fanciful devices: Hey is this thing on?

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.

5/2/16

Hey is this thing on?

Nocturne
I meant to be listing and blogging, but I've become distracted. I can't stop playing with clay.

From the description: "This little 14 carat rose gold bird in elaborate frame used to live on an ornate antique necklace focal but was coming off. I removed it, slightly curved it, then soldered it on to this section of brass sheet for a fascinating bracelet connector."

The chain, also from inheritance haul, is fine silver stamped 925... I think? and also "Peru". Faaan-cy!

Being and Non-Being
The polymers here are from my colab with shipwreckdandy and the bezels I've pinched together on top so they'd fit the opal hearts. I almost never use the right size bezels.

"Earth, mountains, rivers, hidden in this nothingness.
In this nothingness, earth, mountains, rivers revealed.
Spring flowers, winter snows.
There's no being or non-being, nor denial itself."

-Saisho Hiroshi

These little zen poems really speak to me. I'm a nihilist, but like in a nice way.

Epicedium
Uruguayan leather button toggles into architectural dig buckle. That sterling connector is from my inheritance haul that I already mentioned in that post. The jet cameo is teapotsandtelephones haul and the beads are handmade ceramic and Indonesian.

OK, I'll try not to forget my online presence again. Well, I haven't totally forgotten Instagram. For example:

Some connectors with decals and crackle.

"Some beads that came out way too black and some cords I'm trying out made from lovely variegated yarn. I love yarns but it tends to turn out too fluffy for jewelry. Well, turns out you can tighten them up by wetting them then running them over an open flame! These were all fuzzy and poofy a minute ago. Clever me! Mr. Devices, however, is not loving the smell permeating the entire house." Mr D was pissed.

I'm drowning in beads y'all.

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