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New Books Have Just Arrived!

Cool Tools is offering a fresh new batch of books for all kinds of jewelry making techniques. Learn in depth skills you won’t get anywhere else.

Silversmithing for Jewelry Makers: A Handbook of Techniques and Surface Treatments by Elizabeth Bone

Expert jeweler and silversmith Elizabeth Bone offers a comprehensive guide to techniques, surface treatments, and innovations specifically designed for jewelry makers working in silver. Unlike other silversmithing and jewelry-making guides, Silversmithing for Jewelry Makers caters exclusively to the needs and interests of silver jewelry artisans. You will learn basic skills and specialized techniques, including filigree, chasing, annealing, engraving, etching, casting, and more. With about twenty years of metal jewelry-making experience, Elizabeth bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary skills, offering the best of both worlds.

Each section highlights profiles of contemporary artisans, with galleries illustrating a range of beautifully crafted finished works. Plus the handy resource section details the need-to-know information for selling your jewelry.

Elizabeth Bone is an established jeweler who has been practicing for about twenty years, specializing in working with oxidized silver or gold-plated details. Elizabeth is a tutor at the London Jewelry School as well as visiting lecturer for other courses. Her work has been featured in a number of publications, including Marie Claire, New Directions in Jewelry, 500 Earrings, and The Metalsmith’s Book of Boxes and Lockets.

Flexibound, 192 pages

 

Metal Style: 20 Jewelry Designs with Cold Join Techniques by Karen Dougherty

Cold-connection techniques are pushing the envelope of what is possible in metal without the use of a torch or kiln. All the necessary tools and materials—a common drill, hammer, sandpaper, wire, metal sheet—are all readily available and affordable for almost any budget. Learn how to use rivets, screws, and other materials to combine elements without having to deal with heat. Master jewelry designers Robert Dancik, Connie Fox, Susan Lenart Kazmer, Tracey Stanley, and others offer signature pieces, constructed using cold-joins. Accompanying each project are expert tips and tricks for additional ideas and customization.

Metal Style is full of inspiration and techniques for jewelry makers looking to ignite a creative spark in their metal jewelry without lighting a flame.

With this book, you’ll get cold-connection techniques, tools, and materials along with twenty projects from top designers.
Softbound, 144 pages

 

Silver Threads by Jeanne Rhodes-Moen

For thousands of years, cultures around the world have made filigree: delicate jewelry, decorative objects, even furniture. The intricate curls and twists mislead people into thinking that filigree is difficult to make–but it’s much easier than it looks, with help from Silver Threads.

This book demystifies the process of creating filigree jewelry. First, basic silverworking techniques are paired with an overview of tools and materials. Then readers learn to make simple filigree shapes, used in 12 stunning projects ranging from simple pendants and earrings to more complex necklaces with gemstone settings.

Detailed instructions, illustrations, and full-color photos guide readers through the learning process–and into planning and creating their own unique filigree designs.

Softbound, 112 pages

The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos: The Best Techniques for Showcasing Your Handmade Creations by Heidi Adnum

Better photography is the solution to selling more online.

Learn to shoot better photos with this guide, full of tips and advice written specifically with the crafter in mind. Crafters can have a unique and original product and still have a difficult time finding buyers amid the sea of handmade crafts online. Beautiful handmade items can be undermined by poor or uninspired images that fail to represent their detail and craftsmanship.

The Crafters’s Guide to Taking Great Photos teaches readers how to get quality, high-end results without needing professional equipment or a photo studio. Crafters will learn how to make their own lightbox, avoid camera shake without a tripod, use natural lighting, and properly capture the detail in their work. Sections on specific craft areas give readers advice on generating eye-catching images for their products.

In a challenging and competitive marketplace, better photography will boost crafters’ online sales, and The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos will help them achieve success. Heidi Adnum is a crafter and professional photographer who lives and works in London. She has two shops on Etsy: heidiadnum and hellodarlingvintage.  She also runs the photography and inspiration blog La La Blogita and authored a popular how-to photography tips series on Etsy.

Flexibound, 192 pages

Check out our complete selection of Books & DVDs here at Cool Tools and start learning the techniques you need to make remarkable jewelry creations.

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