fanciful devices: LIIIIIIIIGHT

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.

12/17/13

LIIIIIIIIGHT

Air-dry clay cab from Anvil.

LOOK AT THE LIIIIIIGHT!

Sorry, I'm still high over my white balance discovery. I'm going to annoy y'all to death with it.
Tune in for more one-year-past-expiration music videos!

I'm learning that if you do want to turn up the whites, you have to hold your camera 10x stiller. More still. Ben Stiller.

This was a little tin from Uruguay and into the back I tucked a surprise➙

This ax and plaster heart were K-haul. And tons of those beads were gifts so I am one lucky bitch. Realizing this, I decided to splurge on some beadage. But then what happens is all I have are crazy amazing ($) beads and I can't sell anything cheap. I'm too fancy for my own natural cheapness.

What's cool about these is that the opal (I almost wrote opiate) dangle is connected to the back post nut.
You can sorta see it here➙

So I couldn't pass up this purchase for just ten bucks➙

And actually scrubbed them with soapy water and an old toothbrush. Also scraped at them with an exacto knife, I'd be a terrible archeologist. So now I find myself the proud owner of ten million little religious medals. Earrings, ho!

I just love a ruined old medal. Also these rhinestone chain bits from Kathy I made into dangles.

With posts and some asymmetry.

This little silver case was also from Kathy. That strand of amazing green lampwork is firebabies.

I just threw in every awesome bead I could find. Glowy!

Between the Vast and the Miniscule. Cosmic assemblage earrings with gold leaf rustic bling galaxy nebula green.

Speaking of which, one convo bud and supply trader who I've mentioned before, Claudia, was complimenting all over these. I mentioned that the cabs were just cheap old plastic and she answered in her poetic fashion, "yeah, but
cheap old plastic + you =
G L O W B O O B I E S."
That word stayed with me and I replied:
"My favorite episode of jeopardy.
A: Glowboobies
Q:What did the CSI team discover when running a blacklight over a sex doll?"
She now insists I have to name a piece "Blacklight Over a Sex Doll." But which piece y'all? Now she's on a roll suggesting more titles in the same vein for a severe shift in the overall tone of my shop.
Hangin’ with the Macaques.
Black Garter Belt in Karate.
Hear No Weevil
Three Dog Night in a Three Man Cave.
So, in other news, Claudia's high...

Now I really have to go take a...

7 comments:

neshuma said...: YUP. I'm high on all that freakin' LIIIIIGHTTT~! Also, your brilliant sense of composition and awe-inspiring work-arounds. Uh, fancinnovations. Yeah. Those things.; 12/17/13, 2:38 PM
Beatnheart said...: cool some else can now take my former crackhead title that you bestowed upon me some time ago...thankyou....glowboobie lady.; 12/17/13, 5:52 PM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations on working out the light!
Now you can show your work in a satisfying way.
I like you going on about it... it was hard won and we can benefit and cheer with you too.; 12/18/13, 11:20 AM
Skye said...: I always thought your photos were great and couldn't understand what you were always complaining about... but NOW... holycrap! The difference.. your photos are fantastic :); 12/18/13, 5:28 PM
neshuma said...: {--It's my pleasure, Cynthia. If La Devices gets fresh with you again, you can always try withholding compliments...Although, *damn*, that would be a lot of work.}; 12/18/13, 6:23 PM
Marie said...: "hear no weevil"

And here I thought glowboobies was great. Thanks for the laughs in this manic night.

You find the coolest stuff. I think I'd have much more fun trying not to break my neck while stepping around your floor than my own. (Though happy to have enough junk to be worthy of neck breaking.)

Keep on inspiring cause you rock the rocks!; 12/18/13, 10:47 PM
Penelope said...: omg that little axe is sooooo cute.

If you don't let your camera's exposure go slower than 1/25, you won't have to tape it to Ben Stiller. Which is good, because he's 90% cringe. (Zoolander and Mystery Men being the only two worthwhile nods although Envy was pretty good if not a little weird even for me, and voice acting doesn't count).; 12/19/13, 7:03 AM