Meet
Nancy McCloskey from Fancy Nancy Knits...
My grandmother and mother taught me to knit. Making doll
clothes, coasters, hats for my pet cat has transformed into my passion of
combining textures and colors into what I call Fancy Nancy Knits. I am lucky to
have a wonderful husband and two sons. A mostly male household does not allow
me much sparkle or glitter. My knitting lets me bling something up. Each item I
knit is adorned with a button, a pin, a flower, something girly. Life gets
busy...but I try to find time to knit. I am still knitting with my grandmother’s
and mother’s needles. What a joy that is! In the evening when I knit my fingers
are busy so I cannot be munching on chips. So please help me put down the chips
and keep knitting!
My grandmother showed me how to knit when I was in 2nd grade-and
the craft has been a passion of mine ever since. I am excited to say this is my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. I love to mix colors and textures and often find colors and
patterns in nature like a bouquet of flowers from the garden.
I came from a crafty family. My family was
always crafting. I do love to try new crafts out even today-but knitting
has remained the one that I continuously go back to. I think it is in my family blood.
When describing my creative process I say it all starts with color. I usually pick colors that match
my mood or desired mood. They might be calming greys or bright pinks. That
is the great thing, my knitting is almost like a meditation. If I need to
be calm -- knitting with some soft fuzzy grey yarn will get me
there.
In five years, I would like to retire from my day job of being a Speech and
Language Pathologist, move Up North in Michigan with my husband and be able to
hike, garden and knit. I add a bit of bling to each of my items because we all need
sparkle. Often my mittens do not match because too much in life has to
match -our gloves do not need to. I hope that people look at my knit
items on their hands, neck or heads and smile!
Meet
Lynne Toensmeyer from Katie's Classic Cookies, LLC...
I
have been the owner of Katie's Classic Cookies, LLC along with my husband, Tom,
for 5 years. I used to be a registered nurse but found it to be a bit too
physically and emotionally exhausting. Since our daughter, Katie, for whom the
company was named, was starting college, Katie's Classic Cookies was created in
2013 in order to pay her tuition. I have been doing this for five years
We
wanted to make a cookie that would be beautiful as well as tasty. We see each
cookie as a little work of art. My mom taught me to love baking and eating chocolate
chip cookies.
Baking and cooking for my family and friends has always been very
rewarding. Baking for a living now satisfies my creative needs and brings
people a lot of happiness. What could be better than that!
Make cookies that stay fresh for more than a couple days, make
them beautiful, and make them tasty. If we follow those steps, everyone
is happy! Hopefully, I will have two children through college and I will have the health
and stamina to continue baking as I do now in the next 5 years.
Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever you do, do it heartily,
as to the Lord, and not unto men. This bible verse sums up how we honor God as
the C.E.O. of Katie's Classic Cookies.
Meet
Lindsay Nichols from Knitted by Nichols...
My name is Lindsay
Nichols. This is the first Avant-Garde Art & Craft show I have ever been in. I find a lot of
inspiration in nature... I also go online and find some patterns and try to put
my own spin on things. I try to think outside the box! I was born without
thumbs, and they moved my index fingers over to make a thumb on both hands. I
could never find any gloves that fit me, so I made my own!
That is where the
crocheting bug started. My friends and family will tell you that I will look at
something that someone is wearing and say, "I could make that." I
then go to my sketch pad and sketch out a pattern. I wish for people to see the
beauty in my work. I wish to inspire people to look at my work and get some
inspiration for themselves. I sell my creations when I can on Etsy. My shop
name is Knitted By Nichols. I hope to grow my shop in the next five years. The
message behind my work is that there is beauty everywhere. You just have to
know where to look!
Meet Lindsay Allen from Katsaymeow...
I’ve spent most of my life as a bartender and have seen a lot. Really, it is the perfect job for a people watcher with a little love affair with sociology. One thing I always saw as a recurring theme is insecurity in women. About their hair and outfit, talking to other women, being alone at a bar. I am that way sometimes, we all are. It would break my heart to hear a women pour their soul out to me about not being good enough, or about how their boyfriend or husband might not find them attractive anymore. If I could wave a wand and make all the women (and men for that matter) magically confident and accepting of differences I would. Seriously, our society would benefit greatly if we didn’t tear each other down emotionally.
If I make one piece of jewelry that makes a women feel beautiful about herself emotionally and physically, I’ve reached a goal. I have struggled with this myself and find that I personally feel more confident when I am rocking a gorgeous pair of earrings! I have always envisioned branching out to more accessories and even into home decor. I love to create and would love to offer more than just jewelry made from my soul. Gift giving is a way you can let someone know your are thinking about them, their wants or needs. You can do this with a card or cookie or a warm, sincere gesture. It is more than a gift to me, it is giving emotional confidence with belief that you have their back. That they could always reach out to you knowing you have love for them. It is tangible.
I am so excited for the future of Katsaymeow! I am always learning new skills and evolving my process to include new techniques. This year I am focused on learning to use a torch and creating rings. My creative process can get a bit scattered, with beads and wire and findings and well everything everywhere! I am really concentrating on having a focused collection and still making my fly-by-my-seat, one of a kind creations. I am inspired still by vintage designs and
ancient techniques that are still used today in modern jewelry making. These practices along with using found, up-cycled, vintage and natural gems and minerals are the cornerstone of my creative process.
This will be my first Avant-Garde Craft and Art Show. I am excited about the experience and meeting wonderful people with the same passion for art and the creative process. Not just the other artists, but the guests that attend as well. We all have humanity in common, as well as a love of art in all forms. Stop by my table and say hi! I also offer a repair service so bring your broken jewelry and I will try to fix it on the spot.
2018 Cincinnati Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
