Rocky River Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows: bags

Showing posts with label bags. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

It's Show Time! One More Preview Before Sunday!

Meet Laura Smith from Ruby Red Handmade...

My name is Laura and I spend most of my time at my "real" job as a high school librarian. I enjoy all sorts of craft projects and always have many things in the works!

A couple of years ago I began playing around with my mom's old sewing machine and created a appliqued onesie for a friend's new baby. I have continued to sew and create children's items ever since. During the summer, I have a lot more time to create and try new things that I've been planning.

One of my favorite onesies is a design I created with three fabric flowers sewn in a line across the front with two small leaves on either side. I use three different pink fabrics that coordinate well together. I love how this onesie turns out every time I finish one! I began selling my items at www.rubyredhandmade.etsy.com about one year ago.

My craft and selling online is a fun way for me to show my work to a large audience, get feedback, and get new ideas. I love when my customers are so pleased with their purchases that they share photos with me or ask for custom items!

Meet Jen Buchanan from Jenbuza Bags...

I am an Interior Designer who has always loved fashion, especially purses. I was a banker for many years and put myself through school and got my design degree at 32. My husband and I and our two dogs live in Bay Village.

Interior Design is what I do for a living. My husband and I are "Do-it-Yourselfers" so we are constantly changing things around the house. I am an avid gardener and love spending hours in my yard. I love keeping active and doing Yoga to help me chill out. I also love spending my free time with my two rescue dogs, Willy and Sophie.

I have a pretty creative, crafty family. My Grandmother, my mom and my Aunt are all crafty. They can sew, knit, crochet, you name it. I grew up watching my mom tackle any sort of craft project.

How I got started.. I was unemployed and was looking for an outlet during my job hunt. It had been years since I had sewn. I sewed a purse for my mom for mother's day, got lots of compliments and started making gifts. It just took off from there.

How I got started selling... When I was making gifts for everyone, my Aunt told me about Etsy. I set up a shop and sold a few items. Then I took some bags to Bayarts in Bay Village for the Christmas season and they did well. So I starting doing shows.

My creative process... My mind is always thinking of ideas. Being in the design field helps too, since you see it everyday. I will see one object, maybe something for a handle, then it builds from there. I will jot things down and add to it, even as I am putting a bag together I will usually change it up.

Recently, I just came out with a summer bag line made from bamboo place mats. Those are definitely my favorite right now. They are so me, I love anything that reminds me of summer, the tropics and the beach.

My ultimate goal is that I would love to have a Jenbuza Bag Boutique. I have all my ideas of how the shop would look. A place in Aruba would be nice :) ......

Overall, the message behind my work is "Fun, Funky and Fabulous." I love making bags that have one very unusual piece on them: chopstick handles, bangles, neckties, place mats. I want my bags to be fun to wear, conversation pieces, totally offbeat and fabulous!

I have been doing this for about 3 years now. I love it so much. I plan on doing this for the rest of my life. Until I retire to Aruba of course. :)

Meet Rachel Piskos from Razzle-Dazzled Rocks...

I am a senior at Ohio Wesleyan University where I am a Psychology and Economics-Management double major. I am also the Vice President of Public Relations for Delta Delta Delta sorority as well the Vice President of Public Relations for our Spirit & Homecoming Organization. After graduation I hope to attend graduate school and receive my PhD in Psychology so that I can become a family therapist. In my spare time, I love using the artistic talents learned in my art classes to express myself. Specifically, I enjoy making decorative stemware, votives, and serving utensils, as well as jewelry.

I am very busy this summer. When I am not being creative I am usually working at one of my two jobs. I have an internship this summer at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals doing Psychology research on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I also work as a secretary in my Church office. This summer I have been focusing specifically on preparing for my GRE exam in preparation for graduate school with a major in Counseling Psychology.

My creativity definitely comes from my mother who specializes in interior design. Our home always looks spotless and beautifully decorated. She enjoys sewing, upholstering, and knitting beautiful creations to add glamour to our home.

I first started crafting and beading my senior year in high school when I took my first jewelry making class. I loved it so much that I began expanding my knowledge and creating pieces at home. My entire family received jewelry or other beaded creations for Christmas gifts that year. After seeing that they were much appreciated, I decided to continue expanding the intricacies of the pieces and moving into areas such as decorative stemware, etc.

My grandmother first thought of the idea of selling my art when she showed some pieces to her friends. They immediately bought the pieces I had made, and then placed orders for the colors and design they would like customized. I enjoyed making these pieces for others and when they were happy to buy my creations, I decided not to stop there. That is why I have now moved on to craft shows and will hopefully expose my art to a wide variety of people.

I have been creating for about four years now and it has been exciting to see my pieces grow and improve throughout the years as I have expanded and learned new techniques.

My creative process is definitely not forced. When I am in the mood to be creative, that is when I design some of my most favorite pieces. If I push myself to create when i am not in the artistic mood, my pieces will not be quite as unique. I usually choose a color and look at the piece I will be working on to assess its proportions. From there, I usually let the piece evolve as it wants to, and as each piece is a child of mine, they each have their own personality.

