I am owner of Wren & Sparrow Soy Candles. I live north of Columbus in the small village of Galena, Ohio, with my husband, Mark, youngest daughter, Lily and our multitude of pets:) I've always been a "country girl" at heart and love all there is to love about home and nature!
I
began re-purposing 15 to 20 years ago. I could never throw something away if I
knew it could have "new" life. Within the past 2-3 years, I
really fell in love with "trash" wood. Taking someone else's
discard and turning it into beautiful little pieces of art. In the past year, I
ventured into soy candles. Taking a cue from my love of nature, I love crafting
these lovely scents from renewable sources!!
This
is my first Avant-Garde Show, and am very excited to be participating! My true
inspiration to create is just this overwhelming satisfaction you get from
taking these raw materials and creating something beautiful from them! My
true love of family, home and nature really got me started on my adventure. I
don't think I discovered my talent. It may have discovered me:)
My
creative process really begins with my simple senses. Visual beauty is
always inspiring (especially that found in nature.) And of course, with
my candles, I am inspired by scents that make a home feel warm and welcoming.
In 5
years, I am hoping to see continued growth both as a business and as an
artist. I love what I do, and I beyond hope that my lovely customers
enjoy my creations as much as I enjoy creating them! My
message behind my work: Surround yourself with the things you love!
Meet Jody Lanham from Re-Designs by Jody...
I create unique and interesting jewelry from items that have lived a previous
life. I am also recently retired from my job at a branch of Ohio State
University where I worked in IT. I have 3 grown daughters and 3
grandchildren, my one granddaughter is very artistic and also likes making
jewelry!
I began making jewelry as part of therapy about 8 years
ago. This will be my 4th Avant-Garde show. Many things inspire me, most of it comes from somewhere inside,
something that needs to be brought to the outside, and I take my guidance from
nature, other creations and things that were once something else, I see these
things in a different way and I follow that vision.
I have always been creative, my dad was very creative, he liked
to work with wood and made many beautiful mostly functional things, furniture,
birdhouses, etc. I liked to paint and draw and make things that were
artistic and colorful but that did not require measuring or lots of
tools. I have painted gourds for years and added the jewelry about 8
years ago. It does require some tools, however! My family and friends always told me I had talent. It took a long
struggle with myself and many years before I finally believed it.
Sometimes I plan the finished piece and go about gathering to
prepare for it. But most times I see a bead, or a chain, or an old
brooch, and recall other lovelies I have in my stash that would complement this
item and then the creative gears get going and I am moving along on the jewelry-making
journey
Well at my age 5 years can be a long time health-wise, and I may
have to find another creative outlet, My hands and eyes don't work like
they used to and I need both to create my jewelry. But if I can do it I
plan to keep doing it. I have had pieces for sale in a number of stores
and boutiques and galleries, so I may do fewer shows and focus on more specific
and consistent venues. And I will possibly coach and guide and accompany
my granddaughter on her jewelry making ventures.
My message behind my work is not so much the jewelry wearing that makes a person
beautiful, but it is the internal beauty of the person wearing it that makes
the jewelry beautiful.
Meet Krista and Lisa Foley from Sunshine Creations...
Originally from Houston, TX, as twin sisters, we grew up doing everything together. We were always creating things, crafting in Girl Scouts, drawing, painting ceramics, and working on other creative projects. We even got the same bachelor's degree! Now, though we are still close, we live in different states. Lisa lives in beautiful Oregon with her husband, while Krista lives wherever the Air Force sends her husband (currently in Ohio). We wanted to find a way to share our craftiness and connect despite the distance. This shop is a way for us to work together to bring our creativity to life!
Originally from Houston, TX, as twin sisters, we grew up doing everything together. We were always creating things, crafting in Girl Scouts, drawing, painting ceramics, and working on other creative projects. We even got the same bachelor's degree! Now, though we are still close, we live in different states. Lisa lives in beautiful Oregon with her husband, while Krista lives wherever the Air Force sends her husband (currently in Ohio). We wanted to find a way to share our craftiness and connect despite the distance. This shop is a way for us to work together to bring our creativity to life!
Our shop is fairly new - we started it up in January - and we've only attended
three craft fairs so far. In terms of our creativity, we have always been very crafty and interested in
artistic creations. It was only recently that we decided to share our creations
and open up a shop.
As
an air force spouse, I ( Krista) had a friend, who is a long time quilter, that got a
group of ladies together to learn to quilt. It was a nice way to interact with
the ladies, because I could stay productive rather than just socialize (I'm a
productive person and less of a "just sit and talk" person). I
learned to appreciate quilts more than before and saw them as a something to be
cherished forever. Quilts hold stories, memories, and with all the work that
goes into it, care and dedication.
My grandma first taught me to crochet when I (Lisa) was young, and
only after I picked it up as an adult did I realize how much I enjoyed it.
I (Krista) knew that I loved crafts and fabrics, but was intimidated by quilting and sewing machines until I took the opportunity to try. I'm so glad I had a friend that taught me! She was able to let me embrace quilting and my love for art with math and precision.
I (Lisa) was eager to learn new patterns and crochet techniques, so I started making items
for my family. My family were
the ones that supported me and loved the work that I was creating.
I (Lisa)usually browse my crochet books or patterns that I have, and then when I find
something intriguing, I will test it out. Usually I modify patterns to
make them my own; since I've been crocheting for a while now and am familiar
with the techniques, I have found that it's fun and unique to put my own touch on it. I
don't really plan much - often the best items I make are from
starting a pattern with the color combinations that I think will work and then
going from there.
Our message is "Everyday deserves a little sunshine". We love
crafting and sharing it with others, and our goal is happiness through it
all--in the making of our items and in giving them out to others. We want
people to smile and find joy in the little things, even with our homemade items.
We always hope that we can spread a little sunshine. Homemade craft items just
seems to have that extra special touch of warmth!
Meet Crystal O'Reilly from The Crystal Apothecary...
I am a 28-year-old regular gal who has too many interests and not enough time. I'm a firm believer in naps, good books, and living as positively as possible. I just began my shop journey about two months ago, but I've been crafting skincare for myself for about 4 months. This will be my first show!
I am a 28-year-old regular gal who has too many interests and not enough time. I'm a firm believer in naps, good books, and living as positively as possible. I just began my shop journey about two months ago, but I've been crafting skincare for myself for about 4 months. This will be my first show!
What inspires me is the drive to try and help people with their
skin issues. A person's skin is a huge component of their lives, and when
someone doesn't feel good about how it looks or is made to feel negatively
about it because of skewed social constructs, it really breaks my heart. I grew
up being teased about my bad skin and I don't want other people to feel
hopeless about their situations.
How I started this business was that I began researching different ways to clear up
my skin and was reading so much about how toxic most store-bought products are
(not to mention how many of them are tested on animals). I figured I could save
money by creating my own and it turned out to really be something I fell
headfirst into, and fell in love with doing on a regular basis.
I wouldn't necessarily consider it a talent that I have,
as it's definitely been a learning process and I'm constantly trying to better
how I create products and become more efficient in my processes.
In 5 years, I haven't given myself time to think that far
ahead...but hopefully still on a good, happy path. There are so many ingredients that the planet
provides for us that can be utilized for cleansing and healing, without adding
a bunch of drying alcoholic compounds, toxic substances, or testing those
products on animals. I just want to spread that message and hopefully help
people find their most beautiful skin potential.
2015 Columbus Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
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