Thursday, December 15, 2016

Handmade Happiness in Columbus

Meet Hannah Roberts from Seven Chakras Tea Company...
Hi, I'm Hannah! After recently graduating from Capital University, I founded Seven Chakras Tea Company with my boyfriend, Drew. I am originally from Akron, Ohio, but I now live in Columbus. I am a singer, a pianist, and an audio engineer who loves traveling, dogs, and (of course) tea! I started developing Seven Chakras Tea over the summer, but I officially launched on Etsy this month! This will be my first Avant-Garde show!
I have always enjoyed drinking tea, and, in more recent years, I have come to enjoy the practice of yoga. Both of these things serve as inspiration for Seven Chakras. I love that I can combine a drink that I love with the concept of a journey to a healthier, more peaceful life. 
I decided to start making tea blends because tea is something that is exciting to me. When I drink tea, I look at it as a worldly experience. So many different cultures have their own unique blends and styles of tea that I feel like I'm traveling without ever leaving my couch. I love to research the rituals, meanings, and benefits of tea in different countries. I also enjoy the unique experience that each cup brings, and I love it when I can share that experience with others. 
Through my work, I am trying to promote physical and mental healthy living. My teas are made of genuinely healthy foods, but consuming healthy foods is only one step in the process to living well. My message is to encourage people to make a conscious effort to nourish their minds, bodies, and spirits with healthy foods and positive energy. I want people to choose love and happiness and ultimately find peace. 

Meet Marisa Fox from Terre Mer Designs...
Hi! I'm Marisa and I've been creating jewelry for about a year. This will be my first Avant-Garde show!
I'm influenced greatly by consciousness, nature, the cosmos, and uplifting others. My mom has always been a crafty person, and it seems to have inspired me in my own life.
I discovered my talent when I was trying to fix a piece of jewelry that broke. I decided to try my luck at making my own accessories because I was tired of spending money on pieces that were cheaply made or mass produced.
Inspiration is everywhere. I want my customers to feel that they are wearing something unique and pretty while staying connected to nature. 

Meet Paulo Correia from Sundown Design Studio...
I am originally from Portugal. I am an engineer by training, but I worked as an art teacher in Portugal. So far, I've lived in Indiana and Iowa. I am currently living in Columbus, Ohio, with my wife and two beautiful daughters who are 19 and 13 years old.
I have been making handcrafted items with real pressed dried flowers and leaves for the last 15 years. This will be my first Avant-Garde show!
I use natural flowers and leaves from all kinds of plants you can find in the garden or the wild to create a wide variety of pressed flower arrangements. I also use pressed flowers in photo frames, greeting cards, candles, lampshades, and much more.
I'm inspired to create by nature. It's a pleasure to create something that is one of a kind. Mostly, I make handcrafted items as a hobby even though the free creativity of creating pressed flower compositions is very fulfilling to me. Flowers are indeed the realms of my artwork!

Meet Chad Davis from Chad Davis Design...
Hi, I'm Chad and I was born, raised, and still live in Columbus. I have a beautiful wife, Samantha, who inspires me, critiques me, and is the foundation to my work, everything I do, and everything I hope to achieve. I've been making wooden jewelry for about a year. I'm very new to art shows and this will be my first Avant-Garde show!
Being creative is certainly part of my being - as it is to some extent in everyone. I remember a guest speaker in church when I was young; he gave a sermon titled "Created Creators." The premise was that we were created in the image of God and one of the foundational and fundamental characteristics of God in scripture is that of being a creator. 
My creative process is one with not much definition. Experience is built with experiments that start with a "I bet I could do that." With each project I gain more experience, which allows me to reevaluate old problems and take on new challenges. 
Ultimately, my work is my message. Paintings and sculptures fill museums; the meaning behind each is only speculation or academic anecdote which becomes less clear over time. The only surviving message is that the piece was created. If it was created well it does not matter what the meaning behind the piece was; we stand in awe of the creativity and skill. We value things more when we know it was crafted by a person who cared about it. 

Meet Nicole Momsen from Sign Design by Nicole...
My name is Nicole and I am currently a substitute teacher for Dublin City Schools and currently pursuing a full-time elementary school teacher position. I live with my fiancĂ©, Brad, and our dog, Tucker. I love to draw and bake in my free time and now am working on my sign business, Sign Design by Nicole. 
I have been into all kinds of different crafting activities since I was a little girl, but it wasn't until my friends and family saw the signs I was making that I was encouraged to create a business selling my signs. 
I have seen so many cool and interesting signs on Pinterest, at weddings, in stores, and more, and I just thought to myself, "I can do that!" I am also a very particular person, so I can hardly ever find exactly what I am envisioning for a decent price, so I love to create my own custom designs. I also like to take my customer's ideas and bring them to life as custom designs.
The message behind my work is to love what you do. I really put passion into my work and I hope that people see that I love what I do. I also hope that customers will look at their signs and love them as much as I do.

Meet Sarah and Maria from L is for Leader...
Sarah and Maria founded L is for Leader, LLC in April, 2015. Currently, we have one published book, L is for Leader, and other books in the works. We have designed and created a unique Learning to Lead Kit and most recently created a playful Leader's Cape.
Our mission is to create products that make young girls feel inspired, encouraged, and unstoppable! We take pride in thoughtful, innovative ideas and products that help young girls self identify as leaders.
We were inspired to found L is for Leader by Sarah's daughter, Adeline. Sarah wanted Adeline to have the chance to discover and develop her innate leadership skills. We want to reach all young girls during their years of socialization to promote culture change and growth. 
The message behind our work is to teach young girls to be bold, smart, and confident. We want young girls to believe they all have the capacity to lead and each girl can use her unique skills and traits to be an effective and transformational leader. American girls will not grow up to be princesses, but they can certainly be politicians, producers, publishers, or philanthropists!


2016 Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, December 17th, 2016 
10:00am-4:00pm
St. Agatha's Parish Hall
1860 Northam Rd.
Columbus, OH 43221
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:


Get Ready to Shop til you Drop, Columbus!

Meet Angie Miller from Tie Dye Terrific...
Hi! I'm originally from Licking County and have lived in the Columbus suburbs for 11 years. I crunch numbers and create spreadsheets by day, and I create tie dye by night! I have been tie dyeing for over 25 years and this will be my first Avant-Garde show!
I got into tie-dyeing after seeing some tie dye shirts in college and wanting to making them for myself. I gradually worked my way into the tie dyeing process. I used to make shirts just for fun, then I started having tie dye parties with my nieces and nephews. It seemed like I had something good going, and I started experimenting with a lot of different designs and techniques. 
I'm inspired by seeing various color combinations together and the excitement of not knowing how the tie dye will turn out! I kind of just go with the flow. I think of some designs that I want to make and figure out how to create them. 
A lot of love and intentionality goes into my work. I really want to create things that make people happy!

Meet Aubrey Maynard from Maynard Books...
Maynard Books was founded in 2015 by Aubrey and Thomas Maynard. It came about because of the desire to self-publish and control the process and be involved in every aspect of our books from creation to publication and marketing. As aspiring authors, we have been hard at work on a variety of projects.
Thomas and Aubrey are both creative people. Our process is most effective when we work together. One of us will come up with an idea. Typically, the other will sketch in some more details or add in a plot scenario. We bound ideas off each other and quickly come up with a rough draft.
We each have skills in writing different portions of the project, which allows us to produce better quality stories. The process may vary depending on the project.
Inspiration comes from a variety of sources. It could be a dream, seeing something in a movie, nature, pictures on Pinterest, a real life situation, or a random memory. The message behind our work is to provide family-friendly entertainment that will bring you enjoyment and enrich your life.

Meet Rebecca Brown Sharayera from World of Springerle...
I have been a stay at home mom since my daughter was born six years ago. Prior to that, I lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. area. We moved to New Albany three years ago. I have always enjoyed baking and trying new things, although I grew up with Springerle cookies, as my mother is from Germany and she baked them almost every Christmas. 
I just started baking and selling Springerle in earnest about two months ago. I got into the craft hobby because of my mom, who had recently begun making and selling Springerle cookies in my hometown. This is my first Avant-Garde show!
I'm inspired to create by the beauty and intricacy of the cookie molds that have been reproduced from original creations hundreds of years ago.
Since it's a specific food craft that dates back to the 14th century, I just would like to share it with Ohioans, many of whom are of German descent, and give them a taste of their own heritage, as well as show them beauty can be created in a simple and tasty cookie!

Meet Jim Siemer from Ohio Artwork...
Hi! I'm Jim and I'm an artist from Columbus, Ohio, whose family built a cottage on Middle Bass Island in 1983. I was inspired by the beauty of Lake Erie to begin painting watercolors and believe that Ohio is the most beautiful state in our nation. 
Over the last 25 years, I have painted numerous watercolors capturing Ohio's splendor. A graduate of Bishop Ready High School, I was first challenged there by art teacher Sister Marie Miller to appreciate the wonders of art.
I graduated from Ohio University and attended Columbus College of Design and Maryland College of Art and Design. I have taken several watercolor classes in Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia. I was a board member of Ohio Citizens for the Arts and am now a current member of the Clintonville Artist's Guild.
In the past few years, I have created art for the Ohio General Assembly Holiday Card, the Bicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie poster, and the Ohio Statehouse Sesquicentennial poster.

Meet Renee Wallace from Heartfelt Occasions...
Warm wishes to all! I have dabbed in crafting in years past and just recently started decorating "memory" lanterns. I'm a detail girl and love putting extra touches on each piece. I started simply by making a couple sympathy lanterns for loved ones and the response has been heartwarming. The name "Heartfelt Occasions" was registered and a new journey began.
I am in total awe of the quality crafts that will grace the Avant-Garde show and am very excited to join everyone for the first time!
Each lantern starts as a blank canvas waiting for a painted finish and carefully chosen accessories. With the availability of flameless candles, the light can always shine and share a smile.
I am excited to grow and continue working on channels to sell these decorative keepsakes. 



2016 Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, December 17th, 2016 
10:00am-4:00pm
St. Agatha's Parish Hall
1860 Northam Rd.
Columbus, OH 43221
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:



Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Columbus Creations

Meet Wolfgang Parker from Crime Cats...
Crime Cats is a self-published mystery chapter book series recommended for readers aged eight to 12. The books follow eight-year-old Columbus superhero Jonas Shurmann as he and his partners, cat detectives CatBob and Neil Higgins, work together to solve mysteries around their neighborhood. The first volume, Crime Cats: Missing, won the Silver Medal for Preteen Mystery in the 2016 Literary Classics Book Awards.
I have been drawing since I could hold a crayon, but writing came later in life. I've only been telling stories for ten years. I wrote the first Crime Cats book for my 19 nieces and nephews as a holiday gift. Book production takes six to eight months for me. I plan the story, write it, work with my editor, illustrate it, and then lay out the file that the books will be printed from. It's pretty involved.
I hope to build a readership from Crime Cats that encompasses all of Ohio. The message behind my work is to teach children and adults the value of empathy, encourage them to recognize their self-worth, and to be happy with what they have.

Meet Nettie Pyne from Pyne Pysanky...
Hi! I'm Nettie and my full time job is at Nationwide Children's Hospital in the Research Institute. I am a research associate and the lab I work in is developing gene therapy treatments for muscular dystrophy. I am also a black belt in Taekwondo and spend time training and instructing the children's classes. In what little free time I have left, I make pysanky!
Pysanka is an ancient Ukrainian art form that uses wax-resistant methods to create intricate designs on eggshells. I first learned about Pysanka in a high school fiber arts class. We did a two week unit on Pysanka, and I completely fell in love with it. My parents got me a beginners kit for Christmas, and I've never looked back!
A lot of things inspire me to create: seeing interesting patterns out and about what I want to try to re-create on an egg, and especially the amazing work of other egg artists. I also love to work on eggs when I'm stressed. I find it soothing and meditative, it always helps me relax!
I think the overall message behind my work is that you can find great beauty in places you wouldn't normally expect. Each egg also contains significant symbolism: Every color, pattern, curl, or animal design can mean something. So whenever I make one as a gift, or am designing custom orders, I try to make an egg that symbolizes how I see that person, or what wishes and blessings I want to offer them.

Meet Chrissy Bell from The Pink Woobie...
I am Chrissy Joy Bell from Columbus, Ohio, where I live with my bearded husband, awesome cat Popeye, and beautiful snake Scarlet. We moved here from rural Northeastern Pennsylvania in 2005 and are proud to call central Ohio our home.
I have always been interested in arts and crafts, starting with photography at age seven. Fiber arts became my medium of choice in 2007 when I became sick and hospitalized with pneumonia. At this time, I started what became a long journey back to health, as I suffer from chronic illness, and I feel this creative outlet helped me. 
A new project usually starts as a spark of an idea, one that often comes from necessity or desire. Once I have that idea in my head, it is hard to accomplish anything else until I at least have a sketch or design down. Sometimes I get it right on the first try and other times it takes weeks of prototypes and trying new techniques. Sharing my finished projects is my favorite part of the process!
The messages behind my work are fun, love, and the idea that you can do whatever you want to do! Right from the beginning I enjoyed using bright colors and patterns. I just really want people who receive or purchase my handmade hats and scarves to feel wrapped in love when they wear them. There can never be too much love in this world and I add my own love in each and every piece I create. 

Meet Candice Hall from Craft Wick Candles...
I'm Candice and my husband and I are behind Craft Wick Candles. We love to work with our hands and admire our handmade products. We also love to try different craft beers and bourbons, which is what really inspired us to start repurposing bottles. We've been doing this for about four years now!

I started making these originally for gifts and they were such a hit that my husband decided we should expand. Seeing customers reactions really motivated both of us, they are our inspiration!
The message behind our work is live life and take the time to enjoy it! Light a candle, read a book, drink with friends, and be happy and true to yourself!

Meet Carolyn Shisler from Jewelry by Carolyn...
Hi, I'm Carolyn! I absolutely love what I create and take pride in the design and quality of each piece that someone will be wearing. 
I began my journey 13 years ago when a friend invited me to take a class with her to weave sterling rings into chain maille patterns. I got hooked!
I love creating the possibilities. Inspiration comes from my fascination for natural gemstones and designing them with chain maille as as favorite.
Jewelry by Carolyn pieces are handcrafted, constantly evolving and fresh, created with a variety of quality materials and applying a variety of jewelry-making techniques. The message behind my work is natural elegance.  



2016 Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, December 17th, 2016 
10:00am-4:00pm
St. Agatha's Parish Hall
1860 Northam Rd.
Columbus, OH 43221
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:



Friday, September 16, 2016

It's Show Time Columbus!

Meet Joyce Dorn from Jewelry Designs by JoyD...
I have been creating Jewelry for about 7 years, I knew I was meant to do this when I visited the Cultural Arts Center in Downtown Columbus. As soon as I stepped into the Jewelry area – every sensor in me was pinging inside me and I knew I found a place I could express myself. With this I have also taken other classes from local Bead stores and Workshops in and out of Ohio to learn more and get better at my craft of metal smithing.
After this upcoming fall art and craft show I will have participated in four shows with Avant Garde. I am thrilled to be part of this event and have learned quite a bit about selling my pieces and interacting and helping customers. I like that I see the same customers at the shows, as well as greeting new people and helping them make their jewelry choices. It helps me design new pieces that customers are looking for. I have and will altered pieces to so they have the best fit for them. So I guess you could say my customers inspire me to create and continue to learn!
My creative process is based on what I have learned and I pour over magazines and pictures even the coloring books looking at drawings or that “spark”. I don’t copy I create my version. I have jewelry mentors – people that inspire me with their styles – I don’t copy them but they create my desire to do better!

In five years – I hope I can say I have a customer base that I can cater to and hope that I can attend more workshops to continue learning. I feel I am very rustic in my designs – I like working with the copper and silver metal and wire components. If there is a message to be learned – I would say it would be to continue to learn and find new methods of creating. Be true to yourself – and your craft.

Meet Joe Buzolith from Kelnjo Jewelry..
My name is Joe Buzolith and I am the owner of Kelnjo Jewelry. The name comes from my younger daughter Kelly and me (Jo) and we are registered as a business with the state!

We just completed our first year in business in July. We offer genuine gemstones and handmade sterling silver and gold jewelry at reasonable prices. 
How I got into my craft.. When I bought some jewelry tools and gemstones back in late May 2015 and decided to try a new hobby I had no idea it would lead to the amount of fun and enjoyment I have had over the last year form this hobby business!

I hand make all the jewelry pieces we offer, no bought settings!  I try to make a unique and interesting piece of jewelry most nights after I get home from work.   Most weekends I make between three to six pieces. Some of the cabochons I cut and polish myself and I try to keep a broad variety of different gemstones in my offerings.
When it comes to my craft, I really enjoy the process of forming the piece with silver or gold, setting the gemstone, and bringing it all together into a finished product that someone will enjoy.

My daughter Kelly helps with the marketing and we have traveled over most of the state doing a lot of craft shows and festivals in the last year and enjoy meeting potential customers. My favorite part is I enjoy talking about the gemstones and my jewelry and meeting people at the booths! A lot of the rewards from this hobby business are from the feedback I get from my customers!

Hope to see you at the show!

Meet Pat McCabe from EnWraptured by Nature...
Hi, I’m new to the craft show scene, with Avante Garde being my second show thus far.  My name is Pat McCabe, and I just started my Etsy shop, “EnWraptured by Nature,” this past month.  I make wire-wrapped jewelry using polished gemstones, seashells, coral, sea glass, and anything else that looks wrappable. 
How I got into my craft.. Now that my three daughters are all grown and have left the nest, I decided I needed to get back to doing the hobbies I enjoyed years ago.  A high school classmate recently started her sea glass jewelry business, which looked like so much fun that started thinking seriously about designing my own with wire wrapping.  I spent several months watching YouTube “how to” videos and practicing making pendants for my family and friends before making my decision.  One of my daughters felt I was ready to take the next step and encouraged me to go ahead.  After another several months of doing the “unfun” business start-up things, I’m up and running full speed ahead!

Art in nature has always been fascinating to me, whether it’s an intricate, perfectly-woven spiderweb or what an ocean surf smoothes, shapes, and gifts to us on shore.  Even nature’s imperfections are artfully perfect.  So it’s fitting that I want to use materials from nature in my jewelry and use nature as my inspiration!
My goal with my business.. I’m hoping I find a niche in handcrafted jewelry and that it leads me whatever direction is best and the most fun while making other people happy in the process.

Meet Lisa Rickards from Purple Stitcher...
I am a 50 year old mom and wife who has always been artsy.  I am constantly trying to improve my skills and find new outlets for my creativity.  I work with adults with disabilities which is very rewarding but can be stressful as the field is constantly changing.  I have a Masters degree in Education and am a Licensed Professional Counselor. Crafting helps me relieve stress.  My daughter is a senior in high school and will be moving on to college next year so I am also preparing myself for this transition. 
I have been doing various forms of arts and crafts since I was young - cross stitch, pen and ink, pencil drawings, painting; I taught myself to knit and crochet in my 40's.  Sewing is very new to me.  I am self-taught.  It may not be perfect and I may have developed some bad habits but I am happy with the end results and proud that I taught myself. 

For my inspiration, I really have to be in the mood. But really it does not take much because it is such a healthy outlet for me.  I love to have a big part of the day carved out to be able to create.  There are so many parts of the process in this craft that there is not an opportunity to get bored with one part - if I need a break I just go shopping!!

How I got into my craft...  When I turned 50 I did not feel anything.  I thought you were supposed to have this major epiphany when this milestone happened but it did not happen for me.  No midlife crisis for me.  But about a month after I turned 50 it came to me - I wanted to do something epic and for the greater good.  I had been making my mittens for several months and started to research other items to upcycle.  Once I did this research I realized I could help the greater good - on a very small scale.  So to me this has turned into a midlife mission. 

How I discovered my talent.. While I was researching I found things I wanted to try and tailored it to my uniqueness.  And I had experienced a lot of trial and error.  I found a lot of patience within myself because I was determined to make this work and do this well.
My creative process... I absolutely love every part of the creative process from scouring thrift stores with my 16 year old daughter to putting the finishing touches on each piece.  I love looking at all the fabrics (sometimes that is hard because there are some trips I hit the jackpot and I look a little weird with all these clothes).  I use sweatshirts for the mitten liners, I use t-shirts, dresses and skirts for the scarves and I use wool sweaters for mittens, armwarmers and scarves.  My goal is to find 100% natural fibers because I have found through trial and error these materials work best for my products.   My head is usually swimming with ideas for each piece during this excursion!!  When I get home I hot wash each piece in Oxyclean and thorough dry them.  I have a system where I deconstruct each piece depending on what the material is then I sort by color and patterns.  I save EVERTHING except for collars and t-shirt arm cuffs.  Right now there are piles throughout the house where the best light is.  I find I work best by natural light. The deconstruction can occur anywhere and anytime but putting everything together and sewing must happen by natural light!  Yes - there is a little OCD working here...

My five year goal... I would love to continue doing this getting better and better. I do not ever want to dread doing this work and I think I will succeed because there is so much variety in the process.  I want to expand to making skirts, coats, tunics and shirts. I want to be able to make custom orders.  I want to attend more shows.   I want to build my Etsy shop and Facebook page as well.

The message behind my work is I want to promote the art of upcycling and show that turning throw away and/or secondhand items into beautiful pieces can be done. And I also want to help out the second hand stores by supporting them  and their mission.  I want people to like my products and talk about them.  I want to be able to contribute to the greater good - my midlife mission.

Meet Carolyn Shisler from Jewelry by Carolyn...
Hi, I'm Carolyn, I started doing my craft in 2009. Last year was the first year I started the show circuit, this will be my second Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show!
My inspiration comes from my fascination of natural gemstones designed in each piece to create exciting and easy to wear jewelry.  My work is handmade, constantly evolving and fresh applying a variety of quality materials and techniques -- wire-wrapping, fold forming, stringing, and weaving--creating unique designs. I take pride in the design and quality of each piece using the finest materials--gemstones, crystals and pearls and 9.25 Sterling Silver, 14K Gold-Filled, Copper, Nu Gold, and Vintaj Brass metals.  
My creative process comes from thinking about how I can design a piece around the stone and applyining a viariety of techniques with it.

The message behind my work is: Elegance, Simplicity, Timeless.

Meet Cyndi Hart-Rabb from Hart Craft Jewelry...
I was born and raised in Northern California, have two sons, a granddaughter and one on the way (any minute).  Besides crafting jewelry, I enjoy yoga, nature, and spending time with my dogs and family.
I started my business approximately six years ago offically.  I started when my sons were young but put it on hold when I became involved in their activities.  I am so happy to be back working on my passion.

My inspiration comes from so many things - nature especially the glorious colors in flowers, sunsets, clothing, beading magazines, buying more jewelry supplies or even the colorful produce at the market. 
I got into my craft.. I have loved jewelry since I was a little girl.  Working in the corporate sector for most of my life didn't allow for much creativity and I realized there was a void.  Once I began to work with wire and see how forgiving it is and discovering the freedom to create without any rules, I knew I had found what was missing.

How I discovered my talent.. Many years ago my girlfriend and I used to frequent a combination vegetarian restaurant/jewelry supply store that offered classes and sold finished jewelry.  We spent a good deal of time admiring all of the gemstones and wonderful findings and I decided I wanted to make these items myself, so I enrolled in classes and it clicked for me.
My creative process.. By always being open to my surroundings wherever I go. It can be a piece of clothing, something in a magazine, the colors on a dog, taking a variety of beads and gemstones and mixing them together to see what colors work well together or watching the multitude of tutorials online, it drives me to create.  It can be something planned or can evolve with only a rough idea.  Sometimes it just doesn't work out as originally planned, or sometimes something even better comes out of the process.

My five year goal..  I hope to have a large enough buyer base through networking and marketing to sell my jewelry full time.

The message behind my work is to create well made jewelry in a variety of styles and colors that is both comfortable and affordable.

2016 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, September 17, 2016 - 10:00am-4:00pm
St. Agatha's Parish Hall
1860 Northam Rd
Columbus, OH 43221
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:
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