Some of you may remember this unique cabochon Larkin cut and polished from an Applegate jade stone found by our family. This particular cab is a bit of a chameleon— looking black in some light and deep, mottled green in others. The argentium silver wrap brings out the stone’s natural gleaming magnetite inclusions and the whimsically asymmetric bail suits the cab beautifully!
musings
Idle Talons Was Here
fun, process, musingsCommentLarkin finished work on this approximately head-sized Gallifreyan wall hanging today! This piece embodies a whack-ton of soldering (I'm pretty sure that's the official term), circles and straight lines (two of Larkin's least favorite things to make) so it was truly a labor of love! Larkin chose to leave the copper natural rather than oxidizing and polishing it. Just in case your Gallifreyan is a wee bit rusty, this self-referentially proclaims "Idle Talons made this." Recursive much?
A Sweet Story
fun, musingsCommentWhen you give a wire wrapper a licorice rope...
... they may turn it into chain mail and doodles. ;)
Gleaming Leaves
musings, process, productCommentNew leaves going up in the next day or so-- including Larkin's first two pairs of leaf earrings! These are truly a labor of love-- it turns out making small, matching cabochons is not for the faint of heart. I was wondering if stone earrings would be heavy, but each of the larger applegate jade earrings weighs less than a quarter.
There are also two more applegate jade pendants here-- they've been hard to keep in stock! I questioned the choice of blue aventurine for the small pendant, but Larkin started singing Harry Chapin's "Flowers Are Red" at me and I have been suitably chastised. (Look it up if you don't know the song-- heartbreaking!)
Sunset Sodalite Wings
product, musings, processCommentLarkin cut this cabochon from sunset sodalite, so named due to the areas of pink/peach in the otherwise brilliant blue stone. Sunset sodalite is said to bring its wearer clarity, strength, and confidence.
With a wingspan of 14.5 cm and a drop of almost 8 cm from the tips of the wings to the base of the stone, this is a bold statement piece with delicate details. This is the largest piece Larkin has made to date-- zooming in on the stone seemed in order!
Latest Cabochons
musings, processCommentLarkin's latest cabs! This lot is petrified wood (one with a polished face, one with rough grain as found), applegate jade, and yellow jasper/agate. I'm excited to see what becomes of this lot! New shapes, and, what's that? Matched cabs? What could it mean...? ;)
Channel Set Cuff Bracelet
process, musings, productCommentLarkin has been wanting to try channel setting and made this cuff bracelet out of copper and amethyst. It's a nice prototype and Larkin is thinking of making a few in silver, and maybe some rings in a similar style. What do you think-- is it a design worth playing with? Are there stones you'd like to see? :)
Support Youth Art
musingsCommentToday, something a little different. Zoi the Creative is another teen artist whose work we learned about through the unschooling community. Her pieces celebrating Black History Month are some of my favorites. Check it out-- gorgeous stuff! https://www.artbyzoi.com/ and on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyzoi/
Lace Agate Gate
product, process, musingsCommentLarkin wanted to play with a door/gate design similar in organic feel to the leaves, and here is the prototype! Even the jump ring was soldered to complement the piece. Larkin has some ideas to modify the design, but I like how this arched lace agate cab looks like a gateway into a secret garden!
Going On A Jade Hunt
musings, processCommentWe drove out to the Applegate yesterday, mostly for recreational reasons-- we never even saw another human outside of a car! For Larkin and Emile recreation = rockhounding. I am not, however, sure that Larkin's yoga swing rockhounding is going to catch on. ;)
They were wildly successful-- there are some super promising (BIG!) chunks of applegate jade I can't wait to see cut! I'm glad they knew what to look for after a trip out with the local rock club-- applegate jade almost always comes with a nondescript brownish crust that looks nothing like the gorgeous, glowing green stone within.
Ocean View Jasper
product, process, musingsCommentLarkin cut this cabochon from a jasper stone we found near our home in southern Oregon. Larkin sees the crown of a tree in the foreground at the top, with beach, water, and sky below. What do you see? The negative space in the wrap neatly mirrors the negative space cut in the stone.
