fanciful devices: OK Party People!

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.

1/1/12

OK Party People!

Domestic Fetish. Ceramic and Kitchen Miniatures Assemblage Chokers. Rustic Gypsy Cooking.

I gots me THREE new shrines up. Well, this first one I'm just deciding it's a shrine. I call it Domestic Fetish. I can't decide which of these 2 should be the 1st pic. Petra aka JewelIdentity made me this sweet bezel.

And it's got dollhouse miniatures! Squeeeeee!
Goddamn I've had that spoon/ladle thing for 50 years and finally used it.
Another Petra-fied one:

The Fingers of God. Gold Leaf Shrine with Hand and Pyrite.

The Fingers of God. Gold Leaf Shrine with Hand and Pyrite.

The Fingers of God.

Petra-fied. As my little nephew used to say, "I so fanny." And he really was. Funny- not fanny! (Especially all you sickos from the UK and thereabouts. I know what that means over there. Pervs.)
Thanks go out to Happyfallout for this name/narrative.

The Goddess Eye.

And finally my leetle eye. I love me some body parts. It may go back to some sick fascination I have with the sick fascinations of Catholicism. Not only in terms of torture, which is ingrained in the history of Europe and thus a necessity for becoming a Saint, but also in the weird symbolism, foremost being the disembodied heart. (Long pause as I realize I have nothing more to say about that...)

The Goddess Eye. Eye Shrine Assemblage Choker.

P.S. Thank you, La Fileuse, for forgiving me my faux-pas. HAHA! See what I did there? That means 'false step,' if I'm not mistaken. Which now I'm convinced I am.
Goddamn it.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...: Nothing makes us Brits laugh more than Americas saying fanny. I once watched American Dance Crew where they had a crew called Fanny Pack, I nearly coughed my lungs up. Loving the new necklaces and Petra should start churning out those cuties and get them in her shop.; 1/1/12, 6:20 PM
Anonymous said...: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I love the Goddess Eye one. And you used one of my eye cabochons in it. Yay! I too have a fascination with the weird symbolism of Catholicism. I am especially partial to the Catholic image of Santa Lucia who carries her eyes on a plate.; 1/1/12, 10:44 PM
stregata said...: Wishing you a year of more glorious inspiration - which means another year of eye candy for the rest of us. Love the Goddess Eye - I found a bag of those eyes at the flea market a couple of weeks back...; 1/2/12, 1:04 AM
steufel said...: Happy new year! And raised as a catholic I know exactly what you mean:-); 1/2/12, 7:06 AM
Beatnheart said...: Hello you... I think I'm in love! I have been drooling over your stuff on etsy and now that I have discovered your blog I am convinced... U r all I aspire to be and then some. I luv your wild abandon and the fact that you never seem to stay in the lines. You could string up a bunch of mouse poo and make it cool..; 1/2/12, 9:40 AM
Henny Penny said...: I have a collection of jesus with the sacred heart...maybe one day I'll let ya see it...no, i seriously do. I collect jesuses.....pointing to his sacred heartuses....
and some marys thrown in for good measure.
I love me some religious artifacts and such.
love the cooking necklace...lord girl, you could make a silk purse from a sows ear. (someone told me that once, but i don't think they knew about you yet...)
love you dearie dear.
xox; 1/3/12, 1:45 AM
Janet said...: Eewwww. Mouse pooh and an eye on a plate. Really what else is there to say ladies? You covered it! :)

Cept this, Love it when you use little domestic utensils in your jewelry, fanci. Of course I think that's the best use for domestic utensils!; 1/3/12, 1:48 AM
accusedredemption said...: oo...colors...shiny...and Domestic Fetish...like some kind of French maid?; 1/3/12, 2:04 AM
Petra Carpreau said...: Hey now, sow's ears - that's one for my next set of bits!
Well, you fanny, (whoops, sorry - fUnny)gurl, how you're making my heart go all of a flutter with your extraordinary use of my bits!!I do believe it's been said before that you have the ability to make turds look desirable! Hey - hang on a minute - is the implication here that my stuff is turdy, pigs ears??!!!; 1/3/12, 12:57 PM
La Fileuse said...: Best wishes for the New Year ! Stay fierce ! ;D; 1/4/12, 1:23 PM
betweenreader said...: Oh my Mary Quite Contrary is mind/eye candy supreme! Thanks for the link. Finally got up the gumption to embellish a fold formed bracelet as you suggested, oh design diva. Go see! xoP; 1/6/12, 3:32 PM