Another trip to the coast to get out of the wildfire smoke! Not a bad office view, eh?
Larkin is working on a design for a repeat customer at the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market who likes to get something special for his daughter every month. He was hoping for an owl next. What do you think, cute caricature on the left or essence-capturing line work on the right?
Larkin just added this new ring design over at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar! These rings are formed from 2 lengths of argentium silver wire, shaped and fused together. Measures about 2cm tall from balled tip to balled tip.
Gah! This is the sweetest! This is the book Larkin showed in the live video this morning before it had been oxidized and polished! This is made entirely out of copper and brass sheet metal, plus silver solder. It is hollow, so quite lightweight.
The copper cover is textured to look like aged leather, and the brass name plates are polished bright. The texture of the pages was created by scoring brass sheet metal with a knife blade. And yes, that *is* a jaunty little bookmark.
It's tiny! Measures 3cm tall (including the bookmark), 2.3 cm wide, and 0.8 cm thick.
I’m not sure this will work, but I believe you can watch Larkin’s video at this link whether you are on Facebook or not: https://www.facebook.com/100009820293574/videos/643221479990455
Larkin works on a tree of life while talking about being a late reader and how books have made Idle Talons possible.
Here's another applegate jade piece that shows just how versatile that stone is! It's almost black in the shade, deep green in bright light, and translucent green when back-lit! Larkin cut this cab from a stone our family found and wrapped it in swoops and swirls of oxidized copper. The finished piece measures 4.4 cm long and 3.2 cm at its widest point.
This piece will be available starting Friday at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar, and if you visit the group at 11am Friday Larkin will be speaking a bit about how books and the written language have influenced Idle Talons!
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!
... 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! ;)
These sweet vining rose pendants have been showcased only at special markets, and are finally available on the website! See these and all sorts of other goodies Larkin has been working on tomorrow at the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market! The Idle Talons booth will be set up from 8:30am-1:30pm at the Ashland Armory.
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.
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. ;)
These are each one of a kind and will be available starting tomorrow morning at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar!
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.
<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.
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!
Larkin is braving the heat (and breaking in the new banner!) at a Pride event today-- stop by to say hi if you're in the area!
Larkin's next in-person market booth is going to look so professional! This will make its debut at a Pride event in Grants Pass on the 25th, then appear at the first Tuesday RVGCM at the Ashland armory. Woot!
Larkin is all stocked up and ready for the first Tuesday Market in Ashland with the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market tomorrow! The Idle Talons board is full of old favorites and some fun new things that you won't see anywhere else. Plus there's new collections of leaves and double-sided cabs-- come say hi if you're local!
One of the opportunities presented by online bazaars is the ability to present some fun pieces that never made it to be final products. There is nothing wrong with these items-- they are practice pieces, discontinued designs, or prototypes of designs Larkin later finalized.
These are Larkin's clearance boards for the upcoming Royaboya Handmade Bazaar. Join the Facebook group any time, sales start this Friday morning!
Larkin's latest wrap, spring flowers edition! This purchased moonstone cab has a gorgeous blue-green-peach flash and is framed in argentium silver with a combo of weaving and fusing. The tail curls are hammered and gleaming. Perfect for spring!
Pictured (in order) with: grape hyacinth, rosemary, shooting stars, and houndstongue. This wrap will be making it's debut next Friday at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar!
Larkin got distracted while making eensy weensy mushrooms and turned out a few of these merely eensy mushrooms. Each is sculpted from solid copper and are heavier than you might expect from their diminutive size!
These sweet fungus dangles will be available starting next Friday at the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar!
