I am 17 years old and go to Beachwood High School, I have had a passion for cooking and chocolate making for over 5 years. I first became interested in this field when I made a small gift for a teacher and they absolutely loved it.
My teacher inspired me to develop a business, one which combines something I love to do and the enjoyment I get from delivering products that people are excited by. I have sold independently to family, friends, and local business in the past and this will be my first Avant-Garde show- I am looking very forward to it!
Meet Alicia Alford...
Hello, I'm Alicia! I am 36 years old and work with my amazing mom! It’s because of her that I’ve been able to put my creative juices to work!! I started my sewing adventures when I was 9 years old when my grandmother taught/helped me make my first quilt! Then about 12 years ago I started doing more quilts alongside my mom! And it has grown from there now doing towels (that my grandmother did) that I grew up having in our kitchen as a kid!
The towels that I make are basically a tribute to my grandmother! She made a version of these when I was a kid and so many of our friends and family had them in their homes and after she passed I wanted to continue these amazing towels with my friends and family! My grandmother was a seamstress many years ago and all through my childhood my mom would do different crafts and creations and now as an adult I get to work side by side with my mom on so many projects!
As funny as it may sound my talents have found me, and I let the towels and fabrics tell me what to do and things just evolve from there!! If it’s towels I look for towels that speak to my heart and the hearts of my friends. When it comes to custom quilts we carefully listen to what the person is looking for and then let the fabric do the talking! If it’s towels I look for towels that speak to my heart and the hearts of my friends! When it comes to custom quilts we carefully listen to what the person is looking for and then let the fabric do the talking!
Meet Susan from...
Susan grew up in a very creative and musical family. Living in Oberlin, Ohio afforded. Her many opportunities in the arts, unlimited visits to the Allen Art Museum,concerts and plays. To expand her creativity and energize her love of style and fashion, Susan took up sewing as a young girl. Her projects expanded to tailoring suits and coats along with formal wear and was awarded first place for her designs.
While raising her girls and working in the family business, Susan needed a creative outlet. She always created the perfect little dress for her girls. Susan found herself in many interior design projects for her home as well as assisting others. While living in Charleston, SC, Susan was inspired to pursue one of her unfulfilled passions-designing and hand crafting jewelry. In the pass Eighteen years; Susan has studied with many of the masters from all over the world. Her travels and many bead conventions make it possible for her to purchase a vast array of materials for one-of-a-kind unique pieces. Susan is truly passionate about sharing her gifts in creating the perfect jewelry piece for YOU!
Meet Melissa Tresler from Zim Woodworking...
Zim Woodworking is a natural offshoot of Gerry's previous business. Gerry has owned his own business as a remodeling contractor for 40+ years. In the past few years he has been slowly phasing out of some of the more demanding aspects, such as roofing. He decided that he has spent enough years running up and down ladders, and that he would like to focus more of his attention on creating things. He has always offered custom woodworking in his remodeling business, so over the years he has developed a nice wood shop. Now he found more time to spend in it! The more time he spends, the more he enjoys it, and 4 years later, here we are.
Our products range from cutting boards to picture frames to jewelry organizers to planters and many things in between. Most products originate as a request from family or friends. Then as Gerry makes one of them, for efficiency he makes a whole bunch of them! Many products start off as a custom request, but demand takes them into a stock item.
The products we carry are made using native Northeast Ohio lumber. Gerry doesn't see the need to use exotic wood when we have such a diverse and beautiful selection of wood right in our neighborhood. It is always fun to go shopping for pieces of wood. Sometimes he comes home with pieces that he doesn't know what he is going to build with them, but they were too beautiful or too cool to leave behind! At some point he will look at that piece of wood, and it will tell him what it wants to be! As of right now, Gerry has so many ideas of things he wants to make, but not enough time in the day to do all of them. But don't be afraid to ask if he can make it - whatever "it" is - Gerry loves a challenge!
Meet Laurie Hejduk from Luvin Lavendar...
Luvin Lavender Farms llc is a family owned farm in Madison Ohio. It is in its 3rd generation. The farm over many years has supported the Hejduk family by raising a variety of crops and farm animals over its 100 year span. We began raising lavender to bring pollinators to our vegetable crops 8 years ago.It has become a passion of support for our pollinators and also a lovely way to open the farm up to people to experience the beauty of lavender and all its natural benefits.
We give tours to groups,and the farm is open during the summer with a gift shop. It provide people an opportunity to walk areas of the farm and also educate about providing safe havens for many types of pollinators. We distill our essential oil in late summer at the farm for people to see how essential oil is created. This is our 2nd show with Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows. As our harvest increases this allows us to create new product lines from our lavender from culinary to gift items. It takes 3 years for our lavender to begin producing enough lavender bud to be able to increase our product line. From field to home we do not add any harmful chemicals and stay as natural as possible to provide a safe haven for our pollinators and customers. No dyes of chemicals go into our products.
Our farm is growing yearly in ideas and gardens for our many visitors, we provide a lavender festival in July always the weekend after the 4th. We are working on a formal garden for weddings, we provide an opportunity for photos shoots in the lavender. (refer to photo guidelines on webpage) For us to continue increasing our product line we will be adding more lavender over the next few years. Our goal is to have around 3-5 acres of lavender.
Meet Rebecca Walker from Waves and Breakers...
My husband and I live in the lovely little town of Garrettsville. We met taking ballroom dancing lessons, and have one sweet little cat named Rory. When I’m not beach-combing, I’m a Doctor of Audiology with a penchant for dizziness and balance disorders. While beach-combing, I collect what some call lucky stones, and was excited to learn that these are actually the otoliths of sheepshead fish, part of their (and microscopically our) balance organ. I love how my passions blend together! I started hunting for beach glass in the spring of 2014. I was familiar with seaglass but didn’t realize the abundance of these treasures that washed ashore on the beaches of Lake Erie. I tried my hand at wire-wrapping that summer.
This is my debut exhibition with Avant-Garde Art and Craft shows! I’m excited to participate alongside such unique artisans! The inspiration to create comes from something deep internally. I’ve always been artsy but I can’t actually articulate what drives me. It really is something that happens when the mood strikes. I try to work in the sunlight on weekend mornings, but I’ve also had ideas hit me right before bed, often keeping me up later than anticipated. Music helps with the process and I play whatever my current mood calls for. The drive to create is also stoked by perusing a variety of museums, galleries, and shows. They bring me great joy and rejuvenate my creativity.
The inspiration to create comes from something deep internally. I’ve always been artsy but I can’t actually articulate what drives me. It really is something that happens when the mood strikes. I try to work in the sunlight on weekend mornings, but I’ve also had ideas hit me right before bed, often keeping me up later than anticipated. Music helps with the process and I play whatever my current mood calls for. The drive to create is also stoked by perusing a variety of museums, galleries, and shows. They bring me great joy and rejuvenate my creativity.
I’ve been blessed with a creative nature my entire life. For this endeavor I turned to YouTube and Pinterest to learn some basic wirewrapping techniques and then made them my own.
It’s funny because wire-wrapping requires a good bit of improvisation, and for as spontaneous as I can be at times, I’ve never been relaxed with myself enough to really improvise anything. Initially I felt the organic styles I started out using clashed with my more classic preferences, but I’ve learned to bend myself to work with the unique shape of each individual piece and to bring it into my own style. I find so many metaphors while on the beach and while working with each unique piece. My work primarily showcases how beauty, hope, and resilience may be found in the broken; that what typically starts as a generic bottle develops into a gem-like bobble, with a glow and a smoothness, internal and external beauty, despite the tumultuous conditions it encounters over decades of tumbling and buffing in the harsh conditions of the waves and sand.
Meet Karyn Faranda from Incantations by Karyn...
My name is Karyn Faranda and My company, Incantations by Karyn, is in its first year of operation and I am a lifelong artist who is educated in art of all different mediums but when I started this company I decided to focus on several mediums of handcrafted jewelry, utilizing semi-precious gems and precious metals as well as beaded work, hand stamped jewelry , wire wrapped jewelry, leather smithing and just about every facet you can think of. I also specialize in refurbishing, repurposing or completely restoring antique and vintage furniture. I love what I do and I love my clients and customers.
What inspires me to create is where I've been, am currently and where I am going as well as the experiences I have endured (positive & negative) thus far. My creative process includes some freeform and some is well thought out and collaborated with my business partner. Hopefully in five years I'll be very successful as an online company or even opening a storefront to display and sell all of my creations. That it's never too late for anyone to go after their dream and that there is always hope if we remain positive and willing to learn from our experiences.
2017 Chagrin Falls Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday & Sunday, December 8 & 9, 2018
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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