Markets, Smoke, and Samaras

Tonight's Talent Artisans & Growers Market has been cancelled due to such poor air quality. 😔 We are hoping for improvement in time for next month's first Tuesday @Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market in Ashland!

Larkin has been re-stocking these wonderfully whimsical whirligigs... er, samaras. 😅 The first step is cutting the... wings? Leaves? Membranes? out of sheet metal, leaving behind some delightfully curled trimmings.

Then Larkin whacks the bejeezus out of them (tink tink tink all through the house for HOURS) to give them their unique texture and wooble.

Larkin then solders them to the seed framework and spines, oxidizes them, partially polishes by hand, and finally finishes the polish in a rotary polisher with stainless steel medium.

Larkin has been making these as clothing pins as well as necklaces, and is hoping to come up with a more double-sided finished product to use as a free-twirling earring design.

Rocks, Cats, and Medieval Times

Larkin is spending some time sorting through stones today and cutting cabochons for some new projects. (Pippin is helping, and thinking he's being subtle about his desire for the water bowl.)

I'm hoping some of those tumbled sunstones make the cut-- look at them shine in the sun!

Larkin's next market looks really fun! It's indoors (out of the heat!) and there are some amazing old school artists attending. Check out the Medieval Craft Fair and come say hi if you're local!

Applegate Jade Ivy Nightscape

... and we're back! Larkin had a busy month of traveling and visiting with family but has been making time to work in the studio whenever possible. And my laptop has been given a new lease on life with a shiny new (bigger!) hard drive and not-so-swollen battery. 😅

Come see Idle Talons tonight at the Talent Artisans & Growers market-- and see this new piece in person! ;)

This is another piece Larkin cut from out favorite local stone-- applegate jade. It is not a true jade (more closely related to bowenite) and is a deep green stone, nearly black in some lighting, with flecks of magnetite that actually makes it attractive to magnets!

It glows a translucent yellow-green when backlit. I tried to demonstrate just how translucent it can be by balancing the piece on top of a flashlight standing in a jar of lentils and leaning on a pile of towels in the laundry room. Yep, a true glimpse into the glamorous world of jewelry photography!

This stone has a darker green stripe down the middle that gives the impression of a pupil— with the ivy “antlers” this piece reminds me of a forest guardian in the spirit of Studio Ghibli!

Larkin hand-shaped each ivy leaf from sterling sheet, and the vines are textured to mimic their wild counterparts. They polished the back for a smooth feel against the skin and finished it with a full moon peeking through the branches of a tree.

A whole lotta magic going on with this one!

Jellies!

Jellies!!! Did you know a group of jellyfish is called a... SMACK?!

These earrings appear delicately ethereal and flowy, but they are much sturdier than they appear! Larkin soldered each tentacle to the central stinging arm and work-hardened each earring for rigidity.

That said, if you have hair likely to tangle in these tentacles you'd probably want to wear it back— the better to show off these ebullient Medusozoa!

Larkin makes the bells of these jellyfish in either silver or copper. The ear hook and the rest of the jelly bits are hand-fabricated from sterling silver. No two will ever be perfectly identical, and that is part of their charm!

These will make their market debut tomorrow at the Spring Talent Craft Crawl, sponsored by the Talent Business Alliance! The Idle Talons booth will be in the lawn in front of Town Hall and Larkin would love to see you there!

Copper Capped Mushrooms

We have fungus among us, folks! Larkin made a whole cluster of these little copper-capped cuties.

Larkin shapes the caps from sheet copper, and drills a hole through the center. They form the jump ring on top from sterling silver wire, then they pass it through the cap to become the stem. They shape the base of the stem so it is larger and rough textured, just like so many mushrooms in the wild.

Such sweet little forest denizens! These will be available at the upcoming first annual Spring Talent Craft Crawl, sponsored by the Talent Business Alliance. We're so excited our small hometown has such amazing opportunities for artists!

Finding First Tuesday

Did you know Larkin makes their own findings to be sure everything is high quality and matching materials? Turning wire into jump rings is pretty cool!

Hey-- tomorrow is first Tuesday! Larkin will be at the Ashland Armory with the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market from 8:30 am - 1:30 pm, rain or snow (or sleet or sun)-- happy April!

Vining Roses Galore

We're not sure what is in the air (except snow, which admittedly may be turning thoughts wistfully to blooms of spring) but these chokers/bracelets have been going fast lately!

Larkin stocked up and made a few long chains so it's quick to turn them in to custom lengths at markets.

Speaking of markets, the first Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market Tuesday market of the season is next week! They're back at the Ashland Armory this year, and I'm sure Larkin would love to see you on the inevitably chilly first day!

Artist Of The Month

Local folks! Larkin is Artist of the Month at Dancing Beads in Medford this month! The Idle Talons display is up and a great chance to see some of Larkin's new work in person before their regular market season begins in March. Carol of Dancing Beads has lots of new amazing gifts available, and of course an amazing variety of beads!

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!

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.

Ho Ho Holiday Markets!

Aaaah! The holidays approacheth! 😅 Larkin has three events coming up! Local folks have two opportunities to check out the Idle Talons booth in person: at RoxyAnn Winery next weekend Nov. 19-20, and in the Talent Holiday Market at the Talent Elementary School Nov. 26-27.

Not local? Never fear! the virtual Royaboya Handmade Bazaar is back, with all the fun and games we have come to expect! The Favorite Things Holiday Bazaar runs this Nov. 25-29.

Bonus picture of pretties: Larkin redesigned the ivy hair pins slightly and I had an opportunity to photograph them with their wild brethren. ;)

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. ;)

Workshop Day One

First day of the Nicole Ringgold workshop! This is what's currently on Larkin's bench:

Also, a reminder that this workshop means that Larkin will not be at tomorrow's Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market, but will be there next week-- probably with some brand new treasures in tow. ;)

Next Market!

Larkin's next event! If you're in the north end of the valley, Larkin doesn't get out that way too often so this is a good chance to check out the Idle Talons booth in person! The event benefits an organization that supports local kids in the foster system.

They got the name a bit wrong in the graphic, but we are enjoying imagining what kind of idol might sport talons... ;)

First Tuesday

There's still time! Larkin will be at the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market in Ashland until 1:30!

The Dragon's Hoard

A new addition to the Idle Talons market booth! The idea was adapted (with their enthusiastic endorsement) from The Woodland Wandolier's fairy barter chest— if you're in the market for spell-binding wands and all manner of plant-based magic, definitely check them out!)

Something in, something out, no need to ask permission! Larkin is hoping this will be a fun customer ice breaker and will help entertain kids while their parents shop.

First Tuesday

It's first Tuesday! Some see Larkin and all the other vendors at Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market today in Ashland until 1:30! (They're the one under all that hair... 🤣)