Ann Drewing enjoys the details of nature and crafting jewelry, and she’s found a way to combine them both.

“I bring plastic baggies with me when I walk — and it’s not because I have a dog. It’s because I want to collect little bits and pieces of nature,” Drewing says with a laugh. “Now I have a way to preserve it.”

Drewing’s “Captured Collection” jewelry features fragments of birch bark, flower petals and even ladybug wings suspended in what becomes a hardened substance resembling precious stones, such as amber. Drewing crafted this series by experimenting with the chemical reaction between an epoxy resin and a hardener, poured on top of miniscule bits of leaves and then put in a sterling-silver setting that she textured with hammers.

Originally a pre-med major at Maryville University in St. Louis,

Drewing stumbled upon metalsmithing during an elective art class. Three years ago, Drewing relocated to Richmond to attend VCU’s graduate crafts program and continue her jewelry business, Dream Spiral Art Jewelry. Drewing’s work can be found at art6 Gallery and online at dreamspiralart.com and dreamspiralart.etsy.com.