It's Showtime!

Meet Shannon Hunter from Canal Fulton Bath House…

My name is Shannon. This is my first Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show. My company’s name is Canal Fulton Bath House and I make bath and basic skin products. I first learned how to make bar soap, chap-stick, and lotion from a friend in the fall of 2017 for extended family Christmas gifts. I’ve been hooked ever since and have added Bath Fizzes and Bath Salts to my inventory.

Since my business is still young and I haven’t participated in many craft shows, I am still figuring out my brand. Two series that have found my favor and I plan on continuing are my “Frat Boy” bar soaps and the “Essences” lotions. Currently, the “Frat Boy” bar soaps consist of “Frat Boy: The Pledge,” which is a regular bar soap, and “The Frat Boy,” which is a beer soap. The next bar soap for this series is “Frat Boy: The Sponsor,” where the plan is to make it with whiskey.  The “Essences” lotions are lotions made with Essential Hydrosols instead of Essential oils or fragrance oils. These lotions are great for people that can’t take strong smells or have skin sensitivity. I currently have two scents within this series. I have many other ideas for product series but have yet to experiment with them.

My hope is that I will find a way to stand out and be different from those who sell similar products as well as create products that people love. I hope to eventually be in a position where my business can be an advocate for living life more simply.

Meet Michelle Santantonio from Lucky Suds LLC…

For many years, I have owned and operated a bakery in the famed Westside Market. At the end of 2017, I decided to sell my business and try a lifelong desire to try my hand at soap making. I found it came very easy to me as it is much like baking. Coming up with a recipe, getting the right mix of oils, butters, and ingredients to make a successful product. Also, in my limited spare time, I help my husband train and race harness horses. That is why my labels include a horse within a horseshoe. Additionally, we own a horse named Lucky Suds. 

I wanted to make skin care products and soaps since I was 18 years old, many, many moons ago. My inspiration is truly my customers. Many of the products I make are due to the desires of what my customers want. I listen to their concerns and skin needs, whether that be scents they want, skin issues they are trying to heal, or products they want or they can't find. Those are what drives me to create great, healthy, affordable skincare that is all natural. 

My creative process many times comes from something I see, whether it be a painting, a scent, or a feeling. I enjoy blending my own scents to make a one of a kind, unique product that no one else has and to bring the vision of color to compliment that scent. I've always had a knack for creating recipes. Like the bakery, it is easy when you understand the science of what you can or can't blend together to make things work. 

In five years, I see my products being sold in boutiques and I also see myself continuing to do shows since I’ve participated in six Avant-Garde shows already. I love the interaction with customers. It is very satisfying to hear someone say how much they loved a product they bought or being thanked for taking the time to help them pick out an item for themselves or someone else. I believe customer service is becoming a lost art with self-check-outs and internet shopping but I believe many people love to be attended to and when you give great customer service it makes them feel special and that is what I love about interacting with the customer.

I would want my customers to know that I handcraft all of my products from my own scratch recipes. My products are thoughtfully made from fresh ingredients, they never come from a kit, and whenever possible, I use local ingredients & packaging. I am always happy to listen to what my customers want & love to hear how my products make their skin glow! 

Meet Sarah Jennings from Sarah’s Garden....

I moved to Ohio in September of 2017. I have always been a creative person and I owned and operated a sign shop for over 13 years. Creativity has always been a significant part of me. After retiring from the sign shop, I could not seem to "let go" of the drive to design and create, so I started my business in 2018. This will be my first Avant-Garde show.

Creativity is once again a significant part of me and it drives me in life. I see things from shapes and colors and know what "I" like, but, I have to step back and focus on what others may like as well. It goes beyond my likes and fulfilling them to the process of creating something that someone else would like and appreciate.

I love what I do, everything from the design process to traveling to different craft shows. Doing this allows me to interact with so many fascinating people and seeing parts of Ohio that I might otherwise not get to see. Since I enjoy what I do, I see myself broadening my scope of travel and doing shows outside of Ohio and yet still being able to continue a home-based business.

My motto is "Add a little sparkle to your life," and that sparkle means something different to everyone. Whether it be looked at as "bling," others, so I have been told...look at it as "joy," "uplifting," or something that brings a smile to their face on an otherwise dull day. Yet, when captured by the sun, it lightens their mood and draws their eyes to the dancing prisms reflected in their homes, just as a child in awe with a new toy.

Meet Gina Dean from Mamma G’s Gourmet Caramel Corn…

My name is Gina Dean my company is Mamma G's Gourmet Caramel Corn and I make unlimited varieties of caramel corn. I take pride in the fact that I dehydrate my own fruit that I use. I also use real candies and different nuts. I started my business this past November. I was featured at Duma Meat's in November and December. I now do all types of craft shows and events like the Avant-Garde shows, VegBash and Pierogifest. I am also doing weddings, birthdays and graduations. 

I get my inspirations from my children, family, and friends. If you can think of a flavor I can make it! I'm now in Blended at Aurora Farms as well and am working on becoming a household name. I love being unique and making caramel corn that no one else has. I strive to keep moving forward and keep making new connections. I'm excited to see where this will take me. Remember it's never too late to have new dreams in life, you just have to have the courage to pursue them.

2019 Canton Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, April 13, 2019 - 10:00am-5:00pm

St. George Serbian Center

4667 Applegrove St. NW

North Canton, OH 44720

For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com

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Canton Spring Show Preview!

Meet Christine Hespen from The Chris Co...

I'm 34 YO born and raised in CLE on the eastside.  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 about 10+ or so years now. This will be my second Avant-Garde show! 

I’m inspired by color! 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.

How I got into my craft.. My very first job was at a bead store in Beachwood Place back when I was 14 years old.  My love for jewelry kicked off from that job. 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 variations of what I saw others doing, I realized it came easy to me.

My creative process.. I try not to over think a piece....when that happens I get restless and end up overthinking it to death.  I just start working on a piece, and let it flow.

My five year goal.. I'd love for this to be my full time job, jewelry making.  However I do also enjoy working full time in Corp. America.  So who knows?!

The message behind my work is that sometimes simplicity is best.  Sometimes there simply isn't a message, and that's okay! View more of my work at www.TheChrisCo.com.

Meet Arielle Westfall from Strung of Jewelz...

My name is Arielle, Raised in Canton, but recently just moved to the beautiful countryside of Lawrence Township. In love with anything outdoors, hunting, shooting, riding, and working in the garden. So when I tell a lot of people that I also make jewelry, they are usually pretty stunned. My family is made up of a bunch of different crafters, from stained glass, neon, and metal fabrication, to upcycling. So it just kind of made sense that I had to find my nitch.

  

I have been making jewelry since I was little, but seriously started into it about 2012, then put up a site on Etsy in 2014. That lead to a bunch of craft shows the start of 2015. This will be my first Avant-Garde show, I am really excited to show off my collection!

My inspiration comes from my complete mess of a craft room. I love throwing all my supplies on my desks and just see what jumps out at me! It is my organized chaos, patterns and color schemes I would have never thought of present themselves right in from of me.

This all started when I wanted to make Multiple Sclerosis Awareness bracelets for my Dad, they turned out great and everyone was asking about them. Soon after I started getting asked to do other charities, organizations, cancers. I said yes and it just grew from there. After that, all the Hematite and gemstones started coming into play, the more I read about the natural healing principles behind the stones, the more I wanted to put in every piece I made.

In 5 years I would love to just be able to work a part time “Real Job”, travel to bigger shows, and design and operate my own website. Make Strung Out Jewelz a bigger name.

The jewelry someone wears makes a statement about who that are and what they value. It gives us a glimpse of their personality, life, struggles, and achievements. I design and create jewelry with a purpose. Quality, comfortable, and a personal connection is what I strive to put into every piece.

Meet Marti McHugh-Curtis from ArtyMarti Designs...

Hi to all!  I am Marti of ArtyMarti Designs.  I live in Chagrin Falls, OH with my husband, Keith, who is endlessly patient with all the clutter that goes hand in hand with creativity!  I have been greatly interested in art, photography, lettering, writing, and just about any other creative field, since I was a very young child.  I remember the frustration at age 9, of lying in the grass, trying to focus close-up on a flower, with an instamatic Kodak that took flash cubes…anyone remember those??  

Anyway, as the years passed, I spent time studying at both Miami University and Kent State University in the art departments.  My studies ranged from wallpaper and fabric design, to calligraphy, jewelry & metals, & photography.  However, once I was married and had the first two of my four children, photography seemed the best fit, both as a creative outlet, and also a way that I could work part time.  I began entering contests, became an active member of the Chagrin Valley Camera Club, and was eventually recruited as a free-lance photographer for the Chagrin Valley Times.  

This worked perfectly with the demands of an active family; as by then I had one daughter and three sons.  I continued this work for about nine years, and felt the urge to try something different at that point.  As I had already been making many of my own greeting cards for years, by applying photos I had taken to card stock, it seemed like a perfectly natural transition for me to attempt to make this endeavor into a small business, and find a way to “update” the card style.  I registered the name ArtyMarti Designs in August of 2015, and have been busy building the business and learning the ups and downs of marketing one’s own product.  

I have had Open Houses, have some cards in local shops, as well as in a store in the Chautauqua Institution in New York state.  I participated in my first “tent event” at the end of last summer, and just recently discovered the Avant-Garde Craft Shows. The Canton show will be my first Avant-Garde Show, and I have been busy planning the best ways to display my product.  I hope to attend many more, and I hope to see you there!

Many things have inspired me to create.  I have always been drawn to beautiful details of things that I see. I love traveling, and have amassed a huge collection of photos from those travels, that I now find to be a virtual catalog for me to draw from for my card designs.  I sometimes use “straight” photography, and at other times implement “effects” on my photographs to change their appearance to a more graphic or painterly style.  I have approximately 175 different card designs currently, ranging from old cars and trucks, animals, botanicals, barns, antiques & architecture, to anything interesting that catches my eye!  At first I made all of my cards blank inside, and found that many people were requesting cards with verses.  As I enjoy writing as well, I embraced the challenge of creating verses that connected well with the photos on the cards. I now offer many cards with verses for varied occasions, as well as a large stock of blank cards for the customers that enjoy writing their own.

At the Spring Canton and Fairlawn shows, I will have some interesting gift “baskets” made up of assortments of custom greeting cards, pens, and postage stamps in pretty containers of some kind, perfect for a Mother’s Day gift or birthday gift.  This may be an especially nice present for an older mom, aunt or grandma, who can’t easily get out the way they used to, but still love to write notes and cards to people they know & love.  I hope you’ll check them out! 

I do want to let people know that at this time I am only able to accept checks and cash.  Haven’t made the big move to accepting credit cards yet, but probably will need to check that option out soon!

I am in a constant state of learning, as I go through this process of creating and selling my art.  I am always open to hearing suggestions of what particular items people would like to see on a card, that I have not yet made.  My greatest satisfaction comes when a customer truly connects with a particular photo, and tells me the memories it brings to them, or when they tell me the verse I wrote perfectly conveys what they would like to say to someone.  I am very much looking forward to this new adventure, and hope that I will meet many of you soon!

Meet Kathleen Modory from A Moment for Mom...

I am married with a two year old son and a little girl on the way. I work as a medical coder during the week. I live in Medina, Ohio. I love learning all sorts of crafts. I have been crafting bath bombs for about a year now. I have done about 4 Avant-Garde shows. 

I like to try new things with my bath products. I see things in everyday life and think of ways to make bath bombs that look like ordinary things. As a working mom of a two year old the bath tub was the only place to be alone to just be me. I was buying bath bombs like crazy then thought I should make them myself to get exactly the scents and colors I enjoy. 

How I discovered my talent.. I practiced for a few weeks. About 4 ruined batches later I got the recipe right. It seems very easy, but there is so much chemistry involved.
When it comes to my creative process... I am always thinking of ways to better my products and to make new ones. After each batch is made I evaluate what went right and what could have been better

My five year goal.. Hopefully still doing craft fairs every weekend. It's a nice thing to do with my husband. We get to spend time together as a family outside getting to know the people in our community.
The message behind my work is to take the time to slow down and put yourself first. Every mom needs a moment for themselves.

Meet Elizabeth and Erin of Craftologie...

Hi Y’all. We are Elizabeth and Erin of Craftologie.  We met as coworkers while at a large jewelry company. We bonded in our multifaceted love of making and our ideals on the appreciation for products that are well made and beautifully designed. Out of a desire to spread this ideology, we formed Craftologie.  For us Craftologie is a lifestyle. Through Craftologie we want to sharing our thoughtfully crafted lifestyle with everyone through our products and outreach.

We have both been making and creating since we were old enough to walk and talk. While we both have been doing shows and fairs for years, the begging of this year is our debut of Craftologie. Which we carefully formulated as a way to express and share our handmade lifestyle. 

We are highly inspired by beautiful designs and happy occurrences in nature. We both find that there is an innate need to create with in us.  It is this feeling that constantly has us finding new ideas and designs we want to try. 

We both agree that we have an innate desire to be creative and to make things and if we don’t know how to make something we will teach ourselves how.

At a very early age we both had a desire to make.  While we never were experts right away, we worked honed our craft by learning from our successes as well as our mistakes.  We will always continue to perfect our craft.

Our process is collaborative so that we both develop an idea. We decide how we want the design and what is the best method of creating the piece from start to finish.  From there we make a prototype which is then transformed into a full production line. 

Our five year goal... We see our selves happily creating, constantly taking our creativity to the next level, and seeing all of our ideas come to fruition. We hope to influence the community in the lifestyle of appreciating how things are made. 

Through our designs, creativity and craft we want to express this idea of the lifestyle of Craftologie. Specifically our mission is as follows:

Our Mission is to present you with thoughtfully designed thoughtfully crafted jewelry, decor and gifts galore.  Your pieces are made with the highest attention to detail and with the greatest respect toward craftsmanship.  Love them. Cherish them. Pass them on to future generations.  Share the joy of the handmade and express yourself through Craftologie.

View more of our work at: www.craftologie.weebly.com.

2017 Canton Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Time- 10:00am-5:00pm

St. George Serbian Center

4667 Applegrove Street NW

North Canton, OH 44720

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

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

INSTAGRAM

LINKEDIN