I have been doing pottery since 1970 when I watched a college roommate stay up all night working on a hand built project. I took a couple of classes in college but am mostly self taught after being advised by a professional folk potter to "just get some clay and a wheel and start making pots".
I turned professional in 1986 and have participated in over 500 craft shows in the last 28 years. I love meeting craft lovers, some of whom have given me my best ideas. My favorite compliment is for someone to tell me I have made their favorite mug.
I don't seem to be slowing down very much as I approach retirement age. I am currently trying to teach myself to make dollhouse scale pottery on the wheel. Challenging.
I don't seem to be slowing down very much as I approach retirement age. I am currently trying to teach myself to make dollhouse scale pottery on the wheel. Challenging.
Meet Helena Demacopoulos and Li Cai 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, handcrafted pet accessories. I am 23 years old and a recent graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in marketing and entrepreneurship. I met my close friend and business partner, Li Cai, during my time at Ohio State, and I adopted my shih tzu, Addie, from the Franklin County Animal Shelter during my junior year.
I have been sewing for several years. 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 local pet stores, I used my sewing skills to create my own collars and accessories for Addie. Inspired by what I was doing, my friend Li offered to help and taught himself how to sew. Li has since become an expert sewer and now oversees all production for Addie’s Pup-Cessories.
We have participated in many Avant-Garde shows! Initially I was selling handmade jewelry, but after receiving a lot of interest in my collars and accessories, I began to focus instead on building a pet business. We love doing the shows and will be attending more in the future!
Our furry friends are our inspiration! Both Addie and Li's cat Puddin are rescue pets and we love to spoil them with cute accessories. Addie and Puddin have also inspired us to give back to other homeless pets - we are donating 10% of our sales to the Franklin County Animal Shelter in Columbus where Addie was adopted. 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 encouraged me to learn how to sew several years ago. After being introduced to members of OSU’s Fashion Production Association, I began working with professors and students in the organization so I could learn how to sew and participate in the annual runway shows. Li admits that he probably would not have picked up sewing had it not been for the business. Inspired by the collars I was creating for Addie, Li taught himself how to sew recently and has become extremely talented at the craft.
Although Li is specializing in 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 launched our brand about 6 months ago and would love to continue growing the business by participating in craft fairs and events. Our products are currently available for sale at the Petland store in Pickerington, OH, and the Franklin County Animal Shelter's gift store, as well as on Etsy. My goal for the next few years is to continue growing our brand and focus on Addie's Pup-Cessories full-time.
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. We strive to not only be the leading provider of unique, handmade pet accessories, but also an advocate for promoting shelter adoption. We are very grateful to be partnering with the Franklin County Animal Shelter and look forward to seeing all of the wonderful pets get adopted into loving homes! For more information about how you can help the shelter pets, please visit www.friendsoftheshelter.org.
Meet Dayna Frisch from Malu Designs...
My name is Dayana Frich, born and raised in Colombia but moved to the U.S. when I was 19 years old. I originally came to learn English, but at the end of my second year I met the love of my life. I am now happily married and am the mother of two beautiful kids that keep me on my toes.
I have a passion for arts and crafts that I inherited from my family. My dad is a shoe and handbag designer and has been working with leather since I can remember. My mom also works with leather as well as fabric and she also loves to knit; she also happens to be the most creative lady I know with a very talented mind along with a great set of hands. She is truly my inspiration. My aunt creates and designs art and home décor with wood and my grandfather and uncle both worked in the architecture.
I work along my mother creating unique, durable and beautiful aprons for the family as well as treasures for girls of all ages. We strive for quality, durability and of course appearance! 2. We created our shop in 2013. I am constantly looking for new ways to share our products and love for what we do; which is why I have created an Etsy shop as well as accounts on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
I recently moved to Columbus, Ohio along my husband and kids and this will be my first Avant- Garde Art & Craft show and we are super excited that we get to be part of it!
The biggest inspiration that we have at Malu Designs is FAMILY and creating precious memories through spending time together, having keepsakes that can be passed generation through generation and the long-lasting happiness that a single afternoon baking, gardening or painting with your grandmother, mother and/or daughter might bring. Creating a product that can reduce the stress of keeping the kids clothes clean and giving more time to enjoy that special time with a loved one.
As for my creativity.. we have it in our genes. Since I was a little girl I have always been surrounded by pretty things, and all what goes in the process of creating them. I was there when my parents spent entire nights finishing a production, I constantly saw or heard of happy clients purchasing art from my aunt. I was the happiest, mom-to-be, when I was pregnant for the first time. I really enjoyed my nesting time designing and making beautiful things for my daughter’s nursery.
My creative process.. I am still in the process of learning myself, learning how much I am capable of and I think this process will never end. I will be forever be rediscovering my talents, improving the challenges and sharpening my skills.
We are always trying to adapt and learn from our clients. The most important thing for Malu Designs is the client’s opinion and we make sure we put all of our senses to catch their ideas and suggestions. It is all about trial and error and in the process we make sure we are keeping up with the latest fashion trends out there. Every single product is made with love and care and our wish is that every client loves our products, just as much as we do.
In five years we hopefully want to be selling our products in a consistent basis. We hope we can become a very good product supplier for new and returning clients that love and value our products.
The message behind our work is be creative, treasure family, build memories and have fun in the process!
In five years we hopefully want to be selling our products in a consistent basis. We hope we can become a very good product supplier for new and returning clients that love and value our products.
The message behind our work is be creative, treasure family, build memories and have fun in the process!
Meet Sharon Domer from Gran's Country Kitchen...
I have been married for 33 years! I have two children, a son and a daughter, 7 grandchildren, 4 boys and 3 girls, 5 great grandchildren, 2 boys and 3 girls. I live in Springfield, Ohio where I was born and raised. My husband and I are both retired but busier now than when we were working full time.
I have been baking since high school and have been giving cookies and candy for Christmas gifts for the last 7 or 8 years. Since I enjoy baking so much and everyone tells me how much they like it, I decided to try my hand at baking and candy making as a business. In today's society many more women do not have the time or the desire to bake and/or make candy but want these items for parties and family gatherings so I felt this would be something I could offer to people while doing something I enjoy. This will be my first Avant-Garde event. I am excited about it and very much looking forward to being there and taking part in future events.
My inspiration for creating items is seeing the pleasure and enjoyment they give to others and knowing that I have been able to supply a need they had while giving them pleasure in the taste and look of the items.
I have always enjoyed doing crafts and have done many types of hobbies over the years. I have collected different types of things, I have sewn clothes for myself, I have done cross stitch, I do plastic canvas, knit and crochet. I probably can say that working on Girl Scout badges was one place where I started liking crafting. I don't do as much now as I used to because of my eyes and arthritis in my hands but I do as much as I can.
I can't say I "discovered" my talent, I just starting doing things that looked interesting to me and that I thought I could do. It was also a good way to have decorations and other things without having to spend a ton of money buying ready made items. It also gives me a sense of satisfaction when I finish a project and know that what I have done will be appreciated and cherished because the person or persons receiving it knows that it has been done with love.
I feel like my creative process is one of looking at items in stores, magazines, websites like Pinterest, cookbooks (which I collect), things others have done and things I see on TV and deciding what I would like to try to do, what I think others might enjoy and how I might be able to adapt or adjust something to my taste or the taste of someone else.
I have to say that I really have not looked down the road 5 years from now in depth because of what could become difficult physical limitations. My desire is to have a thriving business that I could pass on to my daughter or granddaughters if they would want to do that.
I would have to say that the message behind my work is that we should take God given abilities and use them to make others happy, to be useful in the way God has planned, and to bring honor to God through doing my very best using what He has given me.
Meet Sue Wartell from a Mixed Bag of Delights...
I'm recently retired from an information technology job, but I've been a crafter all my life and have been devoting a lot of time and attention to art and to crafting for the past 5 or 6 years. I grew up and was educated on the east coast, but moved to Ohio for a job more than 30 years ago. Once here, I met a wonderful man, married, settled down, and have lived here ever since. In addition to crafting, I love reading, gardening, cooking, sewing, dancing, singing, hiking, yoga, ... You can easily see why I retired - I didn't have time to work!
I've been creating things for as long as I can remember. For the many years I was in school (college and then graduate school), I didn't have much money, and so I made all the gifts I gave. Back then, I mostly did needle work (embroidery, crocheting, knitting) and sewing projects, but I dabbled in almost anything you care to name - candle making, macrame, decoupage, batik, paper arts, and photography, to name a few. While raising a family and working full time, I had to drop a lot of these things, but I always planned to return my attention to them again.
I started working with polymer clay about 15 years ago, and that really gave me a push to get more involved in the artistic aspects of crafting. Classes through the Cultural Arts Center and the Columbus Polymer Clay Guild, and wonderful mentors there, have helped me develop my skills with the clay. Over the following years, through classes at local bead shops, I added jewelry making to my repertoire. Through Artiscape (an annual arts event now held in Dublin in the spring), I have added a variety of mixed media techniques. Books and the internet are a constant source of new techniques and approaches to creating things.I keep on finding new things to explore and new directions in which to take my art.
I started working with polymer clay about 15 years ago, and that really gave me a push to get more involved in the artistic aspects of crafting. Classes through the Cultural Arts Center and the Columbus Polymer Clay Guild, and wonderful mentors there, have helped me develop my skills with the clay. Over the following years, through classes at local bead shops, I added jewelry making to my repertoire. Through Artiscape (an annual arts event now held in Dublin in the spring), I have added a variety of mixed media techniques. Books and the internet are a constant source of new techniques and approaches to creating things.I keep on finding new things to explore and new directions in which to take my art.
I'm inspired by curiosity. I see something and wonder "now, what could I do with that?" or "what would happen if I combined these ideas?" and my mind takes off. Things don't always work out as I'd envisioned, but I learn from every experiment.
I'm particulary drawn to colors - the interplay of color and form are a constant source of fascination, and it's one of the things I really like about polymer clay - you have a nearly infinite palette at your fingertips.
Classes are what got me started again in my craft, but the immense sense of satisfaction I got from seeing something I created bring pleasure to someone else is what really hooked me.
I discovered my talent through trial and error, and feedback from other artists. It has been rather hard for me to identify myself as an artist, although making things always brought me joy. But I was very insecure about my efforts for a long time. It was only through interacting with other artists that I began to accept that I too had something to offer by way of my unique artistic vision.
My creative process is very organic, that is to say that my projects grow and evolve as I work on them. I start with a basic idea or plan, and then I keep reevaluating as I go. Things get added, or taken away, or substituted. I "audition" various components as I assemble an item, and sometimes I let it sit for a while and then come back to it later and take another look. Everything I do is "one of a kind" in part because I am not interested in doing the same thing over and over, and in part because I keep on thinking of new ways to approach an idea. I'm drawn to the idea of uniqueness in my work, which is a good thing, as even if I try to make a copy of something I've done before, it always comes out different.
In five years I hope to be exploring more new areas of artistic endeavor, and to continue creating things of beauty. I plan to continue selling my work both directly at shows and online.
The message behind my work is take delight in color and pattern and design. Surround yourself with things you find beautiful and useful - you can have both at once. Indulge in silliness on occasion - the whimsical can be very refreshing. Reuse or repurpose materials whenever possible - there is much beauty and utility in odds and ends, and making something from "nothing" is immensely satisfying
Meet Marcus Gunderson from Marcus Alan Designs...
Ever since I was a little boy I have been an artist and a decorator. When mom would leave the house I would clean and organize our house to make it comfortable and pleasing! I would even demantile the Christmas tree just so I could re-decorate it again!!
Having a love for the comforts of home I one day was inspired to create my own candle line. I knew from the start that I wanted to create a product that was not only beautiful but also was comprised of quality and premium materials. I've been doing business since October 2011- so over 3 years!
Recently adding skin care, inspired by my experience as a make up artist and skincare specialist, it is just another way of creating beautiful products to utilize day to day. Making a Marcus Alan candle part of your sanctuary or enjoying one of the bodycare products brings me the greatest joy and I am so happy to get to share a little piece of my passion with you!
I love creating products that are pampering and products that help make your home your sanctuary. I have always created things even as a small child and was always interested in art.Creating a product that is not just unique but a product that is comprised of premium materials while offering an experience that is a step above the rest.
In five years I see myself owning a small candle and gift shop! The message behind my work is the power of finding beauty in the most humblest of things makes home happy and life lovely.
Meet Karen from Tindle Bears...
I have designed over 150 original artist teddy bears, numerous plush characters and custom orders. I have developed a very unique style, conveying a sense of character in each bear I make. I love to make people smile! Each Tindle Bear is completely original from start to finish. From hand sculpted claws and noses to embroidered paw pads, each Tindle Bear has it's own set of individual features. All Tindle Bears patterns start from a concept drawing, that is then converted to a pattern, resized and tested.
For as long as I can remember, I've just always been a crafter/artist. I don't remember a time that I wasn't into making things! My creative process varies. Sometimes I start with a collection of supplies that inspire me. Other times I know what I want to make and the search for the perfect findings begins!
My goal in five years... Hopefully my business will become self sufficient in the next 5 years. I really hope to build my own studio. The message behind my work is I just want to make people happy! I am the most excited seeing the looks from customers that walk into my tent. I love walking around the grounds with my puppets, engaging passers by.
Meet Richard Brown from Dawn of Time Jewelry...
I'm Richard, I'm semi-retired, enjoying developing my hobby along with my wife. I look forward to our beach trips for gathering shells and the mountain trips to NC for rock hounding and mining for gem materials.I went back to college after retiring and got my diploma in jewelry design and am now taking courses for my gemological certification.
How long I've been doing my craft? I started getting the interest about 10 years ago but couldn't really pursue learning and doing until I retired 2 years ago.
My creative inspiration depends on the materials. Shells and ocean items are fashioned to look simplistic and carefree. The cabochons I cut from jasper, agate, and other stones are based on what I "see" as a picture in them. My first love is opals and I hope to expand more jewelry with them as I get better at the craft.
I got started in my hobby when my Dad started doing jewelry when he retired, we like the mountains and the ocean, so it was a combination of things. It lets me create from nature what I can't do on my own.
My creative process... They say you should listen to an opal rough, it will tell you what it wants to be. I listen and look at the materials at hand and try to envision what will make it desirable to wear or display.
Where I see myself in five years.. hopefully very busy learning new techniques and making improvements in my abilities. The message behind my work is promote nature and the things we get from her by making things that enhance the natural beauty.
Meet Karen from Tindle Bears...
I've been selling at craft fairs and online since 2002. I have been creating things my whole life in a multitude of mediums I find inspiration everywhere! From sifting through antique shops to watching my dog play in the yard, I try to stay open at all times.
Meet Richard Brown from Dawn of Time Jewelry...
I'm Richard, I'm semi-retired, enjoying developing my hobby along with my wife. I look forward to our beach trips for gathering shells and the mountain trips to NC for rock hounding and mining for gem materials.I went back to college after retiring and got my diploma in jewelry design and am now taking courses for my gemological certification.
My creative inspiration depends on the materials. Shells and ocean items are fashioned to look simplistic and carefree. The cabochons I cut from jasper, agate, and other stones are based on what I "see" as a picture in them. My first love is opals and I hope to expand more jewelry with them as I get better at the craft.
My creative process... They say you should listen to an opal rough, it will tell you what it wants to be. I listen and look at the materials at hand and try to envision what will make it desirable to wear or display.
Where I see myself in five years.. hopefully very busy learning new techniques and making improvements in my abilities. The message behind my work is promote nature and the things we get from her by making things that enhance the natural beauty.
