Meet Courtney Richie from "Courtney B Designs"...
I'm a homebody. I love the rolling hills of Southern Ohio where I live. It's gorgeous here. I have a small homestead that my husband and son help me to care for. We have a big black horse and a tiny French Bulldog, just over a dozen chickens for eggs, a pair of Nubian goats for soaps, milk, and cheese, and a couple of spoiled cats.
I am happiest here, and now I am making my living here as well. Life is good.
I'm not from around here. That's something that people notice in these parts. I come from "the city". Mine happens to have been the Washington, DC area. I grew up in the suburbs and dreamed of this kind of life, even when I was a child. Eventually, I found it ... and peace and quiet (well except for roosters crowing). But first, I was surrounded by hustle and bustle. I blocked it out with art. Always making things, I found a joyous juxtaposition in creating art. I was blissful in the solitude of creation, and yet felt a greater connection with the universe and life itself. Ceramics held my first epiphany. I loved creating in 3D! I took a sculpture course, and my professor complained to me that I kept my scale much too small. He told me I should look into jewelry. So I did just that.
At 18, I began my apprenticeship to a master goldsmith and jeweler. During the next 15 years of creating wearable art, I learned the use of torch, the movement of metal, and even the grading of precious stones.
Then I found a new love: lampworking. Melting gorgeous, colored glass rods with a torch into tiny sculptures and beads became my joy. The minute details and all their possibilities were addicting. There in the fluid medium of molten glass, I found Zen. I have been flame working glass for over 12 years now, and I cannot stop! I spend my days blissfully rolling the glass in the flame. Trying new designs and incorporating metal work into my pieces keeps me fresh and grounded. I love to find inspiration in ancient civilizations. I'm especially drawn to the Celtic cultures in history.
I'm full steam ahead and SO EXCITED! Come help me make my next chapter a success! This will be my first show with Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows, and I am very excited to be a part of this great venue!
Meet Cher Mitchell from "Old Time Crafts"...
My name is Cher Mitchell and I am the owner of Old Time Crafts. I'm a mother of two adult children and one on the cusp of adulthood. My time is spent thinking of new ways of making art that will reflect my ideas and thoughts. Maybe bring a smile to someone's face when they look at my glass creations. I started working with stained glass October of 2012. I wanted a way to express myself and the things I believe in.
This show is my very first show with Avant-Garde Art & Crafts Shows. I have been researching this company and find they are a heartfelt business that always tries to give back to the community, exactly what I believe in. I'm proud to be a part of this show and call it my first.
My creativity generally comes from my surroundings, the Bible, my children, nature, pets, my friends. Ideas from people wanting to see things that aren't made from a machine are my best art projects. I was looking for something to fill the empty time I had and be able to express myself. To fulfill a need to the community with a message through art. I like the idea of making something and it having a different meaning to fit each person in a different way. I wanted to start my own business to not only express and support myself, but to support a way to give out free Bibles to people-a way to give back to the community.
My creativity starts with a thought or a picture. That will evolve into putting it into a organized message. What I want it to say or what other people will get out of it. Then I think of how it should look in the simplest form to put it on glass. How each score line will break and the colors of glass to use. Then the process of making it come to life begins.
Creating a story or a piece of nature on a beautiful collage of glass is like being a botanist coming up with a new hybrid flower. A creation no one else made, but something someone else can enjoy. I want to give the idea and message through my work that God is with us and we can see it in the simplest form to the most complicated forms. To give people joy in His word through my work and have something nice to show it through.
Meet Ashley Warnock of "Fancy Froggie"...
I live in Hilliard and have been married for 2 years. We have a 15 month old son, Cason who I stay home with. He keeps me very busy! I enjoy running and spending time with my family.
I have been doing various crafts for six years, and have started doing shows in the past year. This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show.
I get my creativity from anywhere I can find it! I love getting inspirations from Pinterest and Etsy.
I first started with scrapbooking and it has grown from there. I love trying new things! Since I stay home with my son, it's nice to have a little spending money and I love meeting new people and seeing their ideas.
I enjoy being able to make items specifically for others. It also gives a strong sense of accomplishment when a project turns out just the way you envisioned it! I think it's very relaxing and it's my quiet time to re-group. I like to create things that are practical and can serve a useful purpose.
