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Mint Schlief

By on April 26, 2010
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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.

5 Comments

  1. avatar

    Michelle Powell

    May 18, 2011 at 10:48 am

    I absolutely LOVE that amethyst necklace she has in this mornings newsletter on the new wide wire. It is GORGEOUS!!!

  2. avatar

    Alaxi

    May 19, 2011 at 12:45 am

    ME TOO LOVE IT! is it possible to share the pattern, or instructions or?
    IT TRULY is Fabulous!

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      May 19, 2011 at 9:36 am

      Alaxi, thanks! if you are signed up to receive our Free email patterns – this one by Mint is included : )

  3. avatar

    DeLane

    October 6, 2011 at 10:05 am

    What a wonderful, beautiful idea! You did a great job, Mint Spring! Can hardly wait to try it on something. Again, thanks for the beautiful jewelry!

  4. avatar

    Sandy

    April 2, 2013 at 8:28 am

    Mint, Thank you for sharing the Cabachon Feet. I have been mulling over how to do something like this for my large faceted stones and this is it.
    PS to WS, thank you for having a security code which can be easily read by the human eye. Some sites use fonts which are impossible to figure out.
    Sandy