Breaking News: Lena Bugrimenko is one of our Tucson 2012 Instructors! Discover Lena’s chainmaille and beading classes here: Lena Bugrimenko Course Listings

If you love chain maille then you’ll enjoy patterns and classes with Wire-Sculpture Faculty, chain maille artist Lena Bugrimenko!

I was born in the wonderful city of Kharkov, Ukraine. Like any girl, I loved jewelry- not only wearing it, but even holding jewelry made me happy.  (Back then, I had no idea that one day I would make jewelry myself!) I graduated from the Polytechnic University, majoring in chemical engineering, and began working in my field.

In 1999, my life changed a lot! My husband, daughter and I moved to the USA. It was a new start and a new life, so I decided to do something new too.  I began making my own jewelry!

In the beginning, I made jewelry using seed beads; beautiful, yes, but it wasn’t enough. Then I discovered the art of making Chain Maille, and now it is one of my favorite techniques. I love combining this technique with beads, gems, and wire. Sometimes the result is unexpected and very beautiful, and a unique, new design is created!

In 2009 I won the 1st Place Gold Medal award with my piece titled “Glorious Summer Necklace” in FMG’s Swarovski category. In 2010 I took the Bronze Medal award with my piece titled “Wedding Necklace” in FMG’s wirework and chain category. My designs have been used by Fire Mountain Gems both as a back cover advertisement and in their catalogs.

I have been published in a book, Mixed Media Jewelry Techniques, a collaboration with Lana May, Dale “Cougar” Armstrong, and eight other talented jewelry artists.

Lena and her family enjoy living in southern New Hampshire. She can often be found teaching at the JOGS show in Tucson. You can see her latest creations on her website, Sparkling Fantasy.

Those of you who are signed up to receive Free Wire Jewelry Patterns may be seeing some patterns from Wire-Sculpture Faculty member Jill Gentry soon…

Raised on a farm in Kentucky, Jill grew up with a talented mom who was an accomplished painter. Although she tried, the fine arts didn’t call to Jill; rather, she enjoyed all types of crafts including crochet, knitting and counted cross-stitch. Several years ago, she began working with wire, making earrings to sell at her church bazaar. Then a best friend (from high school) introduced her to Dale “Cougar” Armstrong and wire took over Jill’s life.

Jill still lives on a farm in Kentucky, with her husband and two adult children, several dogs, cats, and Angus cows. Over the past six years, between gardening, cooking, and church activities she has become a very serious “wire artist.” Jill’s unique wire jewelry has taken awards and she has been the featured artist in several venues. A classic car buff, she named her business after her car, “Blue Malibu Jewelry.”

Jill has a ring design featured in Dale’s book, “Wirework,” and she rarely misses her yoga classes. When asked about her success, Jill says, “I must be true to myself and never forget that God gave me this gift to share with others.”

Click here to see other Wire Faculty Members and Contributing Guest Artists.

Driven by her “Ethereal Muse,” Marty Blu is a lifelong artist who has only recently made wire her preferred medium. Her art training ranges from Seattle’s famed Cornish College of the Arts to many various workshops and classes that cover all aspects of artistic expression.

Marty is also an active participant in a local Artworks program, having shown and sold many pieces through community oriented events. The inspiration of her childhood home of Port Townsend, Washington often shows in her artwork; with brilliant aspects of the ocean shore and its unique and beautiful variety of sea life having a prominent tone.

After less than two years of working with wire, Marty was able to attend a workshop with Dale “Cougar” Armstrong (Summer, 2010). Here Marty would not only learn from the foremost authority on wire jewelry design, but was also able to share some of her more unique and whimsical works, such as her Sea Turtle and Swivel links.

Marty Blu has always lived in the Pacific Northwest, currently residing in Shoreline, Washington.  She can be contacted via her website: www.martyblu.com/

For more than 20 years, Mary has been continually learning and expanding on her knowledge of the art of scrimshaw. As a ‘scrimshander’ she is continually seeking new ideas and techniques to enhance what she creates on her hand etched cabochons. It was such a need that led Mary to find and contact Dale with regard to expanding her basic wire artistry skills, taking them to a higher level to compliment her scrimshaw creations.

Mary’s scrimshaw work has been published in such magazines as Knives Illustrated, Blade Magazine, Wire Jewelry Artist, and Colored Stone. She has taken awards for her scrimshaw work at custom knife shows and at Dragon-Con.

Mary resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, Joseph, a custom knife maker and rock hound. Together they share a love of gems, minerals and lapidary (both being members of the Mid-Tennessee Gem & Mineral Society club). Because of their different artistic crafts, their interests blend in many ways.

From that first contact with Dale (over 10 years ago) has grown a bond between two creative women that has remained strong to this day. “Dale and I seem to balance each other in so many ways. We use each other as sounding boards for ideas and designs. She is my teacher as well as my friend.”

Mint Schlief is a native Virginian and has lived there for most of her life. She is a graduate of Stuart Hall School for Girls in Staunton, Virginia and attended Westhampton College in Richmond. Mint also took design and sewing classes at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Professionally, she is a high-end kitchen and bathroom designer who currently works with Custom Kitchens, Inc., (Richmond, VA), as she has for 34 years.

Although Mint’s journey into wire-jewelry artistry actually began in 2007, she can trace the original source way back! After she met and married her wonderful and supportive husband, Dean in 1977, they visited Mint’s grandson in Italy. While touring Venice, she purchased several Murano pendants, which the locals wore on strands of seed beads twisted into a rope necklace. However none of these were long enough for her neck, and being the crafter that she is, Mint decided to make her own! To pursue this venture she paid a visit to ‘More Than Just Beads’ in Williamsburg to purchase the necessary seed beads.  While there, Mint saw her first piece of wire jewelry; a framed cabochon pendant that was a project taught by the shop owner, Sande Hubbard.

Mint says, “I was fascinated and signed up for her next class. I then attended Bead Fest Wire in Wilmington, Delaware and took every class that Dale “Cougar” Armstrong offered.

“No, I have never finished the necklace for the glass pendants, as wire has consumed my life! And being much too prolific, I have started Mint Spring’s Designs LLC, and I participate in juried Fine Art shows whenever possible. I have been nationally published twice, thanks to my friend and mentor “Cougar.”  Without Sande, “Cougar,” and my beloved husband Dean, none of this would have been possible.”

Mint Schlief and her husband Dean reside in rural Virginia.