The Holiday's are Here in Columbus!

Meet Barbara Gibbon from Artsy Ape...

I’ve been drawing since I was 3 and creating abstract oil paintings since graduating from CCAD with a degree in fine art. 

I’ve only been making pottery for about two years, after receiving a grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, with which I purchased a pottery wheel. I’m excited to sell at my second Avant-Garde show.

I’ll have one of a kind wheel thrown pottery and an out of order alphabet book that I illustrated and published. Stop by my table! 

Meet Ana Fernandez from Fernished Crafts...

My name is Ana, and I have been crocheting for a little over a year now. I love all things cozy in life. I currently live in Columbus with my partner and three precious kitties. I have been doing this over a year now! This is my first Avant-Garde Craft Show!

My love languages of gift-giving and inner-child healing inspire me to create. Nothing brings me more joy than showing love to others and myself in the form of handcrafting handmade creations. 

I came across an ad for a crochet shop one day last summer and felt the urge to learn, myself, as a way to engage in self-care and make gifts for others. I discovered my talent by following videos tutorials and beginner-friendly patterns. 

I like to explore various ideas based on the interests of others and what I would like to see more of in my personal environment. Once these ideas are floating in my mind I do some research on patterns online and find the ones that resonate with me and my creative style. 

Where I see myself in five years.. I can see myself continuing to sell at craft markets and running an online shop. 

The message behind my work is to indulge in the cozy delicacies of life and follow opportunities to increase comfort & joy whenever you get the chance. 

Meet Carolina from Dos Hermanos Food Truck...

We are Dos Hermanos Food Truck, serving authentic Mexican food in the Central Ohio area. I have been doing this for 12 years!

My message behind this is my passion for food! This will be our first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows!

Meet Carolyn Kendall from Art by Carolyn... 

Hi! I’m Carolyn Kendell, and making art has been my passion since before I can remember! I love to explore creativity through all kinds of mediums, but watercolor has been my focus the last several years.

Nature inspires all things creative in me. There is nothing better than wandering through a garden, hiking up a mountain, or relaxing on a beach. 

I always have my camera or my phone along to capture the beauty surrounding me; sometimes on a grand scale, or all the way down to the tiniest details we rarely stop to admire. 

You will nearly always find bright and vibrant colors in my work, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create art that brings bits of nature inside for you to enjoy.

My hope is that my art sparks a connection and it brings you a bit of sunshine!

Meet Carol Barber from Trammelinks...

After many years in the corporate world, I now have a chance to pursue a creative endeavor! Some of my former colleagues (as well as family members) have been able to provide knowledge or assistance to my new business. And a few of the skills from my prior career have also come in handy, even though the businesses are quite different.

I made my first Trammelink® about 15 years ago, and over the years, made several more for myself, friends, and family. I started working to set up Trammelinks as a business about three years ago. We have also added some sweater clips to our lineup for people with outfits that do not have buttons.

It was my pleasure to participate in two Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows in 2022 in the Cincinnati and Columbus areas. Then in 2023, Trammelink was only able to attend the Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. We are looking forward to our third year at the Columbus Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show!

It is very fulfilling to find out what people like, and then create trammelinks that resonate with them. Hopefully people attending the shows will provide me with their thoughts and feedback, even if they do not purchase one right away. Listening to comments from others is the key to creating an exciting and diverse collection of trammelinks, as well as finding out new ways of using them and sweater clips. 

An early retirement offer came my way in 2021   I always wanted to make trammelinks into a business, but did not have time. So now I have a new career and purpose: trammelinks!

Trammelinks were truly born out of the “necessity is the mother of invention” phrase! The button-down-shirt-over-a-shirt style has always been a favorite of mine. But I found that wind, purse straps, and backpacks would make that style look messy very quickly. So I made the first trammelink to keep the outer shirt from flying open, and to keep it somewhat aligned.

The name really describes it ounce you know know the word “trammel” means to tether or restrain. Then “link” in this case, refers to connecting both the left and right sides of the clothing. Put it together and you have a trammelink!

A pendant, charm, or button will catch my eye, and then I find the appropriate other parts that look right with it. That might happen quickly, or it can take weeks! Buttons can be difficult because of the different sizes needed for different types of clothing. That must be considered too when matching up a pendant with a button. The chain and other  “findings” are a different situation. For those, I want the strongest options available so the trammelinks will be sturdy. 

  

In 5 years it would be great if the business would grow and remain stable, so I can continue making trammelinks for many years to come.

The Trammelink slogan is: Helping you keep it together. Fashionably. “Keep yourself together” is a good daily goal through good and bad times - although the “fashionably” part can be questionable for me depending on the day! Helping others keep it together is also a goal, so a portion of the proceeds from Trammelinks is being donated to a breast cancer charity. Being able to do that is very meaningful as breast cancer has affected many of our friend

Meet Darla Snively from Y-City Scents...

A business that started as a small hobby in 2018 and has blossomed into a thriving passion. Inspired by family, friends, nature, and the emotions that scents can awaken, I began by creating handmade gifts for loved ones, whose encouragement helped me discover my talent. 

My creative process combines thoughtful intention with joyful experimentation, crafting fragrances that evoke memories and feelings while meeting the highest standards of quality. 

Looking ahead, I envision Y-City Scents as a nationally recognized brand with a storefront, an expanded product line, and a growing community of customers who share my love for meaningful, handcrafted scents.

At its heart, my work is about connection—bringing comfort, sparking memories, and making every space feel like home. This will be my first Avant-Garde art & craft show.

Meet Kim Reed from Craftea Chaos...

I'm Kim, full-time Chaos Coordinator for my three kids. When I'm not managing their schedules, you can find me with yarn and a crochet hook! 

I have been crocheting for more than half my life, however, up until 2 years ago, I would only crochet blankets and scarves.

This will be my second Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show! My kids inspire me! My Aunt got me into my hobby when she taught me at 14 years old... so 24 years ago!!

I discovered my talent by one of my kids asked if I could make her a stuffed animal, and I said 'Challenge, accepted!' As I've perfected my craft, I started focusing on making stuffies that double as fidgets or stress balls!

My creative process is Finding a cute pattern while scrolling instagram - and then listening to some music or audio book to focus on the craft. 

I see myself in 5 years to hope to be designing patterns, and still doing shows!

No idea or goal is unattainable - I never could have imagined the success I've had in this first full year of sharing my crafts!

 Makoy Event Center

5462 Center St.

Hilliard, OH 43026

Sunday, December 15, 2024

10:00am-4:00pm

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

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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:

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TWITTER

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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:

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Holiday Shopping, Handmade Happiness!

Meet Marsha and Nancy from Granny's Candy...

My business partner, Nancy, is a wife, mom of 2 daughters and grandma of 2 young boys. Nancy is a florist and still works in the industry. Marsha is a wife, mom of 2 daughters and gram to 2 young boys, as well. Marsha is a retired dental professional..... Yes, she really does make candy!

Our business, Your Granny's Candy started in January 2014. This is our first Avant-Garde show. We're so excited to be a part of this organization!

The thing that inspires us is the appreciation of all things handmade. To offer a gift made from your heart is so satisfying. Nancy and Marsha, besides being business partners, are sisters-in-law. Making old fashioned hard tack candy was a Christmas tradition we did as a family with our mom and daughters.

How we got started in our business.. More than discovering hard tack candy-making as a talent, we missed the tradition when our mother passed away. We found this type of candy impossible to purchase. We wanted to fill the void of enjoying hard tack for all who had the fond memories without time to make it themselves.

We are always thinking of ways to streamline the process, introduce new flavors and best ways to market our product. Nancy always has the creative juices flowing; Marsha's forte is more towards the business aspects.

In five years our goal.... We would love to be a part of a large gourmet gift basket business.

The message behind our work is to stop and enjoy the sweetness of life. It is our hope that while you are enjoying our delicious candy, you experience fond memories of your past and pay tribute to those who showed love by the gifts of their hands.

Meet Becky Rodriguez from Wreath Envy...

I’ve always liked textiles, and have enjoyed sewing, doing macramé when that was trendy, weaving, and making yarn from my own Angora rabbits. In my twenties, I was working toward the Mother Earth self-sufficiency homesteading, and made as much as I could by hand, from clothing to goat cheese.

Burlap ribbon has the natural feel and look I like.  I enjoy searching for just the right combination of design and accents to create a unique wreath that will compliment someone’s home decor. I listen carefully to people’s comments when they’re choosing one of my wreaths for their door or inside their home, so that I can continually improve my craft.  I try to make wreaths that are exactly what someone was looking for, and if that means swapping out one ornament for another I’ll do that. I come prepared with tools! I’ll do custom orders, too.  It is important to me that my wreaths have the right balance of fun and elegance without becoming gaudy.

I recently retired from 23 years of public school teaching as a bilingual and ESL teacher and now have more time to spend on making wreaths. I had been making spring and summer floral grapevine wreaths for friends and family. I still add floral components to some burlap wreaths. 

My plan is to offer additional specialized themed wreaths in the future-dogs, cats, weddings, babies, OSU, etc. I have been collecting materials to hand stamp and stencil burlap for a Golden Retriever wreath and a “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs.!” wreath. In the summer I hope to have my inventory of hand stamped and stenciled burlap tote bags ready!

This is my first holiday season participating in craft shows and my first Avant-Garde show. I am very excited to be a part of this event! I am making new friends and seeing some wonderful church venues.

Meet Cathy Baker from Baker's Buttons and Bows...

I am a retired executive administrative assistant.  Worked for Nationwide Insurance for 36 years and retired in January 2015. I have been married for 36 years, have two children and three grandchildren. Love to read, scrapbook and, of course, craft making. 

I have even making crafts for 20 years for family and friends. Decided to make it a part-time hobby/career after I retired.

About my crafting style.. I love the primitive look and feel. My motto is if I create it, would it fit into the theme and look of my home and will others who love the primitives love them!! I like creating and designing items. Makes me feel challenged and a sense of accomplishment when I see the finished product.

When it comes to my creative process if I see something I like, I tweak it to fit my decor and colors. That may mean changing the entire design!  

My five year goal is to continue to do shows, as I enjoy meeting and talking to people.

The message behind my work is love what you do, and do what you love.

Meet Michael Lutz from Handcrafted by Michael Lutz...

I was born and grew up mostly in Ohio, graduating from Ohio State with a degree in Psychology. So I spent 25 years in construction. I've always had a creative, hands on side. I've only been serious about making stuff to make stuff for the last 7 years. 

I enjoy the creative process as much as the final result. Most of the things I make are spontaneous, with very few drawings, which can lead to unexpected results, both good and bad! I'm OK with that. 

Every piece is practice and a learning experience for the next piece, so its hard to see where that may lead me in the future. I have so many untapped ideas currently, I had to quit my day job to explore them, and I have just been getting into CNC and 3D printing. 

As for future goals with the business... my intent is to begin to merge the many media that I work in into larger scale multi-media projects! I'm just so excited to see what comes next! 

Meet Jesse Potts from Houndstooth Maille...

My name is Jesse Potts, I'm 26 and I was born and raised in Ohio. I moved to Columbus in 2009 and currently work for a company that has me travel around to other cities in Ohio as well as other states. I went to CCAD for a couple of years in the illustration program. I make chainmaille jewelry and accessories in my spare time. I've been making chainmaille for about 2 and a half years now.

What inspires me.. I follow a bunch of other artists on social networking sites and am a member of a few groups that specialize in chainmaille. Seeing others trying new things and posting their works in progress as well as their finished products really helps me to keep going and trying new things. I like surrounding myself will all kinds of art and drawing inspiration from the world around me.

How I got into my hobby... Honestly, I don't remember. I think I saw a blog post where someone posted some pictures of some chainmaille items they made and I thought to myself that it was a really interesting hobby that you don't see very often. The fact that you could make almost anything with it, including clothing/armor and even intricate pieces of art was interesting to me as well. I picked up some cheap supplies to see what it was like and fell in love with learning all the different ways to link my metal rings together.

I have always loved making things with my hands. I have tried knitting, crochet, sewing, sculpting, painting, drawing, and many many other crafts and arts. I still come back to these other things every once in a while but I think I found my niche in chainmaille, it is definitely the thing I have stuck with the longest. 

My creative process... When I'm trying new weaves I like to research the one I'm learning thoroughly and try it out a few times before committing it to memory. I use leftover materials that might not necessarily be used or sold later for practice, and then when I have the hang of it I work on making finished, polished pieces. 

My five year plan... I would really like to be able to attend more shows in a year. Currently I'm busy with other things so I don't get to create nearly as much as I would like. So I think being able to focus more on my craft and getting out and seeing others at shows would be my goal.

The message behind my work.. My aesthetic has always be casual but almost elegant. I like things that look intricate but are fun or deceptively plain enough to be worn casually. Sort of like a paradox, I suppose. It's the opposite of what you might expect.

I work typically in a light weight but strong aluminum alloy. I also have access to other metals and often used anodized metals to add color to my pieces. I try hard to limit my pieces to metals that are non-reactive and hypoallergenic. This includes all my earrings, the ear hooks are all hypoallergenic stainless steel or niobium. You can find some of my jewelry on my etsy!http://www.etsy.com/shop/houndstoothmaille.

2014 Columbus Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, December 5, 2015

 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:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN