These Crafters Have Everything You Need for Spring Get Togethers!

Meet Megan Nelson from 10th Floor Treasures...
As a preschool teacher, I am reminded daily by my students just how incredible life is. Children find joy in the smallest things and each accomplishment merits a celebration. This has become my inspiration: create affordable items that bring joy and remind people just how wonderful life can be, whether they are celebrating a milestone event or everyday wonder. 

I have been a crafter since I was my students’ age and my areas of interest have changed and developed so much in the past 20 years. Jewelry has always been my favorite to create and the new mediums and techniques I discover often lead me to implement them in new directions. This is very visible in my current work! I became enamored with simple wire wrapping and created a collection of jewelry featuring sterling silver-filled wire words. From there, I tackled a project that I had seen while wedding-planning and wanted to improve upon: custom wedding dress hangers featuring the bride’s name scripted in wire. So I found a sturdier kind of wire than the flimsy aluminum I saw used most often and I’m thrilled with the result. The hangers gave me the idea for painted wooden frames featuring a wire name or word that would be adorable as a bridal or baby shower gift. What a wonder it is when one craft is the inspiration for another!

Most often I sell to friends and family, on Etsy, and at a few small church shows. I look forward to taking my booth to the next level at my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show in March and I hope it sparks a change in my business in such a way that I can connect with other crafters and new customers that appreciate fine, handcrafted art created with passion and great attention to detail. I won’t be working from my tenth floor apartment forever, but – just like the items I create – the name 10^th Floor Treasures tells a story about life and the wonderful changes that take place.

I hope to meet you at a show in the future! In the meantime, check out 10^th Floor Treasures at www.etsy.com/shop/10thFloorTreasures and www.facebook.com/10thFloorTreasures. 

Meet Abigail Pearson from Meh to Marvelous...
My name is Abigail Pearson and I love to create! Everything from personalized acrylic tumblers, to wine glasses, to photo collages....you name it! I have been painting and creating since I could walk! I am very excited for my first experience at the Avant-Garde Arts & Crafts Show!

I am inspired to create by everything I see. I love finding an old chair and bringing new life into it, or getting something blank in a store and turning it into something marvelous!

As a former interior designer, and now a stay at home mom, making these crafts is a terrific creative outlet. So much of my inspiration comes from my customers. They ask me for something special to give as a gift. We talk about their style, hobbies, etc. And voila! A perfectly personalized present! I hope in 5 years I am just as busy as I am now! 

The message behind my work is personalizing your life!

Meet Chris Wagner from Great Lakes Spices...
My name is Chris Wagner and I have been in sales my entire life. I started Great Lakes Spices in May of 2013 and show cased my hand blended gourmet seasonings at weekly Farmers Markets and various Street Festivals. It was a very successful launch which was validated by the number of repeat customers, chef's usage, and retail stores that currently have it on their shelves. Great Lakes Spices offers five different gourmet seasonings: Chicago Steak, Carolina BBQ, Bayou Blend, Southwest Select, and our (sodium free) Tuscany Reserve. They crossover into all major food groups, and will enhance the taste of your favorite dishes. Each gourmet seasoning is custom blended to our proven family recipes and are 100% natural with no preservatives.

I have not participated in any Avant-Garde Art and Craft Shows but I am looking forward to the Spring Shows and expanding into different venues. My wife and I are from big families, have lots of friends, and a house with and open floor plan that extends into the outdoors, therefore, we have found ourselves being quite the entertainers. Throughout all the entertaining we have done over the years, I developed into a recognized chef to my friends and family without the formal culinary education. I really enjoy cooking whether it is for just a small group or for 100 people or more.

Great Lakes Spices is a small producer that takes it's time in preparing top quality gourmet seasonings that have been truly tested over time. We continue to develop and test additional seasonings that we will eventually add to our line of gourmet products. We are focused on providing bold tasting seasonings that are 100% natural, with no preservatives and are hand blended using the finest gourmet spices in a nut free facility.

In the next five years, hopefully my son will be out of college (Go Bucks) and will take over selling at all the mobile venues across the country and then I could stay closer to home and concentrate on corporate and wholesale accounts and develop new products. Only time will tell. Remember, "Adding Spice Makes it Twice as Nice!"

Meet Rihannon Kim of Haute High Tea..
My name is Rhiannon Kim, owner and founder of Haute High Tea, and I have been crafting for over 15 years. I started out experimenting with various mediums as a hobby until I finally found a medium that I truly loved which was vintage china and porcelain. This will be my very first Avant-Garde Craft Show as well as my very first official craft show ever.I am inspired to create by my NEED to create. I have to create. It is as much a part of me as breathing and eating. It makes me happy, and who doesn't want to be happy? 

I come from a very creative family. My mother sewed, my father was an artist who drew and painted, and my god-parents are both professional artists, so it was only natural for me to find my own creative outlet. I discovered my talent accidentally. I absolutely love vintage items and fell in love with the resurgence of the high tea tradition especially here in the US. Beautiful and colorful vintage china captured my attention immediately and I wanted to take those orphaned pieces that I started collecting and create something beautiful, memorable, and one-of-a-kind. Thus, my Haute High Tea stands were born.

My creative process is simple: I see a piece of china or porcelain that I like and I buy it. Very rarely do I hunt for pieces to match what I already have. I never know when a piece will be used, it could be days or years, but I try to never let a gorgeous plate, saucer, tea cup, or serving bowl pass me by. While I enjoy creating one-of-a-kind high tea stands, I am working on a line of high tea inspired jewelry as well. In 5 years, I see myself as a major player in the crockery rental business with a vast collection of high tea stands, china, and flatware available to purchase and rent, and a full line of women and children's high tea inspired jewelry. I want my work to be taken as light-hearted as possible. My stands and jewelry are whimsical, ethereal, a little indulgent, memorable, and fun. They are a joy to create, and I hope my customers experience the joy in owning them. 

2014 West Side Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, March 22nd and 23rd, 2014, 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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Show Week, Vendors that Entice!

Meet Jennifer Skomski from The Bakery Gourmet...                 

Being built from a passion and love for dogs, The Barkery Gourmet Dog Treats was founded with one mission in mind, to freshly bake from scratch the best dog treats. Giving pet parents everywhere yummy, wholesome dog treats they can feel good about sharing with their furry family members. We started by baking simple treats for our dog Barkley. The treats became more elaborate and soon our friends and family politely started to demand our gourmet treats for their own four legged family members. The more we made, the more we wanted to perfect our bakery inspired treats.     

When Barkley was a year old we decided to find him a sibling. That’s when Brittney came into our life. Brittney was a rescue who was loving, playful, funny, a habitual face licker, great with kids, basically the dog everyone wishes they had. She was also a pit bull. Our beloved Brittany passed away a little over a year ago. Sadly Pit Bulls get a bad rap, so in her honor we decided to start volunteering with a local Pit Bull rescue to help out these wonderful dogs.       

We started putting our baking skills to work for the fundraisers as well as a few other fundraisers for the local Humane Society. The response was so great we decided to launch our business. We have started doing craft shows, we sell product on our Facebook page as well as continue to do fund raisers for some great Ohio rescues. This is our first Avant-Garde Craft show and we are looking forward to many more.  

Meet Anthony Martino...

Anthony Martino is an Ohio Based artist that has painted for the last seven years. Anthony paints in a style he calls the "intuitive method" of painting. By painting in this fashion Anthony utilizes color compositions to help to convey pure emotional feelings and energy sometimes without specific subject matter.  Although most of Anthony's paintings are painted without specific subject matter, through the intuitive non-planned style of painting, Anthony is able to capture essence and emotion.

Over the last couple years Anthony has displayed his work at such venues as 78 Street Art Walk in Cleveland, Ohio and most recently, at the Beachwood, Ohio Gallery, where he was invited to display and sell his work at the city's gallery.  

As an artist, Anthony has sold his work at various galleries and has most recently been part of an on camera television interview on the Emmy award winning arts show Applause on PBS-WVIZ.  

For Anthony, sharing the creative process is an essential part of his art. Anthony has painted live to music in his style of abstract expression on canvas at venues such as Cleveland City Hall, The Galleria in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and at various charities and neighborhood restaurants. For Anthony, painting live allows others to take part in his creative expression that many have called "Energetic, inspiring, and purely emotional." For Anthony, painting live to the accompany of music is a way that allows others to share in the creative moment with him!  

Meet Cynthia Bauman from Bauman's Farm...
I have a great passion for animals. My husband and I both cannot get enough of our farm life. Before we were married, all we talked about was getting our own farm and raising all different types of animals to supply our own food for our family. 

We both grew up with horses and maybe a beef cow here-and-there. In 2004, we started our farm with our horses and a few goats. Over time, we decided 
to grow our farm bigger, breed other animals, and let our nieces, nephews, and our friends children enjoy what they couldn't have. By 2010, i was able to quit my day job and do the farm 100%, which became full time at craft shows, farm markets, and festivals.

We wanted more than just meat from our animals, that is why we 
started milking our goats. All of our goat milk products are made 
from our farm's milk. Once we started milking, we started creating more products. It's funny how it was just so natural to do all these new things, they just came together. 

We also use our own llama wool in our needle felting along with a friend's wool. She raises her own sheep and alpacas. With both of our wools, together we spin, making the hats and scarves at our booth. I needle felt all the decorations for your hair our blouse pins. Another friend of mine, makes all the dog toys and dog treats so that she can now be a stay-at-home mom herself with her new little girl. Together we make a great team. Helping each other is great because we can all pursue our dreams. 

Everyday I walk into my barn and see all my babies, they inspire me to do what I do so that they can be a part of my life. It's a very busy life, but it makes us truly happy.This is our first time being at one of the Avant-Garde shows, we look forward to it!       

Our main message behind our products to to live naturally, and off the 
farm. Everything these days is full of hormones and chemicals that are 
killing our bodies. Even if we can get rid of some of that in our life, 
we will do better. We offer all our products as natural as they 
come. We also love to educate people on naturally raised products and how much better they are for you! Come visit one of our farm days! 

Meet Colleen McKenna from Colleen McKenna Inc....
I am currently a student at the University of Phoenix. I also work full time as a cook in a restaurant, and have my degree in the Pastry Arts. I'm the woman in my family that has a passion for crafts and making beautiful items. I like to spread my hand at anything crafty and creative. That is why I am in the restaurant business right now. 

I enjoy photography and re-decorating my house with new craft ideas. I have been doing this in my home for years but have never participated in a craft show. I get many compliments on my home, and want to spread my ideas with others. My inspiration comes from wanting to use my hands and constantly learn new things. I see something I like and want to spend the time making it myself. I like to put my own personal touches on everything in my home. 

Growing up, my grandmother got me into the craft hobby. She loves making new things and buying unique individual handmade items no one else has. I like having that quality in my home as well as in my craft. I really discovered my talent when I found myself enjoying everything I was making. I am most satisfied when I see my craft complete. 

My creative process is like therapy. I do it to relax and get myself motivated to always be my best self. Creatively, the process is not a process, but a part of who I am. I see myself working from home in the next five years. I am in continuous education, so working from home and going to school is where I'd like to be. I have some photography experience and my craft experience that I hope will aid in my goals. 

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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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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Forever Keepsakes...

Meet Vinny Tirpak from BlastMaster...

I've always loved working with my hands, building and creating things. My wife has been doing craft shows for about 5 yrs. I would go help her set up and created display stands for her products. She made dog treats and accessories and I started sandblasting glass treat jars to go with her crafts. I started getting requests for other items and the rest is history. We've been doing this for about 1 1/2 yrs.

Growing up, my mother did ceramics and painting. I also worked with my uncle refinishing cabinets when I was younger. I really feel that I get my creativity from my family.

My creative process is time consuming and very challenging. I built my first sand cabinet, then we upgraded. I used to make my own stencils out of roofing membrane until we purchased a vinyl cutting machine. We've expanded our equipment and have gained knowledge about the whole sandblasting process during the last year and a half.

My favorite item that I started sandblasting is the Cleveland skyline. It is definitely our best seller.

We love creating everlasting, unique gifts. We have had  lot of repeat customers and enjoy meeting new people. We do a lot of custom orders and always make sure the customer is totally satisfied with their order. My wife, Cindy has put her craft making away and now manages BLASTMASTER. She does the purchasing of supplies, networks, and handles all the communication between me and the customer. We make a good team!

We also sell our class in area shops/galleries. You can find BLASTMASTER @ CLE CLOTHING CO. downtown, NATIVE CLEVELAND in Collinwood,  LOCAL GIRL GALLERY in Lakewood, SALTY NOT SWEET on E25th Cleveland

Meet Martha Niehaus from MN Book Design...

Why make an ordinary photo book, when you can make a personal history book? Everyone has a story to tell, and those stories can be told with more than snapshots and portraits. My customized books incorporate pictures of people as well as pictures of things -- not the big house or the expensive car, but the little things we hang on to. Your letter jacket from high school. Your first pair of eyeglasses. The quilt that Grandma made. Including those items makes for a more complete, more authentic story. My goal is not to include anything that doesn't have some connection to the person whose story I'm telling. Why use a fake background for the covers when I can wrap an image of Grandma's quilt around the whole book? 

About 18 months after my dad died, I exchanged a few emails with someone I didn't know well and had never met; she signed off on her emails the same way Dad used to, with "Cheers!" A little, insignificant thing, but it made me smile. When I was looking for a way to conclude the book I later did about Dad, I used a scan of his signature, preceded by "Cheers!" Anyone who'd ever received correspondence from him would instantly recognize that as his "signature." Perfect!

My mom liked that "Dad book" so much, she showed it to everyone who came to the house, and brought it whenever she visited friends. One day, Mom matter-of-factly suggested some places where I could advertise my custom-designed books. I thought, I'm not designing these for money…. What is she think… Hmmm…. But then again…. I was off and running! 

Designing a book totally "from scratch" means no proprietary software, no standard layouts, no fake backgrounds. I like to compare it to making a fabulous meal with whatever fresh foods I happen to have in the kitchen (I'm a lousy cook, so this comparison often elicits chuckles from those who know me best). Once I've gathered all of the "ingredients" for a book project, I look for the story: How does it all fit together? How do all of these things, these images, complement one another? Themes emerge, personalities come out, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together. At some point, the story just flows, and the "meal" is ready to serve.

I've done my most creative work in the last 18 months, but I spent 20-plus years preparing for it, working on various print publications where I designed, edited, shot pictures, wrote copy and coordinated production. All of that experience is coming together now, and it's served me well since I've been on my own as a freelancer. Confucius said, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." I couldn't agree more!

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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