Meet Sophia Anders from Auntie Phia's Crochet...
Hi! My name is Sophia, and I’m a ninth-grade student at Cincinnati Classical Academy. I have lots of hobbies and love to crochet! I’ve been crocheting for 3 years, and this is my first show with you.
My friend bought me a craft kit for my 12th birthday, and I was hooked. I like to get inspiration from Pinterest. I discovered my talent pretty easily because I am more left-brained. My creative process is pretty simple: I go to a quiet place, look at Pinterest for ideas, turn on a show, and crochet. It’s easy for me to crochet for 6-8 hours at a time. I’ll keep this business for as long as I have an interest, and others have an interest in my products. Maybe I’ll sell in local shops one day!
Meet Debbie Steiner from Red Bird Art Studio...
Hello, my name is Debbie! I have had my business nearly all my life, over 50 years. This is my 5th show with Avant-Garde! What inspires me to create is nature, mythical characters and creatures, and anything beautiful. My high school art teacher is the one who got me into painting. I discovered my talent with lots of practice. You never know what you can do until you try it! 
In my creative process, I imagine and visualize a painting. I work using a lot of abstract methods, so I'm never sure how a piece will turn out. The message behind my work is, Own the art that gives you peace or fulfills a space in your mind, body, and spirit.
Meet Kathleen Ballman from BGB Bgirlsbeads...
All it took was one jewelry-making class for Kathe and her three daughters — Jennifer, Christy, and Megan — to become completely enthralled with working with beads. While on vacation in the spring of 2025, we signed up for an earring-making class, and just like that, B Girls Beads was born.
This family affair began with us creating simple earrings, but our passion quickly grew. Today, we’ve expanded into making necklaces, bracelets, watch bands, and a continually evolving collection of handcrafted pieces. Each day brings new ideas, new skills, and fresh inspiration.
We love working with semiprecious stones and high-quality beads. While many of our materials are purchased, we also enjoy discovering unique treasures at estate sales, yard sales, and consignment shops — beautiful pieces that are repurposed into something fresh and special.
We started by making custom-request items for friends, relatives, and coworkers. With each passing day, our creativity grows. Because we all love designing and creating, our inventory continues to expand, and we decided it was time to market our pieces. We sold our treasures at four craft shows at the end of 2025 and one in January 2026.
This will be our first event with you, and we are truly looking forward to the 2026 Cincinnati Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. Just knowing we’ll be displaying our pieces at this event has inspired us to learn new techniques and create even more treasures. Currently, we are incorporating leather and sterling silver into our collections… and who knows what the future holds!
Meet Vicky from Spicy Mary...
My name is Vicky. I worked in the corporate world for 44 years. When an early retirement opportunity came around in 2024, I jumped on it! I'm married and have lived in the Loveland/Milford/Goshen area all of my life. I purchased Spicy Mary in Oct. 2024, going on my second full year. My first Avant-Garde show was in 2025. This will be our 2nd show! I got a bit of the creative gene from my Mom. She was very artsy-crafty and loved to bake. I also love to bake and come up with new "flavors" in both baking and spice mixes. What got me into this is I was getting just a little bored with retirement after 6 months, and Spicy Mary came up for sale. It sounded like fun and something to keep me busy.
I discovered my talent by experimenting. I've always liked experimenting with different recipes and flavors. Although I hadn't played around with spices before, it's very similar, and I've found that almost every flavor you can think of comes in some type of spice or powder form.
I have 19 different spice mixes at the moment! I think about what flavors would be tasty together and different than what we already have, and experiment with different spices. Most "new" flavors have been a success and go on the menu. In the next 5 years, I see myself keeping it small. I love going to all the local craft shows and meeting new people. I also sell mixes from home and mail order.
The business started with a spicy Bloody Mary mix.....A good Bloody Mary was hard to find...until now! Along with our Bloody Mary mix, we also offer spice mixes for super flavorful chip & veggie dips, seasonal dessert mixes, burger seasoning, and a roast/rib rub. Once you sample Spicy Mary mixes!
Meet Allen Greene from Theme Park Art by Allen...
My name is Allen Greene, and I’m a watercolor artist specializing in theme park–inspired artwork. I create detailed paintings of roller coasters, attractions, and park landscapes that help people relive their favorite theme park memories. For me, art is about storytelling — capturing that feeling you get at the top of a lift hill, the glow of lights at night, or the excitement of walking through the gates.
I’ve been illustrating theme parks since elementary school. What started as sketching roller coasters in notebooks has grown into a creative business where I now sell prints, framed artwork, and specialty pieces both online and at live events. This is my first Avant-Garde show, and I’m very excited to be part of it!
What inspires me to create is the emotions and memories of a day at a theme park inspire me most. The anticipation in line, the incredible views from the top of a coaster, the lights at night — those experiences stay with people. I love turning those fleeting moments into lasting artwork.
I’ve always loved creating art, but combining that with my passion for theme parks really brought everything together. I realized I could use watercolor to preserve memories for people — not just of rides, but of experiences shared with family and friends. I’ve always been drawn to art and design. Over time, as I kept painting and refining my skills, I realized that capturing architecture and motion — especially roller coasters — was something that came naturally to me. As my love for theme parks grew, blending the two passions felt like a natural direction.
In my creative process, I usually start a piece by researching the attraction — studying photos, ride layouts, and the surrounding environment to capture the right perspective. I sketch the composition first, focusing on movement and energy. Then I built the painting in layers of watercolor, carefully developing depth, light, and detail. I want each piece to feel dynamic — like you’re right there in the moment.
In five years, I hope to continue growing my brand by creating new art inspired by more parks and increasing my presence at live events and festivals. My goal is to make my artwork a recognized way for families and coaster enthusiasts to preserve their theme park memories.
The message behind my work is simple: memories matter. The experiences, fun, story, and thrill of a day at a theme park taps into the essence of who are designed to be. Theme parks are places where families connect, friendships grow, and unforgettable moments happen. My goal is to capture those kinds of experiences through art so they can be displayed, shared, and remembered for years to come.
