Author Appreciation Project

The author of one of Larkin's very favorite web comics/graphic novel series is doing a signing, and Larkin made this charm necklace as a fan gift. The leaves, hearts and stars are the interstitial doodles the author uses around frames and between chapters, translated into wire.

<replacing my admin hat with my parent hat> Larkin is feeling very hesitant/self-conscious about giving this gift at the signing. I maintain that this is the kind of fan interaction that will make an author's day (if not month!) and Larkin should include an Idle Talons card with the gift. Please leave an encouraging comment telling Larkin how right I am (😂) if you feel so inclined.

The series is Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, and is an almost impossibly sweet coming-of-age/romance/coming out story. Highly recommended if you need more warm fuzzies in your life.

Solder On...

Larkin has some designs planned that require soldering connections. Soldering with a torch rather than an iron on a teeny tiny jewelry scale is, well, somewhat terrifying to behold. Here's to learning new tricks for the Idle Talons toolbox!

To Patina Or Not To Patina

Larkin is working to make more designs available in silver as well as copper, and we'd love your input! The pair of earrings on the left is bright, polished silver. The pair on the right has been patinaed then polished. Should Idle Talons make both available? Do you think one would me more popular than the other?

Idle Talons works with argentium silver, an alloy that contains a higher percentage of elemental silver than sterling, and replaces some of the copper content with germanium which makes it more tarnish resistant than any other silver alloy.

Hail That Cab!

Larkin entered a cabochon into the Roxy Ann Gem and Mineral Society monthly contest for the first time and won! It's hard to get a good picture through the case, but this is a piece cut from a slab of local Applegate jade. Larkin has a leaf wrap planned for the cab, but it will be on display at Crater Rock Museum through November so the wrap will have to wait! The prize includes some free machine time (more cabs!) and means that the next cabochon Larkin submits will be considered at intermediate level. Woot!

Amethyst Roses

Larkin cut and polished this amethyst cabochon from a slab shard, then framed it with copper roses and faceted amethyst beads. The result was stunning, came out of the polisher late last night and was sold at today's market before 10am! The Idle Talons photographer didn't even have time for proper glamour shots!

Strawberry Calcite

This strawberry calcite cabochon was cut from a small piece of stone gifted from a fellow enthusiast at the rock shop. Calcite takes a polish beautifully and is a relatively soft stone so these copper swoops were buffed by hand rather than put through the tumbling polisher. A very elegant wrap!

Market Tomorrow

Idle Talons will be at the Roxy Ann Gem and Mineral Society - RAGMS Holiday Market tomorrow, 11/2, from 10am - 4pm at Crater Rock Museum in Central Point. If you're local and love rocks it's the place to be! Free museum admission all day.

Blue Moon

It is somehow appropriate that this piece was finished on Halloween Day! The large cabochon is shaped from a blue aventurine stone gifted from a friend. The moon is from an agate/opal stone found by our family, tangled in the gnarled branches of a copper tree. The whole piece is surrounded by a frame incorporating luminescent mother of pearl beads. Truly the kind of piece that comes along only once in a blue moon!

Halloween Hiatus, Final Installment

Somehow the Halloween Hiatus wasn't timed quite right for a full retrospective, and it turns out our <cough> historical photographer wasn't quite as reliable when the kids were younger. Here's a quick montage, including 8-year-old Hermione with sidekicks Harry and a very strict McGonagall, 7- & 5-year-old sibling Ben 10 costumes, 5-year-old Princess Larkin with Uncle Court Sorcerer, and 3-year-old Larkin's first trick-or-treating costume in 2008 ("fairy witch"). And, because I got shamelessly swept up in nostalgia, I also included a picture from Larkin's very first Halloween in 2005. Idle Talons wishes you all a wonderful holiday!

Halloween Hiatus, Day 5

Another favorite from Avatar: The Last Airbender! In 2014 9-year-old Larkin (pre-haircut!) dressed up as Katara, the water bender. I had to include a picture of the back because I was so proud of the hairstyle duplication. Guest appearance by Larkin's little brother-- pay no attention to the haunted eyes staring out of the Minecraft pig head...

Halloween Hiatus, Day 4

Day four takes us to 2015 when 10-year-old Larkin dressed up as Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Spoiler alert: we seem to be getting closer to this year's costume as we travel back in time...

Halloween Hiatus, Day 3

Day 3 brings us back to 2016! For those of you who are not Doctor Who fans: yes, 11-year-old Larkin wanted to be a statue for Halloween. For everyone else: don't blink! (Second image is a picture of a Doctor Who weeping angel as reference.)

Halloween Hiatus, Day 2

Here is Larkin (age 12) in 2017, dressed as Sir Alanna the Lioness (from Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books), complete with signature gold-washed chain mail, coat of arms, amethyst drop earrings, and trusty sword Lightning.

Halloween Hiatus, Day One

Since costume construction has almost entirely trumped jewelry making this week, I (acting as Idle Talon's Media Office Manager-- check out the acronym, M.O.M., I'm feeling pretty clever) thought it would be fun to check out Larkin's over-the-top costumes of years past. The first installment is from 2018: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind-- a studio Ghibli fantasy animation.

Current Status: Barely Controlled Chaos

Anticipation builds.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

You may have noticed that your regularly scheduled jewelry posts have been suspended due to impending need of costume. This wizard nerdling does nothing the easy way! Usual programming will commence shortly.

Simple Custom Wrap

Another custom commission! A customer brought Larkin this rough stone with sentimental value and wanted a simple wrap with spirals. It's a much more 3-dimensional stone than the cabs Larkin usually works with. We think it's fluorite-- catches the light beautifully!

Audrey II Drops

Audrey II drops! You may recall the name for these curling vine-like beauties was inspired by the plant from Little Shop of Horrors. Now in silver or copper, with faceted red glass or carnelian drops.

If you give a jeweler some almonds to milk... chances are they’ll want to rig up a whole efficient system, complete with fancy copper scroll attachment.

Put A Ring On It!

Larkin’s first crack at braided copper rings! We plan on wear-testing them for a while to see how the oxidized copper does up against skin.