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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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:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

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Coming To You Soon Columbus!

Meet Chelsea Nutto from CaffeinatedTails...
Hi everyone! My name is Chelsea and I am the owner of CaffeinatedTails! I currently live in Columbus. This is my first Avant-Garde show and will be my 2nd event I’ll have sold at so far! Born and raised in southwest Michigan, I have grown up with a crafty mother who encouraged me to explore many creative fields such as sewing, baking, scrap booking, jewelry, and much more. So naturally, I was crafty. My creativity also spans as a musician (alumna of Capital University, BM degree in Flute Performance) and as a cos-player of five years.

I am inspired to create from different sources; I like making fandom related tails (as a nod to the cos-player side of things) as well as making semi-realistic (and non realistic) animal type/colored tails. Sometimes, color combos and even foods can be inspirations for me! As for how I came across making tails...I actually have to thank Instagram and Google for inspiring and giving me tutorials as I had originally learned to make tails for my own costumes but then decided to create commissions for others before just making it a hobby sort of shop on Etsy. This has been a major hobby for about 1 year now. My message behind my work...is that life is too short not to explore and express yourself!

Meet Sandy Stamey from The Vintage...

Hi, I'm Sandy Stamey! I come from a large family, born in Iowa, raised in Illinois, and moved to Ohio 46 years ago. I currently live in Newark, Ohio and own a Vintage Shoppe. "The Vintage" is an Eclectic mix of Antiques and Unique items, as well as shabby-chic, rustic, and one of a kind finds. I've been crafting for over 30 years, and I'm excited to participate in my first Avant-Garde Art and craft Show!

I enjoy bringing new life to old furniture by refurbishing and painting. Vintage Fabrics inspire me to create vintage-style crafts, and there are always new ideas waiting to be created. I enjoy creating items that bring joy to others, and excepting the challenges along the way. Thank you to Becki for the opportunity to Participate in the Avant-Garde Show!

Meet Julia Swartzel from LuAu Design...

I am a middle school teacher by day and have been teaching for 10 years. I have been married to my best friend for 11 years and we have two sweet and funny girls, ages 7 & 5. My business name comes from my girl's names put together, Lu[cy] and Au[drey]. I love spending time with my family, traveling the world, and watching sports, especially Buckeyes football!

LuAu Design Co is now10 months old! I have not been a previous Avant-Garde show, but I am looking forward to participating in my very first one on September 9th! I have always loved making things for people and giving others gifts. I feel honored at the opportunity to create a product that starts as an idea in a client's mind and then be able to bring it to life.

I started creating and designing items for my daughter's birthday parties. I always looked forward to creating party decorations and favor bags around a theme for each one of their birthdays. My family and friends started asking me to create and make things for them, so I soon realized that I had the ability to start a business. My mind is constantly thinking about different product ideas. I use things around me to help inspire and launch a product idea. I am a perfectionist, so some ideas take longer than others. Continuing to bring custom and personalized products across the country. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and made with great care. My hope is that it will bring you joy and I am honored to be able to create each and every product!

Meet Joyce Dorn from Jewelry Designs by JoyD...

My name is Joyce Dorn and my business name is Jewelry Designs by JoyD. I have been creating jewelry for more than 10 years. I have also taken other classes at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center and from local Bead stores and workshops in and out of Ohio to learn more and get better at my craft of metalsmithing and enameling.

I have participated in several shows with Avant-Garde, and I like that I see the returning customers at the shows, as well as greeting new people and helping them make their jewelry choices! It helps me improve my design choices and see what customers are looking for. I have altered pieces to so they have the best fit for them. So, I guess you could say my customers inspire me to create and continue to learn.

                                   

My creative process is based on what I have learned, and I check out magazines and pictures,even the coloring books looking at drawings or that “spark”. I don’t copy; I create my version. I have jewelry mentors – people that inspire me with their styles – I don’t copy them but they create my desire to do better!

                                   

In five years I hope I can say I have a customer base that I can cater to, and hope that I can attend more workshops to continue learning. I like the rustic in my designs, and I like working with the copper and silver metal and wire components. If there is a message to be learned I would say it would be to continue to learn and find new methods of creating. Be true to yourself and your craft!

2018 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday September 9, 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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Here We Come Columbus!

Meet Jennifer Torquato from Jenny's Tasty Treats...
In December of 2013 I was laid off from a job I held for 18 years. In the first half of 2014, I searched for a comparable job, with no luck. As the year progressed, I decided to get a part time position to get me out of the house! Somewhere around late September, I was in the shower thinking about my "encore career", and had the idea of baking cookies and selling them during the Christmas Holiday! I had always loved to bake and thought it would be a fun way to make some cash!

When I was young, roughly 10 or 11, I saw an add in the TV guide, saying, if you can draw this, you have a future in art.   It was a very easy single lined outline of a bear.  So I proceeded to draw it, showed it to my dad and he took complete interest in my skills.  He encouraged me to pursue art and even sent me to the Art Center for classes during the summer.  That was the beginning!

I have always been creative. I took art class over choir all through school! I have indulged in watercolors, ceramics, stained glass, drawing with various medium, jewelry making, scrap booking, stamping, pointillism, origami, Ukraine egg painting, and the list goes on!!! I am very right brained and see so much color and excitement in creating new things!!! 

I started in December of 2013, selling Christmas cookies. I ended up selling 209 dozen!!!  Needless to say, I was exhausted! I was encouraged by many to open my own bakery...hence the start of Jenny's Tasty Treats in January of 2014. This will be my first Avant-Garde show and I am very excited! I have participated in several other craft shows too.

In anything I create it starts with a thought, an image in my head, or an idea of something I want to try. Then I just do it!  I pick up the pencil, the brush, the needle, the bead or the spatula and away I go! I anticipate that I will continue to bake for others as it brings both the recipient and myself so much joy! Through my baking I send out love....I take the time to make things taste delicious and look amazing so I can make others happy.

Meet Kristin Warwick from Knotty Plant Lady...
My name is Kristin Warwick and I just moved to Columbus from outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. I am a full-time UX Designer, part-time crafter (although the latter was never for the money, haha). I have a very nice husband, a very smart dog, and a very weird cat. We're all already in love with Clintonville, where we now live. I've been making macrame off-and-on for about 3 years, and currently my macrame is for sale at a lovely garden shop in Dallas, but this is actually my very first craft show, period.

I've always loved to create; I've been drawing, painting, & crafting since I was little, and more recently have picked up crocheting, knitting, and embroidery. But honestly, I'm really terrible at relaxing and sitting still. I'm always fidgeting with something, so I might as well MAKE something in the meantime (plus, it makes me feel accomplished). I was gifted some very special houseplants by a friend who was moving to Hawaii, but they were poisonous to cats and mine kept chewing on the leaves (sigh). I needed a way to get them off the ground and into the sunny windows in my house. I saw some macrame and other types of hanging planters I could purchase online, but I wasn't in love with any of them. So, I bought the materials and macrame'd them myself! Haven't looked back.

Since I've always been crafty, I wasn't nervous about picking up something new. I found some instructions online, and voila! Now, I create my own designs. Sometimes, I just have to make something only to discover it's NOT what I wanted to do. And that's OK! It's the only way I get better. The designs I like, I keep. (I'm lucky that macrame is very forgiving, and I can just undo the knots!) I'm not sure if I imagine myself doing this full time, but I would love to see my product in little mom & pop nurseries/plant shops, gift shops, other craft shows... I think that would be fun.

I just think it's so beautiful how plants "breathe in" the exact things we breathe out, and vice versa. They clean our air! They make us happy! That's amazing. I think everyone should have plants inside their home, and I love that I can help with that because even if you have kids or pets in your home, you no longer have to worry about them getting their hands (or paws) on them. Plus, the macrame looks fantastic in your home. :)

Meet Vivien Ives from DREAMS...

Vivien Ives is an up-and-coming artist based out of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Originally from Rochester, New York, since her youth she has experienced emotionally powerful dreams laden with symbolic messages and fantastical scenarios. The dreams which she still experiences today have become the inspiration for her work.

A single night’s dream can be the sole muse for a piece, or at times she will use aspects of various dreams to transform her canvas. Just as her dreams carry a hidden message, each piece has a story to tell. Certain dreams can leave her to wonder as to their meaning, and as a result the message within a piece can be as elusive to the viewer as her dream was to her.

Watercolor is her medium of choice because its fluidity and vulnerability express the true depth of emotion translated within her dreams. Her self-taught technique is brilliantly unique as she somehow manages to capture morsels of reality within the illusion of a dreams-cape. Combining her natural artistic ability with her nightly visions, Vivien’s work has a way of mesmerizing the viewer, leaving them to wonder, wish, feel and dream.

Vivien Ives birth name is Ashley Fraser and has also used the name Morgana Le Faye. Recently

she changed her name to Vivien Ives to accurately depict her personality as well as art work. This will be the first Avant-Garde Art & Craft show that she has participated in. Vivien aspires to have her paintings and dream work to reach across the globe benefiting others in a spiritual and holistic way.

Meet Kim Sproat from Savon House LLC...

My name is Kim and I currently reside in Grove City with my husband and 2 boys. Before having children I worked in healthcare and now I'm a stay at home mom. I enjoy outdoor activities, travelling, crochet, and making soap. I started making soap almost a year ago as a way to be creative and productive while at home. I like to design soap and be able to make something that is beautiful and that people will enjoy! There's so many different combinations and design elements that can be incorporated to make a great bar of soap.

When I decided to stay at home with my children I found I needed something to do for myself. This craft was interesting and a fairly inexpensive way for someone to feel pampered on a daily basis. I think about what scent I want to use and then think about how I want the soap to look, simple, swirled, sparkly. I write these ideas down beforehand and draw a small picture of the soap and design that. Kinda like a soap blueprint so when I start making the soap I have a plan. I hope to have 20 or so scents that my customers love, build my reputation, and enhance my online presence and photography skills. I create a quality and beautiful bar of soap with great ingredients to suit everyone and every skin!

2018 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday September 9, 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:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM