Quilted Cat Designs- Pursuing a Dream Without Looking Back!

Tell us a bit about yourself..

My name is Esther and I’m married to a great guy named Jeff. We have 2 cats (Buddy and Mouse) also known as my “sewing assistants” and the creation of my company name Quilted Cat Designs. I started pursuing the art show circuit about 5 years ago at the urging of my husband.  He is very supportive of my addiction to fabric.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I was in Human Resources for 20 years and the sewing/creative thing was always my “other life.” After taking my last HR job and being miserable after only 6 months, my husband said “that’s it.”  I had been contract teaching for Husqvarna Viking prior to taking the job and they had wanted me to work for them full time, but I said no.  Now my husband said I had 2 weeks to call them or he would. So the story goes, I worked out my arrangement for job with them on a Friday night, left the next morning for a week long cruise, came back and quit my HR job. I have no regrets. Don’t miss it one bit. I am now part time at Viking, doing shows and doing sewing side jobs. Funny, I don’t come home crying anymore and my name isn’t on any lawsuits or EEOC charges.

Where do you get your creativity from?

My head is always spinning. I’m not into mass production of anything, everything is always different. It might be the fabric telling me what it wants to be or if I see something and mentally take it apart, I figure out how to make it.  I always tell my students to look at things not for their intended use.

What got you into the craft hobby?

I started as a garment sewer as a child learning from my mom. I then taught myself to quilt. My dad use to do upholstery so I also know how to do cushions and other home decor things. I got frustrated with clothing patterns not fitting me properly, so I got away from that till about 3 years ago. I took some classes on flat pattern, and designed some garments that really taught me how to deal with fitting issues and making my own patterns.

How would you describe your creative process?

It just kind of happens. I see something or get out a piece of fabric and it tells me wants to be. Really, fabric does talk to you.  If it isn’t talking to you, today is not the day to cut it. It also takes a lot of peanut M&Ms. For Christmas this year my husband bought me a motion sensor candy dispenser.  That might explain the 5 pounds I gained this year.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced?

I don’t know if it is my favorite, but it was my most rewarding. My best friend Karen and I bought a vintage tablecloth at a flea market. It was sewn up 2 sides like a pillowcase and had stains on it.  The guy at the table didn’t even know it was his. I think I paid maybe $5 for it. I bought it home and my husband said what are you going to do with that, I’d used it for a rag in the garage. I ripped out the stitching and went to work on the stains. I got them all out and it was beautiful. I hated to cut it, but had already decided I was making a jacket out of it. My only regret is I didn’t take a “before” picture of it, so you could see how really bad it was.

How did you get your business off the ground?

Started doing the shows first, then built my website and working where I do I meet a lot of people. People want to have something done custom, altered, repaired and don’t know where to go.

What are your goals with your business?

I would love to have my own shop, but figure that’s not going to happen.  So just keeping my eyes open and always looking for new opportunities to get involved with.

What do you do in your free time?

I run or walk 5 miles most days and take an exercise class 2 days a week, but have had an injury that has sidelined me lately and it is killing me not to workout.  We also have a motorcycle that we like to ride.

What's the message behind your work?

Don’t look at things for their intended use. Challenge yourself to make something out it. I put myself on a fabric diet this year and really trying to use up straps of fabric and what I have. Now that’s a challenge!

Check out Quilted Cat Designs this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church at 5500 West 54th St. Parma, OH 44129. Show time runs from 10:00am-5:00pm. This eclectic show will feature 65 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation. For more information or to become a vendor, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.

Twitter: @AvantGardeShows

Facebook: Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows

Flicker Candle Co.- Candles That Support American Farms!

Tell us a bit about yourself..

My name is Ashley Haley. I am a 23 year old wife and mother to my beautiful 3 year old daughter. My interests are constantly evolving. I love art and photography as well as many other hobbies. I got into candle making and I decided to try to build a business with it. I hope you see the care I put into making each candle.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I work part time, I am a full time mother, and any spare time I have I spend taking photographs in our local parks.

Where do you get your creativity from?

My mother is very creative. She is always working on something fabulous and she inspires me to try new things. She and I will see something that piques our interest and think, “We can do this!”

What got you into the craft hobby?

I got into candle making when I was decorating my house and I wanted to fill my main room with candles (believe it or not, I hadn't really been into candles until then.) When I went shopping for candles I actually had a hard time finding scents and styles that I like so I decided to make my own.

How would you describe your creative process?

My creative process is simple. I just jump right in, head first. I let my intuition guide me and try not to over think things. When I get to a stopping point, I take a step back and take a look at what I have. If I am in love with it, I keep it.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced?

My favorite item is my Fresh Linen scented candle. I was very particular when looking for the perfect clean scent, so I blended this one from a couple different scents. It couldn't have come out better and I love it!

How did you get your business off the ground?

I am actually working on getting my business off the ground now. I am testing the waters to find the right marketing for my business.

What are your goals with your business?
My current goal is to accrue a local fan base and to get involved in local events and shows. Long term, I want to be successful enough to be able to quit my day job and work from home.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time I try to relax with my friends and family.


What's the message behind your work?
All of my candles are carefully hand poured with real soy wax and premium ingredients. The soybeans used to make my soy wax are all grown here in the United States and support American farms. 

Check out Flicker Candle Co. this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church at 5500 West 54th St. Parma, OH 44129. Show time runs from 10:00am-5:00pm. This eclectic show will feature 65 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation. For more information or to become a vendor, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.

Twitter: @AvantGardeShows

Facebook: Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows

Larry & Boo Have Something for You!

Tell us a bit about yourself..

We love cats and love crafts and art. I love to sew, am retired, and work part time in retail. Fenna (my business partner) is a part time professional and creates a variety of art, including sewn novelties. We live in Highland Square, our favorite part of Akron.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I play golf, board games, mahjon. Fenna is an avid swing dancer, and we both love movies and road trips.

Where do you get your creativity from?

Everywhere - found objects, HGTV, books, craft shows, museums. We love fabric of all kinds and like to treasure hunt at the Good Will and vintage stores.

What got you into the craft hobby?

My mother taught me to sew in grade school, and she always made our clothes and home decor, including slipcovers and reupholstering furniture.  I love color and texture and making my own creations.  Fenna began creating serious art - photographs, fabric, canvasses, etc., in middle school.  She created  her art style, primarily focused on using recycled materials - cardboard rather than canvas; found objects, etc.

How would you describe your creative process?

When we see a fabric, or vintage dress or random object on a curb, we immediately think of how we could make it awesome and functional.  We love looking for inspiration and "finds" in thrift stores, vintage stores, out-of-the-way boutiques.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced? 

I think every new item we create becomes our new favorite.  

How did you get your business off the ground?

We were living in Jacksonville, Florida, and the local neighborhood association started a weekly art market. We began creating handmade items for sale here - jewelry, hair ornaments, art, children's clothing, stuffed animals, pillows, bags.  We just kept going and when we moved back to Ohio wanted to continue on the craft show path.

What are your goals with your business?  

To have fun and make enough money to support our need to create.

What do you do in your free time? 

We sew, watch Netflix, take road trips, and go to the movies.

What's the message behind your work?  

Recycle, recycle, recycle and have fun! 

Check Larry and Boo out this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church at 5500 West 54th St. Parma, OH 44129. Show time runs from 10:00am-5:00pm. This eclectic show will feature 65 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation. For more information or to become a vendor, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.

Twitter: @AvantGardeShows

Facebook: Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows

Beth and Karen are Keepin' it Kozy!

Tell us a bit about yourself..
Beth & Karen have been friends since being 5 years old. We met in kindergarten and keeping our friendship throughout high school and beyond. In our mid-twenties we lost touch and then 20 years later, we found each other again and because of a wish from Beth's mom, who has since passed, for Beth to do something she is passionate about, Just Be More Kozy was formed. Just Be More Kozy actually represents the four people who had a hand in forming all of our products. Just is for Beth's husband John who does a lot of the sewing. Be is for Beth the driving force behind this adventure. More is for Marsha, Beth's Sister-in-Law, who gave us the initial idea for what to make and finally, Kozy is for Karen who keeps the stock and books the shows.

Apart from creating things, what do you do? 

Our business is relatively new, being just our first full year, so when we aren't sewing the fabric, we are buying the fabric and thinking of new items that will fit into our business. Besides that we have homes and yards to take care of, and we are both very passionate about dogs and enjoy having them in our lives.

Where do you get your creativity from?

Beth gets her creativity from her mom for sure. Beth's mom always went the extra step to make a package gorgeous or a letter just the right length. Karen, well she tries, but is way better on the computer keyboard, then behind a sewing machine!

What got you into the craft hobby? 

As stated before Beth's Mom wished for her to do something fun and creative instead of a 9-5 job. Once we came back into each other lives, it was a perfect fit for both us and it just keeps growing.

How would you describe your creative process? 

Beth & Karen both come up with ideas. Karen will do research on how the new product would be made, how much it would cost to make and then we go from there. We've had many successes and a few failures, but we are always learning and it's still fun.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced? 

We both love our blankets. We do them for Adults, Children, Cats and Dogs. The fleece is an amazing fabric because it does not breakdown, gets softer every time it is washed and dried and with our chosen designs, people can have fun picking out their favorite.

How did you get your business off the ground? 

After having found each again, Beth brought up the idea of starting a business to Karen based on some information from Beth's Sister-in-Law, Marsha. Karen & Beth then put together their seed money and haven't looked back yet.

What are your goals with your business? 

We would eventually like to open our own brick and mortar store.

What do you do in your free time? 

Free time? Seriously? We shop for more material!!!

What's the message behind your work? 

Make a sustainable product that is made of quality and priced reasonably. We chose the name of our company, Just Be More Kozy, because every item we have will make either human or animal feel a little better. 

Check Ana Diaz Arte out this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church at 5500 West 54th St. Parma, OH 44129. Show time runs from 10:00am-5:00pm. This eclectic show will feature 65 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation. For more information or to become a vendor, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.

Twitter: @AvantGardeShows

Facebook: Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows

Influences From Around the World- Ana Diaz Arte

Tell us a bit about yourself..

My name is Ana, I am the owner of Ana Diaz Arte (anadiazarte on Etsy), a crochet and felt jewelry ONE OF A KIND BOUTIQUE. 

I was born in a beautiful caribbean island, where I grew up in a family of artisans, my great grandfathers, grandfathers, my father, and also some of the ladies in the family worked as jewelry designers. I was always there as a child, observing attentively and carefully, their work. I'd help them and try to create my own designs :). I especially loved my grandmother's designs, she taught me how to crochet (the basics), since I was about 6 or 7 years old. Around this time, it was the first time I remember holding a crochet hook in my hands... I was in high school when I asked my mother to buy some "How to Crochet" magazines for me. I remember the magazines were from Spain and I was able to get the whole collection!, so I decided to make some pretty crochet doilies. I spent lot of afternoons learning to read crochet diagrams and making a big crochet tablecloth that I still keep. It's one of my most precious belongings.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I am a SAHM (Stay @ home mom), I love to spend quality time with my daughter and son, but I also love to create!

Where do you get your creativity from?

I think it's a blend of the different countries and places I have lived in my life. I was born in Cuba so I have a little bit of Caribbean sun inside me. Also I have some latin flavor. I grew up in Venezuela with beautiful and warm people around. Both countries have had an amazing impact on my life, and of course in my creations. I also am sometimes inspired by nature and people from those countries.

What got you into the craft hobby?

I had always loved to create handmade gifts of beautiful jewelry and accessories for my family, friends, and of course for myself! I decided to open Ana Diaz Arte as a hobby. When I opened my account on Etsy, I particularly enjoyed the design process since each of my pieces are unique. I try to give every piece a special touch. I enjoy working with embroidery floss because the color pallete is amazing!, I can play with the colors :), I recently learned wet felting, needle felting, and nuno felting techniques that I also combine with the crochet now.

How would you describe your creative process?

I start by choosing the color pallete, based on a concept. This can range from being a flower I saw, a texture, or a thought of mine. I then start to create around that. I am trying to not use metal parts in my new creations, so most of the pieces are 100% cotton embroidery floss and wool.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced? 

I love each piece because they are unique and special. But I do remember two pieces that I created with handmade lampwork beads made by Jodi of BeadworxAZ.etsy.com. I love the combination of lampwork and crochet!
One was a Freeform crochet bracelet called RUGOSA BRIZIX. It featured a pattern of plunged bubbles in an ocean of Aquamarine, Turquoise and Emerald Green. The focal point was a wonderful handmade piece of art from the prestigious Arizonian artist Jodi Price. The other was AMULETO, a Convertible Freeform Cotton Crochet Cuff Bracelet and Necklace in blue, gray and beige, also with a lampwork bead as focal point.

How did you get your business off the ground?

I found a link to Etsy somewhere online. I remember that I loved the concept inmediately of being able to have my own personalized shop and show my designs to the world. I was very excited!

What are your goals with your business?

I am always working with old and new customers. When I receive a new order, I try to communicate immediately with the customer. I think that an excellent customer service is essential to my shop. I always keep the store fresh and only work with the best quality supplies.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to read a lot, but sometimes I have no free time!

What's the message behind your work?

My pieces are for the modern woman who loves to be unique and practical.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anadiazarte/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ana-Diaz-Arte/97904437242
http://anadiazarte.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/anadiazarte

Check Ana Diaz Arte out this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church at 5500 West 54th St. Parma, OH 44129. Show time runs from 10:00am-5:00pm. This eclectic show will feature 65 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation. For more information or to become a vendor, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.

Twitter: @AvantGardeShows

Facebook: Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows