Another tree in the making…
product
Custom Moonstone Scroll
process, productCommentThe second silver moonstone and aquamarine scroll commission is done! Larkin is planning on making one more of these soon since it would be nice to have one actually make it to market. ;) The combination of argentium silver and moonstone is positively luminous!
Market Booth Facelift
product, process, venuesCommentMore work on new displays and signs! Have we mentioned our great fondness for public domain images? The sea star dish for the mermaids was a fortuitous thrift store find.
Display Progress
product, process, venuesCommentWe've been playing with dressing up displays for the upcoming market season and have been really pleased with some of the public domain images we've found for making new signage! Big shout out to fellow vendor Ruby of Valhalla Organics for letting us borrow her laminator to make them extra sturdy!
Frogs, Skunks, and Lizards... Oh My!
product, processCommentWe’re also updating displays for the first market of the season next week... more on that in the coming days!
See You Later, Alligator
fun, process, productCommentMonkeys, alligators, and a fancy new haircut (finally) happening today!
Mermaids!
product, processCommentDisclaimer: no actual mermaids were harmed in the taking of this picture. That said, this snarl is what 16 Ariels look like waiting for their ends to be woven in and trimmed. Market preparation is getting serious!
Ring Around The Rose Quartz
product, musingsCommentLarkin cut and polished this pale rose quartz cabochon and surrounded it with a ring of beads and hand-shaped roses, all in oxidized and polished copper. The stone is semi-translucent so the wires on the back will show through on a light background. Larkin insisted that "sproingy cord holder loopies" is not the official name for this style of bail but failed to present me with an alternative, so there you have it. ;) A classically elegant piece by any name!
Attention To Detail
musings, process, productCommentDid you know Larkin makes almost all Idle Talons jump rings by hand? This ensures that the metals match and the rings are high quality. Most of Larkin’s jump rings are oval rather than round which keeps the joint away from the chain or cord— making it less likely for a necklace to fall apart entirely if it snags during daily wear. Larkin has been singing the praises of this new jewelry saw (broke the first blade last night!) that makes it easy to cut many rings at one time with a nice flat joint.
Morado Opal Roses
musings, process, productCommentLarkin had someone requesting a rose piece with a purple stone and found a gorgeous slab of Mexican morado (purple) opal. The day is too sunny for a great picture, but this cab is so lovely— it looks like a galactic view out a spaceship portal!
Brazilian Topaz Scroll
process, productCommentA customer brought Larkin this faceted Brazilian topaz to set for his wife. He saw the scroll prototype Larkin was working on and was sold! This topaz is wrapped in argentium silver with sterling beads.
Return of the Peacocks
product, processCommentThese peacocks were a custom order from someone who saw them in the Idle Talons gallery and had to have them! Larkin had discontinued these beauties because they take so much intricate work it was difficult to price them accordingly.
Moonstone Scroll
product, processCommentThis commission was from a customer requesting a moonstone centerpiece with aquamarine accents. Wrapped in argentium silver, this piece positively glows! Another patron who had come to discuss a commission saw the design and liked it so much they ordered something similar with their own faceted topaz centerpiece.
Fabulously Festive Festoon
fun, process, productCommentLarkin made this piece as a prototype for a new commission-- always nice to try a new design in copper before committing to silver! The drop cab is poppy jasper, with coordinating beads in orange and yellow/green jasper. The scrollwork is so graceful, and a little research revealed that this style of necklace, wirework connected to cord or chain at two points, is called a festoon. So you are hereby invited to festoon yourself with this festoon!
Necklace of Power!
fun, musings, process, productCommentLarkin crafted the many-sided dice used while playing Dungeons and Dragons from beads and joined them in this imposing necklace. It was probably too time-consuming to become a regular Idle Talons product, but there will no longer be any question who is DM at our house! Sure to be a critical hit with any D&D fan…
Applegate Jade Leaf
process, product, musingsCommentAnother slightly simpler wrap, this time a leaf cabochon Larkin cut and polished from Applegate jade (serpentine) found near our home in southern Oregon. The veins are shaped from fused argentium silver, with the stem end acting as the bail. A simply beautiful design that one customer described as being “the sort of gift any hobbit would be pleased to receive from Galadriel.” (okay, it was Larkin's uncle 😅)
Silver Rose Rings
product, process, musingsCommentAfter a great deal of wear testing (we put them through a lot, although we stopped just short of wearing them while splitting firewood) and quality control, Larkin is ready to offer these sweet rose rings!
These delicate but sturdy adornments are constructed of pure argentium silver— all joints are fused rather than soldered for a smooth, clean look and feel. (I learned jewelers say “fused,” perhaps because it sounds more delicate and less industrial than “welded,” but the meaning is the same.) Roses and leaves are individually constructed and wrap around the band. Our wear testers agree that they are very comfortable! Bands are 18 gauge silver and can be made to fit virtually any digit.
Obsidian Waves
musings, process, productCommentToday's lesson: my photography skills are not ready for Larkin to start working in obsidian. 😂 Look at the first picture. Closer. Zoom right on in there. See our circuit breaker? Yup, clear as day.
This is a black obsidian cab that Larkin polished to a mirror shine (thanks, Larkin). It is a solid, gleaming back, but displays interesting striations when backlit. The contrast between the bright silver and deep black obsidian give this wrap a bold, elegant feel.
Chert Waves
process, productCommentThis is one of the first cabochons Larkin cut and may be the last cab we can get from the stone. The beautiful blue-green chert with quartz veining was found by our family while visiting grandparents in northern California. Larkin wrapped it in copper which has been oxidized and polished.
Snitches Get... Lovely Cords To Hang From
process, fun, productCommentWe spent some time getting pictures with a live model today so it's easier to envision how different pieces hang. Many thanks to Larkin's very patient friend Allison for providing such photogenic clavicles. Allison even brought the perfect shirt for a shot with a snitch!
