Meet Kathryn Michelle Shafer of Glassworks by Shelley
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 behind my work is that I hope everyone finds beauty in all things!
The message behind my work is that I hope everyone finds beauty in all things!
Meet Katie Roush of Katie's Ooak Dolls...
I'm Katie Roush and
married to my best friend, Griz. (Yes that is his name). We have two fur
babies, Samson an American Bulldog and Scooter, a Jack Russell. I have three
daughters who gave me four beautiful grandchildren who I adore. I like to
believe that faeries and trolls exist, you just have to look for them in the
morning dew amid the flowers a bit harder.
I have been making dolls since my girls were little. I have been doing it full time now since my youngest passed away. It kept my mind and hands busy through the darkest time in my life.
For inspiration, I
just look at a magazine or material and right away I know what I am going to
create. My mind starts working and picturing what I am going to do. I
love to see my wee folks come alive in my hands. My crafting began when
my girls were little. Each year at
Christmas, they got something I made, along with what Santa Claus
brought. It still rings true today and, I have carried that towards my
grand children too.
I discovered my talent
by accident. I could always make clothes, my grandmother showed me that. So
when my youngest, Krystle was about 4, I tried my first doll. I was hooked! It
was a simple rag doll with a heart on her chest. That was over 25 years
ago. Now my wee creations are a bit more elaborate with glass beads,
lace, ribbon and wire for posing. I see the final
project in my head, and my hands just do it.
In 5 years, I would
love to see my dolls under a lot of little girl's Christmas trees and become
treasured heirlooms. My message is never
stop believing in the magic. Its there, just as the dew in the early morning
kiss the flowers in the flower beds, so are the wee folk, if you look hard
enough and believe.
Meet Keni Scherbinski of Keni Scherbinski Hand Lettering & Design...
My name is Keni
Scherbinski and I live in Medina, Ohio with my rad husband. I am, by
profession, a baker/cake decorator, but my passion is lettering and design. I started dabbling in
lettering in Middle School, about 15yrs ago, doodling different fun fonts,
practicing new writing, making up my own type. My schoolwork was definitely
always covered in fancy quotes and scribbles.
This will be my
first Avant-Garde craft show, and I'm excited since I have been to the show as
a voyeur and all of the vendors were so friendly! I am always
inspired create something new, while lettering is my 'drug of choice' I
love trying new crafts, even if I fail at them! I'll be out somewhere and see
something unique and think, "I'm gonna try that!" I'm am an energetic
person who likes to keep busy, and creating things is the perfect way to be
productive.
My mom played a big
part in my lettering love! She, too, creates fun little fonts and doodles
often! We would scrapbook together when I was young and she had all sorts of
font sheets we would copy or build upon. I think I finally
discovered I actually had a knack for lettering when people started asking me
to do logos, or paint signs for them. Then a local art gallery asked me to join
them, I realized I might be able to take my lettering to another level. I guess
I never thought it would be possible to sell my handwriting before!
I am definitely a
stereotypical 'creative mind' which mean my creative process is messy. I love
to research fonts, and have several books splayed all over along with hundreds
of pens, and stacks of drawing books strewn about. I don't usually draw
and redraw like I know most ppl like to, I like to get a vision in my head and
get it out just how I want it.
In 5 years I'm hoping
to be able to do lettering full time from home, to be producing stickers,
cards, totes, mugs, ect. on a much higher volume. I'm pushing myself to
put myself out there and have confidence in what I do.
My hope is that my
work will make you love your roots, have pride in where you're from, and
do what you love.
Meet Linda Younkman of
Lindy’s Designs...
Living
in Dublin Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, I am married and have three grown
children. I just became a grandmother for the first time last year. After
working in the insurance industry for 42 years, I retired fours years ago.
Gardening, cooking, reading and golfing are other pastimes that I enjoy when I
am not making jewelry. From an early age I have enjoyed crafting things,
learning to sew when I was 5, learning to crochet and knit some time later. I
was always the first one to sign up to manage the craft project for school
parties and at birthday parties for my children. I have always loved jewelry
and making jewelry for my daughter and I was a natural leap. My leap into
jewelry making started by accident over 12 years ago, when my daughter came
home from a friend’s house where the mother had started making jewelry. My
daughter suggested that we give it a try.
That was the beginning of a love affair
with beads and all things sparkly. I fell in love with beads and designing in
particular with natural stones, vintage beads and artisan beads. In the
beginning I was just designing jewelry for my daughter and myself but quickly
found that I had more beads and jewelry than either one of us could wear. I
dabbled a little bit in selling my jewelry but didn’t really concentrate on
that until after my retirement.
I have always had a passion to learn and with
so many techniques and materials to work with, I found jewelry making to be a
never ending adventure. To satisfy that desire, I began taking classes in
different techniques and materials. Over the years I have taken classes in
basic wire working, polymer clay, PMC, bead weaving, and metal and cold connections.
From some highly respected teachers including Connie Fox, Sherri Serafini, Kate
McKinnon, Carol Cypher, Tracy Stanley and local teachers, I have taken classes
and learned new techniques.
I’ve
been making jewelry for the past 13 years. This
will be my first Avant-Garde show
I
have always been interested in crafts of one type or another. I started
sewing at a very young age. I learn to crochet when I was about 12.
Sewing was my first love and I ventured into other forms of crafting as I got
older. The jewelry making was totally by accident but once I started
making jewelry I was addicted. I love working with all the colors and
various stones, metal and beads. I love to learn and learning new
techniques and trying new styles has always kept me interested and going
forward.
My
keen interest in jewelry design started by accident many years ago because of
my daughter. This interest has since grown into a passion. I’ve dabbled in all
different mediums and I’m still dabbling. I started with bead stringing using
natural gemstones, artisan lamp work beads and metal. I love to combine
my love for Southwestern styles into my work, mixing leather, copper, patinated
metals and natural stones. Recently I’ve started playing with seed beading and
leather. My style is bohemian, eclectic – I’m still trying to find myself!
Once
I started making jewelry and people started asking who made it and where to buy
it, I think that gave me the confidence that I really did have some
talent. I’m not sure that I discovered it myself. I just did things
that I love to do. The
materials I am working with usually drive the creative process. I’m
inspired by color and materials. I start out with a thought or design and
often times once I start the direction changes and evolves into something else.
I
want to continue to learn and grow. Learning new techniques is always
something that I am interested in. I hope to really focus this year on growing
my business and becoming more of an online presence. I have been concentrating
more on promoting my business. I have an Etsy shop, a facebook page and I just
recently created my own website. I am starting to do more shows and I
hope within the next 5 years to be selling more through the online market as
well as at local Art Shows.
I hope that my work is unique enough that it gives people
who buy it and wear it a sense of beauty.
2015 Columbus Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
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