It's Show Time!

Meet Elaine Hocevar from Basin Soapworks...
I am a soap  maker, and I also wear other hats: wife, mother, grandmother, substitute teacher, retiree from John Carroll University after 22 years, and have numerous other creative hobbies. My other hobbies include sewing, reading, cooking, and cake decorating.

Upon retirement, I began soap making as a hobby. Soon I discovered that making soap was more than just a hobby.  After more than a year of trial and error, I was confident enough to sell the soap that I made. With much help and support from my family, I now have an excellent label, several kinds of soap, and a variety of fragrances.

I like working with my hands. I like colors and fragrances. Making soap is a natural combination of both color and fragrance. Although I do not color my soaps, matching label colors with fragrances is a challenge and an enjoyable experience.  Making soap is a labor of love, but the finished products are well worth the hours of planning and work.

Several years ago, I went to the “Last Minute Market” in Lakewood, Ohio. This show is the last Saturday before Christmas and attracts over one hundred vendors and thousands of visitors. I stopped at a table belonging to a young lady who makes her own soap.  I bought a dozen bars and signed up for her soap making class. I was fascinated with the soap making process and the outcome: my first batch of cold process soap.

My first batch of soap was a success. My family tested it and gave it good reviews.  I assembled supplies at home in my kitchen, bought a soap making book, selected some essential oils for fragrance, and began making small batches with trial recipes.  Because of the positive input from my family and friends and my interest in combining the oils, essential oils, and organic botanicals grown in my yard, i.e., lavender, I continued to experiment making small batches of soap with a variety of recipes and essential oils.

My creative process is spurred by my interest in perfecting soaps that I am confident in labeling and selling to people who pick up my bars of soaps at various retail stores, garden centers, art and craft shows, and gift shops.  I am pleased with the positive feedback that I get with each new recipe that I try. I am also fascinated with the process involved in making a batch of soap:  mixing the various oils with the essential oils for fragrance, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, and organic botanicals. I am not a chemist, but I have learned a lot about the chemical reaction of these mixtures and what goes into making soap as a result of combining each of these individual products.

My goal for my soap business includes introducing new recipes and essential oils as well as placing my soap in additional retail establishments.  I will continue making each batch of soap by hand in order to maintain control of the recipe and final product.  I believe it is important to maintain consistency with my product from quality, labeling, packaging, and presentation in a display.

I believe branding is essential. I want consumers to know when they see Basin Soapworks soap or hear about my soap, they are confident that the soap they purchase is a high-quality bar of soap that has been made by hand with pride, contains no artificial ingredients, and has been tested by my family and friends.

Meet Marilyn Thomas from from Dottie Bee Merry...
I am a polymer clay artist specializing in original totally cute figurines. I have been doing craft shows for over 13 years and have a shop on etsy where I sell my creations.

Since this my first Avant-Garde show, I thought I would take a minute and introduce myself. I started claying over 13 years ago to help deal with a personal loss. I picked up a book and made a scarecrow by carefully following the directions. Well, that poor little scarecrow didn’t make the oven baking and wound up in the trash. Never one to be defeated,  I tossed the book aside and used the knowledge I had garnered, and started over, this time doing things my way! That little scarecrow soon became santa and a cow and the rest is history. I had found my niche. I learned that I couldn’t draw to save my life but I could sculpt anything that entered my mind!

Everything I make is handmade and I enjoy challenging myself to come up with new ideas every year. This year you will see tons more holiday items and Halloween is shaping up to be spectacular! My challenge this year was to make at least 20 pieces for every holiday. I have Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and Easter ready to go and I’ve also started other lines such as Artic Antics and Mutts and Meows.

Each year I also take on a cause and make a special piece that I donate the proceeds  to. In the past I had a co-worker who’s daughter was battling  breast cancer so I made an angel that I sold for $5.00 each . I was able to donate over $500.00 to her just after 3 shows. I believe in the power of giving back. I have the talent to make a difference and I want to share it. This year I will donate the proceeds from my Mutts and Meows line. 

Thanks for taking a minute to read my story. I hope to meet you at the show!

2017 Chagrin Falls Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, March 11th and 12th, 2017

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

LINKEDIN

Shop this Spring at the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show!

Meet Danielle Bosak from Luna's Bath and Body...

My name is Danielle, I'm a 30 year old mother to a beautiful two year old girl. I love to read and make people smile. I craft all sorts of things but currently I have a business making natural bath and body products. I have been making natural bath and body products for six years now. More recently I have begun selling my items to those outside of my friends and family so that I can share my passion with others. 

What inspires me.. I have always loved figuring out how things are made, I enjoy experimenting and finding out new ways of doing things and to make something from scratch I have the opportunity to do that. It is such a satisfying feeling to create something new and share it with the others.

What got me into my hobby? Honestly? It was a book! I cannot remember what it was called exactly, but they were describing this apple cinnamon tea that sounded delicious and when I couldn't find it, I decided to make it myself which led me to wanting to craft more things from scratch. I began crafting with the apple cinnamon tea that I made from scratch and began trying my hand in other arts & crafts such as making hair bows, dream catchers, bibs, and jewelry but then one day when making bath bombs and soap I decided that it was my favorite thing to create and have stuck with it since.

My creative process is just that, creative! I love to experiment with different scents and bases for my     products, not to mention coming up with new products for my friends and family to try out!  I can't even begin to describe how often I am thinking about and writing down new ideas and combinations for my items.

My five year vision.. Hopefully a storefront, owning my own shop outside of my home has always been a goal for me since I started 6 years ago. With just this year beginning to sell the bath and body products that I make, this dream is becoming more and more of a reality for me. I am currently going back to school to get a business degree so that I can do all that I would like to for my business.

The message behind my work.. Natural products do not need to break the bank. The items I make are at the lowest prices that I can possibly offer and it's not just for the purpose of sales. I know how hard it is to find bath and body products that don't irritate your skin, products that you feel you can trust not to have harsh chemicals in     them, and even products that actually work! Some big companies that offer natural products charge you an arm and a leg for a bottle of lotion, but if I can offer people a similar item for a fraction of the cost it is worth it to me.

Meet Kathy Fisher from BadaBling...

I’m married to my husband of 5 years and we have a wonderful blended family. Together our family is made up of my 2 adult twin boys (21 yrs old) and no grandchildren…yet. My husband has 3 adult children (42, 38, 35 yrs old), 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.  My husband retired Jan 2016 and I am retiring July 2017. So I will have lots of time to devote to my jewelry craft now.

I have always made various types of hand crafted jewelry of some kind over the years.  It started with earrings and lead to necklaces then to face pins and now I have fallen in love with the wire bracelets with charms that can lead to a customer telling a personal story, if they so desire.  That’s what makes this jewelry more fun and exciting.

What inspires me to create.. The love of beautiful jewelry and I especially love to see women wearing what I create and their excitement when they find that perfect piece.

How I got into my craft.. I got bored just going to craft shows and seeing how much fun the vendors were having talking to the customers. I wanted to try making something but I didn’t know what.  So I tried one of the jewelry kits just to wear a pair of earrings for myself and loved it!  It just blossomed from there!!

How I discovered my talent.. I just started making things that interested me and kept trying different types of jewelry until I found this form. I love that each woman or girl can tell snip-it of their life by personalizing their bracelets.

My creative process... I start with one bead and then decide which one would look good with the first.  Sometimes it’s the ones you don’t think look the best at first, that end up looking the best when you’re done with that bracelet.  

My five year goal.. I don’t want to get too big but I still want to keep it personal for my customers to be able to offer variety while still providing great customer service and keeping costs down.

 

Message behind my work.. Love what you do, and do what you love! That is actually one of the charms that I put on my bracelets.  I relax when I make my bracelets and enjoy creating all of them. It’s actually a difficult decision deciding which beads to put together :) because you don’t want to keep making the same ones you love over and over again. You don’t want to see everyone wearing the same bracelet. You want each bracelet to be unique. Every person is unique, so every bracelet should be too!

Meet Lynne Logan from Tenacious Images...

I’m originally from West Virginia, but I’ve lived in Brooklyn, New York, Los Angeles, CA, Johnson City, Tennessee, and Athens, Ohio while attending Ohio University before settling in Columbus in 1996. I’ve been married for almost 17 years, and we have 2 boys. I received a B.A. in English, and I taught pre-school/grade school for almost 4 years. Additionally, I was an instructor at a junior college for a little less than 5 years. I was also a paralegal for almost 7 years. So far, I’ve attended 3 different Avant-Garde shows in Chagrin Falls, N. Canton and one in Columbus.

I started selling some of my fine art prints (digital photos), hand painted coffee cups and vases as well as my decoupaged coasters at flea markets, arts/crafts shows and online almost 2 years ago. Additionally, I’m proud to announce that last month a representative from Bridesmaid magazine called me after seeing my shop on Etsy.com, and I’m now an approved vendor for Bridesmaid’s website,weddingwire.com, which involves creating custom bridesmaid favors and personalized wedding gifts, which are advertised on 3 different online storefronts owned by the magazine, including a site in New York.

I get inspired by the idea of mixing patterns, designs, various types of media and textures in a different way. For example, I decoupaged a beer mug with an article from the Civil War, an item, which sold on my Etsy site about 12 hours after posting the listing. I also decoupaged a couple set of coasters with duct tape (photo #1 attached of the pink ones).

I’m also inspired by the designs of other artisans. I’ll see a dress in a store that has a unique combination of colors or maybe a tablecloth or something, and I’ll take a photo of it. Then, I’ll create something similar to that pattern or color combination like the photo attached of the curved black vase (2^nd photo). That black and gray design was inspired by some scrapbook paper I saw at Michael’s.  

How I got into my craft.. I’ve also been interested in art, and when I lost my job at Chase Bank, I decided to sell a few of my photos at a flea market close to my house, and a woman drove all the way from Springfield to buy a copy of my “spooky tree” (3^rd photo attached). At that point, I decided to create a website on Etsy and another one on Ebay.  

How I discovered my talent..  Hmmm… the story above confirmed that maybe, I could make a living at selling my artwork. I’m still working part-time for William-Sonoma as a call center agent, but I’m hoping that in a year or so, I’ll be able to quit my “day” job. Then, last fall, I hand painted a set of ceramic coasters that sold to a lady in Santiago, Chile, about 2 hours after uploading the listing on Etsy (4^th photo). So, I’ve been spending more time painting and less time on my photography since then. 

My five year goal is to be selling my artwork full-time out of my house and possibly selling my coasters in larger quantities. I’m trying to find a company that will produce my wedding coasters in bulk at a reasonable price so that I can make favors for weddings as well as creating/selling bridesmaid favors.

The message behind my work..  My entire life I’ve always been the odd duck at every party, every teaching job/office job, every classroom growing up, etc. My own mother called me a “weirdo” (in an affectionate way) because I love Shakespeare as much as I love science fiction and horror movies and books as well, and I love abstract art as much as more classic art like that of Rembrandt and such. And I hope my art reflects that anything goes kind of attitude that there are no rules in art. I like what I like, and I’ll continue to create what I think is interesting whether anyone else likes it or not…:)

Meet Katie Stump from KatieRose Jewelry...

I have been married to my best friend for 9 1/2 years and we are the proud parents of two beautiful children Ashley (6) and Hayden (5). I am a stay at home mom who decided to turn my hobby into a business. I have been making jewelry on and off for over 20 years.

I'm inspired by fashion and wanting to create alluring pieces that are stylish and affordable.

My Aunt Julie is the person who introduced me to making beaded jewelry.I was 10 years old and visited my aunt in Columbus and she made amazing jewelry and I knew it was something I wanted try. I entered my first necklace into a contest at a bead store she shopped at and I won 1st prize for my age group. From then on I was hooked!

My creative process usually starts with me looking at all the beads I have and matching what I think might look good together. I could be just one color or multiple colors. I then lay out the pattern I am trying to accomplish on my board and if I think it looks good laid out then I will start putting the beads together on the eye pins. If I'm not feeling how the pattern or beads look then I can completely scratch the idea and move on to something else.

My five year goal... My hope is that KatieRose Jewelry can grow enough to be picked up by boutiques and that my online shop can grow to reach more people around the country.

The message behind my workis to bring a multitude of alluring, unique jewelry pieces that are stylish and affordable!

Online Store:

www.katierosejewelry.com

Facebook:

https://facebook.com/krjewelry

2017 Chagrin Falls Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, March 11th and 12th, 2017

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

Kick off Spring with These Chagrin Vendors!

Meet Susan Stoldt from Candle Vase Creations...

First and foremost,​ I am the proud mother of 2 wonderful sons who have grown into very fine young men.  They are, and always will be, the center of my life.  Also, I work full-time as a legal assistant and have been with my firm for over 27 years.  I fill my spare time with crafting and physical fitness, and like to stay busy most of the time.

 

For this particular venture, my sister and I started the candle business two years ago and have enjoyed every minute.​

What inspires me to create.. Just being a homeowner is inspiration.  I like to try different decorating ideas and that alone is enough to have creativity spill over into designing and rethinking pouring our candles.  Anything edgy or so different that it begs noticing, that's my goal.

How I got into my craft.. a few years ​ago I stumbled upon jewelry and dichroic glass creations by accident, but still had a ball with everything you could make with a little imagination.  The pieces I made for myself caught the eye of quite a few women who asked if I would make pieces for them, and so began my jewelry business.  When the market became over saturated with jewelry I wrapped up that craft and began thinking of another field to pursue.  My sister and I researched what we thought we might like to do and decided to try making candles.  So far, so good!

  

​​As for crafting, I've always liked to be creative in some fashion, for as long as I can remember - whether I was writing poetry, short stories for my boys when they were younger, always rearranging and redecorating my home, my former jewelry business, and the list goes on.  My tastes, likes and dislikes allow me to create something unique, as I usually lean towards making things that aren't mainstream or cookie cutter copies of what everyone else has. 

When we started the candles it was a learning curve, but we taught ourselves quite well.  However, most anyone can make candles with a little instruction, which meant we had to standout and come up with new ideas.  That's how our tealight vases came to be, albeit completely by accident.  I had intended to create a candle vase, but after several attempts it just wasn't working.  Hard as I tried, it wasn't perfect and I couldn't put an inferior product out there for sale.  So one day I tried a totally different approach and, voila!  Our tealight vase was created.  It's a creation no other vendor has and it is truly one of a kind.  They are created to be a part of anyone's home décor, whether to blend with a current color layout, or to add a pop of color to any room.  They are decorative, yet can be totally functional if desired.  Each vase is unique and the color combinations and patterns are limitless.

​ 

​The creative process is not a process at all.  It's usually something as simple as seeing the color of clothes or home decor, or anything at all really, and if the colors jump out at me then I start to envision what a vase would look like.  From there I play with my colors and patterns and see what happens.  I never stop thinking about new techniques to try, or new products to create.

  

My five year goal... Honestly, I really haven't thought that far in advance.  I would like to think Candle Vase Creations will be going strong and have a solid customer base.  That being said, ultimately my sister and I would love to have our own storefront.  If we're going to dream, we're going to dream big!  We know anything worth having takes a lot of hard work, so that’s exactly what we plan to do.

Meet Nataliya Malik...

My name is Nataliya. I was born in Ukraine. I'm a Fiber Artist and Designer by felting because wool is my favorite material to use. I searched the Internet for information about felting and taught myself the art of wet felting, which in turn, I created my own unusual style. 

My interest began suddenly, I was inspired by the work of one master, and it has continued for 5 years. Learning never stops, as I’m constantly learning how to use new types of wool, combinations of wool and different fibers and fabrics. Felt is the oldest form of fabric and it is becoming popular as people rediscover the versatility and durability of it.  Since it may be the oldest fabric known to man, there are many references to felt in ancient writings since it’s not woven and doesn’t require a loom for its production!

The process of felting doesn’t need expensive materials or equipment. Just about anyone can add soapy water to fleece, make a felted mass, control the outcome and then quality felt is achieved through experience and learning. Aside from choosing the best type of fiber for the application, one must consider the layout of fibers for consistent felt, the weight of wool in relation to the area of its distribution to determine to shape, the amount of soap to use and the temperature of water.

It’s hard work, but it’s my passion and one of the things I absolutely love to do, especially when I make them for happy owners! To be honest, I do not know what will happen in 5 years with my business. I will be able to move to a higher level and create my personal line of clothing and accessories, or work with wool will remain only a hobby that brings a small income for me. My accessories found their owners not only in America but also in other continents - Europe, Asia, Australia and even in Africa :) and it inspires me to create more! View more of my work at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/NataliyaMalik

https://www.facebook.com/nataliyamalikllc/

http://www.nataliyamalik.com/

Meet Linda Ackerman from Paper Rose Design- Altered Couture...

I have been designing and creating one of a kind, up cycled women's clothing for about three years. Crafting and creating in many media have been a part of my life for a long time!

The process and the end results have (and will) continue to evolve as with all art. I love finding unique pieces of clothing—that can be used as the focus for beginning a newly refashioned garment. For example, a vintage Bob Dylan concert tee shirt. I kept it for 2 years until I had a vision and then a design. (aside: unfortunately my workspace is full of these “possibilities” which are taking over). I refashioned the shirt and added denim and lace for a rock’n tunic. 

My creative process.. After finding a focal piece, several other pieces are added to the pile. Then the deconstructing, designing and reconstructing begins usually in that order. 

I love to create new clothing pieces that are fun, free flowing, flattering and make life better. Using thrifted and found fabric as the base for my creations means discarded clothing, linens, etc are used again making my one of a kind clothes eco-friendly. The best part of what I do is to have the customer find the piece that is an expression of her innermost artistic self. 

2017 Chagrin Falls Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday, March 11th and 12th, 2017

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

LINKEDIN

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:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

INSTAGRAM

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

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