One More Preview!

Meet Sheri Lansing from Simple Joy...

We are sisters, with 7 children between us both, who have for the past 30+ years enjoyed living life together, and making time amidst the craziness of motherhood to enjoy peace and joy. Our favorite memories until two years ago included a half marathon, a triathlon, and lots of Saturday morning runs. We’ve always loved working out together (and still do) but two years ago, when a back injury left one of us unable to work out, we wanted to find another way to still grow closer in our relationship and spend time with one another.

We started making Tree of Life ornaments, suncatchers, and necklaces. Hours spent crafting made new memories and brought lots of laughter and loving conversations. We spent all of 2018 crafting together and coming up with new ideas while still holding close to the concept of a tree that breathes life. Finally, from a wonderful mother in our life, we participated in a craft show and met some really beautiful people who enjoyed our products as much as we did. From there, we grew our business online and at other craft shows, meeting so many new people and experiencing pure joy from delivering this product to them. This is our first Avant-Garde craft show are we are so excited to share our products! In future years, our hope is that people are still smiling at something we created with our God-given talents.

Why the Tree of Life? On our journey for a joyful relationship, we realized that everyone we met has something or someone that breathes life into them. Whether it’s the promise of a Savior, faith, family or friends, a child whose smile changed a life, grandchildren that made arms never tire of holding, or a loss of someone special whose memory longs to be honored. That is what our Tree of Life symbolizes to us and our hope is that this small token brings joy to many people. We love making products that bring joy to others and in those moments, we experience joy ourselves. It’s that simple. Simple Joy.

Meet Lacie Turcott from Queen Bee Ceramics...

My name is Lacie and I operate as Queen Bee Ceramics. I love making ceramic pieces of all sorts and functions inspired by bees! I have been working with clay since 2008 and began my small business in 2015 after falling in love with bees, the honeybee's hexagonal honeycomb shape, and becoming obsessed with incorporating them into everything that I could. This will be my first Avant-Garde show!

Working with clay is therapeutic and a wonderful way to express my creativity while creating beautiful and functional pieces of pottery. I'm a studio member (and soon to be teacher!) at Queen City Clay and the community there inspires me everyday to push myself towards constant improvement and honing of my craft. My first ceramics course was in college, at Ohio University, where I was fortunate enough to learn from and work beside extremely talented artists. I was instantly hooked after my first Intro to Wheel course and remained enrolled in every ceramics course that I could while attaining my BFA in Photography. After a post-college hiatus, I returned to the wheel in 2014 under the instruction of Michael English and it was like riding a bike. The muscle-memory kicked in and the endorphins surged - I was again hooked and haven't stepped away since.

I tend to visualize the end result first - what do I want to make and how do I want it to look and feel? That dictates what clay body I want to use, whether i want to throw the piece on a wheel or use hand-building/sculptural techniques instead, and how I want to fire it. Since Queen City Clay built a Salt Kiln a few years ago, I usually lean towards firing my pieces in the Salt Kiln as I am a big fan of the atmospheric firing technique. I would love to be operating as a full-time potter in about five year's time. The idea of supporting my family with my passion is a dream, for sure.

I believe that bee conservation is a crucial focus right now, during this time where the effects of global warming and human pesticide use are on the rise. I donate a portion of my proceeds to bee conservation research and I keep native Mason bees myself, as well as a pollinator garden, to do everything that I can as an individual for the cause. Since my pieces all feature bees or honeycomb in some fashion, they serve as reminders that our tiny winged friends are important in our daily lives.

Meet Kati and Juliette from Just Sayin’...

My mom, Kati, is a hard-working single mother and I’m not far behind her. She is a CCAD graduate while and I am currently pursuing a business management degree at the Fisher College of Business at OSU. The “mother and daughter duo” works well because we can see multiple points of view when they work as one. We have both always loved art and are very excited to be starting the venture of Just Sayin’ and sharing it with you all! Just Sayin’ was just created in January of 2019! We are brand new and full of enthusiasm. We are a sister company of the franchise PAKMail which ships anything anywhere, including our signs to your friends and family out of state. This will be our first show ever! We are thrilled to work with the staff of the Avant-Garde Art and Craft Shows. We hope for this show to go well and we hope people will enjoy what we do.

My mother and I are pretty good at inspiring each other. That alone can be enough. Sometimes, hearing a quirky comment or hearing a funny line of a song can make us think of a new sign and we try to help each other remember the ideas we have throughout each day. It began when our family friend was working with signs and my mother fell in love with the process when she helped her make those signs. On top of naturally being more artistic, my mother discovered a new talent when she was working with our friend and she was coming up with great ideas for her friend's signs and decided to make some of her own.

We take inventory of the wood pieces we currently have and consider what we think might look good on each piece. Once we have an idea, my mom designs our images in photoshop and we print them out with a Cricut. Then we use sponges and paint brushes in order to get the paint on the wood, along with staining some of our wood. Within the next five years, my mother and I would love to have an art studio of our own and be able to have workshops so we can share our process with others. Our message is to enjoy the little pleasures in life! You may not need a sign but adding a quirky sign in your home might be just what you need to smile throughout the day.

Meet Amanda and John Lambert from Lamb Baked Goods... Lamb Baked Goods is owned by us, Amanda and John Lambert.  I handle most of the baking while John handles bookkeeping and homeschooling our two kids and helps in the kitchen as needed. I have been selling baked goods out of our home since 2012. We just made the decision to go full-time with it this year. Columbus will be our first Avante-Garde show, but we are signed up for others!

I get my inspiration from whatever I see around me. I got into baking for 4H at around age 8. I then started selling goods at garage sales in 2012 and it has continued to grow since then. I realized that she could put artistic expression into my foods and my inspiration has continued to refine from that. I scour Pinterest a lot for ideas that I can make into my own. I sometimes receive requests for certain things and try to make the vision of the customer come to life.

Our five-year goal is to continue full-time with craft shows, growing nearer to Jesus and shining Him to everyone we encounter at shows. Our primary message is John 6:35: "Jesus said, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.'" A secondary message is Psalm 34:8a: "Taste and see that the Lord is good."

Meet Patricia Dume-Ross from Craft O'Clock...
I am a wife and mother of 2 teenagers, I am also a photographer. I love personalized things, whether its a cup, blanket, bag, makeup bag... anything personalized I think gives that item something special. Love to create and learn 
new things, always looking for the newest, coolest thing to offer. I have officially been doing this for almost a year, and this is my first Avant-Garde show and I am so excited!

I love figuring out how to create exactly what my customers want and The look on their face when they see their custom, made-to-order item is definitely something that gives me inspiration to create. I love color, texture and GLITTER!! coming up with shiny unique ideas for my clients, my heart is poured in every single one of my creations. This started as my "me' time, a way for me to relax and just BE and DO what makes me happy and it became a way to bring joy to other people which makes my heart so happy! It all started with a gift my husband got me for Christmas a couple years ago... 

Sometimes my creative process can be a client that wants something and they just give me a concept, sometimes It's the need to create a new item, sometimes I just see something I like and that inspires me. But it all starts with a thought most of the time. Sometimes i'll wake up in the middle of the night with an idea! Hopefully, in five years, I will be opening my own shop and maybe shipping internationally.

My message is simple...Love & Happiness can be accomplished through little things. Like i said, every single one of the items I put my hands on, has my heart. I love to think that whether it's a gift or something that people get for themselves, it will bring joy and happiness with a little extra color & shine to it.

2019 Cincinnati Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 - 10:00am-4:00pm

Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center

902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd.

Loveland, OH 45140

For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

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It's Show Week!

Meet Marcela Raska from Shelalee...
Meet Shelalee team: We are two friends, moms, and wives. We love the outdoors, beaches, sipping coffee and chatting about everything and nothing. We are always in a hurry but can easily spend an hour analyzing a fashion magazine. One of the most frequent questions we get is “Are you sisters?”. Our answer is “kind of yes but not really”. Born and raised in communist Czechoslovakia, we played with the same toys, learned from the same textbooks and watched the same two TV channels just like all other children in the country.

Meet Shelalee jewelry: Our products include handcrafted rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Czech glass beads are meticulously selected and hugged together with American Sterling Silver components using an elastic cord or wire made in the USA. All of that is nested in a lovable box made of 100% recycled boxboard here in the USA. We started in Fall 2012.

This is our first Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show. We have attended several shows in our home town, Fort Thomas, KY and more recently in the Greater Cincinnati area. Simply said, life with all its branches: nature, our feelings and mood, people we meet, our customers and their ideas and everything all together.

We would love to give credit to our mothers for getting us into our crafting. They taught us to go beyond the obvious, did their magic with fabric and a sewing machine and were able to dress us up for any special occasions like no one else. Another push came when we met in Northern Kentucky, two friends trying to find a way to reflect our friendship, our common roots, the beauty of Czech (aka Bohemian) glass and its long history originated in the 13th century.

Through collaboration with each and every person who compliments what we do and challenges us with a new design project. We start with ideas, share and discuss, built upon them, test them, rework and sometimes laugh about them.

In five year, we plan on continuing to expanding our product offerings to inspire our customers and convey the virtue of beauty in women. We are trying to reach out to the woman who cares about her family, friends, and the community she is part of. She is a stay at home mom, a librarian, a nurse, a research assistant, an executive at a bank. No matter what she is, where she is, or how many things she juggles at any given moment, she knows that life is what she makes of it. That is what makes every women divinely unique and beautiful and that is the virtue of beauty we aim to inspire. 

Meet Lauren Tucker from Tucker Glassworks...

I formerly worked in oncology research but now I am a stay at home mother of 3.  I enjoy creating glass art and boxing in my spare time. I have been creating fused glass items for 15 years as a hobby and giving gifts to family and friends. I have finally decided to sell my craft after encouragement from others. I have been working with art glass for 15 years and this is my first Avant-Garde show!

I love experimenting and trying out new techniques.   One thing I love about glass fusing is I may have an idea of how a project is going to turn out but truly never know until the glass has cooled and I’ve opened my kiln. I have always loved glass jewelry and glass art.  I had a friend that was learning lamp working at the time and introduced me into creating art glass.  I ended up buying a kiln and a book in college and teaching myself how to fuse glass. Once I decided to learn this craft it was a lot about experimentation and developing my talent over time. I typically get inspired from the materials I have on hand.

In five years time, I hope to be continuing to support my hobby with craft shows and have some of my items in local stores.

Meet Denise McCabe from Gems of Summer...
I am a Midwest girl who has always dreamed of living by the ocean and in a place with more sunny days!  In addition to making jewelry, I craft quite a bit - crosstitch, embroidery, knitting, crochet and even quilling - most things that are detail oriented. I am also married to a wonderful man and have 3 awesomely fun kids. And I periodically work as a nurse. I like taking care of people. I’ve been making jewelry for over 10 years, selling on Etsy for 6 years and this is my first Art/Craft Show. This is my first Avant-Garde show! I am so excited (and nervous!)

Curiosity.  Nature.  I love figuring things out - how to make things, how to make things beautiful, how to translate the beauty of nature into wearable art and how to translate other art forms into jewelry! I’ve made things since I was little.  I started with cross stitch.  I also can distinctly making friendship bracelets (lots of them) when I was 10 years old and beaded necklaces in high school with seed beads I found in my Mom’s craft stuff.  Over 10 years ago, I had a co-worker who made me snowman earrings and I was intrigued and wanted to learn how to make them. Around the same time, I also had a black and white dress for a wedding and wanted a red beaded necklace to wear with it.  I couldn’t find one in any of the usual shops, so I got some beads and dental floss and made my first necklace. I got my first pair of pliers and my hobby of stringing beads grew into the fine art of learning and applying more complex techniques to jewelry making (and thankfully, no longer using dental floss) .

Talent is a funny thing, sometimes you find it and sometimes it finds you.  I’ve dipped into many different jewelry techniques – stringing, wirework, chainmaille, embossing metal, metal etching, polymer clay, resin, leatherwork, kumihimo and now, beadweaving – before finding the one that resonates the most with my skills. I like to think that with each technique tried, I’ve honed my skills and found not only the one that I’m best at but also my favorite! I always liked working with tiny, detailed things. Working with seed beads, the tinier the better, are my favorite things to work with now and its relatively easy for me to see the shapes I want to create with seed beads and to figure out patterns. 

I am frequently looking for pattern inspiration online and out in real life.  I like taking pictures of animal skins or patterns on flower leaves or seeing images of quilts, fabrics or architecture to see what colors work well together and what would translate well into beadwork and jewelry. I see myself as very successful and selling more frequently in art/craft shows and also in a boutique. Unique…summer-inspired….just be you!

Meet Karen Farren from Say It With Script...

My name is Karen Farren and my business is "Say It With Script." I live in Loveland, Ohio with my husband David. I have 3 children - Carissa, 29, who lives in the D.C. area, Alex, 27, who lives in Covington, KY, and Samuel, 23, who lives in Louisville, KY. I have 1 granddaughter, Cora, who is 17 months and another granddaughter due in May! I have been teaching group fitness classes for 35 years and am currently teaching at Lifetime Fitness in Mason, Ohio and Tri-Health Fitness Pavillion in Blue Ash, Ohio. I have been writing in script since I was about 10 years old but didn't start my business until October of 2018. After many years of people telling me how beautiful my handwriting was I decided to turn it into a business! This is my first Avant Garde show.

I love to write, and that inspires me to create. I am always thinking of fresh creative ways to showcase my penmamship - my most recent is writing on mirrors and pasta! I have been doing arts and crafts since I was a child and always had a love for anything artsy. I have my Mom to thank - she was also very artsy and loved making beautiful things for people. I have been complimented on my penmanship since I learned to write. After years of hearing the compliments it gave me the confidence to share my God-given talent. My creative process is trying to think outside the box and create items that truly are unique. Every single piece of my work is hand lettered and created from start to finish. Nothing is printed or mass produced. 

In 5 years I want my work to be featured in "The Knot." The message in my work is "personalization." Every piece that I create is personal in some way. If I am scripting a favorite quote, it is the client's favorite quote. If the bride wants a sign with a special memory on it, the memory is hers and nobody elses. I add names to anything. Whatever I make I want it to be personalized in some way. There is no shortage of gifts that are mass produced and "anyone" can buy. I want my items to reflect a name, special place, thought, quote, vacation, or event that reflects the giver or the buyer.

2019 Cincinnati Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 - 10:00am-4:00pm

Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center

902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd.

Loveland, OH 45140

For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

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We're Coming Atcha, Cincy!

Meet Bethany Flick from Raven Aim Art...

I'm a mother of 2 and I work in Business Operations. This is my little escape from reality that I use for self-fulfillment. I've lost a lot of family within a year's time, and this was a way I found I could cope and smile again. I started dabbling in resin art and acrylic pour in December but took a liking to pastels and still life sketches in high school. Typically writing and poetry are my artistic outlet. This will be my first Avant-Garde show! 

Having to align with society's rules puts such confining expectations on me as a person. This lets me drop my walls and allows me to be confident in having the feelings I do without guilt. As much as I enjoy writing poetry, what I write tends to come out dark and ominous. I never smiled through it, no matter how proud I was by my work. This art is so happy, colorful, and fruitful that I found my smile again, so it's stuck. I decided one day that I wanted to see if I had what it took, the science/measuring ratios of it as well as the passion to make it something beautiful that people would want to see every day in their homes. It was an "Art or Bust" type decision when I made the investment purchase. After my first piece came out, my husband expressed his secret doubt he had in me, but then we fell in love with the final product and decided to pursue it.

If I'm making pieces in general, I turn my most upbeat music on in my work space and just let things flow. I know my initial idea will never hold since the medium is quite unpredictable, but I just let things flow where they may, and let go of the control I try to put on everything else in my life. That's when I end up happiest with the end. If I'm making an order for someone in particular, I like to ask them what kind of music/artist is their favorite, and I listen to them while I work so I can feel like I'm vibing with them while making their piece. 

Hopefully, in five years, I've gained a good social media following, just sharing what makes me smile. I'd like to be present at more shows regularly and to be steadily working on projects. Life is unpredictable. It does things that leaves you feeling out of control, hurt, and depressed. We have to remember that sometimes, letting things go and just going with the flow can lead to peace. It can take you to a place where you can smile again as long as you just remember that there is always light. It might be the dimmest light ever or just "less dark", but it's there waiting for you to find it. 

Meet Debbie Brown from Spice Spice Baby...

We are a couple that started this business because we wanted to offer good, affordable spices to people who like to cook. We have been creating our recipes for about 8 months.This is our first Avant-Garde show and we are super excited!

Our customers inspire us.  With their ever growing ideas and repeat interest in our business products, we want to keep them coming back for new and exciting spices. We felt like there wasn't a place in Cincinnati that offered good, fresh, affordable and fun spices for home cooks and. chefs. We wanted to change that. We discovered out love for creating spics because my husband is a chef so he likes to play around with ideas a lot in the kitchen!

In five years, we hope to continue doing pop-up shows and events and possibly open our own brick and mortar store. The message behind our work is this - with the right products, anyone can be a good cook and we are here to offer you those products and let you prove it! 

Meet Michael Halsey from Little Turtle Woodworking...
I have been married for 8 years. I have two children. My passion is woodworking and family. I have been woodworking off and on for 8 years and this is will be my first show with Avant-Garde, and only my third show overall

I just simply enjoy the process of making something from nothing and being able to take an image in my head and create it with wood. I was involved in construction for most of my life, I’ve always loved making things with my hands, and when my wife asked if I could try to make a dining table I decided that this process of taking raw wood and creating things of function and beauty was something that I really wanted to one day do full time.

My first official project was creating a right food dining room table for my wife for making memories with family, I had a very very limited amount of “woodworking tools” and woodworking knowledge at the time but greatly enjoyed the process and was hooked. Each new project has its own unique creative process, unless it is a commissioned piece, I will typically have an idea in my head and slowly create as I go, really only pre-plan requested pieces for clients. 

In five years, we plan to turn our creations into a full-time family business! There is no message behind our work, we just love creating beautiful handcrafted woodworking creations!

Meet Linda Getz from B J and M Creative Designs...

My name is Linda Getz and I have lived in Fairfield all my life. I graduated from Miami University in Oxford with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. I am currently in my 29th year at St. Ann Catholic School in Hamilton teaching sixth grade. I have many animals that I have rescued and adopted. 

I have been sewing and doing crafts since I was ten years old. I combine my love of teaching and sewing by offering classes for children.  I am new to craft shows and this is my first Avant Garde event. 

I have always loved sewing and creating something new. My Mom was a sewer and loved crafts and passed her knowledge onto me. A lot of my business is from customers who have lost a loved one and I make memory bears or quilts from their clothes.  It gives me pleasure knowing I am giving comfort to others. I see myself in the next five years expanding my business, attending more craft shows, and selling online. 

2019 Cincinnati Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 - 10:00am-4:00pm

Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center

902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd.

Loveland, OH 45140

For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

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Spring Has Almost Sprung!

Meet Joanie Weidner from J's CollageScapes...
By the time of this art show I will be four months from retirement. Although my job has been a real joy — Administrative Assistant for a middle school — my new-found freedom from 8 am to 4 pm will give me time to do what I love and what nurtures me... to be creative. I was a quiet, shy child so art became the my way to express. I have been creative for as long as I can remember. Before discovering my love for collage, I’ve expressed myself in drawing, jewelry, print making, batik, and other media. I am a member of the Kennedy Heights Art Center Artist Collective and recently displayed my work at the members’ art show. When I am not lost in my latest collage creation, I can be found gardening, reading, and traveling with my husband and biggest fan, Jeffry. I have been creating collages since 2013 and this is my first Avant Garde art show!

It’s more of a calling to let out the varied nuances of my inner world. I have no idea what will show up. My regular practice of mediation does make it easier to let it flow from my hands to to the canvas. I create to bring a smile to others. The joy found in exploring the various art supplies and mediums. After making larger collages for a while I came across these mini canvases and loved how my creative process became more fluid.

I took a class at our local art center 6 years ago and fell in the love with the flexibility of collage making. If you don’t like how something looks you just add to the canvas — put another piece of paper over it! It is a limitless, free form of creating. Perfection is not required, willingness to explore textures is all it takes.

My workroom is surrounded by magazines, wrapping paper, calendars, any paper that has an image or texture. I look through it, something grabs my attention, I tear it out and lay it down, then I do it again and again, forming an idea, a pleasing display of color and shapes. Sometimes the image is very obvious, other times it is not. There are stories in each one, but the stories are for the viewer’s interpretation. No two are alike. I surprise myself, often thinking, “where did that come from?!”

In 5 years I see myself spreading my talent to a larger territory; making a vacation out of it. Creating a website. Knowing that I have the ability to create when I want and as much as I want in my retirement years gives me a sense of purpose. As always, I remain open to possibilities.

I believe I give everything I see in the world the all meaning it has for me. So others will create their own message depending on how they choose to look at my work. My greatest hope is that the message to “stay open to wonder” will be seen and felt.

My Mini CollageScapes are sold with a black easel. Although this is they way I am marketing them, there are other creative ways to display them. For example, staple a looped ribbon to the back to hang it on a wall. Change them with the seasons. Keep some on hand for gift giving.

Meet Sherry Steffan from Sherry Steffan Designs...

I have been making jewelry for about 10 yrs. I worked full-time and created/did shows at night and weekends. It was getting a little overwhelming, so I decided to put me 1st and quit my job. I became a realtor so I could have more time to make jewelry.  

I haven't done an Avant-Garde show but I have heard so many great things about it! My inspirations come from life, nature, and happiness. I started making jewelry because I wanted certain style and couldn't ever find. When I would wear my creations, and people would buy it off of me. The inspiration spins in my head for awhile, then usually scribble it down, then create. Hopefully, I will be selling in 10 shops around town and doing shows. Inspiration and meaning behind each piece can be different for everyone.

Meet Ariana Larson from Counselor Creations...

I started my business in November of 2018, so I am in my first year! This will be my first one and I am very excited to be a part of it this year! I have always loved to create, it has always been an outlet for me. Whenever I was upset or needed alone time or time to think, I always turned to creating. I can’t say I gather inspiration from just one place or that there is just one reason, sometimes I just create to create because I truly enjoy it!

I have been crafting pretty much my entire life, my mom has always been into crafting and I have always had a deep love for creating. In high school, I took a calligraphy elective and have been loving calligraphy and hand lettering ever since. I can’t say I have a pinpointed moment or time that I discovered this, but I had friends see my work and even acquaintances who would tell me they would love to buy my work or order custom pieces. At that time I was still in graduate school and didn’t have time to begin a business, but it was something that stuck with me and I decided when I had the time, I would begin my business.

That’s a hard one because it isn’t always the same! I use music a lot in my creative process, music has always moved me deeply as it does for many of us. Majority of the time, I just pick up my pencil and paper and create whatever I am feeling. I would love to eventually open an Etsy shop and be able to reach people all around the world with my creations!

I would say it is to create what refreshes your soul. Crafting for me has always been a recharging activity that I lose myself in and it is amazing to bring that into homes of others and spark joy to create.

2019 Cincinnati Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 - 10:00am-4:00pm

Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center

902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd.

Loveland, OH 45140

For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM