It's Show Weekend Rocky River!

Meet Ashley Fehribach of Furball Fanatic...

My name is Ashley Fehribach. I grew up in Westlake/North Olmsted and I currently live in Avon. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we have 2 fur babies Desmond and Zoey. I have always loved to craft and go to craft shows with my mother. It has been a dream to work with cats and now I have the best job making toys for cats as well as making items for cat lovers!

I have been sewing since high school but I didn't start to make my own cat toys until early 2014. December 2014 is when I opened my online shop. I had a very detail oriented and analytical day job. I was craving some creativity, so in my free time I would work on craft projects at home. I am always thinking of fun things to turn into toys. I try to create unique toys that you wont find at pet stores and toys you would actually want to see your kitty play with. Some of my favorite toys are the pizza slices, donuts and fortune cookies!

I learned to sew when I was younger and would often make gifts for family and friends. I started to create my own cat toys after I saw a need for fun unique cat items. Once I have an idea of what toy I want to make it all starts with creating a pattern. Once I have the pattern created I will cut out a few sizes of it in felt and sew everything together. My cat toy testers Desmond and Zoey are always up for testing out a new cat toy! They help me decide if the shape and size is right. They really are the best co-workers!

My goal is to make cats and cat owners happy! These cat toys are not just for the cats but also for the owners. Its hard not to smile when you see your cat kicking around a pizza slice! In five years, I would love to see Furball Fanatic in more retail stores. Currently I am in a few local stores but I would love to branch out!

This will be my first time participating in an Avant-Garde Craft show. I have, however, attended many of them as a shopper!

Meet Ashley Smith of Amarie Metals....

My name is Ashley Smith and I'm a full time jewelry artist from Olmsted Falls, Ohio! My other passions are painting, flow arts/circus performance, weaving, and traveling! I have been creating jewelry for about 5 years. I have been fabricating for 4 years.

I dropped out of nursing school after feeling the itch to discover something more fulfilling to me. I have always had a creative side, but never really allowed myself to explore it. I fell in love with wire wrapping, but felt it was very limiting and wanted to expand my abilities. I decided to major in Crafts, with a concentration in Jewelry/Metals/Enameling at Kent State. It was a wonderful program and I had a lot of amazing mentors along the way such as Rachel Suzanne Smith and Andrew Kuebeck.

I love to collect gemstones and mineral specimens so I am constantly surrounded by inspiration! I like to begin by choosing a gemstone or material that catches my eye and start designing around it. I always have a rough sketch before starting, but I like to view it as a suggestion, not a complete blueprint which allows each design to evolve organically. I am very inspired by patterns in nature and many of my pieces have a message of environmental sustainability. I strive to work ethically, including sourcing my metals and gemstones from reputable and ethical companies!

My ultimate goal is to have a brick and mortar store that functions as my studio and a place to teach lessons (I love to teach!). This will be my first time at Avant-Garde!

Meet Emily Collins of EmTree...

I am Emily Collins from Toledo, Ohio. I am a graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor's Degree in Retail Merchandising and Fashion Product Development and an Associates Degree in Art History. I have always been an artsy individual - I picked up drawing and painting at a young age and began finding other creative outlets throughout the years. With EmTree I've finally found my niche!  At my primary full-time job, I am a lead of Audio Operations for an entertainment service provided by local libraries. In my spare time, I enjoy reading novels and comic books. If I'm not making soap, my nose is in a book! My favorite genres are sci-fi & fantasy and adventure.

I've always been into the arts and working on crafts. I like keeping my hands busy and challenging myself by trying new projects. I have been making soap for 11 months and other bath and body products for about four years. Last Holiday season, I wanted to make my co-workers a gift and I thought "why not soap!" I gave them each a bar and many asked how they can get more. I saw this as my shot to finally start EmTree which has been a 'brain child' of mine since 2015 when I started with making natural body butters for family members.

In the EmTree creative process, I start with designing a soap and finding a fragrance to match the design. Once a collection and possible theme is complete, I start creating the soaps. I've been working on seasonal collections which have been a big success and each soap is really fun to make! The people that inspire me to create are my family members, friends, and my supportive community! EmTree couldn't be what it is today without them. Additionally, I use creative influences of some of my favorite artists - Van Gogh, Monet, Ritcher to name a few. I see my products as small works of art for all to enjoy.

EmTree is about showing and experiencing how plastic-free and eco-friendly products can fit into everyone's daily life. By going plastic-free, you're creating less waste, it's better for your body as many plastics contain toxins, and it's also a money saver in the long run! There are so many great benefits for you and the Earth by being eco-conscious. EmTree wants to be one of the leading bath and body artisans to show you how beautiful plastic-free can be.  Eventually, I hope EmTree is my only full time job and I will have grown my line of products to serve a variety of customers, maybe even a store front! The Rocky River Avant-Garde Show will be my first event and I am so excited to share EmTree with everyone!

2019 Rocky River Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sat. Nov. 16 (10am-5pm) & Sun. Nov 17 (11am-5pm)

Rocky River Memorial Hall (Next to Rec)

21016 Hilliard Blvd.

Rocky River, OH 44116

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

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Holiday Shopping Starts Now, Rocky River!

Meet Kristen Teitenberg of Naught Too Shabby....

Hi, I am Kristen Teitenberg, owner of Naught Too Shabby in Rocky River, Ohio. Naught Too Shabby is a home décor store filled with an eclectic mix of new and used décor for your home.  I recently expanded, opening a DIY Workshop Studio to hold classes and private parties to teach others how to be crafty and create while having a good time. Some of the classes I offer are wood sign making, furniture painting, metal jewelry stamping and kids crafts and parties. I have about twenty-five years of crafting experience and about ten years experience of painting furniture! This will be my second Avant-Garde Show.

I started doing crafts after I had children. It was a great way to spend time with them and I loved seeing their faces of joy when they made something and were so proud. We use to paint Christmas ornaments for our tree every year and it was amazing to look at all of them on the tree from all the years and how they just got better and better.  When they started growing up and wanted to be social with their friends instead of hanging out with their mom, I started going to garage sales and estate sale and finding furniture pieces to refinish.  I loved being able to turn something old into something that looked like I just picked it up from Arhaus.  Painting furniture and crafting is very calming for me. I enjoy it. It is my passion.

Besides Pinterest, Instagram and other social media, I enjoy going to garage sales and estate sales to find inspiration. I usually will find a piece and have a vision of what I can turn it into.  I don’t always know what color or what I am going to do, but I can see potential in a piece. It’s just a feeling.  I usually try to find unique pieces, something you can’t find in just any store.

I discovered my talent by just being persistent and trial and error. Pieces I have refinished have not always turned out perfect or exactly the way I envisioned but there is always someone that loves it and wants to take it home!  When I see an item that calls out to me. I look at the bones of the piece first to make sure it’s not falling apart and it can be cleaned up nice. Next the piece will go to the shop, then the brainstorming starts….. should I paint or leave as is and renew the wood, what color should I paint? Should I paint it a neutral color or something that pops? Sometimes this can take a month or two or a year. It just depends when the lightbulb goes off on how I envision it. Then I prep (sand, repair, clean). Once it’s all clean the fun begins, the painting (the part I love). Lastly, I put a top coat on the piece for protection and sit and admire! It always amazes me what paint can do. Sometimes I even get sad when it finds a new home!

Five years from now I see myself mainly focused on the DIY Studio Workshops.  I love teaching others how to create and love that I can give them that confidence. The sign making parties are very popular now and I do love how much signs add to a home. It’s nice to see people gather with friends, family and neighbors to paint and at the same time take home a professional looking sign that they want to hang in their home. I love working with children too and am excited to offer Birthday parties and kids crafts.

The message behind my work is that “anyone” can create. I have watched so many videos, read blogs and have learned from so many other creators. It amazes me how many Facebook groups I am in of business owners sharing their knowledge to help others succeed. Sometimes people need guidance and just need confidence that they can do it. You just have to try. Everyone has an imagination. When I hold classes, I can give everyone the same instructions and the same paint colors and yet they still always look different.  It’s a beautiful thing!!!

Meet Lynn Pelka of Lynn Patricia Designs...

Creating my handbags and accessories brings me much joy.  I love working with the fabrics and textures making a classy looking handbag that may be just right for you.  We, as women, look for a handbag that is specific to our needs whether it has pockets, zipper closer a certain kind of strap/handle.  I create my handbags with a full front pocket to hold all your important items at your fingertips with soft webbing handled for a comfortable fit. Also offered are handmade zipper pouches, mini wallets and lip balm totes as well as special character handbags for the little girl in your life.

Even though I’ve been sewing since childhood, my business began when I launched an Etsy store in 2011, listing my very colorful handbags, tea bag wallets, and water bottle totes.  With experience over the years, my design has settled down to a more classic handbag style in neutral colors.  Things have blossomed and I am now established both at indoor and outdoor shows.

It is always a pleasure meeting and chatting with those who stop at my booth.  The future looks bright with the hopes to one day retire from my day job as an office manager at a dental practice and participate in as many shows as possible.  

I’ve found the Avant-Garde shows to be expertly done with vendors who produce beautiful and interesting items making for an enjoyable shopping experience.  So, I hope you will enjoy your day at the show and be sure to stop by and introduce yourself as a one who has read this blog!

Meet Bernadette Hisey of Nanaknits...

I am a retired music teacher with one grandchild who lives on the other side of the country!  I fill my time knitting by day and performing in musical theatre and dramas by night.  Many of my items were partially knitted in a dressing room somewhere! I'm excited to say that this will be my first event with Avant-Garde.

I learned how to knit when I was very young.  I started doing more complicated patterns when I was in college.  I set it down for a long time (while raising children and pursuing counted cross-stitch).  About 3 years ago, I joined the prayer shawl knitting group at our church.  They truly inspired me.  After knitting many prayer shawls, I started searching for more ideas.  Thank God for Google and YouTube!  After knitting fingerless gloves for all of my female relatives, I thought - I could do this as a business.

I was inspired to do this when I saw fingerless gloves that were embroidered on Pinterest.  I had never embroidered.  I also noticed that no one in America was posting such gloves.  So, I taught myself how to embroider and got my inspiration from Pinterest.  Most of them, I created as I went.  After making many gloves, I branched into baby items, scarves, hats, and my own idea - Mobile Mittens.  I come up with a theme and pattern and then knit as many different colors of it as I can. I have other themes I can't wait to try out, but, I'm still knitting the colors of my present theme. I have so many more ideas in my head and I can't wait to put them on my needles.

Knitting has always been a part of me off and on throughout the years.  It was just a culmination of events that lead me here. In five years, I may branch out with a website for custom orders, or sell on Pinterest or Etsy.  For now, I'm trying the craft fair route.

Knitting is a passion and also therapeutic for me.  It takes a lot of time to create one item, but it's very rewarding when I can add it to my inventory.  I'm hoping that what I've created will make people smile.

2019 Rocky River Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sat. Nov. 16 (10am-5pm) & Sun. Nov 17 (11am-5pm)

Rocky River Memorial Hall (Next to Rec)

21016 Hilliard Blvd.

Rocky River, OH 44116

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN