Bead Scoop: Patina Gel

Cool Tools is well named. They come up with the coolest tools and today I have a good example, Patina Gel. It's a stabilized form of liver of sulfur. You know liver of sulfur, it's the stinky chunks of stuff that make copper based metals like copper, sterling silver and bronze dark so you can highlight all those beautiful reliefs. But liver of sulfur goes bad quickly. Gee wish I had a stabilized form of it. Oh wait! You can get a stabilized form of it.

Cool.

Yes, and Cool Tools has done it. That's why they're well named.

I love it and use it on my new bronze metal clay pieces.




It's so easy to work with. Go to the Cool Tools website like I did and check out the videos on how to use it. It's a dream come true! Thanks, Cool Tools!

(Photo credit for Patina Gel from the Cool Tools website.)

(written by Cindy Gimbrone who is busy putting a patina on everything she can!)

I Heart Jewelry Tools: Metal Hole Punch Pliers

If you're working with metal there are a few tools that come in handy. Frequently I need a hole in a piece of metal, whether it's a bezel I'm going to sew or a disk to hang as a charm. These hole punching pliers from Contenti come in handy so I don't have to break out the drill. (Thank you, Contenti for allowing us to borrow your pictures shown below.)




A quick punch and you have a 1.25mm or 1.8mm hole. I prefer the 1.8mm hole. It's just right for a jump ring or wire. The hole punching pliers shown above will work with metal up to 18 gauge. That fits most sheet metal I've worked with.

Do you have a favorite tool to use with metal?

(written by Cindy Gimbrone, hole punching pliers advocate and glass beadmaker.)

Featured Designer of Week - Wildejewels2

JULYABS Silver Shadow
Originally uploaded by wildejewels2

Each Monday we feature the Designer of the Week. One of our editors pick their favorite from the Monthly Challenge entries.

This week I picked WildeJewels2, Silver Shadow necklace. "This is an amazing combination of bead work showcasing an exquisite art bead horse by Patti Leota Genack. I love the colors and mix of textures. The horse hair tassels add a sense of history and whisper a memory of ancient jewelry designs. I just love it!" To see more work by Wildejewels please visit her Flickr photostream. WildJewels if you have an etsy shop or blog, we'd love to visit your links.

Want to see your work featured on the Art Bead Scene? Our theme for the month of July is Lascaux Cave paintings. The deadline to enter for the monthly prize is June 31st! Create something that combines the theme with art beads and then send in your submission for the July Challenge.

Sundays with Cindy

Good morning, Beady Readers! Wondering what's going on in the bead and jewelry world? Take a peek at our links and see.....

A Bead A Day
Lisa’s “Swarovski Summer Picnic” project is progressing. The only thing missing are the crystally butterflies!!

About.com Jewelry Making
School's out for summer, but is it really? Nope, not when you can take one of these free jewelry making e-courses.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene's monthly challenge painting for July is the Lascaux Cave Paintings. Get your stash of beads out in ivory, red and brown to match the color palette of these ancient drawings.

Beading Arts
Wonderful wonderful wonderful new CopprClay! Cyndi is so excited about this new material that she can't stop playing with it!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi attempts to create a necklace after a resin pouring disaster.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy shows off some new chain and realizes one should never shop for jeans on her lunch hour.

Humblebeads
Check out the 2009 Bead Cruise design contest winners!

Jean Campbell Ink: Eureka!
Jean Campbell finished off her new LeTemps Necklace design which marries bling to grunge. Hurray!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei has busted out of the studio and into the Museum of Art for a trunk show.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews a different, colorful, and inspiring book called Glass, by Marlene Blessing and Jamie Hogsett

Strands of Beads
Melissa talks about where to find reliable information on copyrights - the U.S. Copyright Office, of course!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Challenging himself with a smaller scale, Andrew tackles doll jewelry. Check out five new designs with dolls in mind!

Studio Saturday - Horsin' Around

Opps! Looks like our editors are still on vacation, if only in their minds. Here is a late edition of Studio Saturday. Enjoy!

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Last week's winner is MAKUstudio. Congratulations! You have won a surprise Humblebead!. Send me your address and I will get that right out to you.

As you read last week, I'm enjoying 25 long vacation days on the lakeshore in Michigan. I have been loving every minute of it. I have been setting up a little table on the screened in porch and making beads and jewelry. So relaxing. Sometimes when beads are your living, it can suck the joy out of creating. Deadlines looms, orders need to be filled and your muse sits in the back of the studio pouting throwing out all sorts of wonderful ideas and distractions that have to wait until less busy days. So finally, I have less busy days and have been making the most of them.

I have had a chance to bead a few pieces that fit into our monthly challenge theme. I enjoy playing along with the rest of you. Although I don't count myself in for the prizes. I know, pout away little muse! Above is my Wild Horses bracelet. The horse charm is from Green Girl Studios and you can pick one up from our sponsor this month, BeadLady. I threw in some golden branch disk beads by me, stones and lots of copper.

Golden Lantern Earrings with the same golden branch disk beads.

And the last one, I'm calling the "The Way of the Dodo". This one has one of my new eggs, a brass feather, stones, lotus pod beads and a little brass nest. Kinda' Flinestoney, eh? I have filled up 1/2 the table with my new creations. Now to pull out that camera!

So, how are your entries for this month going? Finished one, have one on your desk? Scratching your head at this months' theme? Let me know in the comments section and one lucky winner will receive one of my new eggs. Happy Creating!

Metal Etching

Rosanne and I are getting ready to etch some metal today. Our guide? This wonderful tutorial posted on the Etsy Metal Blog. Doesn't seem too scary, wish us luck! We are planning to make a little video documenting are adventure. If we don't look to ridiculous, we may share it.

Not convinced you could create your own? Here are a few of my favorite etsy sellers that have etched metal pendants:
Jennifer Stumpf
Round Rabbit Extras

photo from the Etsy Metal Blog.

Interweave's Hurt Book Sale

Don't you just love a good book? And don't you love getting good books dirt cheap? I do! Check out Interweave's Hurt Book and Overstock Sale going on now!


More than 180 craft books will be deeply discounted and sold online only on a first-come basis until supplies last. This is a great time to pick up bargains on both hardbound and softbound books about quilting, beading, jewelry making, knitting, crocheting, felting, spinning, weaving, needlework, sewing, mixed-media and other popular crafts.

Hurt books are still in good condition but imperfect in quality and have minor dings such as a scratch on the cover or a bent page.

Pictured are my top 3 picks, if I didn't already have them I'd could have picked them up for 50% off. Hurry now, supplies are limited.