Meet Suzanne Valeriano from A Silk Purse...
I have been collecting, re-purposing,
re-finishing, creating, and re-creating for over 35 years.
I love all things vintage; especially
the satisfaction that comes from creating something new, beautiful, and unique;
from something with a history, a patina, that gentle glow of age.
I love to re-use and re-purpose
vintage elements within my life and my home. I am a creative with an eye; a
vision; an idea, a design, a finished piece. I see beauty, inspiration, and
potential in uncommon places and in unique things. I am creative by nature;
it's part of who I am. I have tried my hand at many things over the years, but
recently fell head-over-heels for designing and creating jewelry.
I feel that I have finally found my passion. It started with some components from a broken piece of vintage jewelry that I held on to from back in the day when I owned and operated a resale and consignment shop with my sister and my mother. I actually have lots of broken jewelry from the time but these pieces were special and I knew that I wanted to create something from them.
Fast forward to just a couple of years ago; I started thinking about what I would like to do when I retire from my day job. I am still five or so years away, optimistically- but this is something that I find important enuogh to plan and prepare for so I began to play with these beautiful vintage jewelry elements. It didn't take long; I had some vintage chain, some jump rings, and ear wires from a previous crafting endeavor and low-and-behold, a beautiful necklace emerged; then matching earrings!
I feel that I have finally found my passion. It started with some components from a broken piece of vintage jewelry that I held on to from back in the day when I owned and operated a resale and consignment shop with my sister and my mother. I actually have lots of broken jewelry from the time but these pieces were special and I knew that I wanted to create something from them.
Fast forward to just a couple of years ago; I started thinking about what I would like to do when I retire from my day job. I am still five or so years away, optimistically- but this is something that I find important enuogh to plan and prepare for so I began to play with these beautiful vintage jewelry elements. It didn't take long; I had some vintage chain, some jump rings, and ear wires from a previous crafting endeavor and low-and-behold, a beautiful necklace emerged; then matching earrings!
My first artisian jewelry creation. It
was good-and I wanted to make more. Here is where I began my journey of
creating unique one-of-a-kind jewelry; searching out techniques and information
to teach myself along the way.
More jewelry quickly emerged-I was
hooked! I was consumed, making one piece after another. As I was wearing all of
these wonderful jewelry designs, I knew full well that I intended to go to
market somehow, some way, at some time. I launched my Etsy shop in 2014, fondly
naming it A Silk Purse, the name of our long-closed resale and consignment
shop.In memory of my Mom, Dad, and days gone by, A Silk Purse remains a special
place in my heart and mind. In my life and now as my brand as I venture on this
new career.
This is my first Avant-Garde Art &
Craft show and will be my first public show selling my artisian jewelry. I had
a very successful trunk show in my home last year where I sold my jewelry to
eager family and friends, and I hope to continue that success to the show!
Meet Marian DeAngelo from Jewelry Design by
Marian...
My name is Marian DeAngelo, designer for Jewelry Design by
Marian. After 40 years in the workforce, I am finally able to spend time
doing something I love; designing jewelry to make women feel beautiful,
empowered and healthy. I have always had a passion for creating and
designing. Soon after retirement, I took a jewelry making class that
jump started my business to create jewelry for the “mind, body and soul”.
My work is inspired by a holistic approach, nature and personal
relationships. I also love to explore and research different types of jewelry making techniques to appeal to all styles. All of my jewelry is handmade and not duplicated.
The process of creating each piece comes
easily when I consider how it can help the individual who will wear the piece.
I will continue to create jewelry to help women in any way that I
can. I look forward to displaying my work at the Avant-Garde shows in the
future. I have been in two Avant-Garde shows as of now, but by the end of
the year will have been in five.
Meet Jaimee Whitehouse from Aesthetic
Ambrosia...
My name is Jaimee
Whitehouse and I am the creator of Aesthetic
Ambrosia. I combine found object artistry with
fine art skill, making unique pieces of wearable art. I mix classic style and edgy elegance using a variety of mediums and I am a self-taught
jewelry artist with a Bachelors Degree in
Graphic Design. When I'm not designing jewelry I am teaching American Style Ballroom Dancing as I've studied dance my
entire life and have been teaching 18 different
types of dance for 20 years. I love geeky
things, thunderstorms, collecting old out of print books, monsters and mythology and the macabre.
I have been creating art since I could hold a
pencil. Drawing and sketching came first
through real to life portraits. Later I discovered
my love of jewelry and started to experiment with a variety of styles and mediums. I have now been selling my art
and jewelry for 4 years through etsy.com and Art Shows like this.
This will be my second Avant- Garde Art &
Craft Show and I am extremely excited to
participate again!
Many things inspire my creations. I find I gravitate
toward, natural and organic shapes as
well as myth and fantasy based styles. I take inspiration from Art Nouveau, Goth, Witchy, Victorian, Edwardian,
Steampunk and Cosplay styles.
Since I have always done some form of art it was
quite the natural progression. Once I was
old enough to show my work people quickly started
to request custom work and from there the business grew. After my mother discovered my deep love of jewelry she
started adding to my hobby by donating
interesting tools and supplies so that I could start to experiment. After teaching myself basic techniques
I started to grow into my own style. Due
to her support and the support of my friends
and family I am now creating art and jewelry full time and loving the fulfillment it brings.
I discovered my talent completely by accident.
lol! I have never known a time where I
didn't create art in some form. I don't really remember learning so much as just picking up a pencil or pair
of pliers and just doing. It always felt
more like an extension of self. Drawing, Painting,
Sculpting, Jewelry Design and creating was always a fun hobby but something I wanted to pursue more seriously
when I realized the actual potential my
art might have through the support of other people in my life. I was lucky enough to be able to succeed at multiple mediums through experimentation and even now
I discover all the time new styles of my
art form as it is constantly evolving and changing
with me.
My creative process is ever evolving. I usually
use natural references, and art styles and start
with a thumbnail or sketch of the qualities I wish to put into the piece. I then start to sketch and develop the
basic shape and build detail. Once
perfected I start to sculpt or put found objects together. I love tiny intricate details and organic shapes. Once I
start, many times the design evolves further and
sometimes changes completely depending on
what I'm creating. Every piece is completely unique and no two will ever be exactly alike. I love to use natural
stone cabochons and everything is either hand
sculpted with Sculpy or fine silver and
copper or created using one of a kind found objects.
I would love to see
my etsy art business grow and expand into other
areas within the next 5 years. I would love to be
doing 5-8 art shows a year as well as participate
in Renaissance Fairs and many Cons and expand into boutiques in my area as well.
I would say to live passionately and fearlessly
and embrace your unique weirdness or
strangeness. Let a little magic happen and find hope and whimsy even in darkness. Embrace your own style and that
spark that makes you different from everyone
else. My jewelry is created to celebrate
imagination, creativity, diversity, magic and the unknown and bring out the inner god or goddess in you
using classic styles with edgy elegance.
I also now have 6 Jewelry Style Lines-
Petticoat, Parasols and Sundries Collection-
Steampunk and Victorian jewelry using
detailed filigree findings and embellishments, glass beads and bead covers combined with skeleton keys,
clockwork and gears.
Parlors and Secret Passages Collection- True
Steampunk Jewelry using only gears,
skeleton keys and clockwork.
The Wildling Collection- Fae/Fairy,
Fantasy-like, Art Nouveau jewelry using
Sculpting techniques and findings.
Ocular Adornments Collection- Dragon and Animal
Eye Hand Painted Glass Fantasy Jewelry
Mystic Muse Collection- Witchy Wearable
Divination jewelry
Vexes and Vixens Collection- Goth and Macabre
style Jewelry
Meet Mary Wagner from Nine
Twenty Seven Shop...
My name is Mary
Wagner and I own NineTwentySevenShop on Etsy making handcrafted rustic copper
jewelry. I currently hold a full time day job and spend the rest(most
of!) of the time designing or working on jewelry.
I started
crafting about 8 years ago after taking
a couple of classes in metalsmithing and wire work...I was hooked! This will be
my second Avant-Garde show and I am very excited and looking forward to
meeting everyone!
What inspires me to
create? Wow - well, I am inspired by so many things...an idea that pops
into my head, a picture, a song or someone's personality especially if it is a
custom piece. I like the challenge of taking an idea and wondering
how to make it into a piece of jewelry.
I would describe my creative
process as maybe organized chaos? or just chaos! I always have pieces in
various stages of completion-sometimes you need to step away- it can take a
completely different turn than the original idea.
In my head, in 5
years, I'm living on the beach doing this full time! We'll see.....Since my
jewelry has a rustic flair, the message behind it is that it does not have to
be perfect to be beautiful. I like to re-purpose, I like vintage, I
like the little item in the corner that keeps waiting for the right home.
I want the owner of something I made to feel like they are putting on
their favorite most comfortable thing to wear and know it is
just for them.
2017 Pittsburgh Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, December 9, 2017 - 10:00am-5:00pm
Teamsters Local 249 Banquet Hall
4701 Butler St
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com
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