Friday, December 14, 2018

Last Preview!

Meet Catie Long from CJL Fluid Art...
My name is Catie Long and I am a Columbus native. I have a career in special education/ psych services but Art is a way for me to channel all of my passion and creative energy. I am a mother and I enjoy watching my young daughter create too! I have been painting, mainly abstract acrylic art, on and off for decades but once I had a child I started painting more regularly and delved into fluid art. So for the past year I have consistently created acrylic fluid art and alcohol ink paintings. This is my first Avant-Garde show and I am super excited for this opportunity to share my work!
For me, art is a way to channel emotion and passion. I like the unpredictable nature of fluid, abstract art and enjoy the excitement of what “could/will be.”  So when I feel the urge to create I just go with the flow and focus on the process more than the final product! That has served me well thus far.
In addition to creating traditional wall art, I also like to produce functional art that’s approachable and is useful in everyday life. Common items can be unique, beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of art. I feel like I practiced and that developed my talent… anyone can create! I hope that in five years I am still creating beautiful art and others want to see it still!


Meet Joy Dorn from Jewelry Designs by JoyD...
Hi Jewelry Designs by JoyD will be back at The Columbus Avant Garde show on December 16th.  I have been making jewelry for 10 years. I enjoy learning new techniques and that help expand my creativity and outlook! I feel my work is rustic, affordable and always handmade! Attached are some of my enamel pieces that will help you support the Buckeyes and the Winter and Christmas Holiday! 

Meet Jami Meyers from Sugar and Spice Bakery by Jami...
My name is Jami Meyers. I bake and decorate all varieties of sweets with a specialty in cake. I began my passion for baking desserts at age 9 messing up recipes (my family still teases me) and loving every minute of the journey into the world of sugars and spices.  

I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's of Art. I continued my education becoming an apprentice cake decorator. After much time as a apprentice I became certified and worked as a professional cake decorator for several years in a shop. 
I enjoy the entire process from sifting flour and cracking eggs to adding that last airbrush touch or squeezing the piping bag, manipulating the icing to create something beautiful and delicious. For over 10 years I've had the pleasure to create hundreds of cakes. From weddings to birthday parties I love peoples stories for inspiration and look forward to continuing to create something special for each occasion. And all occasions call for cake! 

Meet Kelly Gulick from Pretty Special Blankets...
I was raised on a dairy farm and have always been the “fixer” of the family, the person others call when they need a product to do a certain task or help creating a hard-to-find or unique item. Now the craft business combines two of my favorite things: meeting interesting people and keeping my brain and hands busy designing and making useful things. I have been sewing and designing and making crafts all my life, mostly for family and friends. As a teen I was asked to make a new seat for the tractor, and then curtains for the kitchen windows. This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show; I am so happy to have been selected to participate!
I look at fabric or hear someone discuss a need and my brain creates a picture of what the finished
product will look like. I then am driven until the item is complete! The company I had worked at for 11 years closed its Ohio office; I used that as an opportunity to reinvent myself. I decided to return to making pocket pillows and to expand into making blankets because my elderly mother and her friends mention that they get cold when they sit down. When I was a little girl my grandmother taught me to sew and to be frugal. I was raised on a dairy farm and we had to find ways to do more with less. I played with the buttons in her sewing box and used scrap fabric to make doll clothes; I recycled cardboard and wood pieces to make doll house furnishings. 
Ideas come to me easily then my brain starts to analyze how to make it! In 5 years I hope to have a network of local crafters who share ideas and fabric choices, and meet in a central location to make or sew crafts. We would take turns staffing at craft shows and share in the proceeds. The message behind my work is “Anything worth doing is worth doing well”! 

