Friday, November 20, 2015

From Cats to Cars Crafters for All!

Meet Meredith Hilke from More by Mere...
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. 

My goal.. In five years, I envision my business being more advanced and having a greater output of my products. I am looking forward to my very first Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show!

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
Saturday, November 21, 2015
10:00am-5:00pm
Strongsville Ehrnfelt Recreation Center
18100 Royalton Rd.
Strongsville, OH 44136
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:
LINKEDIN

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Strongsville Show Vendors Finish Off November!

Meet Shellie Rotsaert from Crafters...
I have a strong passion for my craft which began about 21 years ago, which I realized my talent through a friend of mine who was also a crafter. 
Throughout the years I discovered that my talent expanded and I was able to create beautiful things through my imagination. My inspiration is to have my pieces in other people's homes and that in itself give me pride and pure enjoyment.  
My future goals.. I hope to be able to have my own store front in the near future or an online website. 

Meet Karen Sehein and Angela Wilson from Wise Soap Studio...
WiSe Soap Studio, LLC is the collaboration of Angela Wilson and Karen Sehein, two local friends from Aurora and Stow. Our studio creates beautiful handmade soap, lotions, and spa products with all natural oils and butters that are luxurious and have unique benefits to your skin. There are no detergents or chemicals in our products so you can feel good about the purchase. Everything is made in small batches to ensure a fresh, quality product. The creative process begins with scent followed by how that aroma translates to design. Our customers appreciate the attention to detail and have ultimately given us our Pretty Natural Soap tagline. Our lotions, balms and body scrubs compliment the soap scents to enhance the experience.
We have done a number of Avant Garde shows in the past few years and enjoy the unique and talented vendors. We love working with guests and customers and hope to open a store in the near future to share our studio and love of the handmade product.

We are Certified Soapmakers and members of the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild and have a combined 10 years of soapmaking and design experience.

We are local. We are handmade. www.wisesoapstudio.com.

Meet Noelle Zambetti from Nilikha Bead Jewelry...
Mabuhay! That’s ‘hello’ in Filipino. My name is Noelle and I’m the crafter behind Nilikha Bead Jewelry (nee-leek-ha — means created). I was born and raised in the Philippines, and my birthday marks the day of an Irish patron saint. So, I suppose you could say that I’m an Asian born on St. Patrick’s Day with a Christmas name.
I have been an avid beader/crafter for almost 20 years. What once was a hobby has transformed into a passion. Apart from benefitting charities, my jewelry has also won awards and recognition at craft shows and online jewelry-making sites (Fire Mountain Gems and Beadaholique). My creations aim to appeal to a wide variety of styles and budget. I specialize in customized jewelry for special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, proms, birthdays, and baby showers.

Everyday I thank the good Lord for blessing me with this gift and that I am able to share it with others. My numero uno inspiration is my mom, Sonyah. I think of her as the Asian Martha Stewart. This woman can cook, sew, craft, cross-stitch, quilt, garden, re– and up-cycle anything she can put her hands on. She is the reason for my ‘If-I-can’t-buy-it-I’ll-craft-it’ attitude.
My goals...  My hope is that with continued exposure in craft shows, social media, and online marketplace (i.e. Etsy), I will be afforded further opportunity to showcase myself as artisan, as well as gain knowledge that can improve and expand my crafting horizons. Ultimately, I want people to enjoy wearing my creations as much as I have enjoyed creating them. Salamat (thank you)!

Please visit these websites to view photos and shop Nilikha Bead Jewelry by Noelle: Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nilikhabeads Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/noellezambetti

Meet Bethany Wells from B.E. Well Ink..
My background is in psychology and French but I have many hobbies and one of them is art and crafting. I enjoy hobbies such as tennis, running, reading, drawing, painting, and volunteering in the community. I've been doing my craft for about six months! 

My inspiration come from everything and everything, but most often feelings.
I learned my talent when I was living as an au pair in France I had the evenings free after taking care of the kids and wanted something to occupy my time. Art has always been a hidden talent of mine and I decided to reconnect with it. 

My goal with my business in five years.. I would hope a little bit bigger and a little more popular. Small goals yield the best results.

The message behind my work is detail, symmetry, shapes. To look closely at the fine details!

2014 Strongsville Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, November 21, 2015
10:00am-5:00pm
Strongsville Ehrnfelt Recreation Center
18100 Royalton Rd.
Strongsville, OH 44136
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:
LINKEDIN