It's Show Weekend!

Meet Kelly Kozlowski from WarblerGirl Bags...
I'm a married mother of a young son, living in Geauga County. I currently work full time in sales. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Media Technology and a Master of Science degree in Biology. I am an avid birdwatcher, which is often evident in my handcrafted items.

I've been sewing for over 25 years, since I was a teenager. I've sewn clothing, drapery, pillows, placemats, and more Halloween costumes than I can remember for my nieces, nephews, and my son.

I found bag making and started sewing them two years ago. Now, there is never a time I don't have a bag in progress. It's a wonderful outlet for me because a bag is a short-term project, only requiring three to five hours in my often interrupted daily life!

I have recently invested in two industrial machines, one to handle fabric layers and the other to sew leather. I love mixing and matching the colors, prints, pattern, and textures of the leathers and fabrics. 

Meet Emily Mueller from Mueller Honey Bee...
Mueller Honey Bee started in 2013 with the purpose of saving the bees. We learned that there aren't any companies local to Ohio with the ability to cut honey bees from structures they have inhabited. Our goal was to save the bees and also help people remove large colonies they have been dealing with for many years. All the honey purchased from our business is to help us buy more equipment and save more bees.

Our business started in 2013 with a simple swarm removal in Hartville, Ohio, but the following year we increased to 20 hives. Every year we grow a little, breed our genetics, and help local beekeepers increase their populations. 

Saving bees means we are saving out future. One out of every three bites of food we ingest at every meal is possible due to honey bees. If we do not increase our populations, we will continue to risk our food supply and the cost of living will continue to increase. 

We hope to eventually supply a large number of honey bee colonies to other beekeepers with Ohio winter surviving genetics. We also hope to eventually have a store front where people can buy various products like our raw honey, bee bread, and propolis items. Save the bees!

Meet Jerica Hoffman from Jerica's Jems...
My profession is physical therapy, but I have loved making beaded jewelry for most of my life. I am married, have three dogs, and live in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. This will be my first Avant-Garde show!

I first learned at the age of eight how to make Native American beaded earrings from an elder woman at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. I was hooked and made my mom buy me beads, and my addiction grew from there.

I get inspiration from current and recent trends in fashion jewelry, but I also pull from nature and classic timeless styles that will never go out of style. I love color and mixing different colors and styles. Sometimes it starts with just one bead and builds from there. 

I have always needed some sort of creative outlet in my life and have taken many art classes, but I have always loved everything about jewelry. So having the chance to learn the traditional beading of the Native Americans got me interested in the culture and beautiful things they create, as well as how they find their inspiration.

2016 Chagrin Falls Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, December 10th and 11th, 2016

Saturday - 10:00am-5:00pm

Sunday- 11:00am-5:00pm

Federated Church Family Life Center

16349 Chillicothe Rd.

Chagrin Falls, OH 44023

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

Visit us on:

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It's Chagrin Falls Show Time!

Meet Alex Ahren from You Bath & Body...
Well… My mother thinks I’m an exciting, interesting person. That should say it all. But allow me to indulge. I’m mildly good at a lot of things. Below, you will find proof of that last statement. Ex-B Average Student, Kindergarten through 12th Grade - won multiple coloring contests during this period. Ex-Pizza Topper & Order Taker Ex-Professional Ballroom Dancer - closet full of trophies. Need I say more. Ex-Cocktail Waitress Ex-Gigging Singer Songwriter Ex-Used Book Seller Ex-Talent Rep in LA Ex-Golf Bar Cart Beer Slinger Ex-Floor Scrubber Ex-Furniture Flipper Ex-Construction Worker (believe it!) Ex-Etsy Jewelry Maker (currently selling said made jewelry) Current - AMAZING All Natural, Luxury, Artisan, Vegan SOAP CREATOR and SELLER!

In addition to the above: - Vegan/Once a Year Cheese Eater - Wife/Girlfriend/Fiance to AMAZING Husband/Boyfriend/Fiance - It’s hard to explain. - I cry at everything. Mostly the good stuff. - My friends called me Alex, Al or affectionately Bunny(only my husband calls me this. Might have something to do with the size of my teeth). My family calls me Judge, Jahdge or Ja Ja. Nickname as a child. It stuck. Feel free to call me any of the above. - I LOVE nature, the seasons and holidays. I’m like Martha Stewart except I don’t bake, or build birdhouses. Nor do I throw amazing chic parties and decorate my front door with wreaths handmade out of Horsehair and Modge Podge. And I dress everyday in one of my hubby’s dirty, old button up shirts, soap splatters and all. Sweat pants. Sweats are an everyday, all day thing. Don’t do the makeup thing either. Nor do I own a home in Maine. Other than that, I’m just like her. - I am the greatest, unsalted, vegan soup maker anywhere on the planet. - I have self administered a coffee enema. - We don’t have children.. Yet… but we do have stuffed bears that we talk to… and who talk back. They can be quite ornery at times. - My 21st Great Grandfather is Sir Edmund “Lord Justice” Anderson (1530-1605). Sat as a Judge at the trial of Mary Queen of Scots. - I can’t bend my thumb without bending the rest of my fingers. And I think we’ll leave it at that.

It wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that I made my first loaf of all natural cold processed soap. I was hooked, testing my creations on willing family and friends. And when they began to report back to me with wonderful stories of the benefits they were receiving, I thought maybe this could be my way to impart a little bit of happiness, health and luxury onto the world.

I am very excited to report that this will be my first ever Avant-Garde Show. And when I mentioned to my mother that it would be in Chagrin Falls, she said “Oh my goodness, that’s where Ed Asner filmed The Gathering. It is such a charming little town”. She’ll be there with me, taking orders and packaging soap up. Thanks Ma! Side note: I have never seen The Gathering.

How I got started? That’s a great question. It’s in the genes I guess. The arts run in the family. Actors and musicians, artist and writers and dancers. I would probably say I’m equally left brained and right brained though. Soap, I think, is a combination of the two. I can’t get so free spirited where I deviate from the recipe. Otherwise, I’d have soupy mess on my hands, but I’m able to get creative within the boundary of what the science of it will allow. In some cases, it means you must be more creative in order to get what you want when certain restrictions are put on you. I like that.

Before soap and body scrubs, I spent the first 8 years after high school competing professionally in Ballroom Dance; traveling and dressing up in fancy costumes. Spray tans are a must! And because I was always active, I was never aware of the havoc I was wreaking on the inside of my body. Up at 4am applying fake eyelashes and doing whatever I could to drastically change the color of my skin from pasty white to orangy brown. Working off of 3 hours of sleep, I’d down a Red Bull before the sun came up, after I’d already had my coffee. My partners and I were not the most health conscious of people. Our lunch usually consisted of some sort of vending machine slop and of course another Red Bull. It was years later that the stress of it all began to catch up. At age 29, my health had seriously declined. I could no longer climb a flight of stairs without needing to take a break halfway up. My blood pressure was off the charts. I would get heart palpitations, headaches and would go through grueling bouts of depression. I was not overweight, but my body could have cared less. It was letting me know the damage I had done to it. “I was too young” I told myself, to be having problems like these. I desperately needed a solution and I found one. 

After searching the internet, I came across a documentary called Forks Over Knives. Along with my husband’s support (who happens to be a chef), we watched it, and we both agreed to a date we would eat our last piece of meat. After beginning this vegan journey, within two weeks I began to see significant improvement and within two months, all of my aches, pains and worries had dissipated. I was a brand new person. My attitude had changed, my creativity flourished, my enthusiasm and excitement for life was off the charts, and I’ve never gone back. Eh… well… to be honest, we have cheese about once a year. It’s a big to-do in my house, like Christmas or the Superbowl. What does this have to do with Soap you might ask? After I started to become conscious about the things I was putting in my body, I was able to see the effects of the products I was putting on the outside of my body. The store bought, chemical laced, lotions, soaps and shampoos were next on my list to kick to the curb. It wasn’t until years later that I began making my own soap and it has been a great discovery for me, both in health and in creativity.

I did not seek out a hobby or craft to fill my free time. I have plenty of those. This was almost out of necessity. And now they are created out of love. 6. How did you discover your talent Which one? HA! Just kidding. But not really. Um… I think I knew I had a knack for making cold process soap when I tested my first recipe, it came out beautifully and I fell in love with it. Not Drying. Velvety to the touch and lasting. Yep. I make some pretty killer soap.

