Spring Has Sprung...Well, Almost!

Meet Alice Radabaugh from DBA Alice's Air Pets...
In March 2012 I started a mobile business selling air plants, also known as Tillandsias, at a variety of events.  I like art shows because I offer something different - living plants that I incorporate with elements from nature to create living art.

Nature is a great inspiration. Plants are a livelihood and hobby that allow me to take rocks, shells, and wood and put them together to create a functional piece of art. Art makes us happy. It doesn't have to be something that just looks pretty sitting on a shelf or hanging on a wall. Air plants can be cared for and moved around, even outside! I call them "air pets" because they grow on us much like animals we care for do.

I participate in home & garden shows, plant sales, open markets, fall festivals, christmas shows as well as juried and non-juried shows. I travel up to 100 miles from home to communities selling person to person. I love meeting new people to tell them about Tillandsias and perhaps giving an art lover a new hobby. As I approach my second year, I look forward to revisiting with folks I've met along the way.

Meet Carey Starkey of Designs by Carey...
I'm 28 years old. I love to travel. Along with beading and some crocheting, I am into scrapbooking. I teach 5th and 6th grade Sunday School. I've been beading since grade school and learned to crochet just after high school and been selling on Etsy since July 2011. This is my second Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. I did the spring one last year in Westlake. 

I create purely for fun. I can't draw. I can't cook anything that's not in a box. So jewelry and crocheting are my creative outlets. I've been beading since grade school. I started out with plastic beads and stretchy string making costume jewelry and friendship bracelets for my girl friends. As time went on, I began reading more and learning techniques from friends. I learned to crochet from my mother and grandmother. I'm still in the learning stages, but I am proud of what I've learned so far and plan to extend my line of crocheted items in the future as I learn more.

I get ideas from around me. I work in retail, so I'll pay attention to what people are wearing or notice something while online shopping or browsing a store. I'll make a mental note of what I see and like and make my own take on the item. Or, I'll get ideas when bead shopping. I'll see a fun shape or new gems I haven't tried yet and experiment. In 5 years, I see myself still selling on Etsy and maybe having my items carried in a local boutique.

The message behind my work is fun. What girl doesn't enjoy adding a little sparkle to her day? Whether it's a cute pair of earrings worn to work, or a shawl for a wedding. I hope there are people out there who enjoy my work and have as much fun wearing them as I do making them.

Meet Jamie McCoy of Davita: Recycled Goddess...
I am a 2007 graduate from Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA, with a BA in Psychology and a concentration in Neuroscience. I was born and raised in Iowa and moved to Pennsylvania in 2004. I live in Erie still, but love to travel to handmade markets and art shows! I love music and attend a lot of summer music festivals including Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman, NY. I have four cats, named Dexter, Mike Gordon, Nittany Lion, and Bella. I have recently taken up hoop dance, and though I am not very good at it, I love it. Finally, I love to cook and challenge myself with vegan baking. 

I opened my Etsy shop in March of 2009 thinking that I would sell a few things a year, just to have a little extra money and to justify all of the time I spent creating. At the time, I worked full time in the mental health field and needed the stress relief after work, so creating and photography had become my "ME" activity. I was actually able to quit my day job in August 2011 and have been working as a full time artisan ever since! This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show and I look forward to participating!

Everything inspires me, really.  I can never really pinpoint where the inspration comes from. Usually, an idea hits me like a flash and I have a moment of feeling like I'd known it all along and just hadn't accessed it yet.

My mother was always a crafter; needlepoint, Pretty Punch (remember that, way back in the 80's?) and all kinds of other things. Her mother was a quilter. I suppose that crafting was always there, but I don't think I really started spending a lot of time doing it until 2009 when, as I stated previously, I was working in emergency mental health and needed a distraction after particularly stressful days of work.

When I was in grade school I attempted to start a club called Kid's FACE (Kids for a Cleaner Environment) at my school. This never came to pass, but four other girls and I did meet in a classroom after school for about a week before the teacher put a stop to it. During that time I learned how to make paper and years later a friend, Amy, reminded me that I still knew how to do it. I guess it all started there! 

I find art in everything. Even things that you find no use for, like junk mail, can be turned into something beautiful and functional, like a plantable gift tag or a seed bomb. It's all about perspective. You have to train yourself to see uses for things beyond their initial intended use, and then you can get a little creative and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time! Once you can do this, your options are endless.

Meet Cynde Hujarski of Cynde H Designs...
Cynde Hujarski – a Cleveland native – received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kent State University in jewelry/metals. Her previous design degree from Cuyahoga community College, plus her Kent State, formal art training laid the foundation for both creative design and artistic exploration.

Working with/inspired by fellow artists, Cynde has developed an extraordinary interest in recycling ordinary objects and transforming them into unique works of art. Recent designs have focused on 35 mm film negatives. Necklaces, pins, earrings, hair clips and key chains are only a few of the items Cynde has created using film negatives.

Not only does Cynde create production pieces, she also designs commissioned and custom jewelry. Cynde’s finely crafted jewelry has been admitted to several Ohio juried shows. Her work is sold at Epiphany Gifts (Hudson OH), Native Cleveland, and CLE Clothing Co. (Cleveland, OH). Her Pierced Heart Ohio Pendant reflects her fondness for her home town and was featured in the December, 2011 Cleveland Magazine.

2013 West Side Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, March 23 & 24, 2013, 10:00am-5:00pm

Rocky River Memorial Hall

21016 Hilliard Blvd.

Rocky River, OH 44116

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

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The Perfect Accessory!

Meet Suzanne Weaver from Zi DeZynes Jewelry...
I was born and raised near Canton, OH. After high school, I moved to Athens, OH for college at Ohio University. In 1995, I graduated from OU and moved to the Cleveland area for my first teaching job. I’ve been a teacher for 17 years in a NE Ohio public school system. During that time, I completed my Master’s degree from Kent State and later meet Ted, the love of my life and partner for the last 12 years!

I’m a fairly new jewelry designer! I took a class on simple beading in June of 2010 at Imagine Gallery in Bemus Point, New York which began my love of creating beautiful things. Since then, I’ve taken a few other classes at various locations, even some on-line classes, to learn more and develop my skills.

I love to surround myself with raw materials, beads, wires, cords, chains, glass, stone, etc. and let me imagination flow. Sometimes I can immediately see in my mind’s eye what the materials want to become!

When I’ve finished a piece, I like to think about the pile of raw materials that I started with and look at what I’ve made it into! I also love when a client tells a story of being approached about their jewelry choice and telling whomever that they have a one of a kind piece created just for them!

Ever since I was a little girl, I was focused on color and style. My family loves to tell stories that I needed to “match” no matter what I was doing that day! As an adult, I look for inspiration in images I see around me and the beauty I find in the materials I’m working with. I also enjoy creating custom work for women! For these pieces I take my inspiration from the personality and personal style of the client.

I’ve always been a “crafty” person. When I was younger, I learned to crochet from my grandmother and sew from my mother and 4-H leader. Since then, I’ve tried my hand at cross stitch and embroidery during my teen and early adult years. Jewelry was something I’d always admired but couldn’t afford! When I finally sat down to take a beading class, I learned that I could create my own jewelry for less and have all the styles I wanted!

At some point, your desire to create overtakes your own personal need for jewelry. Once my friends and family started asking for something like what I was wearing or a gift for a friend, I realized the potential I had before me. 

The message behind my work is that every woman is beautiful and unique! Your personal style should celebrate that. Wear jewelry that is different and as unique as you are!

Meet Francine Ruth from Jewelry by Francine...

By day I am a process consultant for a large insurance company and by night I design and create jewelry. I started metalsmithing as a stress reliever from the corporate world.

I have been making jewelry in one form or another since I was about 5 years old but I started selling my jewelry about 5 years ago. This will be my third Avant-Garde show I've participated in.

Growing up, I have alway been artistic - I was one of those kids who always made my parents cards and decorated the holiday tree.  I think I was given my creative genes from my Grandmother, Frances. 

It's funny, I never really set out to sell my jewelry, it was happened quite by accident.  A friend of mine suggested that I create the jewelry for her wedding party. I did and after that I began getting inquiries about selling the pieces I created and the rest is history.

My creative process... I am ALWAYS thinking of jewely.  When I am sitting in a meeting at work I am always doodling, when I am watching TV, I am constantly looking at ways to create my next cool piece.  I always carry a sketch book with me so that I can capture my ideas,

I think that the best thing about creating my jewelry is that people think highly enough of my artistic ability to spend money to purchase it. I also love getting e-mails from my customers telling me how much they enjoy their purchases.

When it comes to my work, I just want people to enjoy wearing it and feel good wearing it. 

Check out these featured vendors at the 2012 West Side Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature up to 200 of the most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to Drink Local. Drink Tap. a local non-profit that works in communities to educate people about our local water sources and also helps orphans in Uganda gain access to clean drinking water.

2012 West Side Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 11:00am-6:00pm

Lacentre

25777 Detroit Rd.

Westlake, OH 44145

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

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Color for the Home! Decor to Brighten Up your Living Space!

Meet Rachel Talty from Talty Made... 

I am 25 years old, from Euclid, Ohio. I graduated from the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 2009 with a BFA. I love creating art, taking photographs, spending time with friends, family, and my boyfriend. I have a passion for nature, and spend most of my free time hiking or reading about animals and/or the environment. I hope to continue my education within the near future; I just have to decide exactly which degree to pursue.

I started seriously making art in junior high, so about 10 years ago. But, I have been making art since I could hold a pencil in my hand.

Full time I work as an Administrative Assistant for a local aerospace company. This is my first non-kitchen job in over 5 years. I love making food and working with other creative and talented Chefs, but the schedule is non-conducive to creating art.

Growing up I have always had a vivid imagination, and art has always been extremely important to me. I believe my curiosity and drive for knowledge fuels my creativity.

My creative process is diverse. Sometimes it is intuitive, automatic. Other times I set out with a specific goal and concept that I wish to convey. Lately, I have been more into the automatic, non-objective side of making art.

When it comes to favorite pieces, it is nearly impossible for me to say what my favorite piece is. But, I have to say that 2 of my collages I made in college are important to me because I rarely work large. Steamrolled and Beaten Path are both 3’ x 6’. I really enjoyed building them from an array of materials; it was a new experience, and one that I hope to delve into again soon. Luckily, I have just acquired a studio which makes this possible.

My biggest goal is to keep motivated. Creating art gives me a sense of wellness and self-actualization that nothing else can. I hope that I can continue to show my work and sell it, because it feels good knowing that other people enjoy what I create, and hopefully it inspires them to really see the world around them.

I think that selling art is just a result of making art. Most artists would like other people to see what they spend so much time creating, and hopefully sometimes those people will be inclined to buy what they see because it inspires them.

I sometimes create art with a specific ecological message, but most of the time I just wish to inspire people’s imagination and to enhance their perception of what is beautiful and wonderful in the world.

Please feel free to view my art on My Etsy and My Website.

Meet Michelle Cook from Peachtree Designs...

My friend Amy and I are behind the business and have been friends for about 15 years. We have each always enjoyed creating, and have recently begun to collaborate on projects. It has brought us even closer as friends. We have both been crafting for years. Amy specifically has been sewing since she was young, and I have always been pretty handy with a glue stick lol!


Amy and I draw inspiration from various objects around us. I draw inspiration from magazines and vintage images. Amy draws inspiration from different fabrics, patterns and colors, and we both draw inspiration from Pinterest!

For us, creating is a great outlet. In Cleveland, we all know the weather is not the greatest, especially in winter. We need something to keep us going and in good spirits. That is why we both love it.  

I got started in my craft when I saw these magnets and decided to take the project a step further and upcycle magazines. Once I started making them, I was hooked for good! 


We got into selling our work because we ran out of space to keep all our creations. Bottom line, if you simply create and create and create, eventually you have to do something with the surplus. So we wanted to offer our pieces to others so that we can keep creating other things.  Crafting is such a great outlet, and we need to keep doing it!

Amy has always had an amazing talent with a sewing machine (like her mom). She started creating pieces and hasn’t looked back! She is always generously sharing them with others, so selling in shows just made sense. 

My favorite part of the creative process is the very beginning. I sit down with a magazine and the possibilities are endless! I will spend a lot of time looking for the perfect pictures for my magnets. I try to think about what other people might like, love and how this piece will fit into their lives.

Our goal with our business is to share our pieces with others, and continue to come together on projects.The message behind our work is no matter what it is you are passionate about, find time for it and do it! You will be happier and healthier in the long run.

Check out these featured vendors at the 2012 West Side Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature over 170 of the most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the Cleveland Animal Protective League, for animal rescue.

2012 West Side Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, July 29, 2012, 11:00am-6:00pm

Wagner's Country Inn

30855 Center Ridge Rd. 

Westlake, OH 44145

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

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It's Show Week.. More Vendor Features!

Meet Terri Heuser-Wolters from Savvy Seconds…

My name is Terri Heuser-Wolters. I am a wife and a mother of 2 beautiful children; Hannah-19, and Ben-14. I’m also a “Mom” to 2 labradors; Chelsea is the yellow and Khloe is the chocolate.

I am a graphic designer by trade. My 25+ year career has placed me into the magazine publishing industry, where I have been both an Art Director and Production Manager. Right now I am currently freelancing.

When it comes to my creativity, I would have to say I was born with it. Even as a child, I was always drawing, painting, and creating things.

Although my career took over most of my time, there where always other ways to express my creativity, like gardening and interior decorating. In 2010 I was laid off from my job and found myself with a lot of time on my hands. I purchased an antique chest at a garage sale to refinish. Once that project was complete, I had to have more.....and more. The next thing I knew, my 2 car garage had turned into an art studio.  And I thought, what the heck, maybe I can actually make some money doing this.

How I describe my creative process… When I see a piece of furniture or household item that has “seen its days”, I can envision how it will look new again after it has been refinished or repurposed. I plan a piece out in my mind, like what colors I want to use and what materials I would like to see and than usually it just happens during the process.

My goal is to continue to experiment with new materials and make sure the quality of my work remains professional for my buyers.

My message is simple.....reuse! I take great pleasure in turning something old and unwanted into new and creative. My art is purposeful....reuse, recycle, repurpose, reimagine! You can view some of my items at my website; www.savvyseconds1-com.webs.com

Meet Stacy Coleman from Blue Bay Cottage…
My name is Stacy and I am a wife and new mama who enjoys making things!  I married my high school sweetheart in 2005 and we just had our first baby, Charlotte, in June of 2011. In addition to sewing, I love photography, cooking, baking, traveling, and animals (especially my Corgi, Howard).  

Apart from my creative hobbies, I am an independent HR Consultant.  I left my full-time job as an HR Director for a local non-profit after my daughter was born.  My consulting work allows me the flexibility to work when I want to, where I want to, so I can be home with my baby.

Ever since I was a little girl I've loved making things and most of my family is the same way. My mom and grandma have sewn since they were young and my dad restores antiques and can build pretty much anything with little more than an idea and some tools. Some of my creativity comes from a lack of patience and a desire to want things right now. Case in point: when I was little I really wanted a house for my Barbies but knew that saving my money for one would take a long time. Instead, I gathered a bunch of my dad's shoe boxes (size 12 men's shoe boxes are the perfect height for Barbie), connected them and decorated and had my own Barbie mansion within hours.

Getting into the crafting hobby wasn't really a conscious decision--it just happened. Making things is a part of who I am! In the past several years, fabric designers and pattern makers have been designing lines aimed at a younger demographic, and from seeing all these new possibilities I decided I wanted to sew. My mom taught me to sew a few years ago and I constantly want to make new things!  My mom will be joining me at the show and has helped to make items for it as part of my shop.

I don't really have a specific creative process; I just make what I like. I love redecorating my house, so a lot of ideas come about that way. I also have an addiction to home decor magazines and get a lot of ideas from those. Often I'll see a new line of fabric that I have to have, so I'll hunt for cute patterns that will work with it.  

My favorite item that I've produced is my first quilt--it was my first sewing project that I did completely on my own without any help or guidance. When I ran into problems, I figured out how to fix them myself since that's the only way to really learn!

My goal is simple--to keep making things that I enjoy making and hopefully other people will get to enjoy them as well or be inspired to get creative. My goal was never to turn this into a money-making entity. I simply love to make things and can't possibly keep all of them, so selling my goods is a way to make what I want and earn back enough money for more projects! Also, sewing is a huge part of my blog (bluebaycottage.blogspot.com) so consistently having new projects to work on and photograph gives me a lot of new material to blog about.

My work is made of mostly bright, colorful, fun fabrics so I suppose my message is to be happy and have fun. My goal with what I make is to brighten up spaces and accessorize in a fun way. On a deeper level, I hope to help encourage people, especially the younger generation, that making things is possible and serves far more purpose than just a hobby; it's a way of life.

Meet Deb Csikos-Vandrasik from North Coast Beach Glass...
My name is Deb Csikos-Vandrasik. I am married with two teenage sons. I love to work with my hands, whether it's in my garden, crocheting, or making my sea glass jewelry. After practicing law for 15 years, I changed careers and am now a substitute teacher hoping to find a permanent position teaching science and social studies to middle school students.


Growing up, my mother has always been creative. When I was a child she was always doing some sort of craft - crochet, macrame, quilt making, sewing, wire art. My grandmother is a china painter.

I started to sell my art very quickly after I started making it, because ironically enough I'm not much of a jewelry wearer, so I don't need much of what I make.

I started by picking up, and mostly throwing back, beach glass my sons and I would find at the beach when they were little. My older son told me a few years ago that one of his teachers made jewelry from the beach glass, so I thought I could learn to do that too. And here I am today!

My creative process.. First I have to find the beach glass, which is a zen-like experience. I go out to the beach when it's quiet and just look for the glitter of an unnaturally bright color. When I find one piece, often more are buried, and I will dig beneath the pebbles to find the hidden treasures. Once I get home, I sort the pieces and clean them, then choose a number of them to sit on my desk until the talk to me. All of a sudden I will have a mental image of what the final piece of jewelry will look like, and I start the creation process.

My favorite piece.. I found this spectacular piece of natural heart-shaped aqua beach glass on one of my trips to Lake Erie. It just cried out for a special wrap, so I frame-wrapped it in half-round sterling silver wire to accent the heart shape, and hung it from a sterling chain.

My advice to others looking to start a business, would be to find a way to make your work unique. It is hard to stand out, especially in the jewelry market. Make your work as precise and professional looking as possible, while maintaining that handmade charm. And always, always make what you love, not what you think will sell.

Check out these featured vendors at the 2012 Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature over 135 of the most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to Project Night Night, an organization that provide care packages and support for children during times of home displacement.

2012 Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, April 29, 2012, 10:00am-5:00pm

Wagner's Country Inn

30855 Center Ridge Rd. 

Westlake, OH 44145

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.