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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The Art & Craft of Personal Expression

Meet April Bleakney from APEMADE…

I am a 26 year old female, Kentite, screen printer, artist, history nerd, dog lover...

In my free time I take care of my 2 beagles, volunteer at Zygote, volunteer with youth programs, (work a part time job) love to eat/cook, travel, music, family. But most of my time is spent creating things.

I've been making things since I can remember. I've really been creating art since I was a kid. I received a lot of encouragement from my family and friends. I graduated from Kent with a BFA in Fine Arts (Printmaking as my concentration). The decision to turn it into a career developed very organically. I started printing tees for fun, put some pictures on Facebook, and the rest is history. My business was officially registered in June of 2011.

My creative process can vary greatly depending on what medium I am working in. For screen designs, I usually start by drawing my design on paper first, then scan it into digital format and alter digitally if necessary.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced? Oh, no way I could pick ONE favorite item.

My goal is to socially promote local pride and consciousness and create compelling visual art.  Personally, my goals are to continue to develop work that makes a statement about American and world issues (and hopefully be able to financially support myself in the process!).

The message behind my work is honest depictions of local daily life, with compelling visuals.  Humor and sarcasm welcome.  

For more of my work visit my etsy shop at: APEMADE or email me at: apemadeohio@gmail.com

Meet Christine Taylor and Mary Taylor from CMandMJewelry…

CMandMJewelry is made of 2 sisters who love jewelry. Christine 37, and Mary 25, have been making and selling jewelry for over 5 years now. We were both born and raised in Maryland, not far from Washington DC. We moved to Ohio with our parents when they retired a few years ago.

Our creativity runs in the family. Our mother has always been into crafting. I (Christine) learned to crochet at an early age. We always had crafts to do. A lot of our Christmas decorations in the past have been handmade. Mary and I have worked in craft stores in the past, and that lets you try out and see all the different craft and hobbies out there.

We actually got into crafting when we found a great bead shop in Virginia. We started as collectors at first. Soon after, we found a couple good beading books and began learning new techniques. We were hooked! We have been selling since about 2005, and our goal as a company is to not have to work for someone other than ourselves!

Our creative process is as follows: Mary has all her beads organized in boxes. She sits on the floor with the boxes around her in a semi-circle. She pokes around and arranges them on a bead board. I (Christine) usually start with a color, or a certain pendant, and go from there. I also use a bead board to plan out my designs.

  

After we had been crafting for a while we got started selling our craft. We heard about Etsy through our older sister who made and sold soaps on the site. We looked into it and set up shop.

The message behind our work is the belief that when you wear a piece of jewelry, you are showing the world a piece of your heart. Jewelry is something personal and unique to each individual.

Meet Annie Clouse from The Playful Peacock...

Hello, my name is Annie Clouse and I am a middle school art teacher in the Cleveland area. I adore teaching art, especially to middle school students (they are so much fun)! I also love my wonderful husband of two years and our lazy pups, Winston and Willow. We are constantly trying to save our pennies to travel and see more of this world, but our daily life consists of talking, eating, and laughing together. 

I have loved working creatively with my hands, regardless of the task, for as long as I can remember. I have drawn all of my life, but I have tried many other art forms as well, including metal sculpture and glass-blowing. I have a deep respect for good design, and I am always attracted to vibrant color. I graduated from Kent State University with a Fine Art degree in Art Education and while I love the field, the school setting can be limiting for personal art expression. 

How I got Started- A coworker and good friend asked if I would help out at our school district’s after-prom and give the kids henna tattoos. I agreed and found that the more I practiced the pretty little designs, the more I fell in love with the art form. I had so much fun giving tattoos the night of prom, that I wanted it to be more than just a one-time event. I practiced more henna and looked into starting a small business to do more events. I am thankful to have met a lot of interesting people and have gotten to share the beautiful art of mehndi with them. I love that this art is interactive. It may come from my mind, but once it’s on your hand it becomes part of you, and I love being able to give that gift.

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.

A Show in Review- 2012 Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show Summary

Well the 2012 Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show has come and gone and what an event! We had a great turn out this past Sunday with over 1,050 people passing through Wagner's Country Inn! The event featured some of the area's most talented artists and crafters. 

At this time, I wanted to take a moment and tell everyone how proud I am to be a part of this movement, and the continuing momentum surrounding the shows. The feedback I heard about the show has been fantastic from both the community and vendors, so thank you to all! 

This was a large show for the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show brand. In fact, this was the largest show to date, with 103 vendors in total. The show has come a long way since it was first introduced. For instance, the first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show was held last June with 45 vendors, the second show grew to 65 vendors and this past show reached as we mentioned, 103 vendors. It has more than doubled in size, in less than a year! 

In addition to this being a large show that had a great turn out, it was our biggest publicized show to date. The show was featured in the following publications. Again, another special thank you to these particular pubs for supporting the event and local artists and crafters:
- Art Business News
- The Chronicle Telegram
- Cleveland Scene Magazine
- The Cleveland State Cauldron
- The Observer
- The Plain Dealer
- Stacy Coleman- Blue Bay Cottage
- Sun News
- West Life

All-in-all, we cannot wait to see what the 2012 Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show holds! With over 135 art and craft vendors at Wagner's Country Inn (Sun. April 29th), it's sure to be fantastic! 

A big thanks again to everyone who made this possible, including but not limited to: vendors, friends, family and the art community!

I cannot say it enough, so I will say it again... I am so proud to be affiliated with such a great group, and I look forward to growing the show and our relationships! Thank you to all!

Best Regards,

Becki Cooper, Founder

Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows (Rebecca Adele Events)

Check out these featured vendors at the 2012 Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature 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.

A Love of Crafting from Life's Experiences!

Meet Michele Kline from Clever Kid Designs…

I was raised in the northeast Ohio area, the oldest of five kids, am a mom of two beautiful adult daughters, a family nurse practitioner who has a busy practice, and possess a love for sewing and a big heart for little kids. 

 

I enjoy traveling and wherever I am I try and venture to nifty quilt shops in the area to keep my fabric selection fresh and new. I also like to golf, play tennis, ski when I get the chance, plus I have never outgrown listening to James Taylor!

I get my creativity from my mom. She decorated cakes for side money when we were little and she also sewed all our Easter outfits and Halloween costumes! She loves to paint now…

Like my mother and my grandmother before her, I started sewing my kid’s Halloween costumes. My daughter and I loved baking together. I saw her putting the measuring spoons and bowl scraper in the pockets of her jeans and that spawned the idea of making her a baking apron with pockets in it to hold her own baking tools.  Her friends liked them so much, I decided to take a batch to their school’s holiday craft show and I sold them all…..

I get inspired from so many things…. Sunny days – hence my brightly colored fabrics….I like to see kids being creative and not bored – hence my aprons inspire creativity and imaginative play.  A creative side to the mind is so important for balance in life.

Meet Barbara Stephenson from Created By Barbara…

I’m Barbara Stephenson and I’m the Barbara in “Created by Barbara”.  What a journey this has been. I was born and raised in the Cleveland area. From age 12 through 18, I was a professional ballerina.  I loved performing, but I knew it was a short career. So demanding physically, I switched gears. I chose to become an actress and entered Baldwin Wallace College as a Speech and Theatre major. I quickly became a leading actress in many musicals, comedies and dramas.

When I graduated I was inducted into the Speech and Theatre Honorary Societies and became one of the top 12 graduating senior women. I went on performing in Dinner Theatres across the country. Some years later, B-W submitted me into the organization “Outstanding Young Women in America” because of my contribution to the arts. I helped start a Dinner Theatre in California. I was the Artistic Director and Resident Leading Lady. At this time, I was also cast in many commercials.

About 6 years ago I started having pain in my right hip. My husband Mike took me to Kaiser for X-rays. The doctor asked Mike if he would like to see the X-rays.  My right hip was bone on bone. I was in shock, so was Mike. My doctor said that my left hip didn’t look good either. It was diagnosed as severe degenerative hips. All because of ballet! I came home and cried. I cried a lot. I couldn't tackle the pain. I couldn’t stop it. It became so real when I hear so many people say that they have chronic pain.

A close friend of mine said have you tried magnets?  (I limped badly now when I walked). I was taking 8 Aleve a day. My doctor gave me a prescription for Steroids. So when my friend asked me about magnets I had no idea what she was talking about. She said “My 80-year old parents sleep on a mattress pad with magnets sewed in, they swear by it.” Why? “They say magnets cut their arthritic pain in half!”

Well, that was the beginning -- Magnet Therapy and my quest to find strong magnets to be made into bracelets. I’ll never forget when I first put on a magnet bracelet. I couldn’t believe it! I felt I was born again!

As for the crochet articles – my mother taught me how to crochet when I was 5.  She created a stitch for me. It’s unique and beautiful. My mother was a school teacher and she never wanted to “mess with yarn” in the summer. Summer was for golf! Mickey and I play golf one a couples league at Springvale in North Olmsted. One more reason (a big one) to be driven to find a healthy alternative to pain management. By the way, a lot of my customers are golfers!

My Mickey has a painful ankle and started to limp. He is an engineer which requires him to do field measures that requires climbing a lot of stairs. It was at this time he started wearing a magnetic bracelet that I made him. No more pain or limp for my Mickey. Six months later, he was doing a field measure at the Frito-Lay Plant. He was required to remove all jewelry for safety reasons. He gave me a call from the roof of the plant to tell me “You’ll be happy to know, I’m in a lot of pain.” Barbara: “Yippee!!” A few hours later he left the plant (with his magnet bracelet on) called and told me the pain was gone!

My Mickey, the engineer, believes the theory that because our nervous system is the wire-way for electrical impulses, that the magnetic flux from the bracelets interrupts the pain signal to the brain. I believe the theory that magnets increase circulation, then decreases inflammation, which is a source of pain.

Not to forget our furry little friends who can suffer from pain whether from an accident or old age. We have had success with magnetic pet collars that my husband has designed. We have witnessed them work in a very positive way.

Whatever the reason that magnet therapy works I receive great joy from the hundreds of calls I have gotten from customers telling how good they feel using their non-invasive (FDA approved) means of pain management.

My Mickey came in 1^st place in his men’s flight in our couple’s golf league and I came in 2^nd place in my women’s flight (degenerative hips and all). We have first-hand experience with the benefits of magnet therapy.

Check out these vendors this winter at the 2012 Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature 100 of the most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to Stewart's Caring Place, an organization that supports families touched by cancer.

2012 Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

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

Wagner's Country Inn

30855 Center Ridge Rd. 

Westlake, OH 44145

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