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Meet Kara Hohn from Sew Appealing...

I am a stay-at-home mom to three children, ages 4 months, 4 years and 6 years old. I grew up in Pittsburgh, went to Clarion University as a marketing major and worked an awesome job as a retail buyer before we started a family. I have always been crafty, my mom and aunt taught me how to sew when I was young and I started Sew Appealing in November 2008. After using store bought items for my children, and talking with many other moms, I realized there were many products that could use some extra style and better features.

Where I get my creativity.. My mom was a preschool teacher and creative in so many ways. She always sewed, but more out of necessity than enjoyment, and she still never gives herself credit for being any good. My aunt and grandma were also quilters and someday I hope to learn that art too.

Nearly all of my items originated from a need that was not met by items found in stores. I don’t just want to replicate something, I want to make it better… more helpful… prettier… more durable… In my “past life”, as I refer to my career, I worked in the fashion world and I use those experiences when comparing and selecting fabric, quality and style. I know I have done my job well when I hear a customer say, “You just have so many great fabrics, I can’t decide!” 

I got started selling my items when several friends kept urging me to sell the bibs I was making.  With my husband and family helping and supporting me, I have turned my hobby into a business.

My favorite item is one of the first I created for my own children, the toddler bib. Meal times had become so messy because my 8 month old wouldn’t keep a bib on, or when she did, the bib was too small to catch her mess. I created a bib that covers a toddler from waist to neck and shoulder to shoulder. To conquer the issue of pulling off the bib, I fastened it with a snap at the neck. No Velcro® to itch their neck, get stuck to everything else in the washer and then after a few washings lose its stickiness anyway! My 4 yr old and 6 yr old still wear the bibs when we are having a messy meal. I love that I can use fabrics to reflect each child’s taste and interests; it makes it easier to convince them to wear a bib!

My overall goal is that I want to give customers great quality products that they enjoy giving as gifts or using themselves. I hope everyone can find something that is just perfect! I love to see babies & children in colors and patterns that are trendy and reflect their parents’ style.

Meet Kat Glazewski from Kat's Jewelry Design...

My name is Kat, and I am a college grad who dreams of being back in school, and a perpetual crafter.Today I make wire and chainmaille jewelry, but hopefully tomorrow I will be making art jewelry in cast silver again. I am an optimist, a busy-body, a book worm, and a casual
non-conformist.

Tedious is my middle name!My job is data-entry, my crafts are all small-scale and detail oriented. I like to cook and clean, read, work at medieval reenactment. I am also studying for a certificate in gemology, the study of gemstones.

My creative skills come from my mom, and from being curious enough to wonder and smart enough to learn. Amusingly, my math skills come from my dad, and had it been the other way around I'd have been at a loss in life!

My favorite art forms are three dimensional, touchable, and can be adjusted and altered in-progress. I started with an interest in jewelry design and a decision to go to college for something interesting, instead of for a degree that 'makes money.' By the time I graduated, I'd become fond of the creation process, of material studies, and of resurrecting ancient techniques for use in modern aesthetics. Crafting is just the most enjoyable way I know to fill in my free time.

I have a visual creative process. I see to color together and think about how they'd look intertwined or overlayed. I like to make models, to line the pieces up and see what it might look like before I fasted everything together. I love to do variations, and see how little difference change the whole vibe of a piece.

One piece I adore is the silver and red necklace from my Senior Project at college, a part of my SeaDragon Collection of cast-silver and cast-bronze jewelry. It is big and heavy, and far from appropriate for every-day wear, but it is also lovely and shiny and full of fluid
motion.

I'd been crafting jewelry for the fun of it since starting college. After graduating I moved in with long-time friends and found myself with a support system to make sure I mailed things promptly. With that, I started selling items on Etsy.com, and began looking for a great craft fair to work at face-to-face.

My wire and chainmaille jewelry is a hobby first and business second, and so long as I make enough back from sales to keep buying more materials I am content. I do hope, however, to raise enough money to someday continue work on the SeaDragon Collection, and this little business will play a roll in that as well.

I aim only to make things that are nice to look at and nice to wear. If there is a bigger picture, it may be that the proverbial book and choose its cover; how you dress and accessorize affects how you view yourself and are viewed by others. If you dress with beautiful things, you will feel beautiful, act beautiful, and then other people are more likely to see you beautiful also.

Meet Rachel and Kathy from Twirly Girl Boutique...

We are a mother daughter team driven by creativity, passion, and a love for homemade beautiful things. I, Rachel am a stay at home mother of 4 and am constantly trying to fulfill my creative desires and hobbies amidst my busy, wonderful family. I have teamed up with my mother Kathy; we are two of a kind and usually inseparable. She is the one who has taught and fostered all my creative ventures in life and now we are thrilled to be in business together. 

It started when I Kathy was a little girl; I got my first sewing machine when I was twelve and I then did the same for my daughter. I have used my creative talents my whole life from doing wedding flowers, sewing clothes, curtains, and upholstery, drawing, and teaching art class for about 10 years. I did many of these things with my daughter Rachel as she grew up and here we are still today making hair bows, sewing, and scrap-booking!

We are both inspired by antiques and I, Rachel am inspired by my daughter who I LOVE to dress up and adorn with ribbons and ruffles.

We want to create and sell our homemade items because I, Rachel find myself wanting specific girly accessories for my daughter and are unable to just drive to the nearest store and purchase them. So, I thought that if I am searching for these specialized items there must be many other moms like myself also searching. Recently, my daughter Ella was dedicated at our church and we were unable to find the right accessories to match her vintage dress her grandmother once wore in 1960, so we decided we would make them. We made her ruffled lace panties, lace socks and a lace bonnet to match her vintage dress This was our most recent and favorite item we produced.

We believe we have an inherited gift of creativity. God has blessed us with a talent that we continually encourage and inspire within each other.

Meet Diana Keller from Design By Di Blankets n More...

I worked over 20 yrs in health care with the largest portion in critical care nursing. As my children grew so did their activities  I chose to leave nursing and work in our home office so that I would be available to the kids. 

I have always had an interest in fabrics and texture. At a very early age I was designing doll clothes and making blankets and crafts. As the years went by my daughter became involved in competitive dance. I was designing or embellishing costumes for these events for over 11 yrs.

My children are off to college now but I have 2 new inspirations. My nieces have a special need. They loved to cuddle and every time their feet came out of the blankets and  they would wake up. I decided they needed a size fit just right for their individual needs ...thus the beginnings of Designsbydiblankets.com. 

I create blankets for all ages in all sizes. I do special orders and have made many for that special animal in your life. They love to cuddle too! I use the softest fabrics that just cuddle you into comfort. I expanded to crib sheets and can do nursery sets . I make comforters with that soft cuddly feel in mind. My receiving blankets are all reversible and bigger than the standard sizes you find in the stores. I have cloth books that are "pillow "like so they travel well in car seats and strollers. 

After my baby toddler items were seen, many adults requested one in their size. I now do blankets and throws for everyone (even furry pets) with my motto of, "Bringing a soft comfort into everyone lives."

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.