My creative process is a bit experimental I would say. I create the essential oil blends myself, which after they have cured with the soap can often times come out slightly different than what you had imagined. That’s part of the fun. But I rarely deviate from my plant oil ratios. Where I get to have some fun is in the coloring and the scents. All natural of course. My absolute favorite part of the soap making process is slicing each individual bar. It’s almost like slicing through a marble cake. You really don’t know what design you’ve created until you cut through it. I also design and create the packaging myself using a process called eco print in which I boil leaves, twigs and flowers with paper and voila! Beautiful packaging. Although the soap is the main attraction, I take just as much time in creating what I wrap around the soap as I do the actual soap itself. I love the idea that I can take something as utilitarian as a bar of soap and turn it into a luxury work of art. Nothing will make you feel more like a million bucks than a luxury item that’s original purpose and creation was out of necessity.

Where do I see myself in 5 years with your business? I would absolutely love to see my products in multiple boutiques and stores. One of the more charming aspects of any crafters work is that it’s handmade. It’s what makes it so valuable and appreciated. I would never want to lose that. So the sky’s the limit, even if I have to be pouring unsaponified soap batter into bathtub size molds in order to keep up with the demand, I will always try to keep the brand, You Bath & Beauty, artisan and hand crafted. Unless someone offers me a big pile of money. Bags and bags of money. Then I may reconsider. Just saying. 9. What is the message behind your work? You. That is the message. Take time for YOU. Take care of YOU. Pamper YOU. Love YOU. Spend a little time everyday doing what YOU love until you are overflowing with so much love and gratitude that it spills over into other people’s lives. That is the message. That is my message.

Meet Brandi Holowecky from Beach Glass Art by Brandi...
I am a college student who has a passion of searching for beach glass on the shores of Lake Erie and making beautiful pieces of art out of it. I have been making and selling beach glass art for a little over two years.

I am inspired by the simple things in life. It amazes me how these simple pieces of beach glass can make such unique and beautiful pieces of art.

My hobby of searching for beach glass has grown into also making things from it. I used to just find the beach glass and keep it in a jar, but then I decided I should do something with the pieces that other people could enjoy. It is interesting when looking at my art to see all of the different shapes, sizes, and words that may be still on the glass. It is thought-provoking in the fact that this glass could have been dropped in to lake from hundreds of miles away.

I discovered my talent by testing out different methods and seeing what was the best. It took about 2 months to find the most effective way to make successful pieces of art. Since I initially started, I have grown from just making framed art to now making beach glass soap and ornaments. View more of my work at: https://www.facebook.com/beachglassart.

Meet Lindsey Germovsek from Lindsey's Laces...

My name is Lindsey and I am the owner and designer for Lindsey’s Laces. I live in Mayfield Heights, Ohio with my amazing boyfriend and my cat. This is my first Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show and I cannot be more excited!

Lindsey's Laces is a specialty store that handcrafts unique and cute dessert inspired jewelry and accessories from polymer clay. Polymer clay is a type of modeling clay that after it is sculpted, it is put in the oven to harden and cure. There are many types of polymer clay, but the ones I work with are FIMO and Sculpey.

I first started crafting my jewelry in December 2014. Just this year I added my exclusive handcrafted miniature cupcake ornaments to my online store. My inspiration for my jewelry comes from desserts, pastel and vibrant colors, and Japanese styles. I make jewelry that stands out and lets the person wearing it feel unique!

In five years I hope to grow my business more online and be able to wholesale my handmade jewelry to boutiques.

2016 Chagrin Falls Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, December 10th and 11th, 2016

Saturday - 10:00am-5:00pm

Sunday- 11:00am-5:00pm

Federated Church Family Life Center

16349 Chillicothe Rd.

Chagrin Falls, OH 44023

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

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

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Creative Creations in Chagrin Falls

Meet Wendy Narad from O.M.G. I Gotta Have That!...

Hi! I'm Wendy, and my sister-in-law and I are behind O.M.G. I Gotta Have That! We've been sisters-in-law for over 20 years now. We both have full time employment, but our dream is to have our own art gallery and create art full time! We've been doing our art pieces and table line together for two years now.

We started creating art together as a form of stress-relief and for fun. Much to our delight, others loved our work and began buying it! So, we were inspired to continue creating and sharing our creations with others. 

We discovered our talent when we were gardening and decided to make a bird's nest out of normal metal plant hangers. We turned every day boring metal baskets into beautiful, unique plant hangers. Once we got inspired, we kept coming up with more and more ideas together. 

We love finding random items and figuring out how to give them a new purpose. We may see something that is a complete "nothing" and create something awesome! Even in the old and sometimes seemingly useless, there is a hidden and unexpected treasure waiting to be discovered.

Meet Rosanne from RSquared Limited Edition...

Hi! I'm Rosanne and I'm a long-time Cleveland area resident. I'm married with two grown children and I'm a banker by day and beader/crafter by night! I'm loving life! I have been seriously beading for about five years and this will be my third Avant-Garde show!

I've been crafting since I was a small child. I remember making Christmas ornaments when I was young, my mom still uses them on her tree! My dad always bought me all sorts of craft kits, which I used to teach myself a variety of crafts. Many of those skills still come in handy with the different jewelry techniques I use today. 

I'm inspired by everything around me. I'm kind of eclectic in my jewelry making. Today I might be into leather or paracord and tomorrow resin or crocheting. I come up with an idea, gather the materials, and then make adjustments until the piece fits my vision. Combining color theory with breaking the rules seems to be a good way to describe my process!

My message is that anything is possible; have fun with it. One of my favorite things is making custom pieces for people. You really get to be creative for that person, providing a unique opportunity to be inspired by another person. I have broad interests and I try all sorts of things regularly. I don't like to stick to one technique so my work varies.

Meet Megan Gunter from Go To Cookie...

Hi! I'm Megan and I'm the owner of Go To Cookie. All through school, art was very important to me, but right after high school. I decided I wanted to take a different direction so I became a cake decorator. I took a variety of pastry courses to help better my skills. I have two main supporters in my life, my customers, who keep me motivated and keep my passion alive, and my husband, who has allowed me to stay home full time to focus on my dream.

I have been baking for as long as I can remember, but I've only been in the cookie business for a little over a year. I opened my business on Etsy back in 2015 and was pleasantly surprised by the positive reactions to my products. This will be my first show of any kind! I'm excited to put myself out there and connect locally!

I am inspired by everything really, colors, scents, even objects. Ideas are constantly flowing through my mind. During certain seasons, I tend to have more productivity for designs, as I get excited to bring new items to my customers for the holidays.

The message behind my work is a simple one: Homemade because you're worth it. I want to allow customers to experience artful cookies and homemade goods at an affordable price.

Meet Christine Hespen from The Chris Co...

Hi! I'm Christine and I'm a born and raised Clevelander! I obtained a Fine Arts degree from BGSU in 2004, with a focus in photography. Since college, I've been working in corporate America and working in the arts as a hobby. I've been creating jewelry for 10+ years, but I took a 2 year hiatus and started back up this year!

Bright, vivid color that surrounds us in this world truly is what inspires me. I love to take a color (or colors) and create a piece that can make me feel just as excited as when I first see a great color in our environment.

I found out I had talent when it came to making jewelry when I watched what others created and tried to copy their pieces. Once I started making my own variations of what I saw other doings, I realized it came easily to me.

The message behind my work is that, sometimes, simplicity is best. Also, sometimes there isn't a message, and that's okay!

Meet Sonja Jones from The Pup Artist...

Hi! I'm Sonja and I'm the owner of The Pup Artist. While I've always had an interest in drawing, I am relatively new to painting, having just started in 2014 after I received an acrylic paint set as a gift. 

My first attempts at painting were of my dachshund, Smudge, and all the wonderful wildlife in the backyard of my suburb Cleveland area home. Soon, friends and family were requesting portraits of their pets too, and thus, my business was born.

When I'm not painting commissioned pet portraits, I go back to painting the neighborhood wildlife. Animals are still my favorite subjects, and I always start my paintings with the eyes - they're so soulful and can really convey their character.

A day seems empty now if I don't have some sort of painting underway. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to paint, and I hope others enjoy viewing my work as much as I enjoy creating it.   

2016 Chagrin Falls Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, December 10th and 11th, 2016

Saturday - 10:00am-5:00pm

Sunday- 11:00am-5:00pm

Federated Church Family Life Center

16349 Chillicothe Rd.

Chagrin Falls, OH 44023

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

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

INSTAGRAM

Meet the Creative Chagrin Falls Crafters!

Meet Karla Wehling from Ever Iris Design...
Hi! I'm Karla and I am a mom off three awesome kids, wife of a great husband, and grandma to three beautiful kids, two boys and one girl, Ever Iris, our store namesake!

My daughter Emily and I started our Etsy store in March of 2016 making headbands. Since we had the perfect model and Ever herself needed some new bows, we figured why not!

I really enjoy making each bow and waiting to see how they come out. We use many premium designer fabrics, so no two bows are ever the same. I love seeing them on my granddaughter and, luckily, she is happy to wear them!

I hope to enjoy making these for many years to come, as long as I can keep stitching! This will be my first Avant-Garde show, I can't wait!

Meet Marcia Hudgel from 3 Oms Batik Boutique...
Hi! I'm Marcia and I'm a full time yoga teacher in Cleveland, as well as a batik artist and freelance writer. My husband is a sculptor and guitar maker, so looking for my own medium over the years was a process, but once I found batik, I knew it was the art form for me. 

I'm inspired to create by all aspects of life, especially nature, yoga, people, and music. I also love the Native American medicine cards and making batik animals from those, so people can find out what a specific animal symbolizes. 

Once I am inspired by something, I draw it up and make a template by hand. Then I go through various other steps. It's a complex process but I'm always excited to see the end result and how my items are different each time.

My message is all about connection with each other and the universe, whether it be through yoga or more ethereal practices, nature, or music. This is important to me, which is also why 3 Oms Batik Boutique gives $1 from each sale to charities that support human rights, animal welfare, and the environment.

Meet Annette Frye from Annette's Best Blend...
Hi! I'm Annette and I work for Eaton Corporation as a Program Manager in the Information and Technology Department. I am married and have two grown children. I have been taking various cooking classes for the past 25 years.

I have been making items out of my kitchen for friends for around 20 years, but I just recently got licensed to produce and sell these items. This will be my first Avant-Garde show!

I like the balance between a technical profession and a creative hobby. My entire adult life I have always done creative things; quilting, stitching, cooking, and other things like that. 

I love to cook and make gifts from my kitchen. I discovered my talent after receiving a lot of positive feedback from my friends after giving them edible gifts. If you enjoy good food and quality food products, you will enjoy what I produce. 

Meet Jessica Glatz from East Aromas Handmade Jewelry...
I am a wife, a mother of two little sweeties, and an 8th grade science teacher. I became interested in essential oils in 2014. My goal was to improve the overall health and well-being of my family and use less of what was in my medicine cabinet. That is what inspired me to create jewelry that was pretty, fun, eclectic, and still in line with more core beliefs. 

I was using essential oils and figured there had to be a prettier way to wear them, and that's how my craft came about! I ordered some essential oil diffuser lockets online and then begged my friends to raid their jewelry boxes, I would take anything they didn't want!

I love finding one charm that I really like and then build around that as a focal piece until I feel that the necklace is complete. Anything and everything inspires me to create! The hardest part is finding the time to sit down and craft. 

The core collection of my pieces are made from recycled jewelry, giving new life to old pieces. The essential oil component can be personalized and tailored to the needs of the individual wearing the piece. The scent can also be changed depending on the mood or need of the wearer. 

Meet Kellie Lupica from Haven at Foxwood Farm...
For as long as I can remember, I have felt the most comfortable in the company of animals. I decided at a very young age that I wanted to create a sanctuary where farm animals can live out their lives in the safety of knowing and feeling that no harm would ever come to them. Haven at Foxwood Farm is a place of peace and tranquility. 

I want my buyers to know that the time, work, and effort dedicated to each item is an exact reflection of how the money raised will be used, 100% o all proceeds go directly to the rescue and rehabilitation of farm animals. 

I discovered my talent several years ago after deciding to make gifts for people instead of buying them at a store. The positive feedback and responses I've received over the years has given me the courage and confidence to take on new opportunities. Now, I inspire to introduce a little of me and a little "farmhouse chic" into everyone's home.

The message that I want to send is this: the first step to following your dream is to begin working with the things you love. All else will fall in place. Creating things that make people happy AND help make your dreams come true becomes a win/win situation.

2016 Chagrin Falls Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, December 10th and 11th, 2016

Saturday - 10:00am-5:00pm

Sunday- 11:00am-5:00pm

Federated Church Family Life Center

16349 Chillicothe Rd.

Chagrin Falls, OH 44023

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

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

INSTAGRAM