Lora Hart has a great “eye candy” photo montage up on tools here: http://lorahartjewels.blogspot.com.

Cosmic Folklore is having a Facebook auction of a handmade bracelet:
http://www.facebook.com/Cosmic-Folklore-Studios

Cindy Edelstein announces an entrepreneur’s launch contest at Daily Candy
http://jewelrybusinessguru.typepad.com

Try Handmade has highlighted the photographic collage works of Mathew Parker, which I love. He combines images at the same place from different seasons, and more. Very cool.
http://tryhandmade.com

Kelly Dragon has posted a really nice slide show of the progression of a piece of torch fired enamels.
http://s810.photobucket.com

http://www.psi-design.com/doming-silver-beads.pdf

If you’ve ever dreamed of making perfect silver beads every time, then this manual is just what you are looking for since Nancy shows you step-by-step with illustrations how to do it. Nancy’s family hope you will check out her book, “Doming Silver Beads“.

from Lois Phillips, Nancy’s sister

Here’s what the book covers, (from the website):

You will learn how silver beads are made and how to:

· Select the best silver gauge sheet metal
· Determine the disc size using easy formulas
· Cut and prepare discs for forming
· Add textures and designs
· Form matching domes
· Solder perfect seams
· Sand and polish flawlessly

In the video above, from Rio Grande, they’re not using a coin, but are showing the process of creating a washer shape and making it into a ring.

If you prefer non-video ways of learning, here are three tutorials for you:

A series of photos showing the process of taking a quarter and turning it into a ring:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=283073.0

Here’s one with a half dollar, it’s also a longer and more detailed post:

http://www.frogsongstudio.com/coinringtut.html

And one more, in this one, they take away the words on the quarter:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-silver-ring-for-25-cents

It occurs to me the same method could be used with metal clay, to make a seamless ring. Has anyone tried that?

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com

Check out her cool poly-clay bugs and her creative storage solutions.

Want more studio tours?

Here’s my little studio tour, here, with links to the other blog carnival participants.

Profile and studio tour with Lorena Angulo, here.

Over on the ganoksin blog network, see the studio of Ginger Meek Allen: http://gingermeekallen.ganoksin.com

And finally, and un-studio tour with Shannon at Art Bead Scene Blog:
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com

http://www.sabinealienor.com/formations/tutos.php

How to use liver of sulphur without dipping

Liver of sulphur is Potassium Sulfide. Buy it in lump form from a jeweler’s supply
company. You can buy it pre-mixed, but since it has a shelf life, it’s much better to buy it
in lump form and mix it as needed.

Break off a pea sized lump and add it to 1/2 a cup of warm water and dissolve the liver of sulphur.

To work, either the liver of sulphur or the metal must be hot. Liver of sulphur smells pretty badly, so heating the metal reduces the odor.

I use the bottom part of an old air popcorn popper* to heat the metal. Have your liver of
sulphur ready, along with a paintbrush. Now you can paint the liquid onto the metal where you would like it to be darkened.

If you would like the whole thing darkened, dunk the item. If it’s a bead, string it on a wire or string. Your piece should be polished before you apply the liver of sulphur, which is your last step. Rinse off the piece under running water. If you accidentally got any liver of sulfur in areas where you don’t want it, remove it with a 3M polishing pad (Microfine) or with a fine polishing wheel on your flexible shaft.

*These are getting rarer in the 2nd hand market. Another heat source that works is a free standing coffee pot warmer. But not a mug warmer, mug warmers do not get hot enough.

This information is available as a pdf here: http://www.creativetexturetools.com/resources.html

Additional Resources:

Liver of Sulphur by Holly Gage.

If you want to achieve a greater range of colors with liver of sulphur, try the Iridescent Patina by Katherine Palochak. You can read the recipe and full instructions over on Orchid, click here.

It works really well!

Liver of Sulfur Patina
http://www.artjewelrymag.com/ART

Books

My review of Coloring Base Metals is here: http://creativetexturetools.com

My review of Japanese Patinas: http://creativetexturetools.com

See what the other members of the blog carnival have to say about patinas:

Tamra Gentry
Tonya Davidson
Vickie Hallmark
Lora Hart
Lorrene Baum-Davis

http://medacreations.wordpress.com

http://bethwicker.ganoksin.com/blogs

Here it is finished:

http://bethwicker.ganoksin.com/blogs

Beads Baubles & Jewels
Parts 1-13
……………………………………………..

01 – Bench Setup
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/397
……………………………………………..

02 – Riviting
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/398
……………………………………………..

03 – Hammers
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/399
……………………………………………..

04 – Glass Casting
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/400
……………………………………………..

05 – Pliers and Cutters
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/401
……………………………………………..

06 – Flexshafts
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/402
……………………………………………..

07 – Torches
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/403
……………………………………………..

08 – Patination
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/404
……………………………………………..

09 – Jump Rings
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/405
……………………………………………..

10 – Finishing Techniques
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/406
……………………………………………..

11 – Copper clay Techniques
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/407
……………………………………………..

12 – Soldering
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/408
……………………………………………..

13 – Forging Metal
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/409