I have
been an educator for 36 years, first as a classroom teacher, then a university
professor and now at the state level. My partner and I are foster/adoptive
parents and currently have 4 children in our home that are either adopted or
currently in care – they are all age 9 and younger.
I have
been crafting for a long time, but have only recently found my niche.
Scrapbooking and crochet have been long time favorites, but a few years back I
wandered into the beading section of a craft store and have been hooked ever
since! Originally I made jewelry as gifts for friends and family. Several
friends of mine expressed their interest in purchasing pieces from me and with
their encouragement I have been creating pieces for sale for just over a year.
I am often told that I have a real eye for mixing texture and color when
creating my work.
I like
to create things that are unique – therefore no two of my pieces are alike.
When I am commissioned to do a piece for someone, I ask for the occasion and
the basic colors and create something special for them. I like being able to
capture the personality of the person making the request when doing this kind
of work.
I
rarely shop with a single piece in mind. Instead I explore and pick things that
catch my eye because of their vibrancy and individual qualities. I pay
particular attention to the pieces that will be focal points of the jewelry. I
will often have a focal point long before I find the beads that work with it. Once
I have completed a piece I “live” with it for a bit. During that time it isn’t
at all out of the question for me to disassemble it because something wasn’t
“quite right.” It is important to me that I create pieces that I can actually
visualize someone wearing. If that vision isn’t there – the piece isn’t what I
want it to be.
I’ve done some small community shows, but this is my first time
working the Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show. I am really excited both to share
my work and to see the work of other area artists.
Meet Kathryn Shafer...Hello. My name is Kathryn Michelle Shafer. Everyone calls me Shelley. It has been my nickname for as long as I can remember. I have been lucky enough to be married to my wonderful husband for 10 years. I was an Executive Assistant for 13 years after a tour in the United States Navy.
I started
painting on glass in the late 90's, early 2000's. Ten years ago I found out
that I have a hereditary heart condition and am currently testing to be put on
the heart transplant list. I stopped painting for awhile, because of my health,
but started again a few months ago.
This is my first Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show. I used to
be a vendor at craft shows years ago, but haven't been for a long time, it
seems. I have always loved to create something from nothing. Being an emotional
and creative person makes me need to have an outlet. I found glass paints a
long time ago and thought it would be fun to figure out what interesting things
I could create with them. I am passionate about everything I say and do. Life
is to be cherished and that is what inspires me.
My husband laughs at my creative process. I take a piece of glass
and look at it for a bit until it hits me what to draw.
The message for my work is that I hope everyone
finds beauty in all things.
Meet Jane Kennelly from Fancy Leaf Designs...
I live outside of Pittsburgh with Michael, my husband of 37
years and our rescued dog, Devin. Sam, whom my Paw Prints are in memory of, has
passed but I keep him close in my heart every time I make a 'paw print.' We have two grown sons, Tom, who lives in Columbus and Aaron
(AJ) who lives in Harrisburg.
I've been making my polymer clay items since November 2013. This is my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show.
What inspires me? Mixing colors and seeing a new 'pattern' in
each batch of clay. I've been doing crafts of some sort all my life but actually,
it's my husband, who suggested I look into working with polymer clay!
I'm self-taught through reading about
polymer clay on the internet and much experimentation. One thing led to
another. I turn to Mother Nature for
inspiration. I love picking up stones ... stones have sparkle, striations,
color and texture. Need I say more?
In five years I hope to be retired from my job and working full time with my
clay. I plan to expand my business to include additional hand-crafted
'pet'-themed products which, in turn, will help animal shelters through links
to my website.
The message behind my work is to see the beauty in each and every creation, be it Mother Nature or
in my clay work.
Meet Josh Springer from Springer Photography..
Hey! I’m Josh Springer, and I’ve been involved in photography
since about 2005. That was the year I realized I was no good at Computer
Science, and took up Photography and Design both because I was comfortable with
the craft growing up around cameras and I was running out of tuition funds!
Looking back, however, it was a decision that has always felt right for me and
has taken me to some interesting places. For the past decade I’ve found myself
growing, shooting a subject differently than I may have in preceding years.
I am inspired to create within empty spaces. By taking a simpler approach, the feeling or story you read in a piece is upfront, although different interpretations can be made. The Rule of Thirds is a great foundation to many of my photographs, but as an artist it’s important not to be bound by any rules! From a post-production standpoint, most of my work has only color correction and added sharpness.
The future in photography is such an uncertain, with technology
changing all of the time. In five years, I hope to have seen more of the world.
Anything more than that is really just a bonus!
Meet Helena Demacopoulos from Addie's Pup-Cessories...
Hi! My name is Helena
Demacopoulos and I’m the founder of Addie’s Pup-Cessories, a fun line of
unique, hand-sewn pet accessories. I am 23 years old and a recent graduate of
The Ohio State University, where I met my close friend and business partner, Li
Cai. Also an animal lover, Li volunteered to assist me with sewing and has
since become a core part of the business, specializing in production. Li has a
cat named Puddin whom he adopted recently, and I adopted my shih tzu, Addie,
from the Franklin County Shelter during my junior year at Ohio State.
I have been sewing for
several years, although I just recently began creating pet products and
accessories. At Ohio State I was involved in a student fashion organization as
a designer, and produced 4 collections for the club’s annual runway show during
my time at the university. After becoming frustrated with the boring,
over-priced collar selections at pet stores, I used my sewing skills to create
my own collars and accessories for Addie. Inspired by what I was doing, Li
offered to help and taught himself how to sew. Li has become an amazing sewer
and is very talented at his craft; he now oversees all production for Addie's
Pup-Cessories. 
We have participated
in several Avant-Garde shows. I initially approached the organization to sell
my handmade jewelry, but after receiving a very positive response toward my pet
accessories, I began to focus more on building a pet business. Our most recent
event was the Rocky River Avant-Garde show in Cleveland this past November, and
you will definitely be seeing us at the upcoming events in 2015!
Our furry friends are
our inspiration! Addie and Puddin are both rescue pets. We advocate strongly
for shelter adoption and are partnering with the Franklin County Animal Shelter
so that we may continue giving back to our furry friends. 10% of all sales will
be donated to the Franklin County Animal Shelter in Columbus, and our collars
are available for sale at the shelter gift store. We love meeting other
passionate pet parents, so please feel free to stop by our table and share your
pet’s story with us!
Li and I are both very
artistic and love to create. I have been crafting since I was a child, having
pursued numerous other hobbies in the past including painting, jewelry-making,
cooking, origami, and more. Li has always been very talented with design and
construction, and loves to build and repair things in his free time.
My love for fashion
design is what encouraged me to learn how to sew initially. I learned how to
sew during my freshman year at Ohio State so that I could participate in a
student organization's annual fashion show as a designer. Li admits he probably
would not have picked up sewing had it not been for the business, but he is
very grateful that he has!
Although Li is
specializing in sewing and production, our creative process requires joint
effort and communication. I create most of the designs and procure patterns and
raw materials, while Li actually produces and finishes all of our products. We
discuss and agree on every design before it becomes available for sale, and
test out the designs on our own pets for durability and comfort.
We have big dreams for
Addie’s Pup-Cessories and would love to see the business take off! We have not
been in business long, we are hoping to participate in more local craft shows
so that we can build our brand and expand in the Columbus area. We are
currently selling on Etsy, but also plan to utilize eBay, Amazon, and launch
our own webstore in the next year. We would also love to get our products on
store shelves in Columbus sometime soon. My ultimate goal for several years
from now is to focus on Addie’s Pup-Cessories full-time and build a successful
brand as well as raise awareness for the importance of shelter adoption.
We
believe that our fur babies deserve the very best, and every piece in our collection
is designed with your pet’s interests in mind. From comfortable, durable
materials to unique and exciting designs, Addie’s Pup-Cessories offers a truly
one-of-a-kind value that you won’t be able to find in a typical pet store.
Addie’s Pup-Cessories strives to be not only the leading provider of handmade
pet accessories, but also a voice and an advocate in promoting animal adoption.
We aspire to give back to our furry friends as much as possible and encourage
others to become involved with their local animal shelters as well. Happy
holidays and always choose adoption!