My favorite item that I have ever produced is a set of wine and champagne glasses. I feel that their simplicity adds to the beauty of the glass and I think that they would attract a wide range of attention from people of varying preferences. I especially enjoy pieces that coordinate such as a decorative, beaded cheese board, vase, beaded tongs, spreaders, tea spoons, and stemware, all using the same color palate and coordinating, but each individual in its own way.

My goal with my craft is that I am hope to share my talent with others in order to simply spread beauty throughout peoples homes for their use in entertaining. I hope to make people excited to share with others my creations and appreciate the details that I have put into each individual piece.

The message behind my work is to appreciate the small things and the minor details that are present in every form of art. These minor details are what makes art unique and beautiful.

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@avantgardes hows.co m

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

It's in their Genes.. Artists Inspired by their Parents...

Meet Denise Knecht from Indulgence Studio...

My family and I live in a Victorian home, circa 1879, in Ohio City. We enjoy the history of the very special neighborhood -- a neighborhood that has really come back to life and nurtures other artists. I am a fulltime employment litigation attorney -- stressful work 50 - 60 hours a week. So, I really relish using the other side of my brain and the unstructured thought process of creating jewelry.

Because of my "day job" I usually design for the professional woman who want quality & classic looks with a bit of trendiness. Sometimes a unique looking gemstone comes along that triggers my wild side - like when I use slices of quarts or rough, untreated gemstones. Even then, I have a tendency to add balance and color combinations that give my bolder pieces a dressy/casual style - that is most of my things can be worn casual or for dress-up.

I got started on my craft approximately three years ago. I was having too much fun & spending too much money on my art - I couldn't afford to keep everything in drawers!

I've always had a fashion bent - designing clothes as a seamstress put me through college. My aunt who sometimes stayed with us was a painter, and my Mom was a jewelry freak, so I inherited some of their genes, I think. I discovered I could buy stones from all over the world thanks to the internet and my imagination sent me into a new, artistic passion...

When it comes to my creative process, first and most importantly - I look for quality stones that are moderately priced - precious and semiprecious. Then I experiment with color and add metals to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

My goal is to make jewelry pieces that other women love & want to wear. I only make one-of-a-kind pieces, so I have no desire to market on a grand scale. I try to use only natural stones and avoid "manufactured" looks.

The women who wear my things have a sense of confidence and that is my message - don't be afraid to take care of yourself and look good.

Meet Jody Lanham from Designs by Jody..

I am working my 30th year for the State of Ohio, at Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center (OARDC), part of the College of Food, Agricultural and Biological Sciences, in the IT Department. This is my last year and I will retire in 2013 so I can spend more time working on the things I love but do mostly in my spare time I make jewelry and other crafts - mostly painting gourds. I am the oldest of 3 and have 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren (could 3 be my lucky number?). I have lived in Wooster, OH most of my life but my retirement plans include a possible move out west. I think the artsy communities like Santa Fe and Durango might be a place I could settle and possibly open my own shop where I can work and sell my creations.

While I was growing up, my dad was a very detail-oriented wood-worker and he created some lovely furniture pieces, helped build the house I grew up in, and made lots of other neat useful things mostly out of old pieces of wood, such as birdhouses. I have always loved birdhouses and love creating and painting my own. I think that’s where I get my creativity!

I have always done crafty things, when I was a child I would hang out with my dad when he worked in his shop and he would give me scraps of wood to paint on... I would hang out with my mom while she sewed and she showed me how to use the sewing machine to make doll clothes. I took extra art classes in school when I could get away with it. But the actual jewelry creation and knowledge that this was something that would be important in my life began in the summer of 2006.

I first began making jewelry as a therapy activity while I was a resident in a treatment facility. I find that I really enjoyed working with the beads, combining colors and textures and making something that I could actually do something with. I began making more and more jewelry and giving it as gifts. I enjoyed coordinating my jewelry and my wardrobe to create a palette I could display for all to see.

My creative process.. I often see things in nature that suggest a pattern or flow of lines and textures and colors, or a piece of jewelry I can see basing my own design on, or a stone that I can see incorporated into a design. Typically, what really happens is I sit at my beading table where things are scattered all about and see beads and spacers and cording nestling up near each other suggesting a striking combination. My philosophy on being organized: if it is put away you don't see it and it can't therefore inspire you in the way it would if it were out in the open!

My current style has been hovering around Native-American-Southwest and I love copper, feathers, leather and lots of natural stone and cord. This style can swing between the completely casual and every-day and the very formal, dressy and special-occasion. I also love vintage-inspired pieces with lots of bronze and enamel, chains and crystals, that looks as if it had been handed down from my grandmother.

My favorite item is My Haven of the Sun & Moon Birdhouse - made of a locally grown Mexican Bottle gourd, custom-designed as a gift for a friend who fancies stars and moons. When creating it I felt the sun suggesting it had to have its place as well, expressing its warm happy thoughts. The moon beckons with a yawn that sleep for the birds is waiting inside this cozy haven. It is painted by hand with acrylics and glitter, finished with polyurethane spray and hung with jewelry wire. This gourd birdhouse was a last-minute entry into a Staff Arts & Crafts exhibit, which won the Committee's Choice Award.

My goal for my art is to create a niche for myself and have a clientele following, and eventually have my own shop in a well-traveled highly sought out area such as Santa Fe or Durango, where it is warm and dry most of the year. I want to have a name and a line that people recognize and pursue to some degree. I am not quite sure how that will pan out, but I am anxious to be in that place working on that goal!

For me the message behind my work is that I have this creative expression inside of me and I need to let it emerge in a way that is interpretable from the outside - so I create jewelry and decorative items that take a little piece of my heart and my soul that I can share with others.

Meet Caroline Greco from Cold Hands Warm Heart Crafts...

My name is Caroline and I am a 24-year-old craft addict. I am engaged to a wonderful man named Ryan and we are currently planning our wedding for May 2013. I was born in Stamford, CT, however, when I was in the first grade my father got a job as an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Orlando, FL and I spent the majority of my childhood living in Kissimmee, FL. When I was a junior in high school my family moved to the Cleveland area. I have always had a love for art and craft making because of my father, but in my junior and senior year at Westlake High School I became a lot more focused in my goal to make art a major part of my adult life. After a couple of years at Tri-C, where I spent much of my time doing Photography, I transferred to the University of South Florida where I studied art. Because I spent a lot my first years at Tri-C working on my general education requirements, I was able to fully immerse myself in art at USF and spend my entire day working on different mediums of art. I recently moved back to the Cleveland area and have made it a goal of mine to attempt to keep the same creative schedule I had at USF and continue making art every single day. I have been sewing since about age 10 and since I have moved back to Cleveland I have completely immersed myself in sewing and accessory making. I am happiest when I am working in my sewing room, with my dog and cats by my side, sewing for hours at a time. I started working under the name Cold Hands Warm Heart Crafts in October 2011.

Apart from creating things, I work full time at The Harbor Court Assisted Living as the Community Relations Assistant. I absolutely adore my job and love getting to know the seniors that live there. I spend a great deal of time doing Graphic Design and Web Design work. Also, I have an English Pointer named Brody that I love to walk with in the Metro Parks!

I have always felt strongly that a lot of my creativity is genetic and passed down from my father, who is an artist. I feel that he has taught me how much time you have to put into your work and creative process if you want to succeed. I try to be very aware of my surroundings and use things I see and hear as inspiration for projects. I also like to spend a lot of time researching sewing and accessories to help build a catalogue in my mind that I can pull creative ideas from.

I have always been making things and began sewing at the age of 10 when my Grandmother gave me my first sewing box. She taught me how to hand sew and I began cutting the legs off of my jeans to make denim purses (with the waist band being the strap). I have been sewing ever since. My mother is absolutely addicted to handbags and I think all of the years of hearing her describe what she liked or didn’t like about her purses helped focus me in the area of accessory and handbag making.

I began selling my bags to co-workers and after a lot of encouragement to start selling them online I started my Etsy shop. Since I began my “small business project”, Cold Hands Warm Heart Crafts, I have had many custom orders from co-workers and friends as well as online sales. I originally wanted to sell my products mainly just to make enough money to buy more supplies and fabric. That is still the main goal for me. My top priority is my love for crafts, not financial gain. Almost every last penny I make goes immediately into more material and supplies to make more craft projects.

When it comes to my creative process, I am constantly looking at blogs, fashion websites, Pinterest, etc. to get inspiration for projects. When I first began (professionally) sewing I would read tutorial after tutorial after tutorial. I wanted to understand how bags were made so I could design my own patterns. Now I will browse the Internet or a local store to find a general idea I like and then will build off that. I like to sit for a while with just a notebook and think about what I would want in a bag (i.e. custom pockets for my phone and pens; an adjustable strap, etc.)

I think my favorite item I have every produced is this teal pleated clutch purse. I loved the fabric and the fabric button and the zipper and lining…I was just so happy with how everything turned out!

My goal with my talent is to make sewing and craft making a major part of my life and at some point, when I start to have children, be able to work from home making my bags. I would love to sew full time so that would be a wonderful goal if I could achieve that.

The main message behind my work is my belief that I think accessories, such as a purse or wallet, should be statement pieces to your wardrobe and not just a bland addition. I love vibrant color palettes and intricate patterns. I think bags should stand out and draw attention to you, rather than just be looked over or thought of as only a “thing to hold your stuff”. Accessories should be fun! The very definition of accessory is “Something nonessential but desirable that contributes to an effect or result”. If accessories weren’t meant to be fun additions to your wardrobe they would be called obligations instead. You don’t see signs that say “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Purse, No Service”; making your accessories be enjoyable vibrant additions is up to you!

If you're interested in checking out some of my work or placing an order visit my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/chwhcrafts and my blog www.coldhandswarmheartcrafts.com.