ENDLESS CREATIONS OWNER … Mary Lazowski runs the delightful store on the west side of Bryan Courthouse Square, with lots of love and attention. She offers a place where over sixty tri state artisans can know their wares are being sold continually, while they are out selling them at craft fairs and other venues. Mary is standing beside a display of doggy bandanas and bowties by Three Dapper Dogs. (PHOTO BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
Mary Lazowski, the owner and manager of a terrific Local Artisan Outlet, loves owning a store in Bryan, Ohio.
“I remember years ago when a friend who is now one of my merchants said that if I ever decided to open a store front, it needed to be in Bryan, Ohio,” Mary shared in an interview.
“She said if I did, she would join me here and she did.” That merchant was Susie Goshorn and her baskets and other crafts are now sold at Endless Creations along with 60 plus other local artisans.
The story of how Mary came to be in this location is one of being in the right place at the right time, and taking an opportunity when it arises.
Endless Creations is located where Gorny-Winzelers used to be, and where other businesses have come and gone since Gorny’s closed.
When Special Occasions was having their going out of business sale, Mary, who was visiting her daughter in Bryan, stopped to shop.
She met Barb Teegarden and they became friends. “I still had no realization that this was the spot where I would be,” she said, “as someone else was already planning to move into it when Special Occasions was done.”
As the friendship between Barb and Mary grew, Barb invited Mary to come and help decorate the Square for Christmas.
As they were together for decorating, she had the opportunity to meet and talk with Bryan Chamber Director Dan Yahraus.
When she mentioned that it was too bad that she couldn’t get this spot, Dan told her to wait a minute because it might be available again.
She was thrilled to hear him say after he checked, that it was available. That was in 2019 and ever since then Mary has been driving 35 minutes one way, from her home in Waterloo, Indiana, to open her lovely store.
It has been a time of constant changing as she has added a section to the south, and the back section was walled off and occupied by The Bryan Times.
During COVID the store was shut down for a while and she used the time to tear down the wall between the main section and the south section.
The upstairs is completely used for storage as she does not want to deal with having customers use stairs, or needing to hire a second person to be up there all the time.
When Endless Creations opened in 2019, Mary began with 20 merchants. Now there are over 60 who offer their crafts and wares in this excellent location.
The result of the expansion and her hard work is a large store decoratively and tastefully filled with displays of a huge variety of items placed there by local entrepreneurs from the tri-state area.
Mary clarified that Endless Creations is NOT a consignment shop. The vendors rent the space from Mary and they earn all the money from their products, which range from baskets, to honey, to clothing.
“One of my goals is to keep small business entrepreneurs in business,” Mary explained.
“Another thing I have done is made it extremely handicap accessible. I want everyone to be able to come in and browse through our delightful selection.”
There is a coloring table (which sometimes has puzzles) set up for little children to enjoy while their parents are shopping.
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR … Mermaid Sisters: Designs by Bridgette has a display of this 7-year-old crafter who has been making bracelets and other items and selling them since she was six. She is the youngest artisan who has a booth in Endless Creations.
The youngest crafter is Bridgette who is seven-years-old and has been making bracelets since she was four.
Her jewelry is offered at Endless Creations along with Tom Denoi’s birdhouses, custom embroidery and sewing by Linda Trausch, crocheted hats, scarves and mittens sold under the name “Made with Love by Andrea” (Rosendaul), dog products by Three Dapper Dogs owner Theresa Brumbaugh, and hand poured soy wax candles and melts by Kye&Co as well as a variety of items from Wispy Willow Farms, Country Creations by Carolyn (Thornton), and Addington Crafts House Decor.
With over sixty vendors, the variety is incredible. There is a gift for everyone on your list so be sure to stop in over the next few months and purchase your Christmas gifts and a treat for yourself.
Endless Creations will be open during the second annual Christkindle Market of Bryan, which will be held every weekend starting the Friday after Thanksgiving and ending on December 17th.
She was open last year and ran it alone, learning that this year she will need some assistants.
She was happy to say that many of her friends and merchants have volunteered to come in and help with all the business that will flow through the store on those evenings.
Be sure to be a part of that flow, and you will be glad you came!
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com
