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Meet Kristin Moore of Flair & Moore Jewelry Designs...
Hi, I'm Kristin Moore of Flair & Moore Jewelry Designs.  After my dear, talented, jewelry-making mom passed away unexpectedly in 2011 I found myself with a heap of beads and tools but little direction other than a creative vision. Slowly I transformed my lifelong love of paper crafting into an amazing new world of jewelry design that I think she'd be proud of.  While I've participated in a number of other craft shows, this will be my first Avante-Garde Art & Craft Show.

Many jewelry artisans have a preferred medium and recognizable style. My artistic leanings are towards earthy, asymmetry and sometimes delicate sometimes bold pieces. But working outside the box is what artists do, right?! So you will find symmetrical, colorful pieces in a variety of styles here as well. On my Flair & Moore Facebook page and in my Etsy shop you will also find pieces ranging from beaded to wired, traditional to funky, simple to elaborate. You will find shiny sterling and hammered copper, bits of leather, natural stone, glass and gems, suede and pearl and more. Eclectic might be a good word to describe my evolving style.

My creative process is two-fold really. Some days I spend allowing ideas to flow freely and I just design whatever inspiration brings. But I also love the exhilaration of creating a personalized, custom piece and nailing it. Being inspired by others' imaginations is often times where the fun truly lies!In five years both my children will have moved on to college so I hope to continue fueling this creative passion I have into a thriving online presence, as well as a few favorite shows I commit to doing every year! I hope to have my studio, which currently doubles as my kids' game room, all to myself to spread out and really dive in to design. With any luck my husband and I will be able to sail into our golden years, each still enjoying our hobbies as well as each other! 

Meet Rita Bertram from Oh So Delicious..
I have always loved to make appetizers and desserts, so last year when I decided to start a business, I began with those two strengths-because when you embark on a new adventure; if it’s not something you love to do, why bother, right?

I played around with my favorite recipes and ingredients, took the best combinations of flavors and created a line of dip mixes and sweet spreads. Thus “Oh So Delicious” was born!

 

I make a variety of flavors: Very Veggie, Horsey Spinach, White Cheddar Onion, Cranberry Pecan and Sweet Pumpkin to name a few. I make them all from scratch and each package is hand blended. I started selling my mixes at a local Farmers Market and offered all of my  dips & spreads for tasting. What a fun beginning that was! I soon was up to four Farmers Markets per week in Richland & Crawford Counties. That was  followed with booths at Fall Craft Festivals and Holiday Gift Shows this past Christmas. 

The adventure continues as I branch out with  my first Avant-Garde show in Columbus!

Meagan von Reuter from Felt Flower Market...

I've been making felt flowers for about 6 months, but have been constructing and crafting in general for many years. My inspiration for creation really varies- you never know what and when inspiration will hit. If I had to pick one thing though is probably say color is a big inspiration for me. When I see colorful things I just have to create. 

How I got into my business.. I just generally like to create and do crafts in my spare time. I have a room dedicated to it! I saw some felt flowers online and decided to give it a try. 

My creative process really is inspiration to manifestation. I love to make things. Build things also- not just crafting. I think that the message behind my work is that  everything I make is to think about things in a different way. I can't have a vase of flowers because my cats knock them over. How about felt flowers then?

Meet Carla Smith from CK Crafty Creations...

You will see by my picture that I most enjoy the sun and beach, but spend other relaxing times by doing a variety of sewing/craft projects.  I have been a crafter since my teens, and have done almost everything imaginable in that line for personal use during my lifetime. My passion is my current product of customized embellished serveware.  This product satisfies both my shopping and crafting urges, as I buy a beautiful serving plate and customize an wire- and bead-embellished spreader, fork, etc., to complement the item for a lovely gift set.  I take pride in matching beading so that the end product is a thing of beauty!  I also do a lot of custom work, i.e. cake serving set for brides in their wedding colors. 

Although this is my first Avant-Garde show, I have exhibited in many other venues, and especially love the interaction with my customers.  When they see an item that inspires them as a hostess or they see something that will be a perfect gift for their sister, it makes my day!

Meet Anika McCanna from Sew Agape...

My name is Anika McCanna. I have a 14 month old boy named Zion and another baby on the way. My husband and I have been married for 3 years and we have always wanted to find away for me to be able to stay at home and raise our children. Sew Agape represents our lives. Our lives with our family, and our life with God. Agape is a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. We rely on God's love to help us provide for our family and in doing so we are trusting in His grace to help this business grow. We want to provide able for our family. Provide in ways that give our family back their nights so we do not have to work two jobs. We have agape for our family. The same as God has for us. Therefore, through our sewing business, we want to share this love with others. We want this business to be a testimony to who we are and who our family is.

I've been sewing for 3 years now. This is our first time trying to get our business up and running. My inspiration comes from being able to make personal pieces for people and being able to create new memories for them. Being able to be a stay at home mom and help my husband provide for our family. All of this keeps me going!

How I got into my craft.. I had so much down time! When I was pregnant with my son, I went into labor early and was put on bed rest at 20 weeks. I needed something to do with all my time. So I started sewing, then people became interested, and I realized on day that I'd have to let all this go to go back to work, then it dawned on me that this could be my job!

My creative process comes from the ideas of those who put in orders. My products are exactly what the customers order. If they aren't satisfied, then neither am I! My five year goal... I would like to see myself in a brick and mortar location. I would like to open my own shop, or even be successful at online sales within my business!

The message behind my work is that Agape is a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. We rely on God's love to help us provide for our family and in doing so we are trusting in His grace to help this business grow. We want to provide able for our family. Therefore, through our sewing business, we want to share this love with others. We want this business to be a testimony to who we are and who our family is. View more of my work at: www.sewagape.com , www.facebook.com/sewagape , https://www.etsy.com/shop/SewAgapeCo.

Meet Melissa Karate from Mango Designs..

I am 21 years old and currently studying biology and environmental studies at Denison University in Granville, OH. I graduate in the spring and hope to go into the field of animal sciences and/or behavior. I started making jewelry since I was a little girl and recently started selling it this year. This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show and my first show overall! 

I started making jewelry with my mom's childhood friend, who is a talented Cleveland artist. When we visited her during my childhood, I would sit and make little pieces for hours while her and my mom talked. Since then, I have always enjoyed the feeling of making jewelry, keeping my hands busy and being creatively focused was an awesome feeling. In the past couple years, I have been inspired by the healing and energy properties of different stones and sea glass and started to collect them. Then, I started finding these stones in bead form, and learned taught myself how to wire-wrap sea glass by hand. This is when I picked up my old jewelry making hobby, incorporating them into my pieces. With this, I know that each of my pieces have their own unique energies, and I would love to share them with others. 

While I just recently turned this hobby into a small business, I would love to watch it grow, as I myself learn and grow. I hope to continue sharing my unique creations by selling them to friends and family and at more shows. 

Meet Jim Siemer from OhioArtwork.com...

Jim Siemer is an artist from Columbus, Ohio whose family built a cottage on Middle Bass Island in 1983 and he was inspired by the beauty of the Lake Erie area to begin painting watercolors. Jim believes that Ohio is the most beautiful state in our nation and over the last 25 years he has painted numerous watercolors capturing Ohio’s splendor.

Jim is a graduate of Bishop Ready High School, Columbus, Ohio where he was first challenged by art teacher Sister Marie Miller to appreciate the wonders of art. He graduated from Ohio University and attended Columbus College of Design and Maryland College of Art and Design. Jim has taken several watercolor classes in Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Jim was a board member of Ohio Citizens for the Arts and is a member of the Clintonville Artist’s Guild.  Jim has had several art exhibits in various venues throughout Ohio. He was the co-coordinator of the “Columbus: Then…Now…When?” art exhibit celebrating the bicentennial of Columbus at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower and was the Merchandise Manager for 200Columbus which celebrated the bicentennial of Columbus.

Jim recently created art for the Bicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie (2013) and the Ohio Statehouse Sesquicentennial Poster (2011). He has also created the official art for the 1996 National Cherry Blossom Festival, the 1997 official parade designs for President Clinton’s Second Inauguration, the 2000 holiday card for the Ohio State Representatives, the 2003 Taste of DC official poster design, official designs for the 2004 America Celebrates the Greatest Generation Word War II Memorial opening, the Paris on the Potomac official art for the Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation, the 2005 poster art for the 100 Anniversary of Lake Erie Miller’s Ferry and the 2009-2013 covers for the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club Year Book.

Prints of Jim’s Ohio watercolors are available in shops and galleries in Columbus, Middle Bass Island, Port Clinton, Put-in-Bay, Catawba Island and Marblehead. Jim’s art is also available online at OhioArtwork.com or LakeErieArt.com.  Jim Siemer can be contacted at jsiemer9@earthlink.net or 614-313-6200

2016 Columbus Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, March 5, 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

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Beauty in the Details!

Meet Cheryl Chamberlain from Seaglass Lassie...

"Each unique piece of handcrafted sea glass jewelry begins in the ocean or lake as glass that has been polished and tumbled by time, tides, sand and weather." 

Upper Arlington will be Cheryl’s first Avant-Garde show! As a retired educator and a military mom, she is relatively new to the craft-show world. Cheryl is a former first-grade teacher and elementary principal, therefore she has been making and creating things most of her life. She and her husband, Scott have been beachcombing and collecting sea glass for several years. They enjoy their walks on the beach and looking for sea glass. They love to spend time in the summer at Prince Edward Island, Canada. In the spring and fall, when not at an art/craft festival, they like to walk the beaches of Lake Erie. During the winter months, they are in the Florida Panhandle to be near their son, Aaron, a Captain in the Air Force, along with his wife Whitney and their cute toy poodle, Bentley.

“I love the beach with the peacefulness and serenity it brings. I truly enjoy my walks along the shore and looking for sea glass. When I spy a nice piece of glass, it's the mystery behind that piece that I find intriguing. I wonder where it came from, how old it must be, whose hands have held it and what was its journey to the shore?”

Cheryl started making jewelry with sea glass two years ago, while at Prince Edward Island. She made necklaces to give to family and friends as gifts, and it was through their encouragement and support that Cheryl started selling her jewelry.  She loved that her friends enjoyed the jewelry - perhaps it reminded them of a special memory, a walk along the beach or a treasured vacation.

“It gives me great pleasure to see friends and family wearing the sea glass jewelry I have created.”

For Cheryl, the creative process begins with each piece of sea glass. It’s the color, texture and uniqueness of the sea glass that inspire her to create. She says she is her worst critic and wants each finished piece to be the best. She has many favorite pieces, especially the aquas and cobalt blues, but she is drawn to the greens with the Celtic charms in celebration of her Scottish-Irish heritage. Cheryl also takes pride in the fact that she is upcycling discarded glass from the ocean and turning it into something more beautiful than before. 

"I love to walk the shoreline

In the quiet of the morn,

Collecting shells and sea glass,

That the constant sea has worn."

Her sea glass jewelry is in a boutique in Navarre Beach, Florida:                                                                            

A Special Place: www.facebook.com/aspecialplace.98?fref=ts

Facebook Business Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Seaglass-Lassie/283889518384517

Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/SeaglassLassie

Email: Seaglasslassie11@gmail.com

Meet Avery Ann Applegate from Just My Type, LLC...

I was raised in Hillsboro, Ohio, where the art room was my sanctuary. Inspired by my art teacher, I decided to pursue the same career, the one where you get to teach “the fun stuff”!  After gradating from The Ohio State University with a major in art education, I had the opportunity to teach in the elementary school I attended in my youth. Opportunity knocked again and I moved up to high school into the very room where I had decided on my career.  After 30 wonderful years of teaching “the fun stuff”, it was time retire and focus on my own creative outlet.  I started my own jewelry business, just my type, llc. And revel in the fact that I still get to do “the fun stuff”!

I have been creating jewelry for about seven years.  My jewelry is in a shop in Cincinnati called “Indigenous”. I’m proud to be one of their artisans, and I also enjoy the personal contact of art and craft shows like this one!

This will be my second Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show, and I'm excited about it!

Old photos inspire me.  They evoke a time and place that I feel the need to showcase and honor.  Also, when I see an old object that was once cared for and now cast aside, I feel the desire to make something precious of it.  

I am a tactile person.  I like to work with my hands, use tools, and create items that are functional as well as decorative.  Crafting has always been a part of my art.  I started creating my jewelry after seeing a typewriter key bracelet and realizing that I could do that too.  I expanded the idea to take advantage of an extensive collection of old photos, trinkets, and baubles that I've amassed over the years.  By focusing on composition, quality, detail, and craftsmanship, then adding a bit of whimsy, the pieces emerge as graceful expressions of art and craft.

I give credit to my mother, who always encouraged me, and my art teacher, who always inspired me.

I start with an inspiring bit of junk -- a typewriter key, photograph, rusty old key, or a tiny little trinket.  Something will draw me to that cast off bit of what-ever-it-is, and I will just know what to do with it.

I enjoy what I do, and I want my pieces to be appreciated, sought after, unique, and fun!  In 5 years, I simply want my business to be profitable, enjoyable, and satisfying.  

The message behind my work is “One man's junk is another man's treasure”  YES!!!  That's it in a nut shell!!!

Meet Jennifer Stolfi from Tissue & Twine...  

Hello! I'm Jennifer, shop owner of tissue & twine. I love mixing and matching colors, prints and textures to create pretty things you can enjoy. I am slightly obsessed with planning parties, bright colors, big bouquets of flowers and all things gold.

I opened my Etsy shop about 5 months ago but have always had a passion for party planning and creating events.  My love for creating party décor led me to open my shop full of handmade paper goods.                 

This is not only my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show but my first craft show. I am so excited to be a part of this event!My inspiration, to be honest, is everything around me! Whether I am walking through a craft gathering ideas or taking a walk with my dog, I’m constantly looking for how colors, patterns and textures work together.  A big part of my business is custom orders so my customers are also a big inspiration for me. I love making someone’s idea come to life!                                                                               

I have always enjoyed crafting and have a passion for planning events. I started throwing theme parties for friends and family where I would create all of the party décor. This led me to want to take my passion further and make pretty things people could not only decorate their parties with but even their homes.                                                                              I really fell in love with crafting and creating pretty paper goods when planning my wedding. My husband and I would visit a craft store every weekend and work on projects from creating the invitations to the escort card display to making mercury glass to designing the dessert table! We literally made every piece of décor. It was a huge project to take on but it turned out beautifully. I discovered that not only did I love creating pretty things but I loved seeing the finished products come together!                                                               

I would say my creative process varies. Sometimes I can sit down and come up with 20 ideas. At other times, I need to get out of the house and just let my mind wander and combine ideas together.  I always write my ideas down first.                                            I see tissue & twine growing and growing. I plan on putting more effort into Marketing via social media and getting my shop out there. I would love to one day open a boutique specializing in handmade paper goods.    

I think the message behind my work would be that even the small things in life can brighten up your day. I believe in producing nothing but quality goods that are exactly what customers want.

2014 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, September 20, 2014 - 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