Natural Elements Make the Best Crafts!

Meet Jim Steiner...
I'm a retired city employee and have done woodworking and remodeling since the '70s. My wood turning was an off and on thing until I retired 8 years ago when I got more serious about it. 

Having accumulated a good many turnings, I decided I would "test the waters" and sell some of my work. This show will be my first attempt to do so.

  

The creativity of wood turning and bringing out the natural beauty of a piece of wood is what makes the hobby so enjoyable. Sometimes I put a piece of wood on the lathe and start cutting with a shape in mind but change it as I see a different shape emerging and end up with something quite different. 

I never thought of my work as having a message, I just want to bring out the beauty of wood's color and grain patterns.

Meet Shana Ericson of 1Love Candles, LLC...
Hi, my name is Shana, and I am the creator of 1Love Candles LLC! I live in Chardon, Ohio with my boyfriend and two daughters, who are the light of my life! We have two fur babies-one is a Dalmatian, and a champion show dog! In our family, we believe in living an environmentally conscious lifestyle, helping the earth, so it can help us.

I have been making candles as a hobby for years, and about 6 months ago I decided to create a business! This is my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft show, and I am extremely excited about it! We plan on doing more of them in the near future! 

As a crafter, I have always been drawn to the idea of creating light. Candles bring light to the dark, and to me that is an amazing and beautiful creation.

I have always loved candles, especially intense-scented candles! I started creating candles as a hobby, being something that could satisfy the creativity craving in my life. Being an environmentalist, I noticed a lot of left over wax being wasted, thrown into the landfill. I had an idea to recycle the leftover wax, and create new, beautifully scented candles of my own. We use hemp wicks, which are said to be the most eco-friendly, cleanest wick out there. We also use recycled packaging. Making candles is something that my daughters and I can do together. They help me weigh all of the wax and package the candles.

Currently, I make chunk candles. To make these candles, I put chunks of wax in either a jar or mold, and I pour white wax over them, creating a unique look and allowing the chunks of wax to provide a wonderful scent throw! I love lighting a candle and being taken to a special place within the scent!
In 5 years, I see myself making more candles than ever before, sharing my wonderful scents with as many people as possible!

The message behind my work is, sometimes this world can be a dark place, so by lighting candles, we not only bring light to the dark, but we also can remember loved ones, celebrate births, and celebrate peace and wholeness. Lighting candles provide an unlimited amount of meaning, and to me that is more beautiful than words can say. “I don’t make the candles, the candles make me.”

Visit our website for more information www.1lovecandles.com 

Meet Tracey Hlucky of Redesign on a Dime...
Science has a theory that a person is more geared towards the right brain or the left brain…right brain being related to science and logic, and left brain to creativity and artistic ability. So, do you have to be one or the other? No way!

With a degree in Biology/Chemistry, my right brain runs my daytime life with a successful career in the medical field. But my left brain gave me the inspiration to start my business, Redesign on a Dime. What started as an interior decorating business in 2010 has blossomed into a full line of custom-made home accessories.  

Over the years, I have helped people transform their spaces with wall treatments, one-of-a-kind furniture restorations, and finding that one unique accessory that will inspire the décor of an entire room. I hope that my jewelry organizers, memo boards, and hand-painted accessories will be that distinctive piece that will make your space shine. 

I have been interested in interior design for as long as I can remember. Instead of just playing with my Barbie dolls like most girls, I redecorated her townhouse every week! This will be my first Avant-Garde Arts & Craft Show, and I couldn’t be more excited! 

I’m inspired by everything around me, but I must admit that I’m a true HGTV and DIY Network junkie! I love trying to recreate what I’ve seen on home improvement shows, magazines, or from items displayed in home stores. 

Growing up as the daughter of an artist, it was a bit discouraging that I couldn’t even draw a decent stick figure. But, as I got older, I realized that my creative talent just came in a different form. I have a unique eye for color, space planning and design that I’ve used in my own home to create a comfortable space that tells you exactly who I am when you walk through the door.

 My creative process is very meticulous (there’s that right brain again)! Once I get an idea in my head, I can’t sleep until I get it out there and completed. I love seeing the finished product of something I’ve created. But, most of all, I love the excitement I see in my clients when I make their vision come to life!  

I would love to make this my full-time business and eventually open a small shop here in Akron. My dream is to combine my living and working spaces so that my clients feel right at home when they come to me to create their custom home accessories or redesign their space. 

It just takes one special item to inspire the décor of an entire room. Your goal in decorating should not be to make your space look exactly like someone else’s, but to make it uniquely YOU!

2012 Summit County Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, April 28, 2013, 11:00am-5:00pm

The Tangier

532 West Market St.

Akron, OH 44303

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

Visit us on:

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Charming Accessories for Hair and Home!

Meet Laura McGuinness of Laura McGuinness Designs...

I am a psychologist who specializes in jewelry. I worked as a school psychologist for several years until I had my daughters and decided to stay at home with them. At that point I was heavily into rubber stamping and made all my own cards, invitations, and thank-you notes. One of my cards was featured in a national stamping magazine, RubberStampMadness. I started making pins with artist-grade shrink plastic, and one of them needed beads for her hair. I went to a bead store, and immediately forgot all about paper and plastics.

I have participated in two Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows. One in Westlake in July 2012 and Akron in 2012. The Akron show was my highest one-day total to date! Thanks for the love, Akron! The Akron show in April 2013 will be my third AG show. Becki calls me one of her “veterans.”

I am inspired by texture, architecture, color, nature, and sometimes just playing with my supplies. It sounds weird, but if I hit a wall while designing, I’ll clean the studio. I often unearth stones I haven’t seen in a while, and even if I don’t come up with any new designs, at least the studio is clean!

Sometimes I see a texture or a color and it sparks an idea-I have to sketch it right away. While shopping for beads and stones, I often will see a stone and know immediately what I’ll do with it. Sometimes I buy the beads/stones, and they sit for quite a while until I figure out how to use them. This year I am focusing more on playing in the studio. It is a great low-pressure way to come up with ideas, but the studio is a MESS when I’m done!

My Etsy site is http://lauramcgdesigns.etsy.com. My jewelry is currently available at Sage Sisters in Grandview Heights, OH (near Columbus). My Facebook page is Laura McGuinness Designs, and I'm on Twitter at @lauramcgdesigns.

Meet Kaytee Rose of Kaytee Rose Collection...

My name is Katherine Rose Lipstreu; for short you can call me Kaytee Rose. I was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. I’ve always been interested in various forms of artistic expression and have been told that I have an eye for beauty and color. I create handcrafted hair accessories for any occasion using jewels, fabric, and flowers. 

I have been crafting these “Charming Little Treasures” since August of 2012. When people ask me what my fascination is with hair accessories, I always tell them that it started when I was very young. Almost every picture I have of myself from when I was younger I have a bow, headband or clip in my hair. My mom would always put some type of accessory in my hair!  

I just started to become very serious about sharing my hair accessories with others in January when my dad Bill started asking me when I would start selling some of the growing collection that was starting to take over the house. Most days, you can either find me at my full time job in at a major hotel in Downtown Cleveland, or in my studio in my home. I LOVE creating the Kaytee Rose Collection!

My family is a big part of my business. Whether it is my grandparents cutting my business cards and setting up my merchandise bags, to my sister being my hair model and setting up my finances, to my mom and dad marketing my art to their friends and co-workers, everyone is in on the fun! 

My mom, Karen is my partner in crime. She helps me with everything from going shopping for materials to organizing and keeping track of inventory. You can meet both Karen and I at three Avant-Garde Craft Shows this year. I am very excited to be able to be a part of these shows and share my work with everyone. I would also like to participate in home shows this year, so if you are interested you can contact me. If you would like to see some of my work you can go to facebook.com/kayteerosecollection or follow me on Instagram @Kayteerosecollection.

Meet Jennifer Witthuhn of Mosquito Creek Candles...

My name is Jennifer Witthuhn and I am a mother to a wonderful two year old son and loving wife. I created Mosquito Creek Candles with the help of my husband in the basement of our home in Northeast Ohio. We have been creating since October 2012. This is my first show and I am very excited.

I love being crafty. I have been scrapbooking for about seven years and always wanted to do something on a bigger scale. Doing something that I can share with everyone makes me feel good as well as creating a product that is high quality at a reasonable price. My aunt got me into scrapbooking when I lived with her and I haven’t stopped since. 

I was also looking for something that I could experiment with on a small and cost effective scale and candle making fit that very well. I try to keep a precise system when I am pouring candles. I like a clean and neat work area so I can think clearly. I take the extra time before a pour to make sure my work area is clean. I feel I can be more creative when I have a clear mind.

My goal in fiver years is to be in as many craft/hobby/small business stores as I possibly can, and working the craft fair market monthly or at least bi-monthly. I would love to be forced to hire a few employees and possibly have a brick and mortar store site that has a big work space. I dream of the day where I am ordering wax by the pallet. I want to be able provide a high quality product at a reasonable price. I want to fill my customer’s home with a fragrance they remember as well as create new memories for their family. We triple scent all of our candles and use only the highest quality waxes, wicks, and fragrances. Our desire is to craft the best smelling candle at the most reasonable price.

2012 Summit County Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, April 28, 2013, 11:00am-5:00pm

The Tangier

532 West Market St.

Akron, OH 44303

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN