fanciful devices: Little bit 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.

5/10/14

Little bit more

It's so fun to zone out and play.

I've had all sorts of convos and comments lately saying how you too just started making brooches or just started making polys. Like a psychic web of makies.

Either that or y'all be jacking my style. Cuz I totally invented polymer beads and brooches.

Now I just gotta get my lazy butt to list. It's much easier than listing finished jewelry of course.

Oh here's a pendant I made with one of my big poly bell things and some amethyst.

I also fixed the dark background by painting it with dark alcohol ink so I'm not going cross-eyed trying to blur out white spots.

Here's another bell pendant with a crystal.

None too shabby... If you hang something even longer out of it, they end up looking like mushrooms. Mmmm shrooms.

Here's some stick charm/pendants. Made of sticks! and gold leaf and powders and strong sealant- Varathane it's called, used tons in polymer.

And a couple more cluster brooches. Too fun to make.

That's an archeological dig connector there in the green.

And the leetle pin and the medal is from Kathyhaul. Look at that lovely smooth background.

Jeorji of 4ophelia and NearlyLost sent some pix of her poly makings I adored:

Texturegasm! Also check out her fancy new blog.

I've been trawling the ets for poly inspiration and look at all this stuff:

headpins

Bicones

All these from here.

This tute.

This shop makes me angry it's so good.

Handmade Polymer Clay Disc Beads - Porcelain Series

S A L E - Handmade Rustic Polymer Clay Pendant

This one's bright and lovely.
Bold Faux Turquoise, Jade, Cinnabar and Buttons Necklace

All three of the focals on this necklace are poly!
Of course I gotta show off my girl Shipwreck's singular creations.
Polymer Clay Beads - 5 Rustic Turban Beads - Striped Cane - Extra Large - Faux Trade Beads - Grungy Vibrant Colors Unearthed Patina Nuggets

Polymer Clay Beads - 5 Rustic Turban Beads - Striped Cane - Extra Large - Faux Trade Beads - Grungy Vibrant Colors Unearthed Patina Nuggets

Polymer Clay Beads - 3 Rustic Crackle Beads - Grungy Soot Black Trio - Fancy Tribal Textured - Neutral Dusty Dark Glazed Clay Bead Set

Polymer Clay Beads - 4 Rustic Embellished Beads - Rounds - Faceted, Illustrated, Glitter, Lilac & White - Polymer Clay Beads

Polymer Clay Beads - 4 Rustic Glazed Beads - Chunky Rondelles & Rounds - Faceted, Millefiori, Floral Illustrated, Roses - Red and White

Polymer Clay Beads - 5 Rustic Embellished Beads - Rose Party No. 4 - Hand Illustrated Flowers, Millefiori Cane Roses - Translucent Glow

How you know it's art is that each one is an experiment. And that's art, bitches.

Spotted square metallic strata beads in polymer with plum, pale blue and pink accents

Spotted square metallic strata beads in polymer with plum, pale blue and pink accents

Triangular mokume gane strata beads in polymer showing pink and turquoise distressed pattern

Large square collaged strata beads in polymer with ochre, blue and gold accents

Then finally my all time fave, stillpointworks. She's my spirit animal.
Translucent striped hollow polymer pods with decayed fresco surface

Rough encrusted strata hearts in polymer with turquoise, pink, and blue accents

Nugget closure in polymer with free moving 19 gauge copper wires

Neon pink and distressed black circular strata beads in polymer

And here's some really lovely bangle stack made with my tute and shared with me recently. African Sunset - African poem inspired tribal gypsy bangles stack bracelets vintage findings, indonesian glass, silk sari, victorian button

African Sunset - African poem inspired tribal gypsy bangles stack bracelets vintage findings, indonesian glass, silk sari, victorian button

Desert Rose - Sahara Sting inspired tribal gypsy bangles stack bracelets antique findings, carved rose, indonesian glass, salvaged cloth

I adore how they're photographed.
In the comments, Betsi Goutal wrote, "How ever have you survived the past couple month without my inane adulations?" And I have to admit, it's been really hard. My needs pyramid is like: Sleep/ Food/ Ego-stroking/ Tumblr lols/ Peeing/ Pooping/ Shelter/ Cute things to cuddle:

That's a preliminary outline. Oh and I almost forgot- lots of giant 'shrooms:

7 comments:

Betsi Goutal said...: LOL. Hopefully all your other commentistas have kept your ego reasonably stroked in my absense... absince... absinthe... awayness.

Thanks for all the gorgeous eye candies. Those stick charms, are those polyannas too or something else? OH! Lightbulb moment... you literally mean they are made of sticks? Like, pieces of wood? Damn girl, you're so clever.

Ok. On the subject of the needs pyramid, I must go do groceries. But then to play, dammit. I have new goodies waiting for me so I can experiment with my newly acquired Cosmis Rocks tutorial. Which does indeed rock. Cosmically.; 5/11/14, 9:42 AM
Unknown said...: Duderina, love the sticks, I have some branches I forced into a round bracelet and wired, gold leafed, and painted about 2 years ago and the first time I wore it (after bragging to anyone who would listen about my invention) it broke into a lot of small pieces and was a bunch of small slivers hanging from tangled wire. hmmmmmph I think your sticks are a much better idea.
I also have the driftwood and branch tut, haven't made it yet, but love the concept and would love to see it in a bracelet, bet you could do a beaut. Thanks for sharing all your lovely items, it is hard not to be completely inspired by you. You are fab.; 5/11/14, 4:35 PM
Unknown said...: omg, the bear with the mushroom and the cat, to awesome.; 5/11/14, 4:37 PM
Unknown said...: *tears up for all the beauty...*. Thanks for teaching the bangles tut and I look forward to trying the other tuts when I get back!; 5/11/14, 8:27 PM
Beatnheart said...: who would have ever thunk you'd be the polyqueen but look! your whole shop sidebar thingy is almost all polybeads...and of course you do it practically better than those who have invented polymer clay beads...

i love that stretched out kitten love...

my Marsh Pods are in a treasury like 2 times a week at least! I don't really even make em much anymore unless someone begs, but I keep them listed to get in the treasuries... I am now a Smith Torch slave and metal banging bitch...and looking at cabachon porn...how things change and move along...; 5/12/14, 12:52 PM
Angi in hana said...: Sorry my fav girl from uruguay, your poly beads are way better than all the ones u showed us from other etsy sites! I haven't checked u out for awhile, major computer probs, kids got me an iPad so I would shut up! Had to go to Seth apters site to look u up, fanciful what? Guess it's called dementia, F that! Anyways here u are doing something else and of course your new stuff surpasses all the other losers! U are amazing, glad I found ya' again, u are inspiring and my brain needs that, aloha, Angie in hana; 5/17/14, 12:32 PM
Murrieta Packing Service said...: Hello mate greeat blog post; 8/11/22, 10:11 AM