Meet Ryan from IAC Laser Engraving...
Hello! My name is Ryan and I am the owner/operator of IAC Laser Engraving. IAC Laser Engraving is a worker-owned collective that focuses on producing high quality laser engravings. It is also home of the world's first and only Wooden Coloring book! We also do custom wood art, family portraits engraved onto wood, and much more! We have been in business for six months and this is our first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show.
At IAC Laser, we believe the creative spark is alive in each person, we all just have to find it somehow! Before we grew into the business we are now, we experienced a ton of trial and error... I failed a lot but kept going. I always respected woodworkers and wanted to try it myself. Our process is long and meticulous but we enjoy every step in the process.
When I think about the future of IAC Laser Engraving, I'd like to grow the business to 100 members in our worker-owned collective and expand into machining and manufacturing. If there is one thing we want people to learn from us, it is that you can own your own labor and don't have to be subject to an unjust hierarchy.
Check us out on our website, iaclasers.com. You can find the world's first and only Wooden Coloring book! It is very unique and turns into its own easel.
Meet Sam Minick from Skrub Wood Works...
My name is Sam Minick and I love making. Woodworking is what I primarily love to do, however I love learning how to make new things. I am in the Air Force reserves, three years away from retirement. I love my family, I love my pups and I love to make. I have been woodworking steady for about a year and a half. This is my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show and I am very excited to share my work with everyone.
My inspiration comes from the desire to make something functional and beautiful for other people to enjoy. I think the first thing I made that sparked this passion was a keepsake box that I wanted to make (not buy) for my wife for our anniversary. I'd love to say that all of my creativity comes from my own mind, but rarely do I have an original inspiration that pops into my head. It's often something I see and like and think I'd like to make. It's not a cookie cutter process. I make each piece my own but all the same I definitely get a lot of my ideas from other makers.
I've always loved woodworking and thought WOW people can make some amazing things out of wood. I guess I discovered my skill by just continuing to make things for people and realizing that I loved doing it and that the stuff I made didn't look like total garbage. I found that people enjoyed what I made, and I loved making it. I hope to see myself well established and enjoying my craft full time in five years. I can't say that I have any specific messages behind my work other than my absolute love of doing it.
Meet D’Juna from First Beginning Generation 556 BC...
Hi, I am D’Juna Boyd. I have two adult children, and the grandmother of 3. I’ve just recently retired from the 9 to 5 workforce to follow my dream of running my own business “First Beginning Generation 556 BC” Home of Earth GLD products.
As a young adult my mother taught me how to make soaps and other crafts, but soon after I started having children, so my crafting went by the wayside. My craft of creating facial rubs, soaps, moisturizers, and candles were reintroduced and cultivated during the pandemic, and have since become a passion for me. Another very important reason I started in skin care was to provide my family and myself with products that are skin safe. It is also very exciting to me to see my finished products.
The message behind my work is to bring awareness that we should be more conscious about the everyday products that we use around our homes and on our skin. The Revenue of the Global Skincare market in 2022 is estimated to be $152,000,000. Yet we have so many people suffering from skin ailments that they are being prescribed expensive medicine to treat.
This will be my very first time participating in the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show, and I am absolutely over the moon at the opportunity of being a Vendor at the 2022 Rocky River Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show.
Earth’s GLD products are currently being sold at Dollar Essential Retail store, in Lyndhurst, Ohio, and I am so very grateful for this experience. In 5 years, I see my Products in retail stores.
Meet Paul from Heavenly Preserved Roses...
Hello, my name is Paul and I am the founder/owner of Heavenly Preserved Roses. I am a recently retired nurse with over 10+ years in the Cardiac and Oncology specialties. Exercising/nutrition have been a focus for many years. I recently started hand crafting rose arrangements in the last 6 months.
I experienced many smiles and loving feelings when patients received floral arrangements while they were in the hospital. I wanted spread those smiles and caring feelings throughout Northeast Ohio. I have bought roses over the years and they are wilted/dead in a week. I found specially preserved roses that last up to 1 year or more.
I always enjoyed gardening and being creative over the years. Now that I’m retired, I am able to do what I truly enjoy. I handcraft each rose in my arrangements. The roses can be appreciated for years and can be personalized for any occasion. We currently provide roses to Northeast Ohio. Our goal is to be able to ship domestically.
The message behind our work is sending a gift of real preserved roses to that special someone will express your love and caring that will last forever. This the first Avant-Garde show where we will be displaying our roses and we look forward to offering our roses to the community.
Meet Lindsay from Copper Acorn Jewelry...
Hello my name is Lindsay! I have always loved creating but it wasn’t until finding the world of jewelry making and metalsmithing through local art classes that I found my calling. I love to learn and am constantly looking for new ideas and techniques to add to my skills. I work with various metals including copper, brass and silver and sometimes include stones and semi precious stones in my designs.
I have been making jewelry for about 6-7 years. I fell in love with metalsmithing after taking some local art classes. Early on I would give my creations as gifts to friends and family. Everyone kept telling me I should start selling my pieces and once I had no more room for jewelry in my drawers I decided to go for it and start selling. I’ve been seriously selling my jewelry for about the last 2 years. I love figuring out new and different ways to work with metal to create pieces that have organic, unique designs taking inspiration from nature and architecture. Lately I’ve been experimenting with different medias to add more variety of colors to my pieces. What inspires me most to keep creating is the thought that someone may find some joy from something I’ve made.
I’ve always loved working with my hands and so I decided to try a local art class on jewelry making and fell in love with it. Before I create, I often start by sitting outside with a sketch book for inspiration and ideas for my jewelry designs. Then I think about the person who might be wearing the jewelry - what occasions they’d use it, how it will be worn, etc. I sketch out my ideas and make a plan of action for the steps that are needed to create it. Jewelry making requires a well thought out sequence, otherwise the piece may not work out (and that happens!) so I like to be sure I’ve planned out my steps correctly. Then it’s time to sit at my jewelry bench and get to work!
In 5 years, I hope to be continuing to create jewelry, expanding my website and being able to take on more custom, special orders. I am working at jewelry making part time right now and I hope to grow it into a full time business.
This is my second Avant-Garde show and I can't wait to share my work with you all! I want someone who buys a piece of my jewelry to do so because they see something in it that makes them happy - something they connect with that makes them want to wear it. I believe jewelry should be beautiful but also durable and comfortable. I try to include designs that can be unisex so that anyone can find something they might like.
2022 Rocky River Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15, 2020
10:00am-4:00pm on Saturday
11:00am-4:00pm on Sunday
Rocky River Memorial Hall
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
