fanciful devices: Bracelets and Stuff.

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.

11/29/11

Bracelets and Stuff.

Imma list these later today, girls. So chill.

Remember ages ago I made a bracelet with a triangular Kuchi and one of these bird stampings sent to me by SacredCake? That everyone went shitbats over? Well, here's another. Took forever to get around to it because it wasn't doing it for me. Then I suddenly had it next to this amazing earring bit that was also sent to me by SacredCake! Don't you love it when things come together like this? Craziness.

Ages ago, you saw this pig piece in my last Uruguay haul. I wasn't planning on making it into a necklace, but there you go. I made a bezel from a tin cigarette case. Except maybe it needs a fiber tassel. Something about it... Actually I think someone favorited a necklace with similar playing blocks and tassels. And as you now know, I love to steal ideas.

Where the hell did I see this thing? Anyone? Some blog somewhere...

Ok, here's this. And yeah, I broke the middle finger off this hand piece by doters. I'm not gentle with my stuff. I may have shoved it about along with boxes and such. What should I do? I couldn't find the tip in time to save it, haha. No but I couldn't find it.

ANOTHER piece sent me by SacredCake! What's up with that? And as you can see, I dry-brushed it pink. Idea stolen from Sparrow earrings.

Here's this. The metal was some random thing from Uruguay that looked like a book cover. But it didn't open and close so why? So I curved it into a bracelet. And a small chunk of woven belt capped with folded cigarette tin metal and to the links between the 2 I added those Afghan buttons. Or Turkish. Crystal dangle from Corvid who is doing some adorable destash listings. Oh shit! Went for the link and her wacky destash assortments already sold. It's all about the photos. Look:

Temple of the Sun. Fire Agate. Destash. Qty 26

Oh, petra, I don't mess with bones. I tried once and my house still stinks. My father in law who actually does taxidermy professionally thought it was hilarious that I tried to boil the dried flesh off a muskrat skull (it was vile) cuz they are infamously stinky. I got that bone from ShesSoWeird who sometimes actually buys things from etsy to have them sent directly to me to make something from. She's the one that had the idea of the bangles. Actually, the beadcap the crystal there is in is from a repair necklace she had sent to me. Anyways, do a search for 'animal bones' in the supply section, there's tons of lovely specimens, like so:

Specimens - Real Bone Fragments - Qty 66 - Lot 892

So today is another in a series of insanely grey days here in Chicago. (Cuz guys, I'm from Uruguay but live in Chicago. Disappointing, I know.) So I thought, if you need a little sunshine in your day, like I do, you can watch this. Before doing so, you have to turn on the sound.

Oh, and Debi- it was $200.

9 comments:

dinnaforget said...: Puppies! I love puppies. I also love my new necklace. No, I don't just love it, I lurrrve it! I also lurrrve all the new stuff you just posted, and I think I'm gonna be very broke very soon.; 11/29/11, 5:34 PM
Jennifer Valentine said...: oh Fanci, i could feel me ears a burnin'.
Thank you for mentioning me on yer glorious blaaaaag. I have another bird for you that i found! I'll send soon.
Lurve ya my dear!; 11/29/11, 9:11 PM
Flotsam Tide said...: Puppies of Fire! Almost sounds like a heavy metal band, going to have to name a destash collection this in homage to you.. but seriously those two necklaces above are gorgeous. I love those rose tones mixed with earthy brown. Also it is hard to assimilate bigger beads towards the focals sometimes, (it can look awkward to me) but you incorporated them beautifully. Of course it had to be the middle digit that is missing.... ;); 11/29/11, 9:21 PM
Janet said...: All the new stuff is great but these bracelets are especially wonderful!

Living just a couple hours south of you, I understand and sympathize about the grey for days dreariness, but thot you'd enjoy what our local weatherman said we were going to be experiencing....wait for it...ya ready? Thundersnow! Yes, thundersnow. LOL. Gotta love the midwest weathermen trying to spice things up.; 11/30/11, 12:34 AM
steufel said...: Ohhhh, love that bracelet with the belt and the cigarette tin. To die for!; 11/30/11, 3:03 AM
Louise said...: I'm totally drooling, your work is beautiful. I adore that bracelet and building block necklace. I was just talking about those blocks the other day - I must have manifested it. Right I'm going to your shoppe now for a looksie...; 11/30/11, 4:27 AM
Petra Carpreau said...: Ah - I'll stop stinking the place up now then! Thanks for that.Any thoughts as to what I could do with a decomposing badger, while we're on the subject?
Please don't say you just magicked that lot up overnight. I know you don't wash or dress or anything, but come ON - how the hell do you DO it????!!I lurve the colours in the bracelet - and the missing middle finger! Perfect!
How yum are those flappy dog ears though?!
Oh, and hoo-bloody-ray - $200 sounds much more like it.; 11/30/11, 7:45 AM
accusedredemption said...: if i may ask...how much did you end up listing Poets and Mystics. Rustic Art Bead Assemblage with Santo Hand. and Lugent (the Kuchi and bird bracelet) for? because they were really nice and sold fast!!! hope Sparrow did not scold you this time...; 11/30/11, 4:06 PM
Anonymous said...: The bracelet is brill, got a mexican bird that I will play around with, once he's enjoyed Christmas on my tree.; 12/1/11, 9:01 AM