All photos are taken with the stone from which the cab was cut-- I love the way the copper wrap beautifully takes the place of the copper-colored crust on the rough stone. Bonus shot of my heckling, cackling audience as I tried to take photos: "Can we eats it, my precious?"
Leaves, Glorious Leaves!
process, product, musingsCommentMore leaves! These will be going live this evening as my churlish computer allows. ;) From top to bottom: applegate jade, serpentine, moss agate, green aventurine, chert, yellow jasper, mahogany obsidian. Also included a view of the backs since I don't think I've done that before. I learned that the leaf shape Larkin cuts these stones in is almost impossible to find at rock shops because the concave curves are difficult to achieve on polishing wheels-- traditional cabs have all convex curves. No wonder these always seem so unique! Larkin is now switching gears to a more complex wrap.
Layered Cab
musings, processCommentAnother day cutting and polishing cabochons! Larkin is playing with a new technique, inspired by a slab of rose quartz that is quite transparent when cut. Larkin backed it with a thin slice of obsidian so more of the color shows, including a couple of areas of blue flash that are apparently quite rare! Two of today's cabs are already wrapped into leaves, and most of these will follow suit.
Amphibious Kambaba Jasper
product, musingsCommentThrow back... Friday? This piece has a soft spot in my heart. The stone is a purchased kambaba jasper cabochon. I think it looks like it's held in by froggy fingers, and I swear that's Kermit's silhouette on the back! Some people have said it reminds them of the painting "The Scream" and I can definitely see that too (although it's harder to explain Kermit's presence). Someday, this piece will find its perfect person who loves the amphibious whimsey... or perhaps someone who is a big Edvard Munch fan... or maybe someone who is dying for an excuse to work "kambaba jasper" into more conversations (go ahead, say it-- it's fun!).
Quartz Moon Fox
product, process, musingsCommentLarkin finished this locally found quartz cabochon with a matte polish to capture the soft glow of the moon. It is a rough, crystalline structure, and while you might not be able to see it with the naked eye, the cab does have some pocking/texture if you run your fingernail over the surface.
The adorable fox kit and its frame are constructed from copper wire which has been oxidized and polished. Idle Talons hereby formally acknowledges the customer’s right to see this as a wolf cub if desired. ;)
Now That's Foxy
process, product, musingsCommentLarkin has been playing with copper solder again and these little foxes are my new favorite thing. I dare anyone to hold the baby fox in their palm and not lapse into baby talk. Background is a wet hunk of applegate jade (hello rain, old friend!). I included a penny for scale and it may be a bit of a spoiler for what Larkin has in mind next…
Sales Magic!
musings, process, product, venuesCommentIt's a bit odd having items disappear from a brick and mortar store without Larkin even being present-- we usually get a chance to say goodbye to each piece! These two wraps found their homes today-- lots more still available to see in person at Dragon Crystals! Larkin got a sales notification while socializing our chicks-- it seems to be working! 😂
Mother's Day Commission
musings, process, productCommentThose of you who have been around for awhile may remember when Larkin and Emile pulled this giant stone up a very steep and muddy bank. It turned out to be a pretty nice deep green chunk of serpentine. Here is Larkin's mother's day commission for a wrap using this stone. The customer requested a frame that complemented the stone without any wires going across the face.
Unexpected Treasure
process, product, musingsCommentLarkin's having a machine day! Shaping and polishing a cabochon for a Mother's Day custom order, plus a few more leaf cabs since those keep disappearing. :) On a hike up our empty rural road yesterday, Larkin spotted some promising stones in the road cut. Seeing the polished end is enough to encourage us to go back and see if there's more! We're not sure what it is-- it's translucent like agate, but seems softer than agate. Looking forward to consulting the experts at the rock shop!
Artist Of The Month
product, venues, process, musingsCommentIdle Talons was named May's artist of the month at Dragon Crystals, our local rock and gem shop! This was made official several months ago, and of course timing could have been better given... well, the pandemic. They are open, so stop by if you're local and would like to see some of Larkin's work in person! Please observe social distancing and wear a mask. It was a fun challenge deciding on layout and which pieces to include in their display case, and a brick-and-mortar display feels like a bit of a milestone!
