Etsy shops for Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami victims, Russian Artists Team experience, part 3

We thank you our team members who first responded to artist aid Japan relief project: Albina Aroundbeads, Lena Baymut, Irene beautyland, Maria CallOfEarth, Alla FleetingStillness, Gala galafilc,Irina IrinaPhotography, Yuliya jezek, Svetlana marsvetlana, Irina Modern101, Olga Moussycrafts, Irene tombjorndesigns.

Here are the interviews with some of the activists of Russian Artist fundraising campaign:

Alla (FleetingStillness) was the one who supported the idea of charity donations for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief from the very beginning, she was the first one to sell an item for charity. Now she sold 17 sun catchers and still keeps re-listing them, selling and donating the money to Red Cross.

1. Alla, I know that you are a very busy woman with a full-time job and two children. You were quite successful selling your stained glass butterflies for charity and I admire your consistency, since even after you have raised a significant amount of money for Japan you've carried on relisting the items and selling them. Was it easy to find the time during the day to actually make the stained glass butterflies for charity?
There pretty much is no such thing in my life as "time during the day for stained glass", unless I take a day off from my job or it is a weekend and my kids are visiting their grandparents. So, I had to make most of my charity butterflies at night, just like I do with all of my pieces. I have to say that the volume was much higher than usual - thanks to everyone who purchased my charity butterflies - so almost every day I spent 1 to 3 hours making the butterflies after my kids went to bed.

2. What was your daily sales record?
I sold 17 butterflies so far, donating $373.59 to Red Cross in Japan, and most orders were for 1 or 2 butterflies. There was one very generous order though that deserves a special mention - a very kind lady from California ordered 6 butterflies at once. One more butterfly has sold that same day bringing my sales record to 7 butterflies!

3. Have you or any of your family members participated in some other fundraising events for Japan relief?
My husband and I have donated cash on March 12th, the day before I started to sell butterflies for charity. My daughter's elementary school is collecting cash donations this week and we will be sure to participate.

4. Was it your first experience of fundraising through selling your art?
This is actually my second time. I have donated a large stained glass panel to a charity auction organized by my friend to help out a family of an American soldier that was killed in Iraq.

Ira (Modern101) is an amazing person and a talented creator of the very special wooden boxes and she is also a great supported of our charity project.

1. Ira, I remember reading you on a Russian team chat when you sold your first charity box, it felt like you were over the moon! What made you join the artist movement and start selling your beautiful boxes for charity?

I first saw the photographs of the aftermath of the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan on March 12th. As I was looking at these pictures I knew that I couldn’t stay indifferent when people are suffering, and I left a comment under these pictures asking how I could help. Next morning while chatting with friends on the Russian Artist Forum I read a post made by Anastasia (Lovisetto), and it came to me. I knew then how I can help the victims of the earthquake and Tsunami. I also can’t forget Alla’s (FleetingStillness) words. She says that you have to do what your heart tells you. That’s how our Russian Artist team came up with this initiative to direct proceeds from selling handmade items to the Japan relief efforts. That’s how I found the ANSWER to my question and joined the initiative.

2. To what organization did you donate the money you got after reselling your items?

I donated the proceeds from sales to the American Red Cross.

3. Why did you choose this organization?
American Red Cross has done a lot of good around the world. They are always first on the ground, always ready to help. I believe that by donating to them my money will find its way to those in need faster.

Olga (Moussycrafts) was among the first Russian teams members who donated her items for charity.

1. What did you feel when you sold your first charity item?

When I decided to participate in Artists Aid Japan cause, I really didn't think I'd sell anything as my shop had not enjoyed too many sales since I've opened. So the first charity sale came to me as a huge surprise and made me extremely excited! And I got even more excited (if it was possible) after I had 4 more sales in the next few days! I was so happy that I could help somebody in need with what I know to do best - my art!

2. Are you supporting any charity organization on a regular bases?

My support of charity organizations can be described as random and mostly I donate to the animal shelters or animal rescues.

3. Did you feel that your fundraising initiative was supported by the fellow etsians?
I was happy to see that many members of Russian Artists team welcomed the idea of helping Japan with open hearts. I think that many other estians followed the example of our team and few other teams and joined the cause!

Albina (AroundBeads) supported the idea of selling her items for charity from the very beginning. She also designed a new range of beautiful charity brooches and she ran the charity BNR on Friday March the 18^th

1. What made you join the fundraising process?

I just wanted to help the people in Japan.

2. Was your BNR on Friday successful?

Unfortunately, I can’t say that our charity BNR was success, we managed to sell just one item, but we had a lot of comments from the fellow etsians!

3. Albina, I know that you were very successful selling your beautiful jewelery. Are you happy with your results?

I already sold 10 listings (9 jewelery pieces and 1 tutorial) and proceeded $70 to Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. So, I am quite pleased with my results.

More team members are joined the project since it started.

By Anastasia (Lovisetto)

Etsy shops for Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami victims, Russian Artists Team experience

It was the 11th of March 2011. I woke in the morning, looked out of the window only to see that there was no sign of the sun in the sky.

“We have to wait a little bit longer for the spring to come this year” – I mumbled and came down to the kitchen. I am self-employed, so can afford the luxury of sitting in front of the TV in the morning, sipping the fresh coffee and flipping through the TV channels. That’s how it all started for me...

There was only one topic discussed on the news that day: the national disaster in Japan. During the first ten minutes since I had switched on the TV I had seen the horrible scenes of the giant tsunami waves covering the ground and wiping away entire villages. The scenes, that probably all of you saw as they were on all the channels across the globe. It felt like a bad dream, like the worst horror film ever, only it was real. There was an announcement about more then 300 people dead and other 10 000 disappeared. That was the news on Friday, March the 11th.

On Saturday March the 12^th I switched on the TV in the morning just to hear that the situation in Japan is getting worse: the number of tsunami and earthquake victims has grown rapidly, people in the tsunami affected areas were not having enough food, drinking water and other essentials. Later that day I was on the phone with a good friend of mine, she is a musician and has been with her orchestra on a tour in Japan. She said that she has been in some areas affected by the tsunami and she could not believe that the beautiful cities and villages on the seaside were completely wiped away. I could hear her crying while saying it.

The next day, Sunday the 13th I decided not to watch the news in the morning as I was scared that something bad happened in Japan over night, but instead ended up flipping the news channels in search for fresh news from Japan and then browsing through the Internet looking for the same topic articles. I was absolutely distracted and could not stop thinking about what was happening in Japan. It was not the tsunami, but the radiation leak what scared me the most. Being born in the Soviet Union, the country that survived the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, I was very well aware of the radiation danger. I personally knew the people who were involved in the liquidