It is interesting to see how all the time Larkin has devoted to various crafting techniques can be reflected in current wire work. This purchased lace agate cabochon is wrapped in a unique style reminiscent of knitted cabling, resulting in a stunningly elegant piece!
Made In Southern Oregon
venuesCommentNext event... stop by the Idle Talons booth in Central Point this Saturday!
A Little Help From Your Friends
fun, musings, processCommentLarkin’s productivity has been a little low. We’re opening an investigation into probable cause.
Or should we say, pawsable claws…
New Butterfly Wings
product, venuesCommentTwo new shades of these gleaming butterfly wings have alit! These are always eye-catchers at market days... you can check them out in person tomorrow near the Talent skate park!
Altman Creek Jade Tree of Life
product, processCommentYou may recall the story of how Larkin and Emile risked life and limb pulling several hunks of rock up a very steep embankment (see post from a few weeks back). Larkin cut and polished this cabochon from one of those stones, pulled from the waters of Altman Creek in southern Oregon. Boasting a dazzling array of greens, creams, and sparkling black, this Altman Creek jade is wrapped in copper wire which has been oxidized and polished. Second picture doesn’t show off the colors as well, but includes the stone from which it was cut.
Rose Quartz Roses
productCommentAnother 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.
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!
Comic Con Is A Wrap!
venues, funComment<Whew!> It was a long, very successful weekend at Comic Con for Idle Talons-- having a booth staffed by Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind didn't hurt! Larkin plans to buckle down to replenishing stock and will be making and wrapping some new cabochons in the coming weeks.
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.
Nature's Easter Hunt
fun, process, musingsCommentA beautiful day in southern Oregon— found some great pieces of petrified wood, agate and jasper, just laying on the ground waiting to be discovered!
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.
Oh, For The Love Of Rocks!
fun, processCommentOn the way to the coast, we stopped at a spot where we hoped to find some Applegate jade. The river was about 200 feet below the road, much of which was a *very* steep bank. The first picture really doesn't do justice to the distance or steepness of the bank. These two found a giant hunk of rock that looked like it was largely Applegate jade and flung/shoved/hurled/dragged it all the way up to the car with minimal bloodshed. Back in civilization, it turns out it weighs about 50 pounds! It cleans up beautifully (the humans looked better after a good scrub, too)... we can't wait to see slabs (of the stone, not the humans)!
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.
Vendor Announcement
venuesCommentIdle Talons will be a vendor at Roxy Ann Winery's Brews, Bluegrass & BBQ again this year! Last year this event was Larkin's first official market, so it also marks a momentous business-iversary! The event is open 12-8 pm June 1, 2019. If you are on Facebook, you can find more information at: https://www.facebook.com/events/361140808015912/
Lapidary Punster
funCommentOur family has been on-again-off-again members at a local rock climbing gym, so the phrase "rock gym" rolls off the tongue very easily. After Jenny (Larkin’s mum) had called the rock shop the rock gym approximately 1,539 times, she thought she could save it at the last minute: "Larkin is at the rock gym... you know, where rocks go to get in shape."