My name is Meredith Hilke and I am currently a sophomore in high school. I have been running my business “More by Mere” for 4 months now, selling scarves, christmas ornaments, and photography prints. I became more involved with the business of crafting when I was informed that a Spanish class trip to Spain would be held in the summer of 2017. I was eager to start a small business, and the trip opportunity gave me the determination to begin doing so in order to earn money and attend the trip.
Meet Amy Keyson from Little Lion Cat Towers...
I am 33 years old and work in delivery logistics. I am an avid pet lover and have been a Strongsville resident for ten years. I have been building custom cat furniture for a year but have always loved building things and tinkering with wood. I even remember working on small wood working projects with my dad when I was a kid.
My inspiration come from my own little lion, Maximus! He inspires me to create my custom furniture. He is an orange feline ball of nonstop energy and loves to climb everything in sight! I love watching how happy he is running, climbing, and jumping all over the custom pieces I build for him. I create each piece with special care knowing someone and their pet will really enjoy it and have fun with it every day. I like having the freedom to create anything I want. I can make themed pieces, fun color combinations, and add special material like faux fur to really make them pop. My furniture is very functional and sturdy, yet has a whimsical, playful side.
How I got into the craft.. I was searching for an interesting cat tower for my pets but was surprised by how plain, small, and unstable the store bought furniture looked. I decided to build my own and make exactly what I wanted.
When I built a tower for my own pets I really enjoyed the process and had so many ideas to build bigger and better towers and scratching posts. I also got a lot of compliments on the items I built for my pets and people were asking me if I could build them something.
I use all natural thick sisal on my posts. I make sure all hardware is hidden and not exposed, to make it safe. And I build my bases extra thick and wide to make each piece stable.
My creative process... I’m always thinking about new designs and sketching out ideas. Once I get that perfect idea there is no stopping me – the frame goes up quickly and I’m picking out what colors I’m going to use. I have a blast creating each piece and the process of building one thing often leads to even more ideas. When I create my first piece of a new design I let my biggest fan test it out – Max. If it holds up to his vigorous play and acrobatics, I know I have a winner.
My five year goal.. I’m pretty new to the crafting marketplace. In five years I hope to be participating in many craft fairs and events regularly, and have a flourishing furniture business.
The message behind my work is that I create my work for both pets and people to enjoy. I want to create a piece that will be your pet’s own special little spot where they can play, survey their kingdom, or nap in a sunbeam. I also want to create something that will make the pet parent smile every time they see it.
Meet Randy Eggler from Randy's Car Part Art...
My name is Randy Eggler and I am Randy's car part art. I've only been doing this art for about 7-8 months now. Started off as just something to do with my free time, maybe make some gifts for family and even a little money. I have my first two Avant-Garde shows coming up in November and December. I'm excited as I've only done 3 other shows prior.
My inspiration is honestly idle hands during the day, and the feeling I get when I see the look on peoples faces when they first see my work. I take a lot of pride with everything I do, and it is starting to pay off now. I got into the whole metal art when at a motorcycle show my girlfriend saw this little metal candle holder set for sale for $160, and I said "absolutely not, I'll make it for you for way less," and instead I made something entirely different that opened the door for myself.
My creative process is difficult to explain, some times I'll see something in my head with the parts I have laying around, other times I'll see something and then just have an urge to make it out of used car parts.
I'm hoping that in five years, this will be more than a small hobby. I want my own shop to work in, and sell enough art throughout the States that I have competitors that hate me. To me, that means I'm doing great work then.
2014 Strongsville Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
