Ocean View Jasper

Larkin 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!

More 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

Another 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. 

Copper-Veined Leaves Re-Stock

Larkin has been having a hard time keeping these copper-veined leaves in stock, and I can see why! These are hitting the shop today. Clockwise from top left: applegate jade, red jasper/agate, grossular garnet, applegate jade, red jasper. All found locally and cut, polished, and wrapped by Larkin!

Silver Fox

A customer saw the fox and loved it, but wanted it done in bright silver! This wrap will be on its way to its new home tomorrow.

Quartz Moon Fox

Larkin 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

Larkin 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!

It'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

Those 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

Larkin'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

Idle 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!

Shipping Day!

All these lovelies are now out for shipment or delivery! There's still time to get in on the action-- use the discount code MOTHER for 10% off all purchases until Mother's Day. :) (And no, your eyes don't deceive you-- there is a single earring in one order for a previous customer who lost one of a pair!)

Rose Stud Earrings

Larkin's first stud earrings! These sweet rose studs are formed from 20 gauge argentium silver wire, shaped and fused into a leafy bloom. Thanks to Larkin's younger brother, Finn, for lending his lovely lobes and locks to our photo shoot. 

Spring Office Hours

Here's a view of the ever-changing Idle Talons workshop today! Amid the wildflowers and dirt from the hobbit-hole-under-construction, Larkin is working on these elegantly understated silver leaves.

Media Attention

Spring, isolation and market cancellation has led to distraction, disappointment and frustration for small businesses and Idle Talons is not immune! Larkin is working on some new designs and is busy cleaning and reorganizing the Idle Talons studio/ teenager bedroom. It was a bright spot in our week when a local news outlet included Idle Talons in their coverage of the local Comic Con that was cancelled this year! https://www.roguevalleymessenger.com/fear-not-fantasy-fans-comic-con-vibes-abound-in-virtual-form/

Genie Magic

Larkin is excited to have the genie set up in a more permanent location so it doesn't have to be moved when not in use! Today's experiments include trying out some homemade dop sticks for polishing cabs and hopefully getting stones cut for some projects Larkin has in mind. Some of us <ahem> are having a hard time not pestering Larkin constantly about one of these projects in particular because the anticipation is torture, but no spoilers!

Dragon Eyes!

New dragon eyes going up tomorrow! So much variety and character.

Experimental

Larkin was playing with some new techniques and including negative space in a design. This is a gorgeous Humboldt chert cab and Larkin likes it much more than the wrap so is considering pulling it out of this piece.

Beaded Medallions

Beading was Larkin's first creative love. I went into craft stores asking about beads for my 3-year-old and they'd point me towards buckets of giant plastic monstrosities. I quickly learned to ask for seed beads! While Idle Talons has moved more towards stone and wire work, Larkin still loves beading. These medallion pendants are intricately mesmerizing!

Lapis Planet

Larkin cut and polished this gleaming blue cabochon from a small slab of lapis lazuli gifted from a fellow rockhound at the rock shop. Wrapped in gleaming argentium silver rings that match shining flecks in the stone, this piece is truly stellar! (See what I did there?)

Just for fun, the second picture is a visual pun representing a well-known song title... can you guess it?