Another sweet rose piece-- just in time for Mother's Day! Larkin cut and polished this cabochon from a purchased slab of rose quartz. Embellished with dainty roses, the back shows through the translucent stone on light surfaces, and blends in to darker backgrounds.
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Snitches
productCommentLarkin made two of these snitch necklaces before Comic Con to see if they would sell and they flew off the display (see what I did there?!) in the first hour! Now they've been added to the standard Idle Talons product line. Beads are gold-plated copper and the wings are hand-wrapped copper that has been oxidized and polished. Any Harry Potter fan would be happy to capture one of these!
A Dragon Is Born!
fun, productCommentLarkin can’t help but name dragons as they are created. This guy has a ton of personality and was named Godric, after the founder of the Gryffindor house, due to his red and gold coloring.
Dragon Magic In The Making
fun, musings, process, productCommentWhen you bring your mum a dragon you stopped working on a while ago and she spends 2 minutes cooing and tickling its belly and demands you finish it NOW.
Stormy Weather
product, musings, processCommentThis piece is cut from a stone found by our family near our home in southern Oregon. Jasper and agate combine to paint a striking landscape in stone, which Larkin framed, cut and polished. Whether you see fields, forest or ocean, the copper wire wrap portends an oncoming storm. This cabochon was cut from a small stone (pictured) so there may never be another like it!
It's Elemental, My Dear Watson
productCommentY'all were right-- these are the elements inspired by the animated Avatar series! They have taken their final shape and are now available. Check out our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/Idle.Talons) for a special limited offer for our Facebook followers. ;)
Geeky Finery
process, product, venuesCommentDesign work is under way for Medford Comic Con-- these aren't final, but progress is being made! Look familiar to anyone?
Fantastic Beast
productCommentContinuing the water theme-- this time inspired during a trip to the coast to visit grandparents! This is a blue aventurine cabochon Larkin shaped and polished, wrapped in a serpentine mermaid's tail. Blue aventurine is said to keep personal thoughts and communication healthy and vibrant.
Brecciated Humboldt Chert
productCommentThis wrap is around a cabochon Larkin cut and polished from a chert stone our family found in Humboldt on the northern California coast. The veining in the stone was created when fractures in the matrix healed with agate. Wrapped in waves of copper wire which has been oxidized and polished. Pictured with the stone from which it was cut.
Roses and Lace
product, processCommentAnother first! This is the first wrap sourced entirely from the ground up, so to speak. Our family found this opalized agate stone near our home in southern Oregon. The combination of translucent agate and opaque common opal (common because it lacks the flash that the precious gem is known for) gives a lacy effect that is complemented by the delicate wire roses. Larkin ground and polished the cabochon and wrapped it in copper. Pictured with the stone it was cut from as well as a remaining slab.
Kelp Fronds On Plume Agate
product, musingsCommentIt is interesting how many stones seem to inspire water imagery! Larkin cut and polished this stone from a purchased slab of plume agate. The red dendrites of the moss agate surround a druzy pocket of glistening crystal. The stone evokes an underwater ocean scene, matched by the wire fronds of kelp climbing the frame.
Something Old, Something New
productCommentA new listing, and some updates on an old favorite this week!
Finishing touches
process, musings, productCommentDid you know how much of the detail and character of a tree of life appear at the very end of the shaping process? The first photo is before final pliers-work and the second is after all the crimping and kinking give the tree its final shape.
This dark green, almost black, stone is Applegate jade, a particular kind of serpentine found near our home in southern Oregon. This is another piece Larkin created from the slab up, so to speak.
Tea Rose Quartz
productCommentAnother cabochon from the Idle Talons team! This one was shaped and polished by Emile (Larkin's dad) during the cabochon class. This rose quartz cabochon is embellished with exquisitely detailed wire roses— the perfect accompaniment for a stone said to restore trust and harmony in relationships and encourage unconditional love! Need we remind you that mother's day is coming up? Because this pendant definitely belongs around some mother's neck. ;)
Rose quartz is semi-translucent so the wires on the back of the piece show faintly through and were designed with this in mind. Wrapped in copper which has been oxidized and polished. 4.9 cm long, 3.5 cm at the widest point.
A Milestone! (see what I did there?)
process, productCommentCheck it out! This is the very first Idle Talons piece that began as a raw chunk of rock! Larkin cut, shaped and polished the aventurine then wrapped the cabochon in copper wire. The copper has been oxidized and polished. Blue aventurine is said to keep personal thoughts and communication healthy and vibrant. We called this one "Ocean Currents."
Dragon Eyes Backstory
process, productCommentDragon eyes start with a plain glass cabochon. Backgrounds are cut from nature magazines and pupils drawn on with a paint pen, then glued to the back of the cabochon. The back is painted black then coated in a waterproof glue. Choosing colors and beading the lid and spines gives each eye its final, distinctive look. Every dragon eye is unique, so if you see one you love, snap it up!
Jeepers, Creepers...
productCommentWhat's less than half the diameter but more than twice as cute as standard dragon eyes? BABY dragon eyes!! (We know, not the best name for marketing... poor wittle baby dragons!)
Creepy Crawlies
productCommentBlack widows: when you need to goth up your houseplants. Coming to the website later today!
Tiger Labradorite
productCommentAnother labradorite piece! This one we're calling "Tiger Labradorite" due to the way its stripes flash yellow-orange in the sun.
A Flight of Dragonflies
productCommentMarket prep and the dragonflies are swarming!