Moss Agate Dragon Tail

Inspired by a Facebook comment, Larkin created this dragon tail wrap! Larkin cut the distinctive moss agate cabochon from a slab gifted by a friend. The stone is partly transparent when back-lit, so Larkin kept the back simple to let the light shine through unhindered.

The inside of the frame and circlet holding it in place on back are argentium silver, and the spines and tail end are copper. Larkin hand-shaped the tail from sheet metal and fused it in place. The main join on the body of the wrap is also fused so the stone can sit flush against the wires. Measures 6.6 cm long and 4.2 cm at its widest point.

This piece will make its debut at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar this Friday! Tune in there for this and the story of how the evolution of Idle Talons would not have been possible without books!

Mermaid Tail Retrospective

Alternative title: Larkin Doesn't Like Doing The Same Thing Twice

This first photo is Larkin's proof of concept piece, the very first Idle Talons mermaid tail on blue aventurine made in April of 2019 (for those keeping track, this was when Larkin was 14).

Next came a silver tail on seraphinite, a very similar style as the first because Larkin was not yet ready to jump into new designs in spendier silver wire.

Then another blue aventurine piece, this time wrapped in silver with a different tail position.

Next came a copper tail on fossilized coral, again with similar design elements tweaked in new ways.

Finally the brecciated jasper tail Larkin finished yesterday.

Each piece has so many similar elements, yet is totally unique as Larkin made changes to suit the stone and cab shape. This makes me want to collect other styles for a side-by-side comparison! Maybe trees next...

Brecciated Jasper Mermaid

I have two favorite stones found by our family so far: this one, and a particular piece of applegate jade. Larkin cut this phenomenally striking brecciated jasper cab from a rock we found on the northern California coast. The copper mermaid tail setting combined with the stone is like a perfect marriage between water and fire! Larkin has really been enjoying making (very labor intensive) wire doodles to hold the stone in place on the back of the wrap, and this one formed from fused argentium silver turned out beautifully.

Rose Drops and Books

... and the sort-of-companion earrings to yesterday's pendants are up on the website for the first time, too! It's so fun seeing the different colors jump out in oxidized silver.

On a slightly different note: Larkin has a book-themed bazaar coming up and is looking for ideas! Are decorative sheet metal bookmarks a thing? Are there specific fandoms you think might translate well into Larkin's style? A product we haven't thought of that might particularly suit readers and/or authors? The fun thing about throwing lots of ideas at Larkin is seeing the results for the ones that stick! ;)

Background Noise

Some behind-the-scenes shots today. We went to our first (outdoor), small live music event since the pandemic and thoroughly enjoyed some stellar blues rock. Larkin, tools ever at hand, stocked up on tiny silver leaves while listening. Here at home, a freshly painted batch of dragon pendant boxes dries on the porch. The next in-person Idle Talons market is coming up-- next Tuesday in Ashland!

Chert Blues

We are visiting grandparents at the coast, and Larkin was inspired to finish a wrap on this cab cut from a beautiful blue-green chert we found here on a previous trip! Silver swoops and swirls mirror some of the darker lines in the stone. Bonus: it's always nice finding new photography backgrounds away from home. :)

Applegate Jade Vines

Larkin cut this asymmetric cabochon from one of our favorite applegate jade finds, then used a combination of wrapping and fusing to frame it in sweet silver vines. Pictured with the stone from which it was cut, plus one photo to show how gloriously gleamy it is in sunshine. Larkin's grandpa gets first right of refusal on this beauty, the lucky devil!

Moonstone Scroll

One more piece, just finished and added to the Idle Talons album at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar! There's even a video of Larkin doing the finish work over there. :) Larkin wrapped the purchased moonstone scroll in bright argentium silver scrollwork.

New Tree Of Life

This is the finished piece Houdini the cat was helping with the other day! The background cab of this piece is cut from a stone we found while we were still learning what applegate jade looks like in the wild. We suspect this stone is a mixture of applegate jade, serpentine, and magnetite-- the raw stone is pictured here.

The mini moon cab is cut from local quartz and tangled in the branches of a tree of life. The frame and tree have been oxidized and polished.

This piece is currently exclusively available at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar, and will be on the Idle Talons website Monday if it survives. ;)

No Crossing Your Fingers, Either

Houdini is helping Larkin wrap up (get it? 😅) a couple more pieces before the bazaar opens on Friday. These photos also illustrate why you should ALL solemnly double-dog swear, cross your hearts, no takesbacksies NOT to ever ever play the "find the white cat hair" game in *every* *single* *one* of Larkin's product photos. It's a terrible game, trust me.

Market Season!

<Phew> Larkin is busy re-stocking for tomorrow's first Tuesday with the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market at the Ashland Armory from 8:30-1:30. Stop by the Idle Talons booth if you're in town! AND the next Royaboya Handmade Bazaar starts this Friday! Larkin is working hard on new wraps and hair sticks perfect for keeping cool this summer. It's an amazing line-up of vendors with everything from handmade eco-friendly laundry products to skin care, clothing, and fine art. Best of all, you know you're supporting small mom- and youth-owned businesses. This is a virtual market on Facebook, so join the group to get in on the fun, prizes, and amazing handmade products.

Scarf Wraps

A neighbor found these stones on their property and polished them in a rock tumbler. They wanted a simple wrap suited to their natural 3D pebble shapes so Larkin wove them into what we've been affectionately calling a "scarf" wrap. These are a beautiful, quicker way to tie in stones that haven't been cabbed!

Inspiration Strikes

Sometimes inspiration comes from some pretty odd places! The lid on a storage box in the Idle Talons bedroom/workshop has a pretty little scroll on its edge and Larkin translated it into wire.

We are thinking it would make a pretty gorgeous circlet/headband! I've been (somewhat selfishly) trying to talk Larkin into expanding into hair decorations, and look! A hair stick with those same delightful curls!

Scorched copper is so pretty, but isn't practical for most jewelry since it turns people green. Another point in favor of copper hair decorations! ;) Larkin is hoping to debut a collection of these lovelies next month in the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar-- we hope to virtually see you there!

Vining Leaf Earrings

Remember the back of that applegate jade pendant that featured a sweet little leafing vine? Larkin translated that design into earrings! These are made up in copper, bright silver, and oxidized silver. Thanks to cousin Theresa for the design inspiration!

Amazonite Lagoon

Larkin cut this teardrop cabochon to get a feel for working with amazonite before making the drawer pulls. This stone looks so much like clear Caribbean waters!

Wrapped in argentium silver and accented with smooth mother of pearl and faceted amazonite beads, this piece is sure to conjure memories of the halcyon days of summer even on the darkest winter night!

Amazonite Drawer Pulls

Larkin had a special request for amazonite drawer pulls and they turned out beautifully! Amazonite is a difficult stone to work with and Larkin's poor perfectionist soul struggled a bit with the small chips at the edges. These will be winging their way to their new home tomorrow!

Desert Landscape

Larkin's latest commission was a wrap around this gorgeous 3-piece cab made by the customer's grandfather. The cab is backed by some green-ish opaque stone, and the front features a picture jasper landscape topped by a blue agate sky.

The piece had been worn as a bolo tie for many years, and Larkin transformed it into a pendant. Larkin wanted to frame the piece without obscuring the cab, and used thicker than usual wire because it's a much larger piece than most Idle Talons work. A gorgeous portal into a desert land!

Applegate Jade Triangle

This is one of Larkin's double-sided applegate jade cabochons, domed and polished on both sides with a hole drilled sideways through the tip leaving both faces unbroken. Larkin squared the copper framing wire in the metal roller then twisted it in various directions to fashion a simple frame that really glints in the light!

The frame and stone are not actually attached, so they each dangle and sway independently. Tiny soldered loops hold the frame on the cord and the whole piece is reversible. This piece was a bit too small to hide the flashlight, but it's still fun to see how it glows when backlit! The last picture features the stone from which the cab was cut.

Vining Applegate Jade

This piece makes me wonder if I finally need to claim my own piece of Larkin's work! If you like petite pieces with intricate detail this just might be the one for you. Larkin cut the cab from applegate jade found by our family, then shaped, wrapped, squooshed, and fused silver wire to form the frame.

The second picture shows how it glows when backlit (!!), and the third shows the sweet little vine Larkin put on the back (as well as the stone the cab was cut from in the background)-- another piece that makes it hard to decide which is the "right" side! Bonus: this translucent green stone also attracts a magnet!

This piece was made for a neighbor who found the stone on their property after it burned last summer in the Almeda Fire. They have invited Larkin back to do some very close to home rockhounding as they have found a ton of jasper, agate, quartz, and even some stones that look a lot like applegate jade (but what the heck is it doing there?!)! Witnessing our neighbors' journey while the whole community recovers from wildfire has been truly humbling.

This was a small Quartz With Cool Green And Orange Coloring (I'm sure that's the technical term) stone to begin with, so Larkin embraced its asymmetry in both the cab and the wrap style. Larkin sees a forest releasing clouds of springtime pollen. :)