To Tarnish Or Not To Tarnish...

Larkin uses sterling silver, which we all know requires some upkeep if it's going to stay polished bright and shiny. But... what if you don't wanna polish it?! I'm honestly undecided about which version of these earrings I like better!

The first picture was taken in full sun, the second in shade. Both pairs of earrings were made and polished
at the same time several months ago; the top have been stored in an airtight container while the bottom
have been out and handled regularly. Silver tarnishes such beautiful colors! The bottom pair is still shiny and gleaming, but in a more... gothy way. 😅 Do you have a favorite?

Jasper Oak In Autumn

High temperatures are still in the 90s here, so summer isn't done with us yet, but Larkin's latest piece foretells Autumn's arrival!

The realistically rough and knobbly silver tree trunk contrasts beautifully with each unique, handmade oak leaf and the smooth, polished silver that completes the frame.

But this pendant has a dark side! While the front features the familiar oaks that comprise most of the forest around our southern Oregon home, Larkin added our least favorite lurker in the forest’s understory to the back: poison oak! The two oaks are only related in name, but they are fitting representatives of the beauty and danger in nature.

The striking black and red stone was found by our family in Humboldt County, California. We suspect it is mostly made up of red jasper in an unknown black conglomerate. The stone is slightly porous so the cabochon's surface does not have a perfect, mirror polish— small imperfections can be seen when light reflects off the stone at certain angles.

Larkin's lapidary work often fades into the background (literally!) once they set a stone into a final piece, but check out this picture of the exposed side of this cabochon!

That is a remarkably even girdle (the vertical section at the edges of a cab, before the top starts to dome), and you can just see it starting to taper towards the bottom corner. Larkin's cabs may not be as flashy as purchased stone (it's important to them that their work does not support questionable mining practices, so they use almost entirely stones found by our family and friends), but mass-produced cabs can't compete with the quality of Larkin's stonework!

Time Management

This time of year Larkin struggles a bit with dividing their time between fun, new designs and stocking up everything that sells out at in-person markets (it's a good kind of problem to have, we know!).

I didn't want to go out into the hazardous smoke for photos, but here's a blurry little shot of a piece Larkin is currently working on between re-stock work. I'm pretty excited to see it done!

And I included a few photos of some of the pretties Larkin has been shipping out recently, just for funsies.

Throwback Thursday

Are you watching Heartstopper on Netflix? Larkin introduced our family to the series when it was still a
webcomic and we were all hooked! When the books were released Larkin was 14, and they had the opportunity to meet the author (Alice Oseman) at a signing!

Larkin made this charm necklace as a fan gift (out of copper! This was before Larkin had largely transitioned into silver work). The leaves, hearts and stars are the interstitial doodles the author uses around frames and between chapters, translated into wire.

Larkin was *so* self-conscious about the gift, but at the end of the day they were convinced to hand the necklace over (and then run away blushing madly!).

The TV series really has captured the feel of the original stories. This is an almost impossibly sweet
coming-of-age/romance/coming out story. Highly recommended if you need more warm fuzzies in your
life.

Sparkling Vine Rings

This is a design Larkin prototyped quite awhile ago, then recently made a batch with some final tweaks and more gemstone color options.

Someday, Larkin would love to make their own faceted gems from local stones, but that is an investment and learning project for another time! Until then, Larkin has chosen to work with lab-created gems so as not to support questionable mining and stone cutting practices. This design is available with lab-created garnet or four shades of cubic zirconia.

Larkin has rolled the ring bands to create a comfort band curve against the skin and a square face on the outside. The curling vine does not extend all the way around the ring, leaving the band smooth and untextured between the fingers.

Bonus picture of a row of leafy vines before they were attached to rings!

Biking Through The Apocalypse

The wildfire smoke has finally caught up with us here in southern Oregon. Luckily, being a jeweler comes with certain PPE benefits. Larkin rode into town to drop some orders off at the post office this afternoon (thank you!!), and didn't understand why they were getting some pretty funny looks. They snapped a quick selfie when they figured out that, indeed, they were pretty darn visually entertaining. 🤣

Shelf Mushroom Stud Earrings

Introducing the next in Larkin's earrings series we're lovingly calling "weird things that sprout from your ears!"

I slept in these last night and, as someone who can only rarely be bothered to change my jewelry, I think I finally found the artisan studs that will replace my longstanding boring mall hoops!

Larkin hand-fabricated these sweet little conk mushrooms entirely from sterling silver. Each shroom has rings and a gently frilled edge, just like their wild counterparts.

They come in two sizes and are especially sweet when worn as a cluster in multiple piercings! You can customize your colony to your piercings.

Silver Cat Tail Bangle Bracelet

Larkin formed this assertive (it took awhile to find the right adjective for this one!) solid sterling bracelet from hand-fabricated cat tail leaf blades and flower heads.

It looks like a cuff bracelet, uniquely designed for the gap to be on top of the wrist, but wears like a bangle. The pointy tips and sharp leaves look daunting, but the bracelet is designed to be comfortably smooth against bare skin. That said, care should be taken if it will be paired with loose-knit garments… or physically friendly people.

Larkin always wear-tests new designs. Not gonna lie, this bracelet really dresses up a delightfully drippy chaffle sandwich!

Do not be tempted to put this deceptively lithesome bracelet on as you would a cuff bracelet— the pointy end of the cat tail is designed to be comfortable during wear, but it will scrape you if you don't don it with the proper respect.

Rocks, Cats, and Medieval Times

Larkin is spending some time sorting through stones today and cutting cabochons for some new projects. (Pippin is helping, and thinking he's being subtle about his desire for the water bowl.)

I'm hoping some of those tumbled sunstones make the cut-- look at them shine in the sun!

Larkin's next market looks really fun! It's indoors (out of the heat!) and there are some amazing old school artists attending. Check out the Medieval Craft Fair and come say hi if you're local!

Spectacular Sparkling Silver Sprout Studs

Larkin hand-fabricated these sweet little sprouts from sterling silver.

They appear to be reaching for the sun from your earlobes!

Posed on 20 gauge wire, these sprouts are work-hardened but still delicate so care should be taken when worn. Long hair should probably be worn back, and it would be best to avoid loose-knit garments that could snag on these cuties.

Bonus (unfortunately blurry) photo of Larkin's face, with an uncharacteristically natural look in front of the camera AND wearing their own work!

Matching Rings

Larkin sent these two silver ivy rings off to their new home last week!

Larkin often makes up little stories about what sorts of lives their pieces go on to live after leaving the Idle Talons studio (are these couples jewelry? Different sizes for different fingers? Best friend trinkets?). Artist separation anxiety aside, it's fun to imagine Larkin's work slowly spreading into the world-- leaving a sparkling trail of sweet memories!

Silver Ivy Hair Piece

Calling all fairies, elves, royalty, druids, bog witches, fauns, and other fanciful creatures!

Larkin's first circlet! Only it's not a circlet, it's a... horshoelet? Is there a name for this kind of head/hair decoration? 😅

This hair piece is a hefty chunk of sterling silver that Larkin has shaped into a remarkably delicate-looking ivy vine. There are seven ivy leaves in decreasing sizes on each side of the central loop, each hand-shaped and textured. The band is not closed and can be gently bent to fit virtually any head size.

Larkin softened the points of the ivy leaves for maximal comfort during wear, but this piece does have many points and jags that could catch on hair or garments. If it will be worn with an elaborate hairstyle, we recommend setting it in place with bobby pins and not constantly readjusting it!

This sinuous one-of-a-kind piece would be suitable for a fairytale wedding, renn faires, cosplay, coven gatherings, and more… I dare say it would brighten the day of every shopper at the grocery store. ;)

We were lucky enough to receive a visit from a local elf for a fun photo shoot! Thanks, Mac!

Stone-Hooded Jellies!

Stone-hooded jellies! These earrings appear delicately ethereal and flowy, but they are much sturdier than they appear! Each tentacle is soldered to the central stinging arm and work-hardened for rigidity.

Larkin has painstakingly cut, polished, and drilled the stone cabochons that are the bells of these jellyfish. The dark green is called “applegate jade” by the good folks at our local rock shop, but it is not a true jade and is more closely related to bowenite.

The pink is rose quartz.

Silver is *so* bright that it can be hard to capture in a photo! I like that the shadows in some of these pictures almost makes the tentacle pattern easier to see. 😅

The stone adds a lot of time to their making, and a whole lot of personality to the finished pieces. These are the only two pairs Larkin currently has made up, and they have some pure metal ones still as well!

Applegate Jade Ivy Nightscape

... and we're back! Larkin had a busy month of traveling and visiting with family but has been making time to work in the studio whenever possible. And my laptop has been given a new lease on life with a shiny new (bigger!) hard drive and not-so-swollen battery. 😅

Come see Idle Talons tonight at the Talent Artisans & Growers market-- and see this new piece in person! ;)

This is another piece Larkin cut from out favorite local stone-- applegate jade. It is not a true jade (more closely related to bowenite) and is a deep green stone, nearly black in some lighting, with flecks of magnetite that actually makes it attractive to magnets!

It glows a translucent yellow-green when backlit. I tried to demonstrate just how translucent it can be by balancing the piece on top of a flashlight standing in a jar of lentils and leaning on a pile of towels in the laundry room. Yep, a true glimpse into the glamorous world of jewelry photography!

This stone has a darker green stripe down the middle that gives the impression of a pupil— with the ivy “antlers” this piece reminds me of a forest guardian in the spirit of Studio Ghibli!

Larkin hand-shaped each ivy leaf from sterling sheet, and the vines are textured to mimic their wild counterparts. They polished the back for a smooth feel against the skin and finished it with a full moon peeking through the branches of a tree.

A whole lotta magic going on with this one!

Jellies!

Jellies!!! Did you know a group of jellyfish is called a... SMACK?!

These earrings appear delicately ethereal and flowy, but they are much sturdier than they appear! Larkin soldered each tentacle to the central stinging arm and work-hardened each earring for rigidity.

That said, if you have hair likely to tangle in these tentacles you'd probably want to wear it back— the better to show off these ebullient Medusozoa!

Larkin makes the bells of these jellyfish in either silver or copper. The ear hook and the rest of the jelly bits are hand-fabricated from sterling silver. No two will ever be perfectly identical, and that is part of their charm!

These will make their market debut tomorrow at the Spring Talent Craft Crawl, sponsored by the Talent Business Alliance! The Idle Talons booth will be in the lawn in front of Town Hall and Larkin would love to see you there!

Sneak Preview

Larkin's doing batch work on a new design! Any guesses what these will become?

Books!

Larkin created these sweet little tomes for a dear friend who recently got her ears pierced and is studying publishing at university. They were a surprise, and it was hard to wait until they arrived to share! Larkin liked how they turned out so much they've been added to the Idle Talons wares. :)

The books are hollow forms, shaped with copper covers and silver pages, bookmarks, and title plates. Larkin leather-textured the copper covers, and grooved the silver sides by hand to resemble paper pages. Each book hangs from a hole drilled through the bookmark.

The one with mushrooms was a happy accident-- Larkin burned a hole in the top pages and decided to fill it rather than scrap the whole book. It disappeared quickly at yesterday's market!

Copper Capped Mushrooms

We have fungus among us, folks! Larkin made a whole cluster of these little copper-capped cuties.

Larkin shapes the caps from sheet copper, and drills a hole through the center. They form the jump ring on top from sterling silver wire, then they pass it through the cap to become the stem. They shape the base of the stem so it is larger and rough textured, just like so many mushrooms in the wild.

Such sweet little forest denizens! These will be available at the upcoming first annual Spring Talent Craft Crawl, sponsored by the Talent Business Alliance. We're so excited our small hometown has such amazing opportunities for artists!

Shooting Star

A sweet little table-top sculpture of shooting stars!

I thought it would be so cool to get photos out with their wild brethren, but the background is just too busy. Feel free to play a where's waldo version of "which one of these is not like the others" 😅

So I brought it indoors for photos, but I think this may be a job for a more traditional photography background.

Photography difficulties aside, Larkin pulled off a pretty amazing duplication! The leaves have the thick, almost waxy look of the originals, and the blossoms hang just right from their long, slender stems. Solid sterling silver.

Evolution Of A Leaf

Can you tell what plant Larkin is re-creating? Hint: you saw the bloom last week. ;)

First, Larkin cuts the shape out of sheet silver.

Then they scored a line down the center and emphasized it with a chisel so it has a slight center fold.

Larkin then rounded the shape out with a ball peen hammer on a wood block.

Finally, the edges are rounded and given their final shape and the whole thing is hand polished, especially any remaining chisel marks.