Welcome to our first summer Bead Camp session! In this workshop, we’ll celebrate the quiet beauty of wildflowers and transform them into timeless pendants inspired by Wedgwood pottery and vintage cameos.

You’ll learn step-by-step techniques to create elegant French-inspired assemblage jewelry using your own handmade focal pieces and treasures from your stash.

In this class, you’ll explore:

• How to create molds from wildflowers for beautiful natural textures
• Tips for designing strong pendant compositions
• Painting and finishing techniques to mimic antique ceramics
• Assembling romantic, layered jewelry with a vintage flair
• Ways to upcycle vintage components with fresh purpose
• Creative uses for buttons as unexpected design elements
• How to embellish with cup chain for sparkle and texture

Whether you’re working from your garden, a walk in the woods, or a jar of forgotten buttons, this class is a celebration of transformation, texture, and storytelling through jewelry.

Bonus S’more Fun Bead-a-Long: July 11th at 3pm EST

Join me for an 1 1/2 hour of working together on our projects. No formal instructions, just time to relax, chat and work on our Wildflower Impressions.

Click above to download the Bead Camp Badges challenge. Print it out, cut out badges and glue/tape the badges on your sash as you complete the tasks. Have fun collecting your badges this summer! There are prizes each month.

Tips for Foraging Flowers and Leaves for Jewelry-Making

  • Think small: Delicate flowers and leaves with fine details make the best impressions.

  • Look for texture: Seek out interesting shapes, veins, and surface patterns that will transfer well.

  • Stick to thinner materials: Choose items no thicker than ¼" for best results.

  • Explore your surroundings: Walk the edges of your yard, woodlands, or nearby fields. Roadside “weeds” often have the most beautiful textures.

  • Don’t overlook the weeds: Many wild plants and weeds create stunning impressions—especially those with strong structures or fine details.

Prep your finds:

  • Gently rinse with water to remove dirt.

  • Blot dry and rest between paper towels for a few minutes.

  • Press gently with the towel to remove any insects that came along for the ride.

Store with care:

  • Keep items with stems in a small glass with about an inch of water.

  • Store flat leaves or flowers between paper towels in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them.

Click above to open the PDF of the Creative Circle Journal Prompts. We’ll go over the materials in class too. You can print the pages out or answer the questions in your own notebook.

I recommend printing the pages on cardstock in booklet format.

Booklet printing from Adobe Acrobat: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/print-booklets-acrobat-reader.html

Or print the pages single side and cut them out to tape into a journal. Make sure to print 2 pages per sheet in landscape format

Wildflowers Molds & Pendants

Wildflower Impressions Painting

Wildflower Impressions Jewelry

Vintage Jewelry Components: For our stash-busting project we are using vintage jewelry components. If you don’t have any pieces hidden way in your jewelry box or studio - ask your family & friends (you’d be surprised!), check out yard sales and resale shops for bargain bags of misc. jewelry parts.

Be on the look out for chunky chains, chain with decorative links, brooches, single earrings, buckles, buttons, components with rhinestones.

Supply List

Polymer Clay Wildflower Impressions Pendants:

  • 2 2oz blocks of Premo clay - white

  • 2 2oz blocks of Sculpey III clay - white

  • 2 2oz blocks for Premo clay (any color) OR scrap clay mixed into one color

  • Acrylic roller

  • Mini hand-held drill or pin vise with 1.5mm drill bit

  • Acrylic craft chalk paint 2oz bottles - Waverly (Walmart) or Folk Art (Michaels & Hobby Lobby) - white, cream, dark brown and 2-3 colors

  • Paint brushes for acrylic paint - This is a good set with large, medium flat and skinny liner brushes.

  • 400 grit sand paper

  • Matte sealer - recommended: Swellegant, Mod Podge or Liquitex

  • Oven, backing sheet (dedicated to clay), oven thermometer, piece of card stock

  • Optional: oval or rectangle bezels

Assemblage Jewelry:

Shop your stash! Look for vintage jewelry and components to upcycle.

Beads: Glass Pearls, Czech glass beads that have a vintage flair (dahlia, cathedral, drops)

Findings: 20 gauge wire, chain, eye pins, jump rings

Tools: jewelry pliers and wire cutters, flat jewelry file, metal hole punch

Optional: Cup chain and Apoxie clay - for frames around pendants and embellishing vintage components - current best deal at Michaels.com with 40% coupon