Irina was born in Kiev, Ukraine. She pursued degrees in international relations and Russian, but became interested in beading while running an import business that dealt in Morrocan jewelry and handicrafts. Irina began teaching Precious Metal Clay classes as a Certified Instructor in 2002, and became a PMC Senior Instructor in 2005. Her work has been featured in Bead&Button, BeadStyle, and Art Jewelry magazines. She currently lives in Brookfield, Wis., with her husband and two sons.