These hand-shaped roses really seem to have set Larkin's gears turning recently! This choker prototype is currently in the wear-testing phase. Each iteration of the rose and leaf pattern is made individually and then joined, so it could easily be adapted into a chain-style bracelet as well. Larkin completed the design with a custom clasp. These roses are bright copper with oxidized copper leaves, but it would be very striking with various combinations of silver elements as well!
<Whew!> Larkin and the Idle Talon minions needed a bit of a break after last weekend's extremely fun and successful bazaar! Larkin came up with these sweet little heart charms as raffle prizes-- pretty perfect for a certain upcoming holiday! ;) Each heart is constructed from a single wire, with a dot of solder at the join for reinforcement.
A mermaid tail seems especially appropriate for this wrap on a purchased fossilized coral cabochon! Larkin's copper wrap is perfectly evocative of ocean waves and finned friends-- a lovely blend of whimsical and elegant. This piece will make its debut on Friday at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar-- hope to see you there!
This is Larkin's second foray into bezel setting, this time in copper. Larkin cut the cheerfully asymmetric tear drop cabochon from a fabulously patterned purchased jasper slab. Larkin's style really comes through in the wirework holding it in place on back. This piece will be available at the upcoming Royaboya Handmade Bazaar-- if you haven't joined the group yet, what are you waiting for? ;) Lots of fun will be had, all while supporting small, mom- and youth-owned businesses!
Hi everyone, this is Larkin. I don't do as much beading as I used to, but in honor of the inauguration and anticipation of less hostility towards LGBTQ+ folks from the incoming administration I thought I would post these. I never found any techniques online for making a beaded flag that I was happy with, so it was particularly satisfying to work out this pattern (using an expanding and decreasing brick stitch) to make pride flags.
Here's the product of yesterday's metal play! Larkin fashioned a copper ring band and embellished it with a handcrafted silver rose and decorative "rivets," plus copper leaves. Larkin wanted to oxidize the copper dark while leaving the silver bright, and the slightly mixed results ended up with a really interesting worn look! The style is a striking mix of tough and delicate, steam punk and fairy-land, fetish and... well, maybe I should stop while I'm ahead. 😅
Larkin's room is looking more and more like a jewelry studio all the time, full of glorious, creative chaos! Larkin was hoping to get more rock work done today, but came in with frozen fingers. So a pivot to silver smithing play... with copper. Is that a thing? Does anyone talk about copper smithing? This kind of metal work is a pretty new trick and I'm excited to see what comes of it!
Oh, man, I just can't get enough of this red jasper we found near Larkin's grandparent's house in Humboldt County, California. We think the black is a magnesium or iron-based deposit, and it polishes up beautifully. The picture of the back of the wrap shows the end of the stone from which it was cut.
The cab's red and black brecciated surface is perfect for this beaming sun wrap. Wrapped in oxidized and gleaming copper, this red jasper sun is gorgeously celestial!
Larkin has participated twice in the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar on-line market now, and it is hands-down the most fun, best run small business on-line market we've participated in (as a vendor and as shoppers!). Lots of games and prizes, you get to know the real people behind the small businesses you're supporting, there's an amazing young musician performing one evening, and more!
Larkin was thrilled to be invited back so please, if you haven't already, join the group and get in on the fun! Larkin is planning some Idle Talons goodies that will be available only at the Bazaar, including new products and live videos. Hope to see you there! :)
Larkin braved the cold of our rock shop (okay, okay... it's a tent... without heat... and all rock work is done in water) for a couple of hours today and turned out these new double-sided cabs. These are domed and polished on both faces, with a hole drilled sideways through the top so they can be hung on a cord. Top: serpentine; bottom left: chert; bottom right: some kind of funky orbicular jasper from who-knows-where that should obviously be worn by someone with a penchant for pizza.
Larkin's grandma had put in a request for first rights of refusal to the next batch of leaves. She saw these and wanted them all. From left to right: red jasper, applegate jade, and what we think is applegate jade with some super striking impurities. So, I guess what I came here to say is: aren't these pretty? You can't have them! Larkin should have more done in the next few days. If you’re a leaf fan, these tend to sell extremely quickly! If you’re not lucky enough to be Larkin’s grandma, we highly recommend you follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Idle.Talons where we usually give fans a first chance to purchase before listing here. :)
Our family found this serpentine stone near our home in southern Oregon. Confession: we brought it home thinking it might be applegate jade before we learned what applegate jade really looks like in the wild. But what a wonderful learning mistake since the stone has gorgeous grey-green coloring and swirly patterns! The first picture shows the wrap with the stone from which it was cut. Then I took a bunch more pictures because everything is pretty in the rain. 😬
Larkin thought the grey-green swirls in the round cabochon were calling out for a planet wrap! The argentium silver lines in the planet’s rings follow the natural shift in patterns in the stone, complementing the serpentine beautifully.
Over the holidays, Larkin's uncle spoiled us with a laser cutter AND an airbrush! Between the two, Larkin's packaging has seriously leveled up! From now on, wire wraps will come in these fancy hand-painted boxes featuring the Idle Talons logo!
Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate? No matter your beverage of choice, these sweet steaming mugs evoke some seriously cozy vibes!
A kind neighbor saw Larkin's work and offered up some cabs that her father had cut in the 1960s. This plume agate is one of those pieces. We don't know any more about the provenance of the stone, but the wrap makes it look like a small portal into an underwater landscape! The top of the cab is quite translucent and Larkin designed the wire curls on its back to complement it when they show through.
We broke in 2021 with a close-to-home rockhounding trip today! Found some gorgeous jaspers and agates and petrified wood (oh my!). One chunk of petrified wood is the size of Larkin's head and has agate veining and druzy pockets! It's the kind of specimen that makes it hard to decide whether to cut it up...
Larkin used a purchased moonstone cabochon in this argentium silver wrap (if only we could wander our usual trails and find labradorite!). The blue flash of the stone combined with the swoops of silver are evocative of a magical, breezy night! The second picture, with a dime for scale, shows the back of the piece.
Amongst all the other holiday hoopla, Larkin had a quiet 16th birthday on Dec. 24! A brand new drill press has been tested on wood, but this week has been a wee bit chilly to get it set up with water to drill stone. Hopefully it shall fulfill it's destiny soon-- we're looking forward to seeing what this kid creates in the new year!
Winter solstice is the big seasonal holiday at our house! This year felt much smaller without visiting grandparents, and Larkin has been very busy in the last few weeks creating and shipping holiday cheer. :) Larkin also spent some time figuring out what a young jeweler can make for parents who wear so little jewelry that even their wedding rings are usually missing. ;) One answer? Cabinet knobs! These applegate jade beauties will be admired and appreciated every time we're in the kitchen... perhaps a new product line has been born?
Happy holidays from the Idle Talons family to yours-- may we all find peace in the darkness and hope in the lengthening days ahead!
Now that the fun busy-ness of the bazaar has wrapped up, Larkin is catching up on custom orders! The first picture is the gorgeous (almost rainbow) jasper cab Larkin received from the customer. They wanted it re-wrapped, in a simple style that was secure but left as much of the stone visible as possible. The second and third pictures are the front and back that Larkin came up with. Larkin had not wrapped a heart-shaped stone before and this was a fun challenge!