Meet Jenny Watson from j. jane art...
I am a middle aged single mom who, through a series of odd, and some unfortunate, events has finally come to a place in my life where I am realizing my dreams and making them a reality. I live in Dublin with, and take care of, my Mum and Daughter. I come from an extremely creative and academic family and have been doing art of some kind of other all of my life. This will be my first show with Avant-Garde, but I have two more on my calendar so far for 2019, and hope to add more than that!
What inspires me to create is love, nature, good times, bad times, a desire to make beautiful things that can be wearable or functional... too many things than can be easily listed here, really. Many members of my family are either professional artists and/or avid crafters. My mother specifically started me down the bracelet painting path, though. I kept making things for fun and people kept saying to me, "You know, you should really sell this stuff, people would buy it. Whether that is completely true or not remains to be seen, I guess, but I think I am doing pretty well so far!
I have terrible ADD, lol, so my creative process is very spur of the moment and freestyle compared to some artists who are very methodical. I am always doodling, or lining up photo shots in my mind, or staring at the innards of a flower or something.  In 5 years I'd like to either have a small shop of my own, or perhaps have my stuff at a couple of nice shops on consignment. I'm really just happy to be doing what I am doing right now with the love and support of my family behind me!! 

Meet T'Ana Hairston from Natural Creations...
My name is T’Ana. I am 23 years old and I love crafting and making art. I have been crafting and making art since before I can remember. I have not been in any arts and crafts shows, thus this being my first. Everything really inspires me to create. My mom is my biggest inspiration. She was a crafter all the way up until she died in 2009 when I was 13. I took a little hiatus on crafting but something kept calling me to it. My mother got me into the crafting hobby. It’s more of a passion to me. She could draw, plan events, design and so much more. I honestly feel like my talent is in my blood because everyone on my mother’s side (immediate) of the family can draw. 
I can’t really describe my creative process too much but it’s usually an urge that I have and then I have to express it. In 5 years I see myself and my business expanding. I hope to rely solely on my crafting and art to be my main source of income because I love what I do. It gives me so much peace. The message behind my work ranges from embracing the black culture to loving the world in peace and harmony.


2018 Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday December 16, 2018 - 10:00am-4:00pm
Makoy Event Center
5461 Center St.
Hilliard, OH 
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:
LINKEDIN

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Just a Few Mor Days!

Meet Jessica McKinney from The Winking Rose...
I live in Marysville, OH with my husband, our 1.5 year old daughter Stella and our 2 Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs! I work for the US Equestrian Federation and in my spare time, I focus on designing/creating new items for our shop. My other hobbies include reading, playing tennis and horseback riding. We started our shop about a year ago, so this is fairly new for us, and this will be our first Avant-Garde show!
My daughter and Pinterest inspire me the most- so many inspirations there. I have always loved 'crafting', but when I got pregnant with my daughter and began shopping on Etsy for outfits for her, my mind went crazy with ideas and I decided to try creating my own designs and open a shop of my own. I experimented a lot with different designs and processes when I got started. My 'talent' wasn't immediate. It took me a while to get the hang of things and to perfect my designs, but I can now say I am extremely satisfied with where I am!
My creative process starts with Etsy or Pinterest usually- browsing designs, ideas, etc. This helps to get me inspired. Then a few ideas will usually pop up in my head and that's when I pull out my computer and start designing. Some designs I love immediately, while others I have to tweak in order for me to be happy with them. In 5 years I would like to expand- we currently sell full infant outfits and have started offering a few nursery signs, but I would like to expand further into nursery signs and possibly explore other baby-related items!

Meet Amanda Winniestaffer from...
Cars are in my blood and I love metal working! Eventually the two just came together to form Randy's Car Part Art, and so far I've been doing this for 4 years. This will be our third show with Avant-Garde! I like being able to provide items for those who are hard to shop for and being able to push my talents at the same time.
I got into this hobby kind of by accident. I was bored at my shop one night and made a couple of candle holders for my girlfriend. I realized that this could really turn into something as I continued to have ideas popping in my head for more items. I just start moving pieces around and mixing and matching parts and the pieces eventually become my art in the form of a lamp or table or many of the other pieces I create. In 5 years I see us having our own dedicated shop, doing more shows and eventually widening our selection of items to include more furniture pieces. You don't always have to buy brand new, upcycled items can be the perfect piece, especially because they are usually one of a kind!

