fanciful devices: little note.

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.

5/23/12

little note.

These things from before I left:
The Wraith. Victorian Tribal dollhouse assemblage.

The Wraith. The Vagabond. Victorian Tribal Cowbell with gemstone rondelles.

The Vagabond. The Medium. Victorian Rustic Gypsy Tintype Earrings.

The Medium. The Aesthete. Victorian Tribal Assemblage earrings with Afghan Beads and Tibetan Amulets.

The Aesthete. The Scholar. Victorian Tribal Assemblage earrings with Roman Glass.

The Scholar. The Mystic. Victorian Tribal Assemblage earrings with Gold Leaf and Light bulbs.

The Mystic.
They're up now. You know what's good? Leaving for two weeks, coming back and still really liking the stuff I made. Mostly. You know. Damn I think I like them in real life much more than in these tiny pictures. But I couldn't justify putting up big pictures of stuff I've already shown you. I'll stop talking now.
As you were.

4 comments:

Skye said...: My problem, is I make stuff to either give to people or to set aside so I'll get enough 'good stuff' to get my butt in gear and open a shop... but if it's really good...I want to keep it >.< lol I keep making fabulous earrings that I know would sell in a heart beat if I posted them... but after looking at them hanging on my little rack for a while...I just gotta wear them.. and then they are MINE lol; 5/23/12, 6:11 AM
Jackie said...: Oh Skye, I'm kinda there too. :(

I totally love the Vagabond necklace, good stuff Fanci!; 5/23/12, 6:58 AM
owlparty said...: welcome back; I missed you and your great, inspiring, goofy blog; 5/23/12, 2:54 PM
martinisfor2 said...: I hear you Skye...........; 5/25/12, 5:33 PM