Meet Tracy Burns from Chaotic Love Designs ...
Hi I'm Tracey, creater of Chaotic Love Designs. I am mom, wife beertender, tour guide, and polymer clay artist. I've had this company for just under three years now.This will be my first Avant-Garde Arts and Craft Show. I'm so excited to showcase my art with you!
What inspires me to create my work is the world around me. I love looking at paintings and nature and seeing what grabs my attention. What got me into this craft hobby would be how I was looking to make earrings that were light and easy to wear and matched my work uniforms or dresses.
I discovered my talent by my coworkers asking where I got my earrings from because I would wear them to work and they would ask to buy them! I would describe by creative process free flowing and chaotic. I sit down with one idea and then let my mind wander. I hope to see myself in 5 years doing more art shows and making much more detailed creations as the message behind my work is "chaos is beautiful and wearable!"
Meet Kenzie Wager from Wild Bloom Glass...
My name is Kenzie and I am 27 years young. I am a solo artisan with a passion for Tiffany style stained glass method. I feel like I have truly found myself through this art form. I have been making stained glass, self taught since 2020. Through endless trial and error I feel like I have perfected my craftsmanship and want to spread it near and far! This is my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft show. I am so excited to network and be surrounded by other passionate small businesses.
I converge my artistry and nature into my handmade stained glass plant stakes and suncatchers. Three words to describe my business would be whimsical, contemporary and nature-inspired. I got into my craft hobby because my Grandma had an 81 year old neighbor who would create little sun catchers for the neighborhood. After a long conversation with him, I went home and bought all my materials. I have always felt fascinated by stained glass and now I know why! I am a multi-hobby crafter but nothing would stick. Once I started stained glass it completely took over my life. I realized it was a talent of mine when I wanted to do it every second of every day.
My artistry comes alive when I experiment with various colors and textures of glass , seeking the perfect combination. My favorite part is seeing how the sun dances with the glass. Each idea always starts with some form of nature. Now, in about five years I would love to open a stained glass studio for my community. I would hold classes, sell supplies and take on commissions and repair work. I would love a space to share and call mine. I want this because the message behind my work is to bring a bit of enchantment to anyone's space. It could be through a plant stake, car charm, suncatcher or large window. I want to bring the popularity of stained glass back through my contemporary take on it.
My socials:
Instagram: Wildbloomglass
Etsy: wildbloomglass.etsy.com
Meet Bill and Sean with Wild Suds...
Our names are Bill and Sean, and we love making soap. Both of us were born and raised in Ohio, and our combined experience has taken us through all four corners of the state. About a year and a half ago, Bill proposed we elevate the hobby to a professional level, and since then we have been working toward bringing our touch to a wider audience.We only just founded our business in December of 2023 so we're fairly fresh on the scene, but we have been making soap and candles for years before that. This is our first foray with Avant-Garde! We are very excited to join and hope that the experience paves the way for our entry into future events.
While we both have different interests at large, we converge at a sense of utility mixed with epicurean enjoyment. There's something plainly rewarding about making soap and candles that we ourselves use: our effort translates directly into soaps and scents that we enjoy, and we are able to proudly share that with the people we love. And being able to share our craft really compounds that reward.
Both of us have always had a personal interest in crafts, having experimented much of our early adulthood with different expressions. Bill was always more on the side of hand-made crafts and it's his creative ingenuity combined with Sean’s focus on graphic design which has culminated in the Wild Suds brand you see. Plus who hasn't had the thought at least once while scrubbing themselves, 'I wonder if I could make soap like this?' Well, we asked that question, tried it, and it worked.
A bit of thought followed by a lot of sniffing. Most of our process unfolds in considering what may smell good, getting the smells, and diving in. We are no strangers to trial and error in that regard. After finding the soap base of oatmeal and goatmilk comes brainstorming on scent, coloration, and graphic design. It can be pretty difficult to focus only on select products when there's no limit to scents and combinations, but eventually we settle on only our favorites.
It was hard to visualize being right here at first, so what the future may hold is a mystery for sure. It's easy to dream about being on a global market with a highly recognized trademark, but realistically we set the goalpost somewhere between full-time commitment with a dedicated base of operation or the success to delegate and experiment with less concern about resources. In any instance, we are dedicated to reaching as far as possible.
Lastly, the message behind our work is "Don’t concede to norm, try something new and untame yourself."
Website:http://wild-suds.com
Meet Ali Ernst from 12:34 Apparel
My name is Ali, and I’m a stay at home mom to my 3 kids, plus I coach high school volleyball. I am originally from Cleveland, OH, and currently live in Batavia, OH. I've been running my business since October of 2023. As this is my first Avant-Garde Arts and Craft show! My personality/interests really inspire me to create. The designs I paint are basically a peek inside of my brain. I’m a mom, I have a juvenile sense of humor, and I love God.
I would say little signs here and there for me into my hobby. One of them being, I purchased a pair of thrifted jeans from our previous babysitter’s brother, that he had painted on. His style is more 3D and graffiti like, but he said he paints whatever comes to mind. I thought to myself, wow, I wonder what would come from looking into my own mind! I didn’t discover my talent until I started doodling on paper, and realized how many ideas I had! From there, it took some trial and error to figure out how to paint them on clothes, and what materials to use. My creative process is basically jotting down ideas as they pop into my head, then I make a design out of it for my clothes! I also welcome custom designs from my clients, and sometimes those spark ideas for me too.
In 5 years I see myself still attending craft shows, while also having expanded my online presence. I would love to paint clothing for businesses, sports teams, classrooms, etc. While the message behind my work is to be true to yourself, while also accepting ideas of others. 
I really enjoy randomly coming up with designs on my own, and putting them onto paper, and then clothing. My logo for 12:34 has the 4 extended below the rest of the numbers to also form a cross. I believe that it was various signs from God that led me down this path, and I’m so glad I started paying attention to them.
