Meet Susan Mariner from Kuddle Katz...
I'm a divorced mother of two with a chronic illness and
crocheting is my therapy. I'm a retired hairstylist and nail tech of thirty
years. Aside from crocheting, I enjoy golf, coffee, and classic movies. My
boyfriend Mike got me into the craft. He said I needed a hobby and I always
wanted to learn how to crochet. My grandma attempted to teach me when I was
young, but it just didn't click. A few YouTube videos later and Kuddle Katz was
born! My mom picked out the name. It’s been nine years and this will be my
first Avant-Garde show!
I'm inspired by the wide variety of cat breeds. Their colors,
textures, and patterns are beautiful. I also have two cats and their
personalities provide plenty of inspiration. I started crocheting
different amigurumi animals and realized I was pretty good once my
daughter and mom started requesting lots of penguins, elephants, and giraffes.
I then found a pattern for cats online. The pattern was for an animeko cat,
based on the Japanese picture book Hello I am Animeko, the Story of a
Crafty Crocheted Cat. I loved them, so I just started making them. They
have evolved throughout the years, and I have made several changes to the
original pattern. For example, I make the muzzles bigger and add hand-painted
eyes to give the cats more character.
It always starts with a trip to a yarn store! I like looking for
unique colors, patterns, and textures of yarns. I then match various yarns and
eyes to create a cat. Sometimes I have a specific cat breed in mind, a picture
reference, or a particular color scheme I want to follow. It usually takes me a
full day to crochet one cat. I consider crocheting a hobby and I just enjoy
seeing people smile when they discover their cuddly companion. I hope I can
continue to spread a little happiness with my crocheted cats. My message is
that cats are awesome! Everyone could use a cat companion in their life.
Meet Tracy Smoker from The Craft
Momster...
I
am a momgineer who likes crafting in my spare time. I
have been making crafts of some variety for as long as I can remember, but this
will be my first Avant-Garde show. I like
to keep my hands busy, I like making nice looking things, and there’s some
magic in taking things that were once individual components and creating
something new and fun from them. I
imagine I found this talent when my mom gave me a few craft supplies to see if
I liked it, and the rest is history.
The
stories of my childhood crafting always include references to my parents hiding
the tape and tissues in the house because I used anything I could get my hands
on. They also knew my craft area floor was clean when you didn’t hear the
vacuum sucking up beads or sequins anymore! I try to find inspiration in
lots of different aspects of my life. In January, I finished building a
gallon jug igloo in our basement. I got that idea from a link my mom
shared with me on Facebook. Within the next five years, I will still be mom’ing
and hope to still be crafting!
Meet Margo Coniam from South
Shore Beach Glass...
Hello, I'm Margo! I am a Radiation Therapist who lives in
Avon Lake with two house rabbits. I love to travel and one of my favorite
places that I have traveled to is Scotland. You will find that I
incorporate a Celtic symbol, the spiral, in a number of my designs. I just
started selling my jewelry this year and so far, the feedback has been really
positive! This is my first show with Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows and
I am so excited about it!
I was inspired to
start this business when I went to the beach and was astonished by the beauty
of these beach glass gems. They look like tiny jewels to me and it is amazing
to think that nature took something that was thrown away and of no use to
anyone and made it into something that is truly unique and beautiful. I like to
imagine the history of each piece of glass; vintage bottles from rum runners,
window panes from long-demolished houses, maybe pieces from the over 6,000
shipwrecks that litter the bottom of Lake Erie. Whatever their origin, I love
that they are something that was genuinely made from this Great Lake and the
stories they tell about this Great Lake!
A few years ago I
started collecting Lake Erie beach glass from local beaches. At first my
beach excursions were just a calming retreat at the end of a busy day.
However, while looking at my beach gems, the creative side of my brain took
over and what resulted was my company, South Shore Beach Glass. I take
unique pieces of Lake Erie beach glass and turn them into jewelry and
lamps. What I love about beach glass is that no two pieces are the same
and each piece has a unique history and story all its own.
My creative process
first begins on the beach where I will spend hours digging through the sand and
wading into the surf to collect as much glass as I can find. When I take
these pieces home, I look at the shape and size of each of the different pieces
to best determine what type of jewelry to make each piece into. Earrings
are definitely one piece that takes me longer to make as I have to find two
similarly colored, sized and shaped pieces. It can be a time-consuming
process, but it is one that I love. When I design the wire wraps for my
jewelry, I tend to find that I draw a lot of creative ideas from Celtic
symbols, specifically the spiral. The spiral symbolizes growth, birth, and
our path through life and reminds us of the circle of life. Plus, it is a really fun design to make and to wear!
Meet Kristin Gladish from J Austen
Boutique Co...
My name is Kristin and I’m the owner of J Austen Boutique Co. and am very excited to be participating in the 2019 Avon Spring Avant-Garde Craft Show!
The design and style of my pieces were inspired by the elegant sophistication of the women of Jane Austen’s time. I combine casual elegance with whimsical beauty, creating pieces that are easy to wear but add a touch of “fancy” to any outfit.
Every item is handmade by me from a carefully chosen piece of vintage-style ribbon, Czech glass or rounded gemstone beads, and Georgian-era inspired charms.
As a stay at home mother of two, I’m very grateful to have found a creative outlet that I enjoy. I love making beautiful things and sharing them with others!
2019 Avon Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
