Shop for Handmade Happiness at the Fairlawn Show!

Meet Gena Fausel from Gena Fausel Designs...
Hi! I'm Gena and I'm a Kentucky native and the first of four children. I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BS in Science, Textiles, and Clothing and a MS in Secondary Education. For most of my career I was a teacher and, after 27 years, I "graduated" finally to my own studio!

My family was big on DIY projects growing up. My mother sewed, so I did too. I started with hand embroidery then just did what I could with whatever I could get my hands on. I made a lot of Barbie Doll clothes!

I have always enjoyed making things, especially decorative pieces, either to wear or simply admire but now, I focus on things a little differently. I began with hats for a variety of occasions. Then, I added jewelry, taking discarded pieces and giving them new life through a pair of earrings, a bracelet, or a necklace. I specifically look for the unusual.

I am inspired by everything in nature and beyond. I really enjoy using funky items that people no longer want. I look at items and ask myself how I could repurpose these things or how I could use them in my art. It's all about the beauty of the objects, not about its function. 

Meet John and Barb Steiner from J+B Woodcrafts...
Hi! We're John and Barb Steiner! We're both retired and really enjoy doing woodworking together as a hobby. 

John worked in a trim molding shop, which gave him access to left over and discarded wood. This opened the door for us to create items and then we began searching for wood to purchase in order to expand these projects.

Both of us have large families, so making personalized gifts for a variety of different occasions, including weddings, birthdays, graduations, and more, over the last 20 years!

Friends of family ask our family members where they got the items we've made for them, opening the door to making our project for those outside of our family. It is very satisfying to bring out the hidden beauty of wood in our projects. 

Meet Dora Acosta from Nancy's Baby Bling Boutique...
Hello! I'm a momma of five little ones, four girls and one boy! I am very artistic and creative, so I decided to put my talents to work and opening my own shop and create all of this! Every piece is not only our own creation, but something incredible that you will cherish!

 I have been doing this for two years now and this will be my first Avant-Garde show! My kids are my inspiration. I have four daughters so you can imagine that buying all of these cute hair accessories was getting pretty expensive!

I have always been very creative and when I started doing this, I realized that I could keep my girls looking cute at a more affordable price, in addition to making some extra money. 

I have always dreamed of opening a boutique. Years ago, I imagined it would be a boutique for adults but now, I think I'd like it to be a children's boutique. The message behind my work is to do what you love.

Meet Barb Hubert from Eagle Wings Art...
Hi! I'm Barb and I am a retired Cat Scan Tech of over four years! When I first retired, I felt lost. I was looking for a purpose and hobby after I retired, and I thought I'd try watercolor because I've always loved that style of painting.

After just one year with a friend and teacher, I took off and now, after only four years, have over 200 original watercolor paintings, plus prints of my paintings and print blank notecards. I have participated in five previous Avant-Garde shows!

I love painting using different mediums including real leaves, salt, saran wrap, and anything else I can use to make my paintings different and unique. I love to experiment!

I am inspired by all of the nature around me and always, always have a painting in progress! I can see a scene as I drive along somewhere and I want to paint it! You will find birds, animals, owls, landscapes, and so much more in my art! I'm putting a lot of work and effort into building my business, as I feel this is one of my purposes and gifts God has given me. 

2016 Summit County Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, November 5, 2016 - 10:00am-5:00pm

St. George's Fellowship Center

3204 Ridgewood Rd.

Fairlawn, OH 44333

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

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It's Almost Showtime, Fairlawn!

Meet Christine Rarric from The Ornate Door...
Hi! My name is Christine Rarric and I am a stay at home mom raising my 2 children. I used to be a speech-language pathologist working in an elementary school setting. I started making and selling wreaths in May of 2015 when I opened my Etsy shop, The Ornate Door. This will be my second Avant-Garde show! 

I got into the craft hobby at an early age, with my mom playing a large part. She crocheted for many years, so I started out doing cross stitch projects. As I got older, I started adding my own touches to pre-made wreaths I found at craft stores. Eventually, my husband suggested that I start making my own and selling them. 

I'm inspired by the seasons, holidays, and other events like sports games, weddings, birth announcements, and more. I've also been inspired by sites like Pinterest and Etsy. Walking down the aisles of craft stores has also provided me with a lot of inspiration, especially the ribbon aisle!

I would describe my creative process as just a matter of thinking about what the customer would be interested in. When you purchase a wreath from me, you are purchasing a quality wreath created entirely by me. A great wreath can be the focal point to any front door or home decor, and I enjoy knowing that I can add something special to someone's home. 

Meet Jessica Pichichero from Create All Crochet....
Hi! I'm Jessica and I have been married to my husband, Mike, for eight years. We have three beautiful little girls ages six, four, and three. I went to school for early childhood and was a nanny for awhile until I had my own children. I love doing new and exciting things with them! I also love bike riding, cooking, and decorating my home. 

I have been crocheting for about two years now, and this will be my first Avant-Garde show! My children are the ones who first inspired me to crochet! Once I started, I realized just how many incredibly cute, fun, and beautiful crochet projects I could create! If I see something I really like, new ideas just start racing through my head and I can't wait to get started!

I have always loved and creating and crafting anything I could! I think it started in high school when I realized just how much I loved crafting in my early childhood classes. As I got older, I started coming up with fun crafts to do around my house. I taught myself how to crochet and caught on very quickly. I fell in love with the new projects I was able to create with my hobby!

When creating my items, I use some ideas I see around me and try to put my own spin on it. Other times, I just create things off the top of my head! The message I hope to send through my work is that anything is possible! If you put your mind to it and work hard, you can accomplish anything while having fun and loving what you do!

Meet Samantha Clark from FABB...
Hi! My name is Samantha and I'm the creator of FABB, fabulous, attractive, bath, bombs! Aside from FABB, which I started in June of this year, I work full time as a dental administrative specialist, am married to my best friend, and have an adorable miniature Schnauzer, Fonzie! This will be my first Avant-Garde Show!

I have always had a passion for creating a product to share with everyone that will provide ultimate relaxation, fun, and an excuse to have "me time" more often! My goal is provide a spa-like environment with this product and I promise that is what you will receive!

My mission is to not promote an "ordinary" bath bomb. The ingredients I have incorporated are not too heavy and won't stain your skin. After you experience the full effect of one of my bath bombs, your skin will feel soft and glow! Not to mention, the ingredients I use reduce stress, tension, and inflammation!

It's such a fun process creating these unique bath bombs. They are never the same! I love to switch things up. In five years, I really see FABB going to new levels. It's only the beginning of this amazing journey for me, and I am along for the ride! 

Meet Rym Berkhaies from Home Spa...
Hi, my name is Rym! I'm a 38-year-old stay at home mom of an 18 month old princess. I am originally from Tunisia, which is in North Africa. This will be my first Avant-Garde show! I'm very eager to be a part of it, but a little nervous as well!

I have always been doing beautiful things like painting on canvas, making shabby chic headbands for my baby, and then I started making facial masks and soaps for myself. It was a hobby I wanted to share with handmade product lovers, as I use high quality, natural ingredients to relax, heal, and nourish the skin.

My soap making hobby turned into a small business and now, I create a variety of products including bath bombs, sugar scrubs, bath salts, and more! I believe I can grow my business because I am so passionate about what I do. 

This hobby makes me feel productive and allows me to not only take care of and pamper myself, but provide an opportunity for others to do the same! All moms should be able to have time for and pamper themselves. My products make great holiday gifts!

2016 Summit County Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, November 5, 2016 - 10:00am-5:00pm

St. George's Fellowship Center

3204 Ridgewood Rd.

Fairlawn, OH 44333

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

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Meet the Fabulous Fairlawn Crafters!

Meet Mark Ash from Relief Carvings and Wood Wizards by Mark Ash...
Hello! I'm Mark Ash and I'm thrilled to be part of the 2016 Fairlawn Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This is my first chance to show my carvings in Fairlawn and it is also a homecoming for me. I grew up south of Akron in Coventry Township, but have been calling the deep woods of Pennsylvania home for over 30 years now.

I took up whittling and carving as a hobby. At first, I just whittled toys for my children. Then, I discovered relief carving. I am self taught, but I soon realized that I had a knack for it as my carvings began selling in craft stores and even in an art gallery in Pittsburgh. 

Almost five years ago, I stopped taking commissions and began carving what is near and dear to my heart, wildlife! I love studying wildlife and am always looking for that perfect photo to bring to life on the board. I do all of my carvings by hand, no machinery involved, and I never duplicate my carvings! The goal behind my work is to get the audience to recognize the truly magnificent wildlife we have on this planet. 

Meet Todd Hiney from Custom Pet Portraits by Toddy Hiney...
I'm a 43-year old artist residing in Aurora, Ohio, who is happily married and the father of two incredible children. I've been drawing and painting since I was a little kid, it's something that came very naturally to me. Professionally, I have just started my business venture of painting and drawing pets. This will be my first Avant-Garde show!

Being able to express myself and produce artwork that brings me contentment is one of my largest inspirations to create. I find the entire creative process to be therapeutic and enlightening. And, as a father, it's important for me to show my kids that you can express yourself in a variety of different ways. It's been fun to watch them become more interested in what I do and want to share in painting and drawing. 

I want people to respond in a positive way when they see my work. I want them to appreciate the beauty of the subject matter and understand that all animals deserve our respect, love, and protection. 

Meet Dorothy and Maryann from Touch of Mink, Designs in Clay...
Hi! We're Dorothy and Maryann! We're sisters who are the proprietors of Touch of Mink, Designs in Clay. We started doing shows 13 years ago and had so much fun making and selling our products that we haven't stopped! We do hand built and slab pottery, which gives us more flexibility and creativity in the pieces we produce. This is our first Avant-Garde show!

 Dorothy is a self-taught artist who enjoys traditional art mixed with whimsical fantasy. A life long collector of old things, she likes to mix those items in with new pieces. Through her art, she enjoys bringing a little joy and humorous fun into people's lives.

Maryann took some classes in art and likes to look at many different art mediums, not just pottery, which helps her create many different kinds of pieces. Her goal is to build function but fun pieces of art that are unique in style and color, ensuring no two pieces will ever be alike. 

Meet Helaina DePace from Treasured Ink...
My name is Helaina and I'm a wife to a wonderful husband, hair stylist of 8 (almost 9) years, and a volunteer at a non-profit youth ministry, where I work with and mentor at risk youth. I have been creating cards and other paper crafts for a little under 2 years now and this will be my second Avant-Garde show!

I have kept every card that I have ever received, as they hold such fond memories of people, holidays, accomplishments, and more. I cherish those memories and believe others feel the same, so I wanted to be a part of those memories! I draw inspiration from everything and anything but most of my inspiration comes from my love for people. I am a firm believer in encouraging others, and what better way to do that than with a hand-crafted card?

The hope of being a part of a memorable occasion for someone is the motivation that drives my work. My cards have been a first Mother's Day card for a mom who was not supposed to be able to have children, a first anniversary card for a newly married couple, and an anniversary card for a couple married for a decade. There have been so many other awesome occasions I have been able to be a part of. I want my cards to create smiles, joy, and memories to those who receive them.

2016 Summit County Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, November 5, 2016 - 10:00am-5:00pm

St. George's Fellowship Center

3204 Ridgewood Rd.

Fairlawn, OH 44333

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM