Curse the Snow! Let's Celebrate Spring Strongsville!

Meet Sarah Barford..

My name is Sarah and I'm a piano teacher in Akron Ohio. I have a great husband, a 1 year old son, and 3 dogs. I started selling fun accessories for dogs in 2011. At first it was handmade dog sweaters, which evolved to dog bandanas and collars. In 2016 I added matching leashes.

What inspires me? My dog, Mocha. I wanted to help with animal rescue but didn't have the money to donate, so I started selling my crafts as a way to raise money for rescue. I learned to sew after grad school so I could make accessories for my dogs.

I discovered my talent through trial and error. For instance, I'm not good at sewing anything with stuffing... When it comes to my creative process, I look for fabrics with bright colors and small patterns, so they'll look good at 1 inch or 1/2 inch wide.

My five year goal.. With a bigger selection of collars, leashes, and bandanas, especially for the holidays.

The message behind my works is that there are plenty of animals out there who just need a loving home. We who already own pets and spoil them rotten can help by purchasing accessories from which some proceeds go to a greater good.

Make sure to stop by our booth this weekend! I'm going to have a selection of matching collars and leashes: Purple damask, blue with stars, and blue with baseballs. I'll also have whatever stock is ready at the time, including many different bandanas that slip over the collar, and some dog toys too!

Meet Rosanne Rosenberger from RSquared Limited Edition.. 

Banker by day; beader/crafter by night!  Long time Cleveland area resident.  Married; two grown children. Lovin' life, this will be my third Avant-Garde show!

 

I've been crafting since I was a small child.  I remember making Christmas ornaments when I was six or seven.  My mom still uses them on her Christmas tree!   My dad would buy me different craft kits at the craft store in the mall. With these kits I taught myself how to do many crafts.  Many of those skills come in handy with the different jewelry techniques I use.  I have been seriously beading for about five years.  I started with wire wrapping (took a class) and have experimented with many other techniques since then.

 

Everything around me inspired me to create.  My children.  My husband.  My beautiful dog Senga.  Nature.  Flowers.  Being at our boat on Lake Erie. Everything I see and read.  I'm kind of eclectic in my jewelry making.  Today I might be into leather or paracord and tomorrow resin or crocheting.  

 

How I got into my craft.. When I started making jewelry for myself (or as gifts) people would comment on the woven bracelets or crocheted necklaces that I wore. They liked it, admired it, asked me to make them one with custom colors or materials.  It's been fun experimenting! 

 

My creative process.. The ideas are plentiful.  I come up with an idea, gather the materials, adjust until I have laid out what I want do.  Combining color theory with breaking the rules seems to fit my process!

 

My five year goal.. Creating Jewelry is a hobby for me.  I suspect it be that until I retire and that is a ways off.  I bead for family and friends.  I sell at Advant-Garde shows.  Beading is a stress reliever for me - come home from a hard day at work and there I am, at my beading desk, exercising my creative side!

 

The message behind my work is that anything is possible; have fun with it.  That's what I love about doing a custom piece for someone - Your really get to be creative for that one person, possibly in a way you might not have otherwise without their input.   I have broad interests and I try all sorts of things regularly.  I don't like to stick to one technique so my work varies.  

Meet Barb Hubert from Eagle Wings Art..

Hi, my name is Barb Hubert and I am a retired Cat Scan Tech for over 4 years now and I was lost!  I was looking for a purpose and hobby after I retired, and I thought I would try watercolor, because I’ve always loved these paintings.  After just 1 year with a friend/teacher, I took off and now after only 4 years and never painting a day before that, have over 300 + original watercolor paintings, plus prints of my paintings and print blank notecards.  

I feel this is a gift that God has given me, so I give back to Him!  40% of my profits go to help, The Cleveland Pregnancy Center or the Bible League Int’l.  I love painting, using different mediums, like real leaves, salt, saran wrap and anything else to make my paintings different and unique!  I love to experiment!  I am inspired by all of nature around me, and I marvel at the works of God! I, always, always have a painting in process, usually 2 or 3!  You will find birds, animals, owls, landscapes, children’s art, florals,  modern and abstract art , plus I will have new and beautiful spring and summer birds and floral paintings!

Look for new spring note cards,  and even some bunny art and note cards in time for Easter!  I've started a new section to my art, which I call, “Scripture Options”, with some of my paintings including gold with black plaques inscribed with inspirational scripture!  Ask me about them!

Make sure to visit me at the Strongsville Avant-Garde Show!

Hope to see you there!

Meet Danica Stout from Crochet by Stout...

I’m Danica Stout, and I have hereby proclaimed myself CEO of the business Crochet By Stout. (keeping a little sarcasm in my work never leaves me with a frown) I am 31 years old, a wife and the mother of our amazing 3 year old son. 

I started crocheting way back at the age seven, when I asked my grandma to teach me. It was only last year however, that, with support and encouragement from friends and family, that I decided to go into business for myself. 

I draw inspiration in the fun activities and hobbies that my family enjoys. We are truly a family of geeks. My son does a particularly amazing job providing me with inspiration. “ Mommy, you should make a ninja turtles coffee cozy. Mommy, you should make a Finding Nemo hat. Mommy, will you make me a dinosaur hat?.......”. 

I love my family and my work, and If there’s one thing that I have learned since I went into business, it’s that you need to be making something because it’s fun to do and you love it, not just making something because people will buy it. And that’s exactly what I plan to do….for a long time to come.  Live long and prosper.

2017 Strongsville Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, April 8, 2017

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:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

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Strongsville's Wide Range of Talent!

Meet Mike Kolz from A Willoughby Potter...

I have been a functional potter for over 35 years.  Now retired, I have taken my craft to a new level, which includes participating in shows as well as establishing a web site and an Etsy shop.  I enjoy throwing on the wheel and hand-building my leaf bowl collection.  I am also an avid gardener and I harvest various leaves from elephant ear plants, hosta plants and trees from my garden. The leaves are used to form the leaf bowls.  

All my work is high-fired to cone 5, 2163 degrees Fahrenheit.  My stoneware collection and the leaf bowls are made with non-toxic glazes and are food-safe.  My Raku pottery is for decorative purposes only. In the near future, I plan to start making Raku urns.

Meet Beverly Filtz from Irideae Designs...

In my first ‘life’ I was a programmer/analyst for a large Pittsburgh corporation.  I always had a passion for jewelry - I would shop for jewelry in boutiques and often think that I could create something nicer using natural stones and better components which would cost less than the plastic and acrylic pieces there.  So I began to slowly make jewelry for myself.   Co-workers and friends noticed my unique pieces and occasionally bought them outright or asked me to create something especially for them.

I retired in July of 2012 – finally!!!  I found that I was free to do all the things I never really had time for.  I became more and more inspired to create jewelry.  I opened an online shop on Etsy and between that, attending craft fairs and artist markets, private showings, and custom requests I have built up a small but successful business.

My husband and I live in an apartment where I have claimed the second bedroom as my 'workshop’.  I purchase my materials mainly at gem and jewelry shows and occasionally at several excellent local bead shops.  I truly love visiting the large bead shows and being totally overwhelmed by the quality, quantity, and variety of materials. I get my design inspirations from natural stones - tumbled, faceted, chips - all have their own special character and can be made into wonderful pieces of jewelry.  Sometimes I feel like the stones are speaking to me!  I design and craft all of my pieces by hand.  Most of my jewelry is made from natural minerals and semi-precious stones.  Occasionally I will incorporate lamp-worked glass, fresh water pearls, and crystals.

My creations include necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, and collars ranging from sophisticated every day styles to large statement pieces. 

I believe that every woman should be able to have jewelry that makes a statement about her, is as unique as she is, and is affordable.  That is my mission when I design and create my jewelry.  

Meet Diane Schuler from Motley Crafter...

I have a background in photography and graphic design. I worked for several years as a yearbook photographer when I decided to start my own photography studio. I started making photo pendants in order to find a practical use for my photos beyond prints and greeting cards. I liked it so much, and got so many compliments that I decided to create a secondary business revolving around jewelry. 

I get my inspiration from colors and textures. I love the design side of jewelry making.

I have created crafts since I was a kid, and I often look for something new I can do. I started making photo pendants, then moved on to beaded bracelets. I have seen  people with necklaces that would have a verse in them, and I started to wonder how those were made. After a lot of research (I didn't even know what a cabochon was) I figured out how to make the pendants. 

How I got into my craft... I've always been a visual person. I was often the person people would ask if a certain piece of jewelry went well with a shirt. Falling into jewelry seemed to be a natural next step.

My creative process.. As a visual person, I like to stare at a wall of beads until I see a color combination that just jumps out at me. 

In five years, I would like to own my own store where I can sell not only jewelry but everything I make.

I think the message behind my work is variety. I never knew just how many types of stones there were until I went to my first bead show. I think it was at that show where my eyes really were opened to all the possibilities that were out there. I actually named my company Motley Crafter because on top of jewelry, I make many other products. I knit and crochet as well, and of course there's my photos.

Meet Eric Zielinski from Ez's Woodshop...

My name is Eric Zielinski and I am the owner of Ez's Woodshop! I am a 16 year old woodworker who goes to North Royalton High School. I got started in woodworking from my shop class and I then discovered my talent!  I have been doing woodwork for almost two years now and I love to build! I started building in our garage with a slide-out workbench I made. I then started expanding until I have a dedicated wood shop. 

This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show and I am very excited! I am amazed when I watch my projects go from start to finish. The pieces I work on change so much from the start. Some of my pieces start from tree all the way to finished product. 

In five years I hope to have a larger wood shop where I can make handmade furniture. I want to be able to take a tree and mil it into lumber where all of my pieces are from home milled lumber. My message is that there is still a need for fine woodworking and craftsmanship. When people buy things nowadays, many do not care where or how their products are made. I take pride and care in what I do to ensure that it stands out from all the machine made goods.

Meet Vanessa Conte from Rawnessa...

I've recently moved back to Ohio from LA, where I lived for 14 years.  I enjoyed my time in LA, but I suppose, like a falling leaf, I was bound to come back to what feels like home.  Ohio feels like home.  I love the wild-life here.  I can't believe that in my lifetime, I've been able to see the bald eagle go off the endangered species list.  Where I live now, I see them rather frequently, and the sight of them is always breath-taking.  I guess I'm a bit of a nature lover - I'm a birdwatcher, kayaker, and I absolutely love snorkeling!

I've been hand-crafting Rawnessa (Raw, Organic Moisturizers) since 2008.  I'm a bit new to making jewelry.  As soon as I began making it in October of 2016, I felt like I found a true passion in life, and I'm having so much fun continuing to create, and coming up with new ideas.

So many things inspire me to create!  I love bright, contrasting colors.  When I first get new beads, I hold them in my hands for hours.  I line colors against each other.  I imagine what they will look like.  I also look to nature - Anything in nature, it could be fruits, vegetables, a flower, birds, fish, seashells, the list goes on and on - what colors are in nature that go beautifully together?  Because there are some pretty crazy color schemes in nature - colors that you couldn't possibly imagine would pair well together.  I think that's so much fun.  The possibilities are endless.

How I got into my craft.. Moisturizers - I wanted to make something entirely natural for my skin.  I attended a High School in Ohio that eventually had to be re-built because the one I went to was built on toxic waste left over from WWII.  Unfortunately, quite a few of my fellow school-mates have suffered the consequences of that.  Attendees have had a much higher rate of many different types of cancer than the average person.  I thought that because I had been exposed to so many toxins at a young age that I would do my best to rid myself of as many toxins as possible as an adult.  I made Prettynessa, a face moisturizer, and to my surprise, it was actually a wonderful product.  I thought I'd be sacrificing a bit by not using the premium brands I was used to, but the results were super hydrated skin, less acne, and absolutely no dry patches, which was something I always dealt with before.  I also feel like it does wonders for fine lines under my eyes and I've had many clients say the same. 

With the moisturizers, I kind of stumbled upon it. I didn't think I'd make something amazing.  I was just trying to avoid toxins.  It ended up being a great product that everyone I knew, wanted to use as well.  So, I made a business out of it.  My jewelry, I discovered by taking a class at a local college when I was living in LA.  I always loved going to museums where I could stare at geodes, and rocks, and gems stones.  I could stare at them forever.  I knew I loved gem stones, and semi-precious stones, and for years I wanted to take a jewelry class so I could work with them.  But I think I feared I wouldn't be good at it.  I almost walked away from the class in LA out of fear.  I'm so happy I went to that class.  I learned a lot, and I created my own process from what I learned there.  We didn't learn to wrap beads in the way I do with the jewelry that I make.  I came up with my own way, but I needed that class in order to learn the basics.

My creative process... I really have to center myself when I make my moisturizers.  I listen to calming music, one of my favorites is Yo-Yo Ma's Bach.  With my moisturizers, love has to go into each and every one.  I think about how beautiful the oils are, they're so individual with their colors and scents.  I think about a client opening their jar - a current client will open his or her fresh jar and smell the delightful, familiar scent of chocolatey goodness.  A new client will be in for a real treat.  Within a week, he or she will be loving the soft, hydrated dewiness of his or her skin.  Most clients come back to me and say no other product works the way Prettynessa does, and I believe that the process, not just the ingredients, are an integral part of each and every jar being special.

My five year goal.. I like the idea of being a small, locally owned business.  If I would expand in the future with my skincare line, it's a bridge I'd cross at that time.  With my jewelry, I've scheduled myself for more classes and I'm really looking forward to working with different types of media.   

The message behind my work.. Quality is very important to me.  I choose my ingredients for my skincare very carefully.  Most of the ingredients I use are food grade.  All of the ingredients I use are organic, and outside of the shea butter, the ingredients I use are 100% cold-processed.  It's taken years to build the process to produce I product I feel proud of.  I am new to jewelry, and I am striving to use the highest quality materials I'm able to find.    

2017 Strongsville Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, April 8, 2017

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:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Strongsville Spring Preview!

Meet Kelsey Hendren from Terra Artistry...

Hello, my is Kelsey, owner of Terra Artistry.  I make rustic jewelry using natural and recycled materials.  I am a long time crafter and have been selling on Etsy and doing art shows since 2016. I look forward to being in Strongsville for my first Avant-Garde show. I lived in Strongsville with my family for 10 wonderful years and then we took a huge leap of faith and moved to a small hobby farm in Valley City. Life on the farm has been such an amazing experience and has really been the fuel to my creative fire. I am deeply inspired by nature, and being surrounded by trees and fields has taught me to slow down and drink up the beauty all around me.

 Human beings are amazing creatures.  We have complex societies, create amazing art, and engineer skyscrapers, but there is something that takes my breath away when I look at a flower, or hear a bird's song.  I also love to repurpose, and enjoy the challenge of taking items no one wants and turning them into something beautiful.

I have always enjoyed crafting and DIY projects, but it was in June 2016 when I started to get serious about jewelry design.  That was the month when we were inundated with the 17 Year Cicada's. Our farm was covered with them and it wasn't long before I started to find their shed wings caught in the tall grasses beside our pond.  They were so beautiful shining in the morning light, I couldn't pass them up.  I ended up collecting thousands of them, and started using them to create jewelry.  That was the beginning of Terra Artistry.  From there, I continued to experiment with different techniques and materials and expand my business and grow as a designer.  Every piece of jewelry I create comes from a place of love and positivity, and that is what I hope to share.  A little piece of natural beauty, from delicate veins of an insect wing, to the wear and tear on an old watch, to the rustic charm of a rough cut stone.

Meet Fawn Michelle Fecca from Annie's Armoire...

I live locally and have always loved my pets.  Since I was unable to have children, pets have become my focus. I have been doing my craft now for about 5 years. I'm inspired to create by my beloved English cocker Spaniel Annie who loves to dress up. I created all my designs with her in mind.

I also got into my hobby because I was tired of the fuss that came with tying bandanasa around her neck. I needed something easy for me. I also make custom coats for our fur babies as I have found the sizes in retail do not fit.  

I come from a long line of sewers.  In fact my grandmother was a professional seamstress, and had several ball gowns at LBJ's inaugural ball.  I guess I picked it up more than anyone realized as I had not touched a sewing machine since 8th grade Home Economics class!

The message behind my work is to make pets happy one pet at a time.  I test all my products on pets and their humans before rolling out to the general public.

Meet Angelina Sheetz from Roots and Rain LLC...

Hello! My name is Angelina Sheetz, I am a wife and mother of two wonderful children. I handcraft a growing line of natural health and beauty products made with essential oils. I also make candles and wax melts from 100% soy wax in a variety of colors and fragrances. I am a Certified Herbalist (2010) and have been studying natural medicine for over a decade. I have a wide variety of hobbies and interests and I have been an artist with entrepreneur tendencies all my life.

I have been crafting a variety of natural products for my family and myself for several years, but this is only my second year vending. This will be my first Avant-Garde show and I am very excited!

I draw inspiration from life itself in all its infinite forms, from the unending battle against entropy, and the need to maintain balance both internally, and externally. I am inspired by the wonders of nature and the incredible healing powers that plants have over the human body. Of course, Need is the greatest of inspirations and wherever it exists, a creative solution will arise.

I have chronically chapped lips and after questing for the perfect lip balm with no success – even in the best brands the consistency was off or the ingredients were – I finally decided to make my own. I made it exactly the way I liked it and after giving some to family and friends I found that others liked it too. So then I started experimenting with other natural health recipes and candle making and found that people liked those too. So I tried selling my wares at a craft show and found I very much enjoyed it and so did everyone else. I think the part I like best is sharing products and information that truly help people. 

My creative process is simple; I select the highest quality ingredients I can find that have the most benefit to the human body, then I prepare them in a way that is practical, convenient, and effective, and finish them with a little artistic flair. Many of our product labels feature photography from our travels to the Amazon rainforest and many of the Sacred Sites of the Andes Mountains. I find that labels are an excellent way to display photography and natural plant oils and butters are an excellent medium of artistic expression. I consider my work to be true “healing arts”.

In five years I hope to see my products on store shelves and have a thriving family business. And I hope in five years it will still be just as much fun as it is now. 

If there was a message behind my work, it would be “Make the most with what you have” and “Nature provides everything we need.” We should always appreciate what we have when we have it, for things change so quickly and precious things, once lost, cannot be regained.

*As a rule, I only use ingredients that I know to be beneficial to humans, and none that are harmful. Our products do NOT contain any of the following: parabens, petrochemicals, titanium dioxide, EDTA, industrial preservatives, stabilizers, phthalates, aluminum compounds, pharmaceuticals, cheap fillers, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). But I do put a lot of Love into everything I make, enjoy!

Meet Sarah & Rebekah Jones from Renee Originals...

Hi! My name is Sarah Jones and I own Renee Originals 1 with my sister and best friend Rebekah. We are two city girls from Cleveland, Ohio who believe in being classy, cozy and romantic; we love to express this by creating unique knit and crochet fashion accessories.

Rebekah and I, Started Renee Originals 1 back in 2011, however, we have been crocheting for over twelve years and knitting for about two. Being that we are 24 and 22 respectively, we literally have been working at this craft for more than half of our lives.

This will be our very first time attending one of the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows and we are super excited to be able to share something that we love and are so passionate about with the art community as well as fellow art lovers.

For us a classic style is timeless; it doesn’t become outdated with changing trends and it always flatters. I often tell Rebekah, ‘we have to keep working on this until it makes you feel something’. To that end we draw inspiration from classic textural ideas like lace and petals, updating them for the modern romantic. Being from Cleveland, we know cold, so the items we make have to be cute and cozy for when you’re bundled tight.

Think cityscapes and black and white movies… that’s us.

Crochet has been a part of our family for as long as I can remember; when our mother taught herself the art she did not hesitate to share such a wonderful skill with my sister and me. Ever since we were young our parents always encouraged the use of our imagination, and they would tell us that anything you can think of can become a reality if you are determined. Thus when our mother showed us how a simple hook and a skein of yarn could be turned into something beautiful, it did not take long for inspiration to captivate us. We began with the basics, and in time our love and ability gradually matured into what we do today. Since our beginning, we have continued the self-taught tradition and have included knitting in our skill arsenal; every day looking for ways to learn and improve our skills.

Rebekah and I have two very different creative processes. I am definitely more of a systematic creative, I have a list of things that I want to make or try and I continually work according to my schedule to achieve these goals. Rebekah on the other hand, is the type of person who works when inspiration hits. Working together we have been able to ensure that all the pieces we create are unique and truly things that we ourselves would wear.

The future is uncertain, but we would love to see our business having grown in its reach and scope, offering many more unique fashions for Men, Women and Children.  We would also love to travel and learn different techniques and styles associated with the fiber arts from around the world and thus be able to incorporate them into new designs and thus expanding our brand even wider into the global marketplace.

Everything we do can be summed up in the words Classy Cozy and Romantic. Our goal is to show how beautiful and practical handmade can truly be no matter the season.   Just as the classic little black dress or that well-tailored suit never goes out of style; we have designed Renee Originals 1 to express a timeless elegance that can only come from handcrafted art.

Everything we make can be completely customized ensuring that no matter your style or size we can make something that fits who YOU are.  We also have an expanding number of handmade items specifically designed for men in our shop further proving that a classic style can fit everyone. 

View more of our work at:

Reneeoriginals1.etsy.com

Instagram.com/reneeoriginals1

2017 Strongsville Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, April 8, 2017

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:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM