Interview with knitting designer Tetiana Otruta

We hope you enjoyed our free cowl knitting pattern  posted earlier. We also thought you might want to know more about the designer. So we asked Tetiana to tell us more about herself, her wonderful creations and her Otruta shop on Etsy.

 

Here what she told us:

My name is Tatiana. I was born and raised in Crimea, Ukraine. Currently I live in a quiet town in upstate New York. My mother taught me to knit and crochet in early childhood and I fell in love with this magic process.

I love to play with different yarns, colors and textures to create something special.

I can find inspiration in nature, colors, art, architecture, dreams and everyday life.
Every minute my brain works - how can I convert the impressions around me into stitch patterns, color combinations, shapes and lines of finished design.

I focus mostly on accessory design because I love accessories. For me the accessories are never too much. This small piece makes everyday clothes new, expresses creativity and creates a personal, unique look every time it is worn.

Tetiana's knitting patterns on raverly www.ravelry.com/designers/tetiana-otruta

Hand knitted accessories on Etsy www.etsy.com/shop/Otruta
Blog: t-otruta.blogspot.com/
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TetianaOtrutaDesigns

Featured shop: BubiShop

Our team is constantly growing and we are getting so many wonderful team members. We'd like to introduce one of them today. Please welcome, Polina from BubiShop.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello! My name is Polina. I am a 26-year-old happily married mother of two. I live in Belarus.
I am a very creative person. My passions are photography and making handmade jewelry. Also, I often make decorations for my house, for example, I knit candlesticks, make boxes for storing small items, sew cute soft letter ornaments and make fragrant sachets.

 Jewelry making has a special place in my life. I like to look for interesting color combinations, pick out stones, try to invent something new or improve old ideas.

How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?
My journey in art and creativity started when I had my second baby and went on maternity leave. I bought a DSLR camera, got fascinated by photography and then started making jewelry by hand. I got very involved in it, and I gradually came to a conclusion that it was time to start selling my handmade jewelry.

What items in your shop do you most enjoy making and why?
Most of all I love to make bracelets. A bracelet is a relatively small project and I takes less time than, say, making beads.  At the same time, there is much more space for creativity as compared to earrings, for example.

 

What are your main sources of inspiration?
My main source of inspiration is nature. I love flowers, the bright colors of the different seasons. I'm also inspired by reading blogs of creative and successful people, and sometimes their creative ideas give me a start on a new project!

What is the best reaction you have gotten from one of your pieces?
The best reaction to me was a phone call of my customer that bought a bracelet as a gift for his girlfriend. He told me that a friend was very much pleased and wears my bracelet all the time. It was very nice to know!

Name 3 things you can’t live without?
Family, Children, Creativity!

Do you have a Favorite quote you'd like to share with us?
« It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.»

A Personal Expression in Designing Jewelry

Every day Etsy attracts many new sellers who look for an opportunity to introduce original work and designs to a broader audience. In an army of new shops who joined our team in March one caught my attention. Popular objects such as pendants and ring were fused with wit and style.

I would like to introduce a young yet experienced jeweler and designer Olga Tkhor and her Etsy shop OlgaTkhorJewellery

In these charming pendants I see the inspiration by Beardsley’s humorous drawings and fantastic style.

This ring beautifully combines baroque patterns and canons of taste and will make a perfect and unique birthday or anniversary gift:

I like her approach to a very delicate subject as a religious theme. Tradition to design religious jewelry has been going through several centuries and fast became the most popular way for one to show one’s faith.

This sword cross on a shield designed with a modern twist adds glamorous sparkle and sophistication to any outfit.

How versatile is Olga’s design shows another men's shield pendant in solid sterling silver and features a Fleur De Lis design

Any piece of jewelry tells us something or not. When it does tell something, we buy it.

I would recommend to check Olga’s other designs and work on her website. Beautiful work!

By Lyudmila (Woolsolution)

Interview with a Star, Tatiana from Tatiana's Tienda shop

Many of our team members are multi talented and they have such interesting stories behind their avatars. We'd like to introduce one of our new members today. You already had a chance to make a new Easter basket using Tatiana's easy to follow tutorial and now you can find out more about her. Please welcome, Tatiana from Tatiana's Tienda shop and this is her story.

My name is Tatiana. I was born in a small Siberian city called Irkutsk. I graduated from university with a degree in civil engineering and management in economics. If you'd have told me nearly two years ago that I would open craft store in the US and that I'd be crocheting and creating crafts, I would have though that you were insane! It just wasn't a future that I had in mind.

At the time, I was working with a construction company and dealing with projects and numbers, while at the same time I was studying for my second degree and teaching fitness in the evening. Everything was so overwhelming, I didn’t enjoy my life and one day I was fed up with it. I can remember this day… I was sitting in a lonely office, working on a boring drawing of a building riddled with numbers. I opened up a web page and started searching for flights. At the time, it didn't matter where I'd go…The most important part was getting FAR AWAY from the craziness that was my life! That same day I bought a one way ticket to Bangkok and I was infinitely happy with the decision that I made. I didn’t know what to expect or where I'd go afterwards, but I definitely decided that I didn't want to live that crazy life anymore.

 I passed my final exam in January, got a diploma in civil engineering, quit my job, and moved all my stuff into a garage as I was off to Thailand. I remember saying to my family and friends, “I’m starting a journey towards a 'real' life, a life that I deserve and want to live, and a life that society doesn't dictate for you…A life that you want to live and share with others!” 

From there I traveled for about 10 months and it was the most amazing months of my life! I went to meditation courses, volunteered in Laos, worked in China with kids… 

 But the most important thing – I’ve met an amazing person, my soul mate, a person who understands me without words on the way to “my new life”.

We traveled in South East Asia together, lived through the craziness of China… And then one day he asked me, "Do you want to visit the US?" Well, I had never been a big fan of this country but I realize now it was all due to the media. Russia and USA had never been big friends and I also had such restricted visions about the country before… But after traveling in so many countries,  I realized that political views of a government don’t always have anything common with the people who live there. So I agreed to come with him. Right now I amazed with this country and really enjoy living here.

When I flew to the US I didn’t know what I was going to do or where I'd look for work. One day my boyfriend’s sister was knitting a scarf. And I remembered how I love doing this in childhood, but when I grow up I totally forgot about it because didn’t have time for it. The very next day I made a hat for my boyfriend. Afterwards, we came up with the idea to sell items such as this on Etsy. 

 I made different goods for special holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day. I later created candy bouquets and wicker baskets made from newspaper.

I really enjoy the things that I create, because I know that it will make my buyers happier and richer inside, will put a smile on their face and maybe even change the world for the better!

And as you can see in both 'my story' and the level of detail and pride I take in all the goods I make, I put my heart and soul into this little boutique shop. This is how I support myself! I appreciate all my customers for all sales I receive and will go out of my way to make you happy with your order!!

I realize 'my story' is much more detailed than most you'll come across, but just wanted show how one day can change your entire life! Your life is in your hands and you are the creator of your destiny. Don’t be afraid of changes. It may seem too scary to make changes right now… but feel it in your heart that changes are for the good – so never hesitate to take the first steps!

Story by Tatiana (Tatiana's Tienda)

Interview with a Star - MulberryWhisper

My name is Irina and I am the owner of MulberryWhisper shop on Etsy.

 …This is a strange thing to say for me. I am a fashion designer born and educated in Soviet Union, and I have never been supposed to have a shop. My mother and two aunts were fashion designers, too, and they were quite well known in Uzbekistan and in USSR in general, so it was natural for me to choose the same path. However all of us worked for state owned enterprises only.

I graduated from the Textile Design University and worked at clothing factory here in Tashkent as a designer, making things for people to wear. I was very happy to see my designs worn by people in the street, and if my daughter Eugenie was with me, I would always tell her – “See that cream suit? It is my design!”. I missed this feeling later…

After USSR ceased to exist, our factory stopped producing clothes. I worked from home for many years, but it did not give me the same level of satisfaction. I guess I was lacking a certain degree of freedom an artist needs. I often had to make designs I did not like, just because I needed to earn money. I had to work with fabrics chosen by the customers, and often those were synthetic fibers which looked and felt bad, in my view, but I had no choice. Of course I tried to give advice and to show alternatives but I still felt restrained.

We had been thinking of a brick and mortar shop for a while but we did not feel we had the needed capacity for that. I am not much of an administrator, and Eugenie has time consuming day job. Then at some point she told me about Etsy; she also bought some very nice things there. And somehow we decided to try Etsy as a platform for our shop, and we are very happy we did. We are to celebrate our first year on Etsy in the beginning of spring. We love Etsy and our shop.

I make clothing to order, using traditional Uzbek silk fabrics, mostly with ikat patterns which are so unique and beautiful. I believe that Uzbek fabrics are pieces of art which reflect the soul of our people – bright and full of light. I love the combination of traditional ethnic fabrics with contemporary clothing design; this gives my customers an opportunity to own a wearable piece of art which is versatile and practical. Many of my designs can be worn to the office or for a special occasion, as they are easy to wear and combine with other pieces. I also do my best to make my designs flattering for women, to emphasize their beauty. I am very happy to receive great feedback from our customers and I am glad to know that my designs are loved and used, not just stored in the closet.

 I also make pillow covers from silk ikat fabrics (adras, bekasab, khan atlas), Uzbek silk velour (bakhmal), Uzbek suzani (traditional embroidery) and rugs. These pieces bring a spirit of adventure and travels to the homes of our customers: some of them have an almost barbarian tribal feel, while others are lush and luxurious. All of those are made in limited quantities, and often are one of a kind.

 In addition, we offer lovely Uzbek silk scarves, and some of our customers already seem to have nice collections. These fabrics come in limited quantities, and there are very small chances for the buyers to see someone else wearing “their” scarves. We also occasionally sell beautiful vintage Russian wool shawls and scarves, when we find new old stock available.

I use a lot of vintage fabrics and rugs, and this approach feels right to me. There are plenty of vintage supplies here in our country; they are beautiful, unique, rare, and made from natural fibers. I believe in using as much vintage as possible, sometimes upcycling, to rescue the wonderful fabrics and also to somewhat relieve the burden on natural resources. We have a huge collection of vintage Uzbek silks and some of those are shared out in our shop.

Our first year was quite successful, despite the fact that we only worked for about six months altogether. We are very grateful to all the wonderful customers of ours, especially the first ones, who believed in us when we had no feedback and our photos were very poor. We want to give our special thanks to the Russian Artists’ Team on Etsy which continues providing invaluable support. And, of course, we are very grateful to Etsy! Etsy has given me and my daughter a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and learn new things, besides earning money. We have acquired several very good friends and we hope that friendship lasts and business develops.

All the best to you in 2013, and please come and visit us at MulberryWhisper and at our blog, MulberryWhisper.com!

Interview with a star - Galia (CasaDeGato)

 Let us introduce today Galia who runs CasaDeGato shop on Etsy.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin? 
Once upon a time there was a little girl who liked to play with dolls, but didn't have clothes for them. When I was 4 my mother got pregnant with my brother and during her pregnancy leave could spend more time with me at home. She taught me knitting and bit of sewing. Then, when my brother was born the situation reversed and now I had plenty of time alone. So I started doll's cloths creations. I used old cloths of mine and very quickly my dolls became the most dressed up dolls, perhaps, in the entire town :) At the same time my gram showed me crocheting, but all I did was a few small blankets for a toy bed. I didn't like knitting and crocheting at that time much, so my passion transformed to other kinds of crafting: I tried many things – sewing for myself, creating jewelry from beads and fimo, even painting. None of this went far.

Time had passed; I moved to Israel, was studying in the university and got my first full time job. I also found a new hobby that took most of my free time – cave exploring.

I got married and my son was born. This was the first time after a long brake when I returned to crafting. Unfortunately, my son was a preterm baby, and had some health problems, so I wanted to create warm toys for him, that also help in development. This is how my first crochet bear was born. Then I returned to work and didn't have much time for craft. But everything changed when I've got pregnant the second time. Almost all the pregnancy I spent at home. I understood that this is my chance to change the reality and finally show my creations to others. During the pregnancy I started my first nursing necklaces creation and after my daughter was born I opened my Etsy shop.

What items do you carry in your shop? I currently have 3 main lines of products: nursing teething necklaces, crochet toys and crochet hear accessories. I have a few baby hats and mother-daughter matching sets and I am planning to add a new line of children's personalized scarfs for the coming autumn season.

What items in your shop do you most enjoy making and why?
Crochet toys. It is so touching when you see how your child enjoys playing with something that you created. Nursing necklaces, btw, are also crochet toys – just for the little ones.

What is the most important about your work?
I really enjoy using my creativity to make new unique toys for babies and children and I feel even better when not only my children can benefit from the results.

Interview with a Star - Jane (JanesBeautyStore)

Please, welcome our team mate Jane who runs JanesBeautyStore shop on Etsy. Today, she is sharing a story of her crafty life.


Please tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Jane. I live in Zaporozhye, Ukraine. I am working as a manager in an export-import department by day and when I have a free minute I create jewelry and accessories. I am a self-taught jewelry designer and I really enjoy the process of creating something beautiful and cute!

How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?
As long as I can remember myself I was always making something. As a child, I used to crochet skirts and dresses for my dolls, make drawings in small books for kids and I always wanted to have something of mine like the owner of a small cozy shop or café. Well, in 2009 my dream came true and I started creating jewelry. I first started making jewelry for my mom, grandma, friends and then step by step for sale.

What items do you carry in your shop?
Currently you can find jewelry made from crochet thread, polymer clay and resin in my shop. I make earrings, rings, pendants, necklaces and brooches. For the fall season  I am preparing some warm headbands. I am also working on making bracelets and hair accessories at this time.

What would you say makes your shop unique?
My shop is unique because I am making one-of-a-kind items. So my customers receive unique creations and nobody else in the whole world will have the same item. I think it is important for handmade items to be OOAK.

What are your main sources of inspiration?
Inspiration comes from everything that is around me. My current mood, good weather, a rainy day, romantic movie, morning coffee with my husband, thoughts about my family, cats, fashion – all these things and moments inspire me to do the beautiful things.

Do you take custom orders?
I take custom orders with pleasure! I like to listen to my customers, their ideas inspire me. I like that my customers want to get something special from me and my work is appreciated.

Where would you like to go with your business?
My goal is to have a room in my apartment, that will be my studio where I work. There will be different nice handmade things from other crafters, my materials, my works and a place for photo shoots. The atmosphere at my studio will be full of inspiration and art! This is my huge dream and I am trying to do everything to make it come true.

I am very thankful for my husband's and my family's support! I don’t need millions :) I just want to be a good mother, wife, sister, daughter, granddaughter, a friend and want to have my own small business and a place where I can fulfill my ideas.

Do you have a favorite quote you'd like to share with us?
The quote that gives me strength and inspiration is “Do what you love, love what you do”.

Story by Jane (JanesBeautyStore)

Interview with a Star - Irina (IrenkaR)

Today, we would like to introduce one of our team mate Irina who runs IrenkaR shop on Etsy.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself
Actually, I’m a self-taught artisan and making jewelry is my hobby. I am an economist, but I have learned sewing, knitting, and inventing all kinds of interesting things from my mother. I love the creativity and extraordinarily creative people. In my childhood I dreamed of being a designer. My daughter, Ann, has made my dream come true without even realizing it. Now she is a 1st year student at the National Academy of Art in Lviv. By the way, my daughter is my first and the most serious critic.

How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?
I have been making polymer clay jewelry for only 2 years. Initially, I bought it for my daughter, she loves to sculpt. I looked for the tutorials and bought all kinds of tools for her and then noticed that I myself was exited to do all this. I fell in love with polymer clay immediately, right when I for the first time took it into my hands. There are so many opportunities for creativity!

A long time ago I made jewelry for myself and for friends at school - we really wanted to be unique. Later, I saw jewelry from polymer clay in the Internet community. Now I make it myself. Now my daughter and I have a common hobby - she also makes jewelry and all her friends wear earrings made by her.

What items do you carry in your shop?
My original works - fun brooches from polymer clay - dolls, princesses, ballerinas, little mermaids and a collection of winter brooches (kids in the big winter hats) - are represented in my shop. Also, I like to make polymer clay jewelry with imitation of knitting, and with bright prints, I like to use different textures and materials: fabric, handmade lace, beads. It’s interesting for me to experiment and I want to share my findings with everyone. My daughter wears earrings, brooches and bracelets made by me with pleasure, she takes them first! So that’s why I make many items again specifically for the shop IrenkaR

Do you have a favorite item you have made? What items in your shop do you most enjoy making and why?
I love all of my works because I put in them my warmth and love. And my favorite is a brooch of a girl with the mittens on lace . This brooch probably has a connection with something from my childhood. I love to make this design over and over again, but these brooches are never exactly the same.

What is the best reaction you have gotten from one of your pieces?
Frankly speaking, a reaction to my brooches inspired me to make them again. I'm glad to make people happy with my works, I like when my works make my customers smile and cheer them up. It is really great! I think I make this world a little bit kinder. That’s why the slogan of my shop is "Cute brooches and other jewelry for a good mood»

What are your best marketing tips?
I really like Etsy, which helps us to learn about marketing of a small business. But the best marketing tip I think is: «do what you like and do it well».

I hope it was interesting for you.

Yours, Irina Rybak

Interview with a Star, Kimuka shop on Etsy

 

If you are looking for a cute unique gift for a friend, family member or yourself take a look at Kimuka shop. You will find very special handmade toys, jewelry, passport covers and so much more. All the items are made by two sisters who own a shop and all the items are made with a lot of love.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself
We are two sisters, Ira and Lena, and we are originally from Ukraine, Lviv.

Ira: I came to Israel first, in 1998. At first I took a totally different direction in life and went to study Mechanical Engineering. I graduated in 2005 with first degree (B.Sc.). I tried my luck in the field but very soon I understood that it wasn’t the right path for me. I re-qualified to QA, as something that provides food on the table. It also cleared some more time for my hobbies, photography and making handcrafted items. I’m happily married to Stas and we have two cute dogs.

Lena:  I graduated with MA in Graphic Design in Ukraine and moved to Israel in 2008. Here I work as a graphic designer at a photography business. I’m happily married to Evgene and we also have two great dogs.

How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?
Ira: My mom taught me to knit as a child so I knitted when I lived in Ukraine. I started making toys and all the other things after graduating the University.

Lena: While living in Ukraine I took a great interest in photography and when I came to Israel, I joined Ira’s hobby of handcraft. After a period of time we both created many toys, accessories and handbags just for ourselves and for our close friends. Soon we realized that our hobbies required a lot of money and space so if we want to continue with it we had to do something that would return the investment and free up space for the new creations.

We started our joint business "Simsisters" in Israel and  "Kimuka" shop on Etsy.

What items do you carry in your shop?
We have many different styles and sizes of toys, handbags, passport covers, jewelry and fashion accessories.

What would you say makes your shop unique?
All our creations are invented from our own imaginations and with our own graphic design. Of course we get a lot of inspiration from other artists but we always insists on doing everything with our touch and twist.

Do you take custom orders?
We love custom orders! We always like to get new ideas and challenges, even if they come from somebody else.

We even encourage people to send us something special to them, like a painting made by their children to get a new idea for the toy. The painting should be an image of something, not a scene. We'll work with that image and create a new toy, tailor-made!