I am a 26 year old Canadian / American. I have a Bachelor degree from Capital University. I have been working with my laser unit for about a year, and this will be my first Avant-Garde show.
My inspirations tend to come from seeing things that I find pretty or interesting. If I see a way to then create something based on those images by using the laser I will attempt it.
I always liked doing crafts but it was not something I had considered as a profession. However, after college the job market was poor and I needed to stay busy. I knew I would be competent with the technical side of the laser process but found to my surprise that I also greatly enjoyed the creative aspects.
Meet Katie Lewis from The Red Kitchen!
I live in Columbus, OH with my husband and daughter. We're also expecting another little one in January, so I'll be nice and plump at the show!I'll be participating in both the fall and winter shows this year!
I've been sewing and crafting for as long as I can remember. My mother taught me how to sew when I was a little girl and I used to sit and sift through her fabric and make my own little creations for hours. I've always loved creating things with my hands.
I graduated in Home and Family Living at BYU, where I learned more advanced sewing techniques that have really improved my skill set and helped me grow even further in my love for sewing. Over the past five or six years I've taught a number of beginning sewing classes to friends and neighbors. It was in teaching these classes that I came to realize how important it is for beginning sewers to start with good, basic instruction and projects that were easy and fun.
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My new book, Simple Sewing: 30 Fast and Easy Projects for Beginners, which will be released in November of this year, features 30 basic, but beautiful sewing projects for beginners to learn to sew by. A large portion of the goods I'll be selling at the show are all projects I've made from my book. So come see them in person, buy a few if you like, and then buy the book so you can make your own at home! I'll also be selling a variety of items not included in the book. So be sure to stop by and check it all out!
So many things inspire me! When I was a little girl I used to especially love making things for my Barbie dolls. My siblings and I also used to play out in our backyard and make all kinds of outdoor creations. Much of my inspiration now comes from my family life. My daughter inspires me to make toys (many of which are included in my book), and many of the things I make are inspired by the needs of our home--magazine holders for the bathroom, desktop baskets to corral odds and ends, festive banners for a family party.
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I don't know that any one thing got me into crafting and sewing. I think it was just such a large part of my family life growing up. My mom and sisters and I have always loved creating. I think what's kept me creating over the years is the joy and satisfaction I find in making something new. There is beauty in creation. And being a part of it both humbling and exciting all at once.
I think all of us are blessed with talents, but perhaps the harder question is where we find our own style. I think the key is to create the things that make your heart sing. Whether I'm making a gift for a friend, developing a project for my book, or creating items for the show, I try to be true to my own style. Not only does it take away a lot of self-doubt and make the creative process a happier one, I've found that being true to my own style has helped me grow both my talents and my business in ways I never thought possible.
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My creative process is simple. I am all about simple. I spend a lot of time thinking about the easiest and best ways to make things. My husband and I are both kind of minimalists and I've found that less, not more, is what I need in my life. Less frills and extras, more simplicity. More peace. So while I'll add the occasional embellishment, most of the things I make are very simple. Rather than adding more, I look for beauty in less. Functionality is key with me. My main goals when I make something are that it's made well so it will last for years, that it's functional, and that it's beautiful.
With baby number 2 on the way it's hard to be sure of what life will hold for us in the next 5 years! Ideally, I'd love to continue writing regularly on my blog, The Red Kitchen, continue selling at craft shows, and perhaps start in on a second book!
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Sewing is easy and anyone can do it! I have so many friends that see things I make and tell me they could never make that. But it's not true at all! I've watched so many truly novice sewers create beautiful things on their first attempt. All you need is a good set of instructions and a friend to guide you along the way.
Meet Barbara from The Book Whisperer!
I'm a 'woman of a certain age', and that's all I'll say about that!
I'm a widowed mother of three, a 29 year old daughter (recently
married) who is a nurse, a 23 year old son (married with a 5 month old
son of his own) who is a Petty Officer in the US Navy, and a 19 year
old daughter who is in college. My husband died 19 years ago, I never
remarried. I was busy being outnumbered by kids. Now that it's all
pretty much said and done, I wouldn't trade my life for all the tea in
China. I have great kids, wonderful memories and I'm still going. All's
well that ends well. I worked in medicine (managing surgeon's offices)
for many years, but have been crafting full-time for the past two years.
I'm a widowed mother of three, a 29 year old daughter (recently
married) who is a nurse, a 23 year old son (married with a 5 month old
son of his own) who is a Petty Officer in the US Navy, and a 19 year
old daughter who is in college. My husband died 19 years ago, I never
remarried. I was busy being outnumbered by kids. Now that it's all
pretty much said and done, I wouldn't trade my life for all the tea in
China. I have great kids, wonderful memories and I'm still going. All's
well that ends well. I worked in medicine (managing surgeon's offices)
for many years, but have been crafting full-time for the past two years.
I've always crafted in some way, shape or form. Sometimes out of
necessity (kids' costumes, school projects, boredom), sometimes out of
frustration at being unable to find what I wanted commercially. As I
said, I've been doing this full-time for the past two years. This will be my FIRST Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show.. and I'm uber-excited!
necessity (kids' costumes, school projects, boredom), sometimes out of
frustration at being unable to find what I wanted commercially. As I
said, I've been doing this full-time for the past two years. This will be my FIRST Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show.. and I'm uber-excited!
I'm inspired by those odd thoughts that come to me in the middle of
the night. They wake me up and I have to get started before I lose the
mental picture. My daytime inspiration comes from the custom requests
of my clients. They tell me their hobbies, their favorite things, their
favorite quotes, etc... and I incorporate all of those things into
their design in the medium they desire. Maybe it's the upcycling of an
old book, the creation of a junk journal or photo album... whatever the
client wants, they get!
I have to admit to (at least) one shortcoming, I take HORRIBLE
photographs. To compensate for the awfulness of my pictures, I started
making gorgeous albums to hold them. Handcrafted photo albums led to
handcrafted junk journals, which in turn led to upcycling old books
into smashbooks. And the rest, as they say, is history.
photographs. To compensate for the awfulness of my pictures, I started
making gorgeous albums to hold them. Handcrafted photo albums led to
handcrafted junk journals, which in turn led to upcycling old books
into smashbooks. And the rest, as they say, is history.
I still don't believe that I have 'talent'. What I have is a strong
desire to help people get exactly what they want. The items that I
craft are unlike anything one will ever find in a retail setting. Many
of my custom orders are memorials to a lost loved one, the preservation
of a major life event in photos and words or the preparation and
planning phase of joyous event such as a wedding or a new baby. The
letters I receive from my clients when they've received their completed
project are what keep me going some days.
desire to help people get exactly what they want. The items that I
craft are unlike anything one will ever find in a retail setting. Many
of my custom orders are memorials to a lost loved one, the preservation
of a major life event in photos and words or the preparation and
planning phase of joyous event such as a wedding or a new baby. The
letters I receive from my clients when they've received their completed
project are what keep me going some days.
My creative process is dual-faceted. Sometimes I'm crafting a custom request for a client in which I'm taking their list of what they want and finding ways to represent that in their final design. For instance, one client wanted matching
two-ring binders to present to her grandparents at their shared
birthday party. She told me what their individual interests were, as
well as their shared interests.
Not all of my work is custom work, however. When I'm creating 'stock'
items, I choose something at random, a quote, a bit of ephemera, a
photograph or sometimes one single word... and the process begins. When
I have that initial seed of inspiration, I move on to selecting a color
scheme, which form it will take (junk journal, smashbook,. photo
album)... then it is GAME ON! I play with it, change it, rearrange it
and somehow come out on the other end with something that is both
visually pleasing and, I hope, inspirational. If it's not, and that
does happen, I fall back on the best piece of advice I ever had about
papercrafting. "It's just paper, put something over the part you don't
like and make it something you do like!"
In five years, I'd LOVE to have a brick and mortar shop where I can
sit and craft all day while meeting new people and pleasing new
clients. (Preferably somewhere warm and sunny!)
The message behind my work is, "Be who you are." Most of us tend to
expend a lot of energy and emotion putting on our 'public face', which
is necessary to function in society. There comes a time in each day,
however, when we need to drop the facade and be ourselves. For me, that
time is spent in one of my many junk journals. I jot down random
thoughts from the day, hopes, fears, joys, dreams and disappointments.
I plot and plan. I organize the chaos of my mind. Sometimes I have an
absolute blast looking back at journals from the past and seeing just
how silly or dumb or poignant things were at that time in my life. By
crafting really unique and visually pleasing journals and albums, I've
pretty well guaranteed that these records of my life won't end up in a
landfill when I've left this world!
expend a lot of energy and emotion putting on our 'public face', which
is necessary to function in society. There comes a time in each day,
however, when we need to drop the facade and be ourselves. For me, that
time is spent in one of my many junk journals. I jot down random
thoughts from the day, hopes, fears, joys, dreams and disappointments.
I plot and plan. I organize the chaos of my mind. Sometimes I have an
absolute blast looking back at journals from the past and seeing just
how silly or dumb or poignant things were at that time in my life. By
crafting really unique and visually pleasing journals and albums, I've
pretty well guaranteed that these records of my life won't end up in a
landfill when I've left this world!
I'd like for people to know that, on a monthly basis, I donate a
portion of the proceeds of each sale to Vday.org to aide in their fight
to end violence against women around the globe. This is a cause that is
very near and dear to me.
I am a Domestic Engineer, wife and mom to 4 kids. I worked in the banking industry for 12 years before having the privilege of staying home with my kids. I love sports, both playing and attending. I enjoy reading and, of course, arts and crafts.
Typically, I get ideas from thinking about what would be fun or cute or cool or sometimes necessary for my family and friends. I then focus on what I enjoy creating. Then I create samples to see what works and what doesn't. I decide on designs, color schemes and/or variations that may appeal to my customers. And then I get crafting!
In five years, I hope to add more craft shows to my repertoire each year. I will also be creating a web site in addition to increasing my product line.My designs are for everyone! - Fun customizable accessories that are excellent for everyday use, individual gifts for kids & adults, boys & girls, men & women, party favors, wedding party gifts, alternative birthday favors for classmates, and sports team gifts &/or uniform accessories.
2013 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, September 21, 2013, 10:00am-4:00pm
St. Agatha's Parish Hall
1860 Northam Rd
Columbus, OH 43221
For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com
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