Wyandotte Woman's Unique Jewelry Amongst Hundreds of Displays at This Weekend's Maker Faire

Those who believe the Detroit area has lost its luster as a center of innovation, take heart: , one of the area’s biggest displays of ingenuity, is coming back to Dearborn this weekend.

And there's a Wyandotte woman who will be amongst the hundreds of artists showcasing their work.

Jazmyn Bencik of Magikjaz Creations sells homemade chain mail jewelry.

Chain mail is created by connecting rings to one another. It can be made from virtually any material that can be formed into a circle. Metal is the popular choice, but rubber also is a possibility.

Bencik said she works in aluminum rather than steel, as aluminum is hypoallergenic and safe for people who have metal allergies.

She sells rings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants, but said she hopes to one day add clothing to her design line. Her jewelry pieces sell for between $5 and $50.

The 1990 grad is a self-taught artist and has been making chain mail for about 3 ½ years. She’s sold her goods at a number of local events, including the , the Allen Park Arts & Crafts Street Fair and the Huron Township Applefest.

Bencik got into the craft with little knowledge of what chain mail jewelry was.

“A friend had a bracelet that I fell in love with,” she said. “I went to this person’s website and found out it was chain mail and researched how to do it. And I’ve been doing it ever since.”

The Maker Faire takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of the , which has busily made room for 300 makers, about 80 percent of whom are new to the fair, said Carrie Nolan, a media relations manager at The Henry Ford.

“It’s hard to describe what the Maker Faire is,” she said. “This year we have more makers, and we’ve brought back some favorites. The event is about highlighting creativity and innovation in a way that is fun. This for people who tinker, and people like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison liked to tinker."

The Maker Faire was created by the publishers of MAKE Magazine and Makezine on the West Coast several years ago. The event came to Dearborn for the first time last year, and highlighted some of the best in DIY arts, engineering, robotics, entertainment and technology. This year, the event is presented by Pure Michigan, Ford Motor Company and Ford SYNC.

At the event, demonstrations and hands-on workshops will cover everything from sustainable living to fine arts to fashion.

First-time exhibitors include Robbie the Robot, a roving 5-foot-tall webcam robot that streams video and audio so attendees can see through the eyes of the robot; Green Girl Scouts who turn trash into treasures like neckties into sunglasses, old magazines into gift bows and belts into bracelets; and the Mannequin Forest, an artificial forest of mannequins, circuitry and interaction.

Old favorites will return, as well: The life-size Mousetrap game, the Coke-and-Mentos guys, the Handmade Detroit area and the make-and-take Marshmallow Shooters. Exhibitors new and old will operate among robots, flame shooters, solar-powered sculptures and even a wheelchair-powered cupcake.

“There are the things at the Maker Faire that you can’t see anywhere else,” Nolan said.

Tickets are at $28 for ages 13-61, $26 for seniors and $19 for youth ages 5-12. Children age 4 and younger are free. Members of The Henry Ford receive a discount on tickets, which run $13, $12 and $8, respectively. Two-day and superpass tickets are also available.

All tickets include admission to the Henry Ford Museum.

To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit www.thehenryford.org.