fanciful devices: Bits and Bobs

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.

The Four Color Stages of Alchemy.

These are all from my Opulent Oddities box, except for the earwires, white hoops and some of the faceted Czech bits.
The Four Color Stages of Alchemy. Bright Dangles.

But really, look at the color. And this color didn't freak me out at all. Go figure. ... Crap I think I slightly over de-saturated.... These were not intended as the post photos, but I figured what the hell.
I thought y'all might wanna see some of the goodies that came in the mail today. First the extremely creative readbetweenthelines sent these gorgeous scapulars:

As well as the religious beads and this amazing pin with these amazing charms that I'mna take apart and oxidize the living crapshits out of. Lemme tell you that the figa (hand) alone can be, like, $30 right there. Then, SalvageBeautyDesign contacted me for the first time ever to tell me she liked my tin earrings and to ask if she could send me some tin!

She sent me all these lovelies except for the big crystal in the tart tin- that's something I'm working on.

Then I got A box from Monto Fev which I hadn't visited in ages.

Lookit the little skates!

And I scored these babies by simply asking if they had any more plain Indian beads left. That is to say, I don't like the ones with all the mirrors and crap embedded in em. I think I'mna rub them w/my patented wax and dirt mixture. Oh, wait. It's not patented.

Oh I also got these gargantuan gems for a song.

And that's that.

4 comments:

betweenreader said...: OMG GF, I am not certain I can take all that color! Get out the resin and tame it, I'd say. But then, you will make them beautiful however they come together. We are all in for a treat. XOXO, P.; 3/7/11, 8:37 PM
Lurena Sheary Williamson said...: Awesome! Bits Bobs and some serious Boho Booty! Great score of supplies.; 3/7/11, 10:28 PM
Marin said...: Yay!!!; 3/8/11, 3:34 PM
~Debi said...: Fantabulous mail day! :); 3/8/11, 6:12 PM