Meet Sandi Smith from Ductape Wallet Co...
The art you see me offering for sale is created by members of my entire family, my husband, children, aunt and mother are all artists working together to bring customers a variety of unique items. I have been making Ductape wallets for nearly 20 years, and have been vending artisan events for about 10.
For me, inspiration is all around, from the color of a sunset to a new printed duck tape, to a special request from a customer. I started making things to make ends meet while my children were very young so I could stay home to raise them, then they started making things and now its a full time job.
I have always been good at making a mess, so I guess I discovered my talent when I decided to practice working with duck tape, and then I 've branched out into other areas as something caught my attention as something I wanted to learn how to do, like knitting.
My creative process varys depending on what i'm working on, but I usually mix things up, I'll work on one thing for a few days, then switch to something else so I dont get burned out doing the same thing over and over.
I hope in 5 years I have a lot more returning customers seeking my products, and an even bigger online presence where custom orders can be filled. The message in my work is FAMILY FIRST! If my family didn't believe in me, if we didn't work together we would not have the unique high quality things we have to offer!
Ductape Wallet Co. and Pegahorn Forest Alpacas is SO MUCH MORE than just duck tape and knitting, we offer one of a kind upcycled tee shirts, fairy hair ponytail hair accessories, photography, alpaca bracelets, and are always open to working on a custom order for someone. A link to my facebook page that has photo albums of wallets, alpaca ware, white washed wings and more would be a great thing to add.
Meet Melissa Hunter and Tina Placko from Six Cats, Two Hooks...
Silly name, huh? Six Cats, Two Hooks? Funny name. We thought so, too. My name is Melissa Hunter and I am one of the owners of Six Cats, Two Hooks along with my co-creationist Tina Placko. We wanted a business name that would be hard to forget, something people would remember. We get a lot of questions and comments regarding our name. Six Cats, Two Hooks.
So, where does this story begin? About twenty years ago. Yep, that’s when I first met my co-creator, Tina. Our boys grew up together…both now grown with children of their own. So that makes us grandparents. Wow. Young grandparents. We are creative, talented, inspired by others (thanks, Kat!), and wanting to make a difference. Leaving less of a footprint behind. Reduce, reuse, recycle or upcycle in our case.
Our adventure in sweaters began about four years ago creating “coats” from sweaters. From a simple photograph and basic instructions and we were hooked. Creating unique, wearable pieces. The coats we created also started to become other items we simply designed. All one of a kind pieces…scarves, ponchos, arm warmers and mittens, blankets and throws. All material selected is recycled or “upcycled” from quality materials such as wool, including merino and lambswool, alpaca and cashmere, cotton and some vintage items. All fabrics used are carefully washed and preshrunk by a process called felting. Materials are then disassembled and carefully inspected and turned into unique one of a kind pieces using an industrial serger giving each item a “patchwork” look with seams on the “outside”.
Over the last four years we have participated in a number of juried art and craft shows in Northeastern Ohio such as Christmas in the Woods, The Butler Holiday Art & Craft Show, The Village Peddler, Hale Farm and a few others. This is our first show with Avante-Garde and we are looking forward to it. We have created beautiful new items with this unique process which we are excited to share with everyone at this years show.
You can find us at: www.facebook.com/sixcatstwohooks or email us at: sixcatstwohooks@gmail.com.
Meet Jeanne Petrous-Rivera from Red Lotus Foods LLC...
My background includes 15 years in the hospitality industry, 10 years teaching English as a Second Language both in the US and abroad, and a very short stint as an RN. It seemed to me that becoming an entrepreneur was the next logical step in my journey. I spent a lot of time in my twenties and thirties traveling internationally and moving around quite a bit. I've been back in CLE for fifteen years and am so happy living close to the lake (Edgewater Park). I walk to the water's edge at least a few times a week, all year round. My business partner is my husband, Alejandro Rivera, and our assistant is Flaco, an Italian Doxie that we rescued from the Cleveland Kennel. We launched in May 2014
What inspires me.. My inspiration is to offer people a delicious dairy alternative that doesn't make them feel like they are depriving themselves of anything by not consuming dairy products.
How I got into my craft.. Being vegan and knowing that it can be very difficult for people to give up cheese, whether it be for health reasons, ethical reasons, or whatever. There are simply not enough delicious dairy alternatives available to make it easy for people to find one that really satisfies their craving.
How I discovered my talent.. I learned to cook with my mom and by working in restaurants for 15 years (as a server/bartender, so it was mostly just by watching), also with cookbooks. The product that we make requires a multi-step process which takes several days to complete. After talking to many people who have tried to ferment cashews or other nuts with disastrous (and inedible!) results, I found that I have the knack for it and my products are really quite delicious. The fermentation lends a quality that you just can't get with vinegar or lemon juice.
My creative process.. I'm usually led by what people are craving, what they feel is missing in their lives. Our newest product, Spicy Chipotle Sour & Creamy Topping, is a version of our plain Sour & Creamy with a smoky kick. People love it!
Our five year goal... We plan to be distributing on a national level.
The message behind our work is it's easy to live in line with your values and not feel like you are giving anything up!
Meet Amy Campbell from Amy's Beauty Jams..
Amy's Beauty Jams is a new Akron business run by a mother-daughter team. When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2012 I began to re-evaluate my lifestyle, which was full of hidden toxins. While my family and I had tried to live a relatively natural life, upon further inspection I realized that many of the "green" commercial products we were using were still contributing to the toxins in our home. Many of them were hiding in our personal care products. This is when my family and I began our journey to completely natural living.
I have been making natural products for my friends and family since around 2012 when I began eliminating toxins from my home. Due to demand, in August of 2015 my daughter and I began building a business. We have just began our journey into craft shows just in time for the Christmas season! We have done just a few others, but this will be our first Avant-Garde show and we look forward to more.
We are passionate about spreading clean, natural living to our community. Eliminating commercial toxic products from your life is a big step. There are a lot of adjustments to make, however, I am trying to bring healthy products to those around us without sacrificing on quality and luxury. Our products allow you to pamper yourself with a quality, spa-like lavishness without the harmful chemicals and preservatives. I want to make the transition to natural life simpler and prettier than you would expect it to be. Natural living has the potential to improve the lives of those who try and I want to help.
How I got started.. I had been making the natural products for my friends since I began making them for my family. The demand grew and grew as they told their friends. I attempted to teach them how to make their products themselves, but everyone insisted on getting them from me!
My creative process mostly begins with a need. Does a well-priced, natural alternative exist? When I decide that there is a need for a product, I first turn to my study of essential oils. I have studied with Aromahead Institute along with my own individual study. I continue to study essential oils as they are an essential part of our products. While essential oils do the "working" in our products they are also an art. It takes time and patience to find a blend of oils that is not only functional but also entices and delights the senses. I then take time to find and appropriate medium for the products, be it oils, clays, sugars or soaps. The last step is making something beautiful, swirling micas, charcoals and algae to create appealing designs. I believe anything you use should bring you joy in both form and function!
My five year plan... I hope to expand to past a hobby into a full-blown business. I want to be the kind of company that has moral goals as well as financial. Being a working mother for most of my life, it is precious to me to have the opportunity to create a company that can employ other mothers in a way that supports motherhood. I hope to have a company that uplifts mothers and young children and inspires them to be all they can be.
There is complex message behind what we do. On the surface, it is about health and quality. Behind that, there are deeply important values we hope bring to the world. We want everyone and anyone to feel beautiful as their completely natural selves. Beauty is not about appearance, it is a state of mind and everyone has a right to it. Having the opportunity to build a business from the ground up allows us to instill the values which are important to us. That means everything.
2015 Fairlawn Winterl Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
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