Meet Andrew Michael from Balm by Buck...
I'm Buck, or Andrew Buck Michael, and I make balm. I have been making the balm for 3-4 years, but only started selling it this year after my coworkers said it was too good  and needed to start selling it. This will be my first show with Avant-Garde and I hope it's a great show!
I like knowing the products I'm using and NOT using chemicals on my hair and skin. I use beeswax from a local beekeeper and all the other ingredients in my hair/skin/lip balms are all natural and plant-based. In the beginning I found a good product, but wanted to make some slight changes and make it at a more affordable price. I discovered this talent by lots of practice and using my brother as a test subject. Sorry Clark. Oddly enough he was one of my first customers when I actually launched Balm By Buck because he knew how good of a product I had been perfecting.
My creative process is fun, creative, all natural, and simplistic! The business is only 5 months old and the response has been amazing. I have no idea where 5 years will take me. The message behind my work is we strive to make the best product to style hair, help with dry skin, and moisturize your lips, all while trying to keep it local & affordable! 



2018 Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday December 16, 2018 - 10:00am-4:00pm
Makoy Event Center
5461 Center St.
Hilliard, OH 
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:
LINKEDIN

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

The Big Day Is Getting Near!

Meet Cathy & Kayleigh Hanlin from Empowered Minds...
We are a mother and daughter team who created Empowered Minds with the mission to assist kids from around the world in creating a foundation of self-acceptance, self-love and confidence.  We have a passion for assisting others in becoming the best version of themselves so they can to live in a beautiful state and inspire others to do the same. J.O.Y. (Just Own You) Journal is designed for girls to discover your unique self through engaging and guided activities. This creative journal, through kid-friendly illustrations and innovative activities, allows kids to discover self-acceptance and self-love at your own pace. We have been supporting others for 2 years now. Our J.O.Y. Journal was just published in September 2018. 
Through her own personal development journey, Cathy discovered the Joy in her life and immediately thought, “What if I had known this stuff when I was younger?  How different would my life have been?”  She made it a mission to share her discoveries with children (of all ages).   Kayleigh and Cathy have always had a special bond built from the challenges of Kayleigh being born with multiple heart defects and defying the odds in every way to create a life of strength and appreciating the gift of life daily. We love not only being together and learning but also being able to bring the creative side of us out in our work.  We created the J.O.Y. Journal to bring more positivity into the world and to provide young girls an outlet to begin developing self-love and confidence.  We love providing the opportunities for parents or guardians to spend time with their children building the foundation of confidence and self-love.

Meet Heather Cervantes from Arrowhead Bowtique...
My name is Heather Cervantes. I have been married for 10 years, and we have 3 children. I currently have a separate full-time job, but craft every night and weekend that I can. My goal is to have my crafting become my full-time job. I not only do hair bows and accessories, but have a variety of creative skills including silk-screening, light woodworking, ceramics, glassblowing, drawing, painting, weaving, sewing…the list goes on!
I’ve been a creator my entire life. It’s what makes my soul happy. As far as bows, though, after graduating college, I really began trying to make creating be my career. I’ve always had the desire to create. I feel like if I don’t have a physical something made that you can hold in your hand, that I haven’t been productive that day. I’ve always had an affinity for color. Making bows gives me an outlet to be bright and colorful; I’ve never thrived with white walls. I do a lot of searching for DIY on Pinterest. I also find myself scrolling through pages and pages of different ribbons and materials on Etsy, and other materials websites. I would much rather support a small business than big box store/mass producer on my materials.
My 5 year plan is to be successful enough in growing the business that I am able to leave the corporate world and make this my full-time job. It’s very important for me to show my kids that they can make their passions their full-time career-be happy working, doing what they love. I want to bring that little splash of color and individuality into the every day. I love seeing girls walk past my booth and their eyes light up with all the bright colors and sparkly gems. Beyond just bows, too, I’ve never felt that art should be only hung on gallery walls in a museum. Crafts bring art into your daily life and accessible to everyone, while supporting artists who are living out their dreams.

Meet Suzie Miller from Nature's Splendor...
My name is Suzi Miller and I live in Newark Ohio. I can't believe I waited so long to start this wonderful hobby - I love it! My husband Alan and I have partnered in this journey. He cuts, tumbles, and polishes the stones and I make the jewelry. We have 3 small dogs (Lola, Lucky and Benny) and 2 cats (Wrigley and Callie). I started this particular type of jewelry making in July, 2018 and have been hooked ever since. 
It just comes naturally. I see the beauty in just about everything. I don't see just a rock, I see a piece of jewelry. If I am looking at a photgraph, I don't see just a picture, I see life and memories. I love the feeling of completion when I start something. It is an outlet for me that has always been. I work in "Corporate America" and that to me, it is just a means. I thrive when I am using my hands and being creative. For jewelry making, my talent it just happened. My daughter asked me to wire wrap a pience of flint that was given to her so she could wear it as a necklace. We went to the store, bought wire and tools and I went to work. It came naturally and from there, I was hooked. 
I don't really have a creative process. I have no idea what I am going to create until the stone/medium is in my hand and I begin to work on it. My goal is to have my own "formal" jewelry line in stores and boutiques. God created us in His image but a lot of the time,we see ourselves as just an unfinished, misshaped, dirty rock with deep crevasses. He sees us as the beautifully polished and finished person He created. This is more than just making jewelry. It is taking something in the rough form that people do not take notice of and turning it into something of beauty.

Meet Christine from Cake Master...
I live in Grove City, Ohio with my husband, 2 sons, and 3 cats.  By day I am a pastry chef.
I have been crafting for about 4 years.  It started out as Christmas gifts and turned into a hobby!
The Columbus show will be my first Avant-Garde show but I have done a couple other local shows for a few years. I get a lot of my inspiration online, but sometimes it comes from a particular button or other element.
I got started with my hobby after using some buttons I had collected to make Christmas gifts.  It was fun so I kept doing it! Over the next 5 years,I'd like to do more shows and work on keeping up my Etsy shop. There's not really a message behind my work, but I do use a lot of upcycled materials.  I'm always scouring thrift stores and antique stores for old buttons, frames, and interesting jewelry to use in my crafts.




2017 Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday December 16, 2018 - 10:00am-4:00pm
Makoy Event Center
5461 Center St.
Hilliard, OH 
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:
LINKEDIN




















Thursday, December 6, 2018

Only TWO Weeks Away Columbus!

Meet Mary Mozes from Winnie's Treasures...
I am a business owner, and I created Winnie’s Treasures LLC because I have been a crafter my entire life and I wanted the opportunity to share my passion with others. I am a wife and a fur mama. My interests include running, cycling, yoga, and reading. I enjoy being busy! I have been crafting in one form or another for as long as I can remember. I decided to open Winnie’s Treasures LLC just this year.
This is my first show Avant-Garde show, and I am so excited! As I said, I have crafted for as long as I can remember. I made my first beaded crafts as a small child. I first learned how to sew as a stress reliever during school and when I started my career. I taught myself how to knit in high school because I was bored. I always crafted because I enjoyed it. I did not think it was anything 
special until my family started requesting for me to make them various things.
Ideas come to me at weird times. I can’t force it. I will be doing something totally different and then I’ll an overwhelming urge to create something.  I hope to continue to grow my business and become a more frequent presence at craft shows. I also hope to build my business through Etsy so that I can reach a wider audience. 

Meet Rachel Wayne from Mandarin Moon...
Hello everyone! My name is Rachel Wayne, and I am the artist behind Mandarin Moon Jewelry. I am originally from Kentucky, but have lived in Ohio for over 12 years now, and am currently residing in Dublin. This is my first Avant-Garde show, and my very first art show ever, I am incredibly excited!
I have always been making things here and there my entire life, but finally found my passion for creating with metal and gemstones about a year ago and have been going full force ever since! I have a very deep love for the amazing gems that come out of our Earth, especially turquoise, which you will see a lot in my work. Those gemstones, in combination with my fascination of bending metal to my will with fire (although it fights back sometimes), inspire me to create different pieces of jewelry for others to adorn and express themselves with.
Each piece of jewelry is hand crafted by me every step of the way, from sourcing each gemstone to the final polish before it is packed lovingly into a gift box. It means more than anything to me to see someone wear my jewelry and feel great!

Meet Nicole Gersper from 3 Dogs and a Cat Sewing...
I learned how to sew as a child with my mom and my sister. I stopped sewing for a long time but just started up again in the past year and found my passion in making bags and zippered pouches.  I actually have 3 dogs (Bruce Wayne, Harley Davidson, Diana Prince) all lab mixes of some sort and a cat named Lucy.  Bruce is my supervisor and is usually sitting in my sewing room keeping me company.  My hubby is a comic book geek (hence the dogs names) and has had a big influence in my life.
This year will be my first Avant-Garde show and I'm looking forward to it! I like to make things that are pretty and make people smile. finding a great deal on something I think I can make something special out of makes me smile. When I got started I wanted to do something creative outside my technical day life. I also wanted something to keep my hands busy and out of the cookie jar and mind out of the television or my cell phone. 
My sister was a big influence. She sews a lot and shares with me and I need to see accomplishment in a short period of time which i can do with bags.  I shop for fabric a lot, and I find something special that I think will look good. I look at bag patterns and what others have made and get inspiration. In five years, My intent is to keep my business my side job. I love both my day job and my night job. I am interested in working in different fabrics and possibly getting into leather goods. The message behind my work is you can have something special and pretty and makes you smile but not cost a fortune or pay for the brand. 

Meet Ameerah Akram from Nontle Creations...
My name is Ameerah I'm a 28 yr old wife and mom of 3. Originally from Cleveland, OH but grew up in Atlanta, GA currently in Columbus, Oh. I am really into natural and holistic methods of healing which led me into my self taught artistry of now 5 yrs exploring entrepreneurship through art. I have yet to participate in Avant-Garde but heard great things about it and really excited about participating. My inspiration is in tune empowerment and healing first. I love watching my customers be intuitively led to their crystal jewelry it lets me know how beautifully the seen and unseen in connected. I make astrological pieces so many times people will first choose a stone from their sign before even knowing it's their sign. That is inspiring for me.
I started really being into crystals and exploring that world and buying tons I wanted to share that healing with others with beautiful unique Creations. I discovered my talent by jumping in head first I went to one jewelry making class and the rest was history. My gift had completely revealed itself. My creative process as a Cancer thrives in comfort and being home. I love my home I love the energy of it and when it's time to get started I'm normally relaxed and in a whole other creative world. In five years I see myself continually growing having a huge space where ppl can come receive a wide variety of natural healing with a garden,  massages,  crystal therapy,  herbal healing, reiki and beyond.

Meet Larry Maniccia from Larry Maniccia Photography...
I am new to the Columbus area. I moved here at the start of 2018 after living in Cleveland for the last 22 years. By day I am a business professional. While not at work I love to spend time hiking, taking pictures, and spending time with my wife and twelve year old son. I got started with photography in 2012 after seeing videos and blogs online about the subject. My interest and passion for the craft grew quickly as I got more involved with it and it’s now something I can’t imagine life without. My love for it stems from how different the process is compared to my day
job.
This will be my first Avant-Garde show, and I am excited to display my work and meet some of the attendees. I enjoy talking about the scenes I have captured and hope that my prints evoke emotion and inspire others to explore the outdoors. I love the process of exploring and finding new subjects to photograph. It’s a process that allows me to be creative. I also enjoy that it allows me
to share places with people that otherwise they may not be able to visit themselves.
I don’t know if discover is the right word; more like refine. When I first started with photography I wasn’t very good at it. Over time I have learned a lot both from trial and error, and through other photographers who were kind enough to share their knowledge. To me it’s essentially an adventure! There are times when I plan out what I want to go out and capture, while other times I go out with no predetermined plan and just improvise based on my surroundings. Both have their merits, and each presents its own challenge.


In five years my hope is that I can continue to develop my style and vision as an artist. Over time I would like to devote more time to it with the goal of someday doing it full time. The message behind my work is that the world around us is a beautiful place! Get out, explore, and enjoy it. Doing so will recharge your mind, body, and soul.




2018 Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday December 16, 2018 - 10:00am-4:00pm
Makoy Event Center
5461 Center St.
Hilliard, OH 
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:
LINKEDIN