Meet Nick Hardin of Hardin's Family Gardens...
Hi, my name is Nick and I founded Hardin’s Family Gardens. I have a beautiful wife and four beautiful children (two girls 8&7, two boys 5&3). We live in a little town called Wadsworth.
I have always had a passion for plants ever since working for Hirt’s Greenhouse in my early 20’s and stuck with it ever since. We specialize mainly in Live air plants and unique plants you cannot find in big box stores selling mainly online.
We combine air plants and crystals to create a unique center piece or gift while purifying the air and mind. We also strive to make people happy and excited with the work we put in and enjoy creating for you! This is our first year as a vendor attending different events and shows to showcase our awesome ideas.
Meet Kimberly Richling of The 3 Divas...
We started The 3 Divas because we are all moms of teenagers that needed a creative outlet. On top of parenthood, we hold down full-time administrative jobs. Our jobs sadly do not fulfill our creative flair so our business venture helps to feed that need. We are a fledgling company. We have been in business only 6 months, though spent the early part of the year working on the concept. This will be our third event with Avant-Garde and have one more booked this year.
The 3 Divas started out at our local camp ground. We have been camping there for close to twelve years and our children have grown up together. Over the years we have experimented with fun activities for the children – face painting, rock painting, pallet painting, Halloween costumes etc. However, as the children got older we changed to more adult pursuits. A gift from my Aunt set in motion a chain reaction that led to us creating tree charms for each other and we expanded out from there.
Individually we are all talented and hardworking, though sadly in less than artistic jobs. Kim draws and paints, Cynthia is a food artist, and I am a DIY enthusiast😊. The attention to detail and the desire to bring beauty in all its forms to others is what drives us.
Light is our biggest inspiration to create! We love to work with reflective pieces, crystals, glass, metal, and mirrors that draw your eyes to our pieces even when you are not looking directly at them. Our clients come back and tell us the joy the charms bring them on a daily basis and this motivates to find new forms for these light reflectors.
Originally, our creative process would start with a glass of wine and then good company, now we are a little more disciplined – wine comes at the end of the day! It is still a collaborative process. We each have our own unique style but we have set principles and QC for each piece so we can ensure they are all top quality no matter which of us create them.
We are looking to balance our Show presence in the spring/summer/fall to build our brand awareness and cement our client base with a solid online presence to ensure a steady flow of orders year round. Early retirement from our Admin jobs would be the ultimate goal!
We hope to share the message behind our work which is that we all need to stop and breathe through the day to calm our nerves! – our charms catch your eye and cause this little “stop” - Take a little moment in every day to appreciate the light and beauty around us – breathe it in, smile and lift your spirits.
Meet Ali Marie of Everyday Limes...
I am an interior design, crafter/maker and blogger. I have had some form of Etsy shop since almost the beginning of Etsy. My previous shop/blog was called ANiemanDesign. I have been crocheting since I was about 10-11 years old approximately, but as a side hustle, I started an Etsy shop in college back in 2006. This will only be my second Avant-Garde show. Life and my full time job have prevented me from doing more. I hope to change that now.
My mom and step-grandmother were the ones who got me into this craft hobby. My mom was always crafting. My step-grandmother was the one who taught me to crochet first on my fingers. Every time I see something in a new design magazine or on a fashion blog, I always wonder... can I make that? Then I try it! Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. I realized I had a talent when I started making things for people as gifts and they loved them.
My creative process does not usually come swiftly. Sometimes I go through Pinterest, magazines, etc to get inspiration and then craft a pattern, usually by trial and error. I find being a creative person takes a lot of trial and error. In 5 years I would like to actually have my own store. The vision I have for Everyday Limes is to branch out into more than just crocheted items, but into a home design, fashion and gift shop with all sorts of vintage and handmade items.
I would like my customers to know that I am very into a sustainable way of living. I try to use everything that I can with my projects, from the scraps of yarn for yarn wreaths and pillow stuffing, to recycled packaging. Eventually I hope to branch out to more sustainable, recycled products.
2019 Fairlawn Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, November 2, 2019
10:00AM-5:00PM
St. George's Fellowship Centre
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, at Becki@ag-shows.com
