Larkin cut and polished this amethyst cabochon from a slab shard, then framed it with copper roses and faceted amethyst beads. The result was stunning, came out of the polisher late last night and was sold at today's market before 10am! The Idle Talons photographer didn't even have time for proper glamour shots!
process
Strawberry Calcite
process, productCommentThis strawberry calcite cabochon was cut from a small piece of stone gifted from a fellow enthusiast at the rock shop. Calcite takes a polish beautifully and is a relatively soft stone so these copper swoops were buffed by hand rather than put through the tumbling polisher. A very elegant wrap!
Blue Moon
product, musings, processCommentIt is somehow appropriate that this piece was finished on Halloween Day! The large cabochon is shaped from a blue aventurine stone gifted from a friend. The moon is from an agate/opal stone found by our family, tangled in the gnarled branches of a copper tree. The whole piece is surrounded by a frame incorporating luminescent mother of pearl beads. Truly the kind of piece that comes along only once in a blue moon!
Current Status: Barely Controlled Chaos
process, product, funCommentAnticipation builds.
Simple Custom Wrap
process, product, musingsCommentAnother custom commission! A customer brought Larkin this rough stone with sentimental value and wanted a simple wrap with spirals. It's a much more 3-dimensional stone than the cabs Larkin usually works with. We think it's fluorite-- catches the light beautifully!
Put A Ring On It!
fun, process, musingsCommentLarkin’s first crack at braided copper rings! We plan on wear-testing them for a while to see how the oxidized copper does up against skin.
Striped Mystery Stone
musings, product, processCommentLarkin found this slab at a rock sale and loved it, but no one could tell us what the stone is! Any rockhounds out there who might be able to help us out? Larkin cut and polished the cabochon and wrapped it in copper which has been oxidized and polished.
The Cab In The Slab
process, fun, musingsCommentThis is a cab Larkin cut from a piece of Applegate jade our family found. It's placed in the section of the slab it came from. It's amazing to see how different the dry stone looks from the polished final product! The lighter green areas are quite translucent, the darker areas more opaque. Larkin is envisioning a wrap evoking a stormy sea for this one.
Copper Doodles!
fun, musings, process, productCommentToday's copper doodles! Sometimes these are destined for the product board, sometimes they are further refined to finished products, and sometimes they're never spoken of again.
Product Board
musings, process, product, venuesCommentThe Idle Talons product board is ever-evolving. This is where Larkin puts new designs, experiments that will probably never be repeated because they were so time-consuming (but fun and educational!), and long-time customer favorites. This is how it shaped up for today's event at Scienceworks. You're missing out if you haven't checked out the booth in person.
More Rocks, Please!
fun, musings, process, productCommentAnother day at the rock shop, another handful of gorgeous cabochons to play with! Also made an exploratory cut into a big piece of Applegate jade that has us pretty excited! The jade is pictured held by Idle Talons' beta minion, Larkin's dad. From left to right, the cabs are banded calcite, strawberry calcite, lapis lazuli, and lace agate.
Songbird on Mahogany Obsidian
product, processCommentThis sweet little bird is shaped around a cabochon Larkin cut from a slab of mahogany obsidian. That almost-mirror polish makes photography hard, but it's oh so shiny! Larkin has visions of getting a bonsai and making more of these to perch in the branches. :) Wrapped in copper which has been oxidized and polished.
Seeing Stars
product, processComment
Jasper Sunburst
product, processCommentThe usual Idle Talons photographer <cough> is out of town but we couldn't wait to post pictures of this one. The stone is a brecciated red jasper that our family stumbled across as driveway gravel (!) in Northern California. Larkin shaped the cabochon and wrapped it in copper. The faceted garnet beads complement the stone beautifully and the result is a striking burst of summer energy!
Here Comes The Sun
product, processCommentThe design phase of a new wrap. This is when it gets exciting and we ask Larkin every few minutes if it’s done yet.
Beads Shall Dance
process, fun, musingsCommentLarkin went a little wild at the big Dancing Beads (our local bead shop) sale this weekend. Let the gleeful plotting and designing begin!
All Polished Up And Somewhere To Go
process, funCommentCabochons from today's trip to the rock shop! Larkin has been so lucky to have people offer up stones and slabs for trade or gift. The two cabs on the left with the agatized shells are made of something known as "Turritella Agate" (see https://geology.com/gemstones/turritella/ for more info), the red and black asymmetric drop is mahogany obsidian, the three mossy blue/green ones are moss agate, and the round red and black one is jasper from Larkin’s grandparents’ place in Humboldt County.
You Can't Always Get What You Want...
product, processCommentLarkin went off to design 3-dimensional wire earrings and came back with this charming (but decidedly 2-dimensional) butterfly pendant. Teens these days. ;)
Owl Be Darned (Well, Beaded)
fun, musings, process, productCommentI (Larkin's mum/Idle Talons' minion-in-chief) was sitting watching Larkin make these sweet little owl charms and learned the story of how the pattern was developed. Apparently, when Larkin was 9 or 10, there was a popular Minecraft server that hosted 5 minute speed-build challenges. At some point the challenge was to create an owl, and Larkin won the round. The build translated well into beads and a pattern was born!
Tiger's Eye Marquise
product, processCommentLarkin cut and polished this marquise from a purchased slab of Tiger's Eye. This stone presented a new challenge because the angles of the cuts are so important to show off the stone's distinctive golden brown flash. It's hard to get a good photograph since direct light and high polish don't exactly mix, but this cab definitely captures the sun with a warm glow!
