fanciful devices: 05/2015

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.

5/25/15

Dainty

Who thinks it's a day for dainty earrings? Anyone? Ontosophy. Delicate rustic Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with druzy, kuchi and religious medals.

Ontosophy. Delicate rustic Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with druzy, kuchi and religious medals.

Ontosophy - knowledge of being or existence.
An almost neurotically tidy friend came to visit and told me that whenever she looks into my studio she gets a thrill, a feeling of magic messiness where anything might be found. Amazing that among that mess I am able to locate tiny things like the elements in the pair above... The medals are the size of a lentil bean.
Pansophy. Long rustic Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with Pen nibs.

Pansophy. Long rustic Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with Pen nibs.

Pansophy- universal knowledge.
Nibs and charms and lockets... The hat charm hung off a guitar brooch. So, guitar and hat on a brooch, kinda cheesy, right? Take it apart, mix it up and tada!
Parthenolatry. Dainty rustic Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with Mary medals.

Parthenolatry. Dainty rustic Victorian tribal assemblage earrings with Mary medals.

Parthenolatry - worship of the Virgin Mary.
The topmost beads here are mine. The size of, like, two stacked lentils. Maybe. Polymer is not the medium for tiny beads, you will drive yourself nuts.
Psychosophy. Rustic Victorian tribal assemblage "U" earrings. Virgin Mary medals, hammered bangle, rhinestone in silver and gold.

Psychosophy. Rustic Victorian tribal assemblage "U" earrings. Virgin Mary medals, hammered bangle, rhinestone in silver and gold.

Psychosophy- doctrine or theory of the soul.
Look at all the negative space. Something my friend Kim (@wildthorne) said once about a pair I made, that the negative space was as interesting as the earring elements themselves (Kinda how jazz is about the notes you don't play?). I think these might have that quality too. Or they just take up a lot of room without having a lot of stuff on 'em, maybe that's what it is.
Baisemain. Rustic Victorian tribal assemblage necklace. Grey lariat.

Baisemain. Rustic Victorian tribal assemblage necklace. Grey lariat.

Baisemain- a kiss on the hand.
A lariat in shades of grey.

I'm obsessed with the way the stone slab and the stripedy Indonesian beads seem to be made out of the same material.
Pauciloquent. Rustic assemblage chunky choker necklace in soft greys.

Pauciloquent. Rustic assemblage chunky choker necklace in soft greys.

Pauciloquent- Of few words, brevity of speech.
A very simple chunky choker that's all about texture. I friggin' love this thing, I don't know.

I made this for someone who sent me this amazing antique reliquary:

Here's the back:

I had to replace one of the missing smaller sections because unlike the top and bottom missing ones, this one made the whole thing unbalanced and out of wack. After trying everything, I ended up using pieces from a recycled African glass bead that I smashed with a hammer and some alcohol ink to try to replicate the color. Now that I told you that, it's obvious which one it is, but I bet you didn't notice it before.

I also made these for someone:

I was about to list this guy:

When I decided I hate the two elements hanging to either side of the main horn focal. I looks cluttered.

So Imma remove those and maybe add a layer of necklaceness going directly from the horn... But should it be cord or chain or beads? Or a combo? Back to the drawing board.

Another several weeks of the flu and med adjustments for me, but I'm good now. Maybe I'll even start to make as frantically as I used to.

Can you believe I actually got a couple convos regretting that there weren't any cute animal gifs in my last post? Well, just for that you get all raccoons this time! You got your raccoon mechanic, raccoon gardener/harpist, raccoon dentist, raccoon movie lover and raccoon... rock thief?

5/8/15

Greetings from Sofaland.

Sofaland is as much a place as a state of mind. Weeks pass, years pass, and I still find my flat ass trapped in Sofaland.... Anthroposophy. Rustic assemblage bracelet in salmon.

Anthroposophy. Rustic assemblage bracelet in salmon.

Anthroposophy.
OK, check out this pretty thing. Muthafucka's purdy as fuck. (Why am I so sincere in my making but so 'tarded in my verbalizing?)

So see how there's the heart on one side and the fighters on the other and, you know, duality, human nature blah blah?
Klaxos. Rustic assemblage bracelet in dusty blue.

Klaxos. Rustic assemblage bracelet in dusty blue.

Klaxos.
No such symbolism here but, um, it's blue. So there's that.

I made three of the beads here, can you guess which?
Waldeinsamkeit. Rustic assemblage choker necklace in grey and purple.

Waldeinsamkeit.
OK, so I'm in love with this stupid thing so just shut up.

Also cuz I made a ton of the beads in it as well and I'm all proud 'n' shit. Some were made in conjunction with shipwreckdandy (and here she's having a $25 sale) who sent me these wonderful beads but one time when I was in a panic over my inactivity I happened to have her beads in front of me and my tissue blade so I found myself faceting and embellishing beads that were gorgeous as they were.

But knowing how cool she is, it won't even occur to her to be offended.

Also I made that ring out of a bangle from Teapotsandtelephones.

Komorebi. Long rustic assemblage earrings in purple.

Komorebi.
A study in violet with a stick from 4Ophelia.
Aware. Long rustic assemblage earrings in white and pink with biwa pearls.

Aware.
Here's a simple pair with more of my own polies. Cute, eh?
The Truth We All Know. Rustic assemblage earrings, Virgin Mary, blue titanium druzy.

The Truth We All Know.
My polies with huge titanium druzies. Striation, crackle, decals, all set in a little brass cup finding. Actually the teeny bottom blues are mine too.
Ya’aburnee. Rustic assemblage earrings, Virgin Mary, cream and amber.

Ya’aburnee. Rustic assemblage earrings, Virgin Mary, cream and amber.

Ya’aburnee.
Yup.
Hiraeth. Long rustic assemblage earrings in salmon peach.

Hiraeth.
Five of my own polies here, very different effects too. Very unusual, these, very 'statement.'

Very very.
History's Rubbish. Vintage wire work and Kuchi earrings with lemon citrine rustic assemblage Victorian tribal.

History's Rubbish.
Hey, ho, it's a re-make of these from before. But that's all of this bit there was in the broken necklace so no more of that.
Djenné. Ancient beads in caged earrings with cultured pearls.

Djenné. Ancient beads in caged earrings with cultured pearls.

Djenné.
And another re-make of these which people keep buying so I suppose I should keep making... Don't I sound enthused? No, I love all my makies, don't get me wrong. I wish I just had more umph, more impetus... what happened to that supply-panic that used to spur me ever onward? Ah well, such is life. I've got so much to be happy about.
Y'all, thank you so much for your lovely, encouraging comments. I know I don't answer them individually like some people do... just cuz I suck.... but I appreciate every single one like you don't know.