Today On The Workbench

Those of you who have been with us for awhile know that one of Larkin's favorite things (other than jewelry design/creation) is bowling. This year, Larkin has qualified for the State All Stars-- the state championship for high schoolers that is one step away from the national competition. Larkin is still working towards that perfect, elusive 300 game.

A team parent wanted a few pairs of Larkin's bowling pin earrings as gifts, so Larkin is making a batch to have a few extras on hand as market season approaches.

Also, something appears to be happening with sproingy silver coiling tendril thingies.

New Leaves!

Larkin has been hard at work creating this new batch of leaves! These have been super hard to keep in stock during market season. Larkin has begun framing some in sterling silver as well as copper. It turns out sterling silver is so much easier to work with that both metals are priced the same and Larkin matched each stone to the one that suits it best.

A - applegate serpentine in copper

B - humboldt jasper in copper

C - local agatized jasper in copper

D - grossular garnet matrix in copper

E - moss agate in silver

F - serpentine in silver

G - jasper in copper

H - applegate serpentine in silver

I - plume agate in silver

K - moss agate in silver

L - veined humboldt chert in silver

Know what's really cool? These were all found by our family except for G and I!

Applegate Jade Witch Marquise

This is the last cab Larkin was able to create from the slabs they originally cut from this stone.

it's my very favorite of our family’s applegate jade/bowenite finds to date and I'm so glad there's plenty more of the stone left to cut!

This stone is not as "gemmy" as the more highly valued varieties, but its impurities and inclusions give it so much character!

Larkin started with a wire wrap, then added some shelf mushrooms (check out the zoomed in picture! They have all the realistic layers and texture!) and ivy.

The back is relatively simple with a crescent moon and mushrooms, but truly completes the magical forest feel of the piece.

Silver Manzanita Leaf

Larkin's dad, Emile, grew up in southern Oregon and has always had a soft spot for the manzanita trees that populate the understory of the oak forests here.

Larkin made him this manazanita leaf pendant that looks just as at home in the local trees as Emile!

Moss Agate Mushroom With Petrified Wood Door

Larkin's portal period and mushroom period have collided!

The cap of this mushroom is a moss agate with deep purple-red strands suspended in the translucent agate.

Larkin cut the doorway from petrified wood found by our family— they left its front rough to show the wood grain, and polished its back which is visible on the back of the piece.

The back features a small vine weaving in and out of the doorway and a tendril of ivy creeping across the agate. Girded with a shiny silver veil and topped with a custom bail, this is a little piece of forest magic!

It's easy to imagine some of Larkin's recent pieces as fairy houses, but I see a family of laughing field mice wearing wildflower hats in this one. ;)

Applegate Jade Mushroom With Sprouting Vine

Remember that sprout Larkin made recently? Check it out paired with this Gemmy McGemerson applegate jade!

Larkin cut this cab from a bowenite stone found by our family near our home in southern Oregon. This stone is known for its deep green translucence and black flecks of magnetite that cause it to attract a magnet! Very deep green, almost black in some light, it really glows when light passes through.

That orange-ish skinned stone in this picture of the back of the piece is the original, raw bowenite cut for this cab.

Larkin paired the silver mushroom form with a sweet little sprout, entirely hand fabricated from sterling silver and modeled after young vines currently appearing on the forest floor around our home. Larkin left the back empty to allow the stone to really shine, and topped the whole thing with a custom made vining leaf bail.

Sprouting Vines And Imaginings

Larkin is in that creative stage where there are sketches on every surface in our house and random little design components like this little sprouting vine randomly left about for me to find and photograph.

Larkin is out working on the genie today, creating some cabochons to suit the pieces they are envisioning... I suspect there will be a veritable flurry of new finished pieces soon!

New Year, New Growth!

New year, new growth!Larkin is starting to feel recovered from the gloriously diverting distraction of year-end holidays/birthdays/merriment at our house and getting back in the studio!

This sterling sproutling design is one Larkin wants to continue to play with-- possibly adding some rootlets and/or seed remnants/cotyledons.

As it is, it's a pretty powerful symbol of new growth-- and the circular bail is a nice nod to the sun's role in this business of life.

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays from all of us at Idle Talons! Today Larkin is 18-- can you believe it?! Here they are, goofing off with younger brother Finn in front of our version of an xmas tree... solstice branch?

We are also finally able to unveil the project Larkin spent the better part of the last month working on!

Larkin has always associated Grandma Mary with lilacs, and they had been wanting to try a more sculptural project.

Each tiny element of this piece is hand-fabricated, shaped, and polished.

The flower features buds in all phases from entirely closed to fully open, and the leaf is perfectly textured to mimic the shiny, waxy surface of a lilac leaf.

Grandma Mary couldn't be happier, and we had a good time with photographs!

Roses and Raffles

We've been a bit quiet lately as Larkin is working on some holiday gifts that can't be posted until after the holidays. There’s a bit more action happening over on the Idle Talons Facebook page! If you’d like to take part in a raffle to win one of Larkin’s pendants there are just a few more days to make it happen! See pinned post at www.Facebook.com/Idle.Talons for details, and please let your friends know if you think they'd be interested.

Larkin needed to restock these wild rose stud earrings for a few orders, and we're still charmed by how they look in a bouquet (in this photo they're straight out of the pickle and not shined up yet)!

Larkin loves the idea of making some tiny botanical stalks for bunched display-- do you or someone you know make tiny glass or ceramic vases that you think would pair well with Larkin's work? It could be fun to partner up!

Snowman Charms

Larkin's doodling with wire again! These sweet little snow people are a perfect celebration of winter! Their bodies and ear hooks are argentium silver and their hats are copper. Copper is untreated and can be kept polished bright or allowed to develop a natural patina over time.

Favorite Things Holiday Bazaar

Larkin's next market is the perfect opportunity for those of you who aren't local to get in on the action! Much of their work will be offered here next-- be sure to join the Facebook group for the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar where the fun and games happen and check the website when you're ready to shop. This is the next stop for many of Larkin’s new pieces!

Sproutling On Petrified Wood

Talk about down to the wire-- Larkin finished the final polish on this piece after dark last night and we grabbed some quick photos before it disappeared off to market this morning!

Larkin cut the terrarium cabochon from a piece of petrified wood found by our family, leaving the top rough to show the original exterior of the wood and mimic the rough surface of soil.

The sweet-as-all-get-out sproutling is hand-fabricated from sterling silver with so much detail! Check out its tiny terminal bud between the two leaves! Larkin kept the frame and back simple and clean, highlighting the stone and sprout.

Larkin made the custom bail with a stylized sun, the perfect accompaniment for new growth. They were amused that it also looked much like the stereotypical sun you see in the corner of so many kids' drawings. :)

Apple Blossom Clothing Pin

Zoinks, y'all. So far all of my favorite pieces of Larkin's work have involved stones and metal, but this piece of pure silversmithing has me converted!

You may recall that Larkin fabricated this apple blossom as part of the Ringgold workshop-- well, now it has been paired with an apple leaf and transformed into a gorgeous clothing pin!

This set involves so many different techniques and textures that combine to form an amazingly realistic result.

And look how perfectly shiny the back is! Zoom in if you ever have a need for my fingerprints.

This lovely will be at the RoxyAnn Winery event tomorrow!

Manic Production Mode Activate!

These holiday markets are looming (remember the RoxyAnn Winery Holiday Bazaar is this weekend!) and Larkin is hardly coming up for air and food!

This cabochon is a piece of petrified Saddle Mountain bog wood that was gifted to Larkin. They cabbed it in a unique shape that is just perfect for the top of this sweet little mushroom house. The front has a tiny door and window, and it's easy to imagine the wee field mouse or fairy that calls it home!

The back finds a couple of butterflies resting above blades of grass, and the whole thing is topped with a custom vining leaf bail. I'm going to go ahead and use a word that seldom comes up in my vocabulary: this piece is positively Darling.

And we’re introducing a new addition to the Idle Talons market booth! This wood-framed screen is kind of like a real-life version of the website gallery-- it holds 8 x 10 photos of past work. I'm sure some of you will see some familiar images. ;) We hope this will be a larger-than-life eye-catching draw to Larkin's booth full of tiny treasures.

That photo also has some unintended easter eggs! You can see some pretty cute photos of Larkin and younger brother Finn in the background, plus a reflection of Larkin in the window hunched over like a jewelry goblin.

Oak Leaf Pin

Another sterling silver oak leaf clothing pin!

This time Larkin fabricated a pin-style closure so it will work with virtually any garment.

This one is much more diminutive than the others, just like the leaf from which it was modeled. I still get a kick out of seeing the finished silver piece with the original leaf!

Serpentine After Dark

This cab is a beautiful green serpentine (we sometimes call these stones undercooked applegate jade). Larkin created a pretty dreamy nighttime scene with hand fabricated mushrooms and ivy, topped with a shiny crescent moon.

And that mushroom at the top? It's actually the bail! The wee 3d shroom has a loop on its back for a cord to pass through. The back of the stone is secured with a lovely little hand-shaped branch.

This piece will be available at the upcoming holiday markets!

Oak Leaf Clothing Pin

The tools inspired by the Nicole Ringgold Jewelry Designs workshop have arrived and Larkin is hard at work. This hand-fabricated sterling silver clothing pin is extremely versatile-- it could add a flash of fabulous fancy to a dress shawl for an evening out, yet won't look out of place on a warm cap at the farmer's market!

The shots with the original leaf and twig are fun-- you can see how Larkin incorporated details like the surface texture of the twig, and they even matched the look of the hard core and softer surface of the original twig. Larkin used an actual leaf from the forest around us as inspiration, and plans to press it and include it with the final piece!

The twig passes through two soldered arches on the back of the leaf to hold it in place and will work on virtually any knit or crocheted garment (it may be a little loose if used on veeery thin garments).

We tried it on hats, scarves, and even as a buttonhole decoration on a coat!

Larkin is working hard on stocking up for upcoming holiday markets, so you may notice we're not adding new work to the website right now. This is one of the items Larkin will be offering at the ROXYANN WINERY HOLIDAY BAZAAR !

Holiday Market

Larkin's first market of the holiday season happens to be at RoxyAnn Winery, the site of their very first market ever!

Check out this picture from the summer of 2018, when Larkin was 13... they were so excited (and obviously a little nervous). And wow... back then most of their work was beaded. They have come so far!

If you're local come check it out-- admission is free and sipping wine and enjoying snacks while holiday shopping sounds like a pretty nice way to get it done. ;)

Halloween Hiatus

Those of you who have been following Larkin's work for a few years may recall that this time of year there is always a lag in posts while the Idle Talons metal and stone studio becomes a costume production shop.

And, yes, we will be trick or treating. The best part? My teens still want me to go with them! So if you're in Talent you may get some big kids coming to your door while beaming parents watch from the sidewalk enjoying the night-- thank you for being part of one of our family's favorite holidays!

In unrelated very exciting news, Larkin's big sterling order AND new toys (errr... I've been informed these are "tools") arrived yesterday! Tool packaging is no joke! 😅

Larkin's hands are itching to get back to metalwork so costume finalizing is happening as quickly as humanly possible.