3 of 4! Artists that Keep You Colorful!

Meet Emily Hoffman from Mommy's "Free Time"...

My name is Emily Hoffman; I am a stay-at-home mother of 2 beautiful children, a 2 yr old daughter and a 7 month old son.  I enjoy spending my "Free Time" working on crafts, baking, and planning events.  I have a strong love for the outdoors, animals and my family.

I've been doing crafts as far back as I can remember, however, I I just began selling my items in December of 2012.

I get my creativity from my mom!  She always had arts and crafts for me to work on when I was a child and it all just stuck with me!

As a stay-at-home-mommy, I felt like I wanted to contribute to the family financially but I didn't want to leave my kids and take on a full-time position somewhere.  'Mommy's "Free Time"' has allowed me to continue staying home with my precious babies and also be a part of financially providing for my family.

Handmade comes from the heart! I put a lot of heart into what I do and I enjoy watching others enjoy my products. The message behind my work is: Family. Love. Support.

Find me on Facebook!  I like to do giveaways :)

Meet Bethany Mitchell from Ladybug Designs...

I'm a single mom to a wonderful 4-year old little girl! I got into creating handmade items as a way to relieve the stress of everyday life and distract myself for a few hours. Once I really got into it, I realized very quickly that not only did I love creating things, those around me began asking for me to create things for them and thus Ladybug Designs was born! I have been creating for about 18 months now.

I get my creativity from the necessity of life. I will often look around my home and think, I want a throw pillow here or a wreath on that door and the idea explodes from there. Pinterest has become my go-to for inspiration as well, that site is an absolute gift to the world of designers and crafters!

I first got into the craft hobby while traveling for work in Salt Lake City. I met a woman there that taught me how to make paracord bracelets.  I was fascinated by what I could create with my own hands.

My friends and family were constantly asking where I bought a skirt, bracelet, pillow, wreath, etc. When they realized that all of these items were coming from my own two hands, starting the business was a necessity to fulfill the wants of those around me.

My creative process is simple. Much like the movie line from Field of Dreams: "build it and they will come", I think "make it and they will buy." I can be inspired by nearly anything...once I'm inspired I HAVE to act creatively on it.

The thing I enjoy most about creating unique items is just that: they are unique items. I love making and selling paracord items the most because I love hearing "I've never seen something like this before!"

My message is simply that life is more beautiful with a handmade item in it! I love store bought items as much as the next person but a handmade item carries meaning with it that a store bought item never will.

                                                     

2013 Columbus February Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, February 16th 2013, 11:00am-5:00pm

St. Agatha's Parish Hall

1860 Northam Rd

Columbus, OH 43221

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

Visit us on:

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Possums and Pups! 3 out of 5!

Meet Jamie Gregory from Howling Husky Bakery...

I've been an animal lover for as long as I can remember. In fact, I was surrounded by a constant menagerie of pets throughout my childhood including dogs, cats, rabbits, sheep, goats, and horses. My interest in animals and agriculture led me to become very active in 4-H and FFA. My experiences in these organizations encouraged me to attend The Ohio State University and pursue a career in Agricultural Education. I am currently a high school Agricultural Science teacher and FFA advisor in central Ohio. 

I'm so excited to share my love for animals and baking by opening Howling Husky Bakery as a side business. I hope that my products will enable others to express their love for their furry friends also!

I was definitely born with an entrepreneurial spirit and I've always dreamed of having my own business. After exploring many different creative endeavors, I've discovered my true fit with starting a home-based pet bakery business. Howling Husky Bakery was officially launched on Etsy on January 25, 2013. 

This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show! I'm very excited to participate in this great show!

I am somewhat creative and artistic by nature. However, I often need to find inspiration to help me bring my own creative thoughts to the surface. Some of my favorite sources for inspiration include: Pinterest, Etsy, art, music and other media, brainstorming with other creative individuals, and observing the world around me.  

I've always loved creating, learning about, and viewing arts and crafts. I constantly yearn for opportunities to express my creativity in various ways (drawing, writing, sewing, cooking/baking, etc). When I was in college I started seeking ways that I could share my creativity with others which eventually led me to Etsy and the creation of Howling Husky Bakery!

I've always wanted to start my own business, it was just a matter of figuring out the "who, what, when, where, how, and why". Within the last year my husband and I have tried to focus on eating fresh minimally processed food. Recently, it dawned on me that I could provide the same type of nutritional quality to my dog by making him homemade dog treats. Howling Husky Bakery has enabled me to combine my love for animals with the ability to provide them with wholesome, all-natural, homemade treats. 

My creative process is actually pretty simple. First, I research ideas for recipes, making sure to avoid any ingredients that are harmful for dogs. Then, I gather up all of the ingredients that I need and the baking begins. Making dog treats is a very comfortable and even relaxing process for me since I work in my own kitchen and I usually have some good music playing (Mumford & Sons and the like). Each time that I develop a new recipe, its taste-tested by my own Siberian Husky named Siqua and has to earn his "tail wag of approval" before it is sold to any customers. Finally, the treats are bagged, labeled, and ready to be enjoyed!

The thing I love about creating handmade unique items is knowing that someone appreciates your items (that you have created with your own two hands) enough to buy them. Also, knowing that someone somewhere is enjoying life a little bit more because of your item is an amazing feeling. 

The message behind my work is that our pets, unlike some people, love us unconditionally. Why not return that love for your pet by providing them with wholesome, all-natural, homemade treats?

Meet J. Bird Cremeans from Antique Pet Photos...

My name is J.Bird (yes "J.Bird") Cremeans. I'm from lovely West Virginia and have wanted to be an artist all of my life.

I've been making the Antique Pet Photos for a little over a year. Like everything else I've found success in I started it as a joke and it went extremely well!

I get my creativity from my sense of humor and love of animals. I love pop culture and comedy/horror/action movies and quirky TV shows. 

I've been drawing for as long as I can remember and had wonderful and encouraging art teachers along the way. The thought of being an artist for a living always intrigued me.

I decide I wanted to start my own business because I love working for myself and wanted to see my art in stores and on people's walls.

When it comes to my creative process I describe it as "lot's of time with Photoshop"!

My favorite thing about creating my portraits is seeing people's expressions when they see what I make. The message behind my work is d

on't take things so seriously! I make art that is meant to be fun.

                                                     

2013 Columbus February Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, February 16th 2013, 11:00am-5:00pm

St. Agatha's Parish Hall

1860 Northam Rd

Columbus, OH 43221

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

There is Art That You Can Wear, and There is Art Everywhere!

Meet Sharon Butcher from The Wristbandit...
My name is Sharon Butcher, I am the creative mind that lies behind The Wristbandit. I am a Columbus, Ohio native, OSU graduate, and a retired Art teacher for the Columbus Schools. I started my business "The Wristbandit" but I have been creating for years. I consider my jewelry to be wearable art, a small painting, relief sculpture or a collage. 

Making wearable art (jewelry) has been an interest of mine for years. While attending OSU I took several jewelry and metal smithing classes. The cost of materials when teaching moved me towards finding less expensive ways for students to create wearable art (jewelry). It was only natural for me to think in a direction, non-traditional materials, for my jewelry. While Shopping at one of my favorite thrift stores, I discovered the beauty of old leather belts and the rest is history. My materials come from thrift stores, garage sales, and friends. I use upcycled leather belts, reused costume jewelry parts, found objects, and hand-painted images and designs. Most are one of a kind.

I believe that I get my creativity from my childhood. I was taught to be a problem solver and to find ways to entertain myself. So, I made houses and furniture for my dolls from everyday items, puppets from old socks and paper dolls from catalog pictures. My parents never discouraged me from doing anything creative. 

My creative process is like a feeling I get of needing to create, and this is when I do my best work. I don't create everyday but I work everyday at some aspect of my business. When I sit down in my studio I am surrounded by lots of materials, what catches my eye might be the shape of a piece of leather or a found object and the process begins. 

I began my business two years ago. But I have been creating for years. When I started making wearable art it was just for the experience of creating. Later on I started giving it to friends as gifts. I enjoy the experience of sharing my art and running a business. I opened an Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/TheWristbandit in December 2010 and started doing shows in April 2011. I have since expanded into consignment shops.. 

Meet Ron Clemons from RNAphotos...

My name is Ron Clemons and I am the creator of RNAphotos. I work in tech support as my day job, and I use my photography as a chance to get out and escape from behind the computer. Nature provides a perfect contrast from my day-to-day life, so I particularly enjoy driving into the country and getting lost. Finding things that catch my eye enough to take a moment to get that perfect angle is really the driving force behind my art. I focus a lot of my work on old barns as well as nature because I see them as a relic of days gone by and of simpler times.

I developed my interest in photography about ten years ago, but it has only been within the last two or so years that I have started to seriously see photography as a hobby, rather than just a passing interest.

My creativity come from finding things that few people have seen. If I see a side rode that looks like it doesn't get much traffic, I assume that there are hidden treasures to be found that few people have seen. I may have a day where I take fifty good pictures, followed by a day that only yields two or three. The hunt is a big part of the fun of taking landscape photography.

The message behind my work is to not let nature pass you by. There is a lot of beauty to be found in nature and along the side of the road. A lot of the time it just seems that we are all too busy to actually see what is around us. I hope that my photography allows people to take a moment to appreciate the world around them.

Meet Wendy Wren from The Glass Loft...

My name is Wendy Wren and I am the crafter of The Glass Loft. I have been a crafter for as long as I can remember. Sewing, making candles, embroidery, painting, wire wrapping, etc., then I became hooked on glass crafting!

I have been doing glass crafting for about two and a half years but according to my dad, I have always been creative. He says I would see a game or toy and come home and make one myself. He said I did it to either improve it, or just say I made it! I have always loved glass, whether it was stained glass in a window, fused glass, sea glass or just colorful glass dishes.

My creative process changes, sometimes I look at a bottle and an idea just pops into my head. Other times I have to contemplate a while to decide the best use of a particular bottle.

True story on one of my first projects.. One of the first bottles I slumped had a rather large half bubble form under it. I even tried re-slumping it to get it flat, which didn't work. I ended up laying it on my work table to decide what to do with it later. When I revisited it I realized I placed it upside down so now it was a bowl like impression!........When I looked at it again, I had an idea! I covered the top surface in glue, covered it in sand, glued a couple of shells in the sand and put a votive candle in the "bowl"!  Viola! A beachy themed candle holder! It didn't want to be just a slumped bottle!

I enjoy working with glass because it is unique. Even if I try to do two exactly alike, they usually come out at least a little different. I believe that the message behind my work is that there is another life in an object just waiting for someone to bring it out. Crafting & creativity don't have to be expensive, look around and use your imagination!


Meet Bob Corby from Back Porch Comics...
My name is Bob Corby I am the owner of Back Porch Comics. I run the Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo (SPACE) in Columbus each year and have been a small press comics publisher since the mid-80s. Some of the comics I produce are hand printed linoleum cuts which is what will be featured at this show. I also produce Oh, Comics! an annual comics anthology which features many local Columbus area artists and writers and number of different minicomics.

I have been doing comic conventions since 1986, and started SPACE in 2000. I have also done a few craft shows in the past. I have been drawing comics since I was a child. I build ideas from the absurdity of daily life. I got interested in linoleum printing in high school, and was reintroduced to it as an advisor with the Art Explorer Post 407.

I began doing this as a business because I wanted people to read my work. It sparks from something within my imagination that I just want to share with others. I enjoy this hobby because I have a somewhat stressful regular career, so doing something handmade is very therapeutic.

The message that lies behind my work is don't let anybody stop you.

2013 Columbus February Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, February 16th 2013, 11:00am-5:00pm

St. Agatha's Parish Hall

1860 Northam Rd

Columbus, OH 43221

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN