Capturing Nature - A Silver Clay Workshop in detail

Discover how we create nature‑inspired silver jewellery in my Capturing Nature Silver Clay workshops in Winchester, Hampshire, and beyond... A workshop suitable even for beginners, we take a step‑by‑step look at mould‑making, imprinting and firing Art Clay Silver using real leaves, grasses and flowers.

Capturing Nature is one of my favourite workshops and showcases the very best of what can be achieved in Silver Clay. Only when you come on a workshop can you really appreciate the magic of this material. Creating your own silver jewellery that will last long after the flowers have gone is a wonderful way to enjoy nature forever.

Every Silver Clay workshop I teach covers all the skills and techniques to enable someone to begin making on their own. Imagine creating your own unique jewellery and gifts at home - how amazing it that?!

How the jewellery workshop begins...

We always begin the class with a quick demonstration and a look at some sample pieces. We talk about scale and what sort of thing to look for...then we go outside foraging for botanical specimens!

The first part of the workshop is about creating a piece that will be moulded into silicone, so we go out into the garden and start hunting... We are looking for the tiniest of details, and the smallest of plants - I always encourage my students to look for the overlooked...to admire the beauty in what often isn't noticed. Usually if they can name the plant, it's too big!

Creating the silicone moulds

After we've collected the specimens (and dragged ourselves away from the garden!) we start looking at what might work and what might be less successful. There's always lots to choose from, and there's often swapping and comparing finds. Everyone makes at least one mould - often two - and this is when we start thinking about opening the magical packet of Silver Clay...

Using moulds to make Silver Clay jewellery

Starting with their favourite mould, everyone creates their first piece of solid silver botanical jewellery. Obviously, at this stage, it's still a little blob of squishy clay, but this is where the alchemy begins! We carefully fill the mould with clay, ensuring every detail is captured. It is then left to dry and we move onto the next technique: using leaves to imprint a texture into the jewellery.

Using leaves to imprint into Silver Clay

Because Art Clay Silver captures detail so beautifully (it's the same material used for creating baby fingerprint keepsakes) it's perfect for imprinting botanical textures. After rolling the clay, we carefully press the leaf into the clay to take a perfect impression. My favourites are ferns, delicate grasses and sage leaves, but we've also found lots of other specimens - even lichen works well!

How is the jewellery finished?

All Silver Clay pieces need to be dried completely before firing, but before they go into the kiln or are torch fired, there is a little more work to do. The next stage of the process is called refining, and it's where we make sure that the clay that goes off to be fired, is exactly how we want it to look once it becomes silver. We file, sand and drill as needed - ensuring it's finished to perfection. A little time spent here, means very little to do later... except polish and admire!

The last steps: firing, polishing and adding patina

To turn Art Clay Silver into solid silver jewellery, it must be fired. In the workshop we do this with either a blowtorch or a kiln. It's great to learn how to torch fire in a class, because it's an inexpensive tool people can use at home to fire their own silver clay jewellery.

After firing, we polish and add a patina using Liver of Sulphur to bring out the intricate detail of the delicate flowers and leaves that we have used. It's totally optional, and some people prefer to leave their pieces without a patina, but I think it really brings the jewellery to life...what do you think?

Find out more about Silver Clay workshops in Winchester, Hampshire and beyond...

If you’d love to create your own unique piece of jewellery in a nature-inspired workshop, I’d be delighted to welcome you! Capturing Nature is suitable for beginners. This workshop, and all of my upcoming workshops are listed here.

And if you'd like to know more about Art Silver Clay, click here.