The folks at the rock shop were calling this stone lavender quartz since it has so much more blue in it than standard rose quartz. Larkin has been wanting to try a mixed-metal wrap for awhile and inspiration struck with this stone! The frame is argentium silver and the roses are copper. So delicate and lovely!
product
Treble Clefs Everywhere
fun, productCommentStocking up on treble clefs! Spirals, spirals everywhere!
Plant Frogs!
product, funCommentIt's a sit-by-the-fire-stocking-up kind of day. Today it's little red frog plant jewelry!
Silver Leaf Earrings
musings, process, productCommentLarkin is taking a short break from stone and solder work while we wait for a respirator that should actually fit to arrive (hopefully Monday!). Apparently breaks from certain kinds of work can inspire new designs! These stunningly simple, shaped wire leaves are made from a single piece of 20 gauge silver wire. The wire is shaped, hammered and fused at one point. The result is very elegant— a design that we dare say wouldn’t look out of place gracing Galadriel’s elven lobes! (Thanks to Larkin's younger brother Finn for dipping his human lobes into the glamorous world of ear modelling.)
Custom Tree of Life
product, process, musingsCommentAnother custom commission! (And Larkin's last for the moment if you'd like something on short notice!) The customer wanted a tree of life for their husband including their two children's birthstones. This is the very last cab Larkin was able to cut from that gorgeous chunk of Altman Creek jade we found-- must be time to go out rockhounding again!
Copper Play
fun, process, productCommentThis is a piece Larkin made mostly to play and practice some soldering. It’s far too finicky and time consuming to become an official product, but it will go up on the board next market season as a one-off!
Eye Of The Tiger
process, productCommentAnother custom commission! This customer wanted a green aventurine cab, wrapped in a style that evoked the feeling of a tiger.
Mummy Wrap
musings, process, productCommentI don't want to give away any top secret wire wrapping secrets, but apparently sometimes a little tape does wonders to keep curves in place until they're tied in! Such an elegant work in progress...
Sneakin'
fun, process, productCommentLarkin was working on sketches for a commission and suddenly got a wild hair and had to run off to create this sweet little creature peering out from behind an amethyst wand.
How Long Would It Take 100 Monkeys...
musings, process, productCommentLarkin has been thinking about leading some local beading workshops and used Emile and I as guinea pigs for this pattern. We’re both generally pretty crafty but neither of us have done any real beadwork. We (ahem *I*) also presented Larkin with the opportunity to demonstrate both skill and patience when dealing with a particularly obstreperous student. They turned out pretty well! Especially from a distance... Larkin’s are much tighter and more solid feeling than ours...
Dragon Eye Earrings
productCommentMore dragon eye earrings going up today! I wear Larkin's dragon eyes more than anything else and always get lots of compliments on them!
Just One Of The Leaves!
process, productCommentThis is the cabochon that was an award winner at our local rock shop! Made from applegate jade found by our family, Larkin did a beautiful job shaping it into a leaf. The simpler wrap features some of Larkin's new-found soldering skills and the wire really mimics the woody feel of leaf veining. The stem end doubles as the bail. We're pretty excited about this one and have visions of many more leaf shapes dancing in our heads!
Serpentine Tree Of Life
process, product, musingsCommentThis stone is cut from a piece of serpentine, locally known as Applegate Jade, in this case found by our family along Altman Creek. Larkin cut and polished the cabochon, then wrapped it in a tree that looks remarkably like some of the old oaks in the area the stone came from! The details in this piece are especially remarkable given its small size! I included some progress photos because it's always interesting how the chaotic beginnings of a tree of life are given structure.
All About That Treble
productCommentThese graceful treble clefs are now available in copper or argentium silver, with or without a decorative glass bead. These were favorites of market customers last season, and sure to delight any music lover!
Van Duzen Jasper Sunburst
musings, process, productCommentHappy New Year from Idle Talons! This is a yellow agatized jasper stone our family found along the Van Duzen River in northern California. Larkin cut and polished the cabochon and wrapped it in a dazzling copper sunburst. May it be a harbinger of the brighter days ahead!
Ring Progress
product, process, musingsCommentLarkin has been wanting to work on rings for a long time, and the new torch set-up (plus a professional-grade ring mandrel!) has opened up a lot of possibilities. Larkin is thinking about putting these sweet silver roses on a slightly larger (and maybe hammered) band before calling the design complete. Oxidizing silver is still new and fun, too-- the rosy glow on this piece is a happy coincidence!
New Dragon Eyes
product, processCommentNew dragon eyes up today! Top to bottom, left to right the background images are: light from a distant galaxy, surgeonfish scales, sunlight captured underwater, and a close-up of our sun's corona. The glowing imagery and Larkin's fine beadwork really make them come to life!
Snails!
product, process, musingsCommentOne of Larkin's new toys is a bona fide jeweler's torch, which gives a very precise heat source for fine solder joins. This brings us to a very important question: are there likely to be folks who frequent farmers markets that won't be able to resist a snail family charm necklace?
Lapis Breeze
process, productCommentAfter some time off, Larkin has been anxious to get back to wire work! This lapis lazuli cabochon was cut and polished from a slab gifted to Larkin by a fellow stone aficionado at the rock shop. The wrapped, hammered, and polished silver frame beautifully highlights the gleaming specks in the brilliant stone!
Scallops
fun, process, productCommentNever fear, I have been assigned homework while Larkin gallivants about Europe! ;) We've heard customers call these beaded beauties everything from sea shells or fairy tunnels to purses. Now in a few more popular colors, lovely by any name.
Bonus shot of Larkin at the top of the Eiffel Tower!
