It's Show Week, Pittsburgh!

Meet Debi Mottes of The Creative Dabbler...
I live in Monaca, PA located in Beaver County. When people walk into my house, they always want a tour because each room is uniquely painted and decorated.  My daughter’s room even has an entire wall of leopard print!  I have 3 grown daughters and 3 fur “grandkids”.  I am a Penn State alum with a Bachelor’s degree and a 15 year career in social work.  “We are Penn State!”

After my Social Work career,  “The Creative Dabbler” was open. My business consisted of everything from faux finishes, stenciling, hand painting, murals, creating accessories, and all things decorating. I recently closed my business after 21 fulfilling years and decided to pursue my talents off of the ladders. Painting furniture in a variety of colors and patterns has peaked my interest since creativity is in my blood. That, as well as my first love – anything crafty!

As the oldest cousins in my family, my sister and I used to make holiday favors for all of our younger cousins. After that, my imagination kept soaring….through all of my daughters’ activities  - school, church, girl scouts – I was always the craft lady.  My daughter’s friends always refer to me as the Creative Mom; my daughter’s friend always jokes that she wants to be the next Mrs. Mottes. 

I have attended many craft shows over the years, but this will be my first Avant Garde craft show. I am excited to be a part of it! My inspiration and creative process are pretty much the same thing – I was blessed with a fix it gene. Repurposing things or making them look better comes natural to me. Good thing, because I have many projects that I have been waiting for my retirement to get to!  My basement is full of furniture and many things waiting to be a future project. 

Meet Dawn Wallhausen of Dawn Glassworks...

In addition to being a glass artist, I am an editor and a writer, a mother of three and a wife, and co-caregiver to a big, sweet, goofy dog. I like to hike, camp, swim, draw, paint, read, and bake and I travel when I can. 

I started learning to make glass beads around twenty years ago. When I was a child, we had a family friend who made specialized glassware for laboratories. One Christmas, he made me a glass ornament with my name etched into it. That ornament is the first thing I can remember sparking and deepening my interest in glasswork. The mosaics came along a little later, but I have probably been making them for around fifteen years. For me, glass is an inspiration in itself. I love the million different shades, opacities, and textures. But all kinds of art and artists provide inspiration, too. Paintings, photographs, and three dimensional art of all kinds can spark an idea. 

I mostly do glasswork as a hobby and give much of what I make away as gifts or donations to fundraisers for causes I support, as I have a full-time job as an editor. I do like to do a show around the holidays, though. I'm happy to work this way, but I wouldn't resist if my glass art took off. 

Some of the things I make are purely artistic expressions, but I do like to make things that are both practical and interesting to look at. That is why you will find small housewares decorated with my lamp-worked beads and trays or storage boxes covered in stained-glass mosaics among the jewelry at my table. The main message I wish to convey is that art and beauty make life infinitely better. This is my first Avant-Garde show and I am so excited!

2019 Pittsburgh Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, December 7, 2019 - 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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Just A Few More Days, Pittsburgh!

Meet Elaine Pollock from JP & Son Woodcraft...
JP & Son Woodcraft is a family craft with everyone having some part in it! The main craftsman is Joe Pollock. He is a veteran who returned to Pittsburgh, PA after serving 20 years in the Army. He’s had an interest in woodwork since taking shop classes in high school. 

This year he started doing woodwork with the encouragement of his son Joey and support of wife Elaine, daughter Kayla, and daughter-in-law Becky. Everyone takes on some role in the craft. The best part of the business is working together as a family. Hopefully the future holds bigger roles for everyone in the craft and less time on current full time jobs.

Meet Girl Scout Troop 54442...

Girl Scout Troop 54442 tries out new crafts every year.  Our Girl Scouts have quilted, sewn, felted wool, and made beaded jewelry, bath bombs and paper.  Mosaic work stuck with the girls.  

Many of our pendants are made on camping trips or during meetings.  The girls work, chat and laugh.  Best:  since mosaics require both hands, our art is cell phone free. 

The girls have honed their entrepreneurial skills after 11 years of cookie sales.  This small business allows them to integrate all of the art and financial skills they've developed in the Girl Scout Program.  Several of our mosaic artists have thought about opening their own Etsy shops when they graduate high school!

Meet Christine Balistrieri from Something Pretty For Me...

Hello, I am married to the most wonderful man and have a son and daughter in high school. We live in the North  and love it there! I work as an Assessment and Enrollment Specialist for LIFE Pittsburgh because I am passionate about helping the elderly. I have been doing this for 4 years now.

This is my first Avant-Garde show! I see designs, color schemes and styles, then make them my own. After I was laid off a few years ago, I was inspired to learn how to make jewelry. I have found this creative outlet most rewarding! Friends even commented that I should sell my pieces because they liked them so much! 

Sometimes the materials design themselves. Sometimes my finished creation is not what it looked like in my mind originally and that's always fun! In 5 years I hope to continue as I am now. I purposefully create simple pieces that are affordable to purchase and can be worn everyday. I also make custom pieces, and I can be found on Facebook at Something Pretty For Me!

2018 Pittsburgh Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, December 1, 2018 - 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

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM