fanciful devices: 03/2014

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.

3/29/14

Roman Glastravaganza

Wind and Water. Roman glass, labradorite, solder and sterling silver rustic bohemian assemblage earrings.

Wind and Water.
I just madephotoeditlisted soooo many things I can't even.

Looketdem ridges! Never seen nun like. Me sleepynotalkgood.
RESERVED for Emmanuelle.

Made on request of friend so no you can't have. Of Shimmering Rains. Rustic victorian tribal assemblage earrings with Roman glass, apatite.

Of Shimmering Rains.
These. See, with the tin? To protect, glass no break.
Shadow Veil. Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with Roman glass, garnet.

Shadow Veil.
These no break with edge thing.

MerMaidens. Victorian Tribal assemblage earrings with Roman glass.

MerMaidens.
These no break with solder frame.
The Lover of the World. Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with Roman glass, baroque pearl, polymer art bead.

The Lover of the World. Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with Roman glass, baroque pearl, polymer art bead.

The Lover of the World.
The faceted little lilac is one of my polybabies.

Other's a baroque pearl
Winding Creek. Rustic Bling assemblage earrings with Roman glass, rhinestones.

Winding Creek.
These with the longs.

The Strange Pull. Rustic Victorian Cosmic Iridescent Earrings with Roman Glass, citrine, sterling.

The Strange Pull.
I coated these utee pins in epoxy resin so no break.

Salvaged sterling ear wires. Super iridescent glass.
Deep Space Love Story. Roman glass ruby and sterling rustic bohemian assemblage earrings.

Deep Space Love Story.
Crazy sparkle glass, real teeny rubies. Sterling.

Sister and her goblins are in for weekend so I have to go entertain. Maybe I'll teach them to twek? Earthenware. Rustic Bling assemblage earrings with Roman glass, rhinestones.

Earthenware. Rustic Bling assemblage earrings with Roman glass, rhinestones.

Earthenware.
These have a dangle from the back of the post stoppers or nuts or whatever you call them.

Trust the Water. Roman glass. Rustic Victorian Tribal earrings with aquamarine and beach stones.

Trust the Water.
And these are my favorite of all because of the holey beach stones.

Really never know what's gonna look good or work or what.
The Enchantress. Rustic asymmetric assemblage earrings with polymer art beads in pastels.

The Enchantress. Rustic asymmetric assemblage earrings with polymer art beads in pastels.

The Enchantress.
Check it these use a bunch of my polybabies.

See the faceted ones? The Lost Self. Rustic assemblage asymmetrical earrings with polymer clay art beads and cultured pearls.

The Lost Self.
Also these simple ones, one is shipwreck's and one is mine.

So I think I'mna have to start making bead soups to destash because all I wanna do is make polybeads now. Check out some.

Faceted, painted then sanded.

Used rock salt for those pits:

And regular salt for the surface. Then I shaved off some of the surface cuz they were looking sorta bubble-gummy. Then I attacked them with paints.

Twirls and facets and paint oh my.

Cap type things that are too thin and I have to either try again or fill with epoxy or resin to strongify.

It works really well when you just keep doing shit to them. like, use your acrylics and your alcohol inks and you knife and your textures...

Here's a bead cap texture Shipwreck sent me. Learned you can use a spritz of water as a mold release! That's what I gotta try more of. Got tons more but you get the idea.

I need me a little -

3/20/14

Manic Makies

So what did I end up doing with all the polymerbabies? So glad you asked.

I really enjoyed my layered oblong earrings from last batch so I made these in the same vein.

'Cept with mop fleurs, me cornflakes and a layer of leafed tin. Here's a second pair-

There's more movement with the 1st wire set-up tho. But then maybe I like them stiff?

Lookit dem layers!

These are a version of the ones from last batch, but with solderpins and chain instead. Me like!

Of course the solder managed to grab one of the rhinestone wires and it was a whole thing. I also hadn't intended for the chain to be embedded in them, thought that does help keep them balanced. I was asked about my solder in the comments- yeah it's just soft solder with iron, not torch.

Finally in earrings, these with the flashiest most fiery moonstones I ever did see.

Vintage opal glass cabs, flashy moonstone and gold leaf? And iridescent paint on the peeks of tin from a second layer? This iridescent cosmic bidness is getting outta control.

As for what I did with the rest of my polybabes. Well, not the rest because I made ten tons, but a bunch. They've really re-invigorated my making. Remember I was complaining about a plateau? No mo' plateau. Here we see another solderpin contraption with a tin mounted fleur in a frame type deal. (Why fleur instead of flower today? Cuz.) Buncha Shipwreck beads I just adore and then some we made togetherish.

Squee! And my big fat huge one on the dangle with a baroque glass pearl and a fat dalmatian jasper drop.

Also the moose tooth has some iridescent hints of color. I friggin' love the refined flower with the rustic tooth and grungy beads. I do a dance of joy.

Here's another- the rough/rustic part is in the focal with the refined/girly in the baroque pearls along the necklace.

Look at that crazy tooth situation! This is an antique amulet from Patroness. It insane. The fork was part of a thing from Kathyhaul that I cut the handle off of.

Look at the Shipwreck bead bottom left though.

I used one per necklace, I'm bonkers over them. They remind me of lace. An old pink and black lace nightly you'd find in some thrift store. Love.

I had this beach-found bottle forever, finally made it into something.

So many big-n-chunkies in there!

Also solder and steel.

Oh this one is truly nuts.

Don't know if you remember from Kathyhaul this little container of dental floss.

I gave it a crazy topper and all this goodness on the bottom. Including trading the bell clapper for a 4ophelia headpin. Squee!

I don't know if anyone's gonna want a shamanic dental floss necklace but, oh well, it felt right to me.

PHEW!

Now for the comic relief. This is old but I didn't see it and now that I have it's just stuck in my head forever. Plus it's actually good. Do I need to explain? This wacky lady was in a gas station that got robbed? And she's telling the reporter how she's backin' up outta there cuz her daddy taught her good?

Still don't know what exactly her daddy taught her tho.