fanciful devices: Because I know you wanna hear me bitch about light some more.

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.

11/10/13

Because I know you wanna hear me bitch about light some more.

I have been loosing my mind with some pictures lately, not aided a bit by this fucking ringlight. Then again, shipwreck was working with a $700 one- which maybe I should mention she didn't have to pay for (she's got mob ties). Mine is $40. First a picture with zero photoshop aid and no ring light, then one with the fucking thing.

Reminds me somehow of an albino.

Now first with and second without.

They all look crap, in other words. And today there was actually some light, relative to how it's been the rest of the week at least. So it's back to wrestling with Photoshop and getting reviews like, "This looks SOOOOO much better in person!" Arg.

On the other hand, it's reassuring to know there really is a difference between a $700 and a $40 light.
Plus while trying to 'mount' it to the lens (don't even ask) I managed to screw up some setting you choose by twisting the lens around and I can't for the life of me figure out what it's for or does. AND! I busted my other fancy compact fluorescent bulb when my top-heavy lamp plopped over in slow motion. Then I just wanted to cry and wondered why I'm such a mess and my place is such a fucking sty that I can't even figure out how to clean broken glass cuz there's so much junk and papers and stuff everywhere that I don't even have a floor any more. But then I remembered I'd managed to make 3000+ sales and get into a fancy book while working from a pit so that made me feel better. But I do have to do a studio re-haul at some point. Real shelves, get rid of these fucking bins and fucking get rid of this glass-topped coffee table and get an actual work table/desk/anything other than a glass-topped coffee table.
*pants*

Here's some shit. Shut up.

I just realized I didn't take any non-hanging pix of these earrings at left. Those coins turned out to be pewter which I only realized when I touched the soldering iron to one to connect a ring and a big coin chunk melted and disappeared before my very eyes. As per usual, I just went with it.

What do you prefer, these packed-in little pix or my usual huge pix? I'm too mad at photography right now to give it such prominence. At photography itself.

AND I haven't listed anything from last post cuz I can't organize my ass from my elbow.

Here's some pendants. Cuz I still like to think cheaper things will magically sell right away when I know nothing sells right away. And things that do I forget about anyways.

Leaving me in a permanent state of grumble-bumble... Just Funny Pictures

And that is all I have to say about that.

While I have your attention...

Peacock-scares-baby-giraffe

The end.

7 comments:

Vintajia Adornments said...: Now that I have had my bionic eye replacements and been lucky enough to find an old pair of glasses so I can read, I can now see all your luscious creations, so good light bad light - don't care they are all beguiling, fantastic and wonderous.
mwuuuh; 11/10/13, 9:13 PM
StaroftheEast said...: Yes, your pictures are stark and not very attractive, with or without fancy lights.
But see it as a way to pace yourself. You have 3000 sales with shitty pictures, you couldn't keep up with demand if the pictures were great, a lot of stress is that.
Seriously, your creations are great, and that's what matters, but some lessons in photography couldn't hurt :); 11/11/13, 2:17 AM
Lucie Tales said...: I know what you mean about struggling for some light (here it seems the sun didn't even rised today), but just as Vintajia said, I don't care, I'm just dazzled by your creations; 11/11/13, 4:22 AM
betweenreader said...: Oh dear, about the light, I feel your pain! I had a cheap cube with cheap little lights, then got one good light with umbrella diffuser and finally ended up just waiting for a sunny day (rare around here) in a southern window on an ironing board. The window is what works best, but then the shadows are too sharp, etc.; each solution brings another problem! But I think Vintajia understands the situation completely -- everything is gorgeous anyway.; 11/11/13, 10:24 AM
PipnMolly said...: I was wondering when you'd get tired of working on the floor. I'd have cracked that table by now. Yes, you need a good workbench to beat on !!; 11/11/13, 11:46 AM
RaggedRobyn said...: Uh! I have a nightmare with light as well. I keep wanting to get one of those mega light heads that have four spaces for bulbs and a soft box cover. When I had some money I did a bit of research in the lighting department but by the time I'd worked out what I wanted my money had all gone anyway...damn it. But on the positive it made me look at the settings properly on my camera, I made some adjustments and a little backdrop stage for my beads and hey presto the photos have more light already. I think it is an on going battle. Love the pic below of you peeking over the mixed-media artist book. I think I have said before but I will say again MASSIVE WELL DONE on the feature!
Quick question on your earrings...do you sometimes solder the joins?
Thanks Chic !x; 11/11/13, 12:09 PM
alteredarcheology said...: I don't get what all this fuss is about with the pictures, I've always thought your pics to be bright, well lit and at great angles. That ring light is yucky. I'd leave well enough alone!; 11/12/13, 11:24 AM