I bow to the master!; 10/14/13, 10:53 AM
Louise said...: the miniature clog! oh my! :o; 10/15/13, 4:32 PM
Beatnheart said...: questions? that "paper" or whatever it is behind earrings with lion ...yellow paper..how'd ya do that ...what is it.; 10/15/13, 10:03 PM
Miss R said...: I hope someone drinks champagne out of that tiny shoe!

And dubstep is just industrial music for happy people, its ok.; 10/16/13, 3:07 PM
cjasin said...: Say can you help me find where to purchase the bangle bracelet forms again? I cant remember, and want to make more.
Thanks girl!; 10/17/13, 10:29 AM
Angi in hana said...: I wanted to ask a question about your ms. Perky model, when u made her awesome body or 1/2 body, did u start with a wire cage as the form, i have been wanting one of these for years but first they r hard to find and then they can be expensive, i just realized u made yours, of course, when u mentioned she needed a paint job, i am so excited, i think i can do this! Tx for the help and inspiration, aloha, angi in hana; 10/19/13, 8:23 PM