July 2013 – Cool Tools Blog – Metal Clay Jewelry Making Tips and Trends

Metal Clay in Powder Form: Goldie Metal Products Are Here!

Written by Diane Rein

Mix clay only as you need it! Introducing the Goldie Metal line of powder metal clays. Goldie Metal allows you to always have fresh clay with the perfect texture at all times.

You’ll find a variety of powders including, Goldie Bronze, Roman Bronze, Goldie de la Rosa Bronze, Snow Bronze, Goldie Copper and more, all at great prices.

Goldie Bronze is bronze of a beautiful golden color, very hard after firing, comes in two types of powder – soft and hard. Soft is very soft and is ideal for working with stamps and textures, and to capture fine details. Hard creates a somewhat stiffer clay to work with, and yields the maximum strength – it is ideal for bangles, ring bands, and decorative objects. Goldie Roman Bronze is bronze of a beautiful golden bronze color, resembling the colors used in times of the Roman Empire. Goldie de la Rosa Bronze is a bronze of a pinkish color, very hard after the firing. Goldie Snow Bronze is a white kind of bronze with a brilliant and unique sheen. Goldie Copper is a very pure copper clay. The powder contains 99.9% of pure dendrite copper. After firing and removing the patina created in the firing process, the metal is very light and has a beautiful color.

Shop the new line of Goldie Metals today to discover the exciting world of metal clay powders.

Diane Rein July 24, 2013

Posted In: New Products!

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Expand Your Collection: 26 New Texture Tile Designs

Written by Diane Rein

Shop our unique new selection of flexible, washable and versatile Texture Tiles that will be perfect for your next jewelry design.

Texture is the best way to add detail to your creations. Don’t miss out on these new designs like Fairytale, Autumn Window, Storybook and many more.

Our exclusive Texture Tiles measure 2″ x 4″ and are deeply etched for a wide range of depths. Texture Tiles can be used with any soft clay: silver clay, bronze clay, polymer, earthen, porcelain, etc. Use Cool Slip as a release for the cleanest impressions when working with metal clays.

Check out over 200 deeply etched Texture Tile designs today to expand your texture collection.

Diane Rein July 12, 2013

Posted In: New Products!

May’s Review Winner is Here!

Written by Diane Rein

Congratulations to Kathryn Richardson, the winner of the Cool Tools Random Review Contest. Kathryn has won a $100 gift certificate for reviewing the Slik she purchased. Kathryn gave our Slik a top 5-Star rating.

Kathryn was excited and told us a little about herself:

“Wow! I really won something?! Perhaps now I can start prowling the Cool Tools pages for new goodies.”

Kathryn Richardson is a jewelry designer currently based in the Kansas City area. She designs jewelry with the stone in mind, enhancing the natural beauty of gemstones and pearls instead of hiding them under a tangle of coils and seed beads. Her pieces are made with solid metals – sterling silver, fine silver, and copper – or with vermeil and gold-filled components. Her designs often incorporate handcrafted accents in wire or metal clay. To add more sparkle, she adds Swarovski crystals to white topaz and faceted rock crystal to make original holiday jewelry.

She is fascinated by “the metamorphosis that changes a plain stone into a dazzling gem then into a radiant piece of jewelry. It takes the right combination of color, form, metal, and design.” A life long artist, she is familiar with the magical potential of color and contrast. She also has a passion for colored stones (her father always checked her pockets before heading home from vacation). She only began designing jewelry 15 years ago, selling her pieces in several galleries in the Midwest. She also created pieces inspired by the collection in the Nelson-Atkins Museum that were available only in the gift shop.

She teaches classes in basic stringing and simple wirework (“I teach students to wrap natural gemstones so the inherent beauty of the stone comes through.”). She also holds stringing sessions for a local women’s group. Out of the studio, she is an avid photographer, inquisitive explorer, experienced gardener, and scuba diver.

After every purchase, you have the opportunity to review your products. Your reviews help fellow jewelry artists better understand the products we offer. You can review any product by simply going to the product page and clicking “write a review”. Each review gives you an entry into our review contest. Help us congratulate Kathryn!

Diane Rein July 8, 2013

Posted In: Contests, Cool Tools Giveaways