Meet Andrea and Lisa from It’s the Little Things in Life…
Andrea:
I live with my husband Jake, and our 2 year old
daughter Ava, in New Albany, Ohio. A 2001 Youngstown State University graduate,
I taught as a Reading Specialist for 8 years and worked as a Receptionist at a
medical facility for 2 years, before I became a Mom and Homemaker in 2012. As a Homemaker, I felt compelled to release some
of the creative energy I used to expend as a teacher and decided to pursue
candle making. I spent a year
researching and learning the art and the business, and giving candles away to
family and friends for feedback. I continue to add to my knowledge base daily. I have had success selling candles in The
Noble Baron, the barbershop Jake and I own together, for a year now. I recently
began home parties and have done three in the first month.
Lisa:
I live with my husband
Josh and our 3 year old son Darren, in Powell, Ohio. We are excited to be
expanding our family and are expecting a daughter March 2014. I graduated from
Ohio Dominican University in 2009, and have been working as a Senior Business
Analyst at Nationwide for 8 years. With our growing family, I am hoping to
become a Homemaker. I was inspired by Andrea’s candle venture and she has been
a great source of support and encouragement as I just recently started making
homemade soaps.
Both Lisa and Andrea find inspiration in their family and a strong
desire to be the best version of them selves.
They also are inspired by their community and the surrounding Columbus
area. Columbus has big city culture for
a small city, a tremendous love of fashion and the arts, and numerous success
stories: Cheryl’s Cookies, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Bath & Body Works, Victoria
Secret and Limited Brands. All have evolved from this area, have been great
influences and business leaders, and are wonderful examples to follow. It is difficult to be a part of this
community and not be inspired to do something and be passionate about doing it
well!
In five years we hope to have a business presence in our community and to have had success with some of our own small city Big Ideas!
Meet Victor and Mary from Let it Shine Candles…
We have been married for almost 24
years and have two children (both teenagers) and live in Goshen, Ohio.
We've lived in various places in Ohio our whole lives.
We've only been making candles for a
couple of months. However, we've talked about it for years. There
are/were several family members who made and sold candles for years, however,
we did not want to hinder their efforts in any way. Recently, a family
member in Ohio stopped making them, so we thought it was a good time to begin
our hobby. We have never participated in an Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show,
this is our first time and we are excited.
We are inspired by our love for the
Lord and the closeness that brings our family together when we're all working
together to make our craft. (Yes, the kids are very much involved) What got us
into making candles was the enjoyment of creating something that we can share
with other people and being able to pass a craft on to our children so they may
be able to enjoy it as they get older.
Years ago, when we began discussing
the making of candles and tarts, we would always try to think of ways to
promote the craft. The art of making candles is somewhat tricky, as we
have found out. However, the desire to make a great looking and fragrant
product continues to drive us. So much of the "discovery" has
been by trial and error based on our desire to create a great product.
Our creative process is one of
communication with each other. We're always bouncing ideas off of each
other and then trying to step through the process of what we think will or will
not work and why. Hopefully, in five years, our oldest daughter will be
finishing college and our son will be in college and we'll all still be working
together. If not, then I suppose Mary and I will be enjoying each others
company and still making our product and meeting new people.
The real message behind "Let It
Shine Candles" is to let your light shine out unto the world. Our
family is blessed and the Lord is the center of our lives regardless of what
goes on around us. No matter what happens, we should try our best to be a
help to those around us.
Meet Toya from R.I.P.E Connection Jewelry…
I have a Social Work Bachelor’s Degree
and currently work as a Social Worker serving clients with mental disorder and
ex-offenders. My hobby is my craft creating jewelry. I also write poetry, enjoy
interior design. I give back to my community by volunteering to help homeless
population. I have been creating and designing handmade jewelry for
about four years. This is my first Avant-Garde Show and I am very
excited!
I am a woman with deep spiritual beliefs.
I admire the creative work of other artist-However my jewelry is GOD inspired
which, make each piece unique and special. One day I looked everywhere
for a certain kind of earring to suite my personality and style. I never
found them. As a result, I decided to purchase my own beads and materials to
make the earrings that I wanted. Shortly after a woman prayed for me. She
prayed for the creative ability in me to come forward. I have created and
designed one-of-a-kind, handmade jewelry ever since. I discovered I had a
gift, a talent a new hobby. This particular talent caught the attention of
friends and family and random strangers. What I love most about this talent is
that it captures the attention of people for different countries and
cultures. This is how I got started ever since I have been inspired to
create one of kind pieces.
I would use the word “random” to describe
my creative process. Usually, I am divinely inspired and then I create! My
creation is for both men and women. I create bracelets, necklaces,
magnetic broaches, earrings, and body chains. Currently I sale my jewelry in consignment shops. I am in the
process of expanding. In five years, I see my jewelry in national retail
stores.
The name of my Jewelry is R.I.P.E
Connection Jewelry, R.I.P.E stands for Restoration, identity, Purpose and Effectiveness in Christ. Regardless of what a person
may lose in life: they should stay connected to their purpose. One lost does
not define a persons’ entire purpose in life. I experienced many lost. However,
through Christ, I stay connected to my whole purpose. As result, I create one
of kind pieces of jewelry. I want my jewelry to remind people that GOD can Restore lost, define Identity, clarify Purpose so they can be Effective in life.
Meet Colleen Hanrahan from Crafts by the Handful…
My name is Colleen Hanrahan.
I live in Dublin and call it home now that I've been there for 20 years.
Last year I was married and became a mother to my 10 year old stepson.
I've been told that I like to stay busy because I also recently decided
to start my own business of making homemade crafts endeavor which focuses on
goodies for children.
I have been crafty all my life,
but last Christmas I was given a phenomenal gift...my sewing machine.
Since then I have been unstoppable and after being told by enough friends
and family that I should start selling my items, I decided that it was time.
This will be my first Avant-Garde show, and I'm very excited!
What inspires me is also what got me
into this hobby. I found that there were at least four close females in
my life who were all pregnant at the same time.
When I thought about a
special gift I could make them, I started going a little crazy and making a lot
of different items for them that would be useful. I was blessed enough to
have many other friends with young children who were willing to try and use
different items I was making.
I can't pinpoint a time I
"discovered" my talent, but I was raised in a house with a mom who
was always sewing. She sewed a lot of the clothing that my sisters and I
wore growing up. Anytime as a teenager that I couldn't find the exact
dress I wanted, my mom and I would go shopping for a pattern and fabric.
I can't say that I got my mom's seamstress talent, but she has always
been there to answer questions that come up as I work and encourage my
creativity in everything I make.
My creative process starts with a
mission or an idea. I try just one of something before deciding if its
something that people would like to have and if I want to make a lot more.
I also get lots of ideas from people asking me for something they want or
need for their family. Where do I see myself in 5 years? I want to be
known amongst my friends as the "baby lady". I want to be the
person they turn to whenever they are heading to a baby shower and the place
they get items to support the early years of their own children. I would
love for it to become my job, but understand that could be a reach that extends
farther than 5 years.
The message behind my work is
creating fun items for young children, even little boys!
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