fanciful devices: 01/2011

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.

1/31/11

Thesaurus Time!

Redivivus.
I got the buckle which I've used as a bezel from jan's jewels, of course.
Redivivus. Icon Cuff.

I should give credit where it's due. I got most of my funky words here, though I've discovered a couple more good sources I might use.

Nepenthe.
I've been selling quite well. I might have an all-day make-fest tomorrow since they're calling for a 'life-threatening blizzard' tomorrow, so school may be cancelled.
Lucubratio. French Beaded Flower Earrings.

Lucubratio.
Lucubratio. French Beaded Flower Earrings.

I was particularly pleased with how these pictures turned out. I've been using Sparrow's trick of blurring the background to make the foreground look sharper. I had done it before but sorta forgot about that. I think they look so cute! And the post-before-last that horrible thing was happening w/the pixelation, God knows why....
If My Spirit Be Bound. Jade Prayer and Buttons.

If My Spirit Be Bound. Jade Prayer and Buttons.

If My Spirit Be Bound.
OK, this one I'm kinda excited about. Slab-cut jade, a bunch of mop buttons from my recent gift box, some old this and that, (including a Uruguayan game piece of bone to which I glued the etched stone piece and 3 leaf cabs)... But look at the focal. It was a spoon Sparrow sent me aaaaages ago which she's surely forgotten about. I can't figure out if it's some kinda stone or if it's shell.
If My Spirit Be Bound. Jade Prayer and Buttons.

In any case, I cut it down and pierced it, filled it w/UTEE to get a flat surface on which to place 2 carefully cut out transparencies from the ones my dad printed out for me ages ago.... Images I found free on the webz of course.
If My Spirit Be Bound. Jade Prayer and Buttons.

And all these Vintage French beaded flowers and leaves are from the box that Opulent Oddities sent me a while ago. See - it might take a long time before I use something, but eventually I do...
Sigh. I can't believe all the lovely stuff folks have sent me over the ... 2 years? Only 2? Feels like a glorious lifetime of making... So when customers get all grateful over extra little ephemera and such I might add (like, if I know it's a fellow seller)- I should just let them know I'm simply paying it forward.

Well, that sounded cheesy.

1/30/11

OMFG!

OKOK, 1st lemme get some bidness out the way. I made this:

Letter to My Sweetheart.

And these are filigree with antique bandages sealed on them:

Mummy.

Ok. But most importantly, yesterday I received a huge box from Jennifer Valentine aka SacredCake. So lets get right to it.

I've already started oxidizing everything. There's tons! Look at that tiny pocket watch. It's on a scrap pf leather she sent. And she made me those ear wires herself- look at those paddles!!!! I just wanna look at them for a while... They are little works of art as is.

The bigger doll is held together by this ancient cellophane tape. It has this gorgeous black 'cap' that makes it look Asian. Look at the tiny curved brass piece- looks like a purse handle. And copper cross? And ball locket?

I've already started bending this big square into a cuff.

Theeeengs! And little crystals for earrings.

An extremely crusty tintype and some rusty mesh.

Perfect little bee specimen which I've been needing.

I've started oxidizing this huge wing, the sweetheart brooch piece- a twin of whom is already in the above necklace.

Even that little bowl came in the box.

Can you see the tiny doll arm? The half-earth?

Can you even stand it?

This is a clip- for curtains? And all kinds of goodies.

Check out the little brass flower. She sent tons and I've already used them all on a set of 7 necklaces I'm making for my cousins and cousin's girlfriends for when we go to Uruguay.

Is this the maddest thing you've ever seen? It's a necklace!

Also, it all came in a gorgeous box with glittered letters FD for fancifuldevices on front and red velvet on the inner top. With really too many bits to show them all.