Wire Artist of the Month May 2013: Brenda Sigafoos

I'm from the very small town of Mound, Minnesota, which has a population of only 1,200. I'm the middle child and only girl in a family of five boys.

I have always been around art and involved in many different mediums, but my real passion was for designing one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. I don't like having the same piece of jewelry as everyone else -- so I would create my own.

I got back into jewelry by making little bracelets with my three children. I also took up seed beading and making rings. We had just gotten a computer and my boyfriend, Terry, was surfing the internet when he ran across someone making wire sculpted rings. He called me into the room, and I fell in love with the idea of wire to make beautiful rings. I love rings! I used to wear them on every finger and I wouldn't leave the house without all my rings on.

Brenda Sigafoos wrapped this orange cat's eye cabochon in sterling silver-filled wire to make a stunning wire wrapped ring.

I have been working on perfecting this design since I started wire wrapping. I just wanted to create a ring in which I could easily bezel a cabochon. This particular ring consists of eight wires that neatly bezel the cab.

How can you not love making jewelry? If I had seen such beautiful wire-wrapped jewelry years ago I would have had my dream much earlier in life.

Brenda created this wire wrapped bracelet using 21-gauge square wire, a green cat's eye cabochon, and accent crystal and pearl beads

I'm very independent, particularly because of my history of growing up in many homes and working since I was age 12. I've had various jobs, and I worked for many years with Mary Jo Copeland, founder of Sharing and Caring Hands, which helps homeless people and others in need.

Simulated turquoise stone set in a copper and silver-filled wire wrapped ring by Brenda Sigafoos

On the web, I came across Dale "Cougar" Armstrong and her unique, beautifully wrapped jewelry. I knew this was my way to really make one-of-a-kind pieces.

Sea glass and wire jewelry set: earrings, bracelet, pendant, and ring, by Brenda Sigafoos, including additional glass beads and pearls.

I've always possessed a love for creating, and now I get to share it and teach it! I'm an instructor at JoAnn crafts store, as well as my local Community Education program here in Brainerd, Minnesota. My dream is to travel and teach wire wrapping to carry on this beautiful and ancient art form. I really got my start by being recognized as a contributing pattern author for wirejewelry.com by Dale Armstrong and Rose Marion. Who says a girl can't make her dreams come true?

Wire wrapped ring by Brenda Sigafoos, in silver-filled wire featuring a crystal-set bead, accented with silver and purple bicone beads.

About wirejewelry's Wire Artist of the Month Program

Each month, we pick a talented wire jewelry artist and their work to highlight. We know we have some incredibly talented customers, and we seek to encourage and highlight those members of our community by highlighting one wire artist every month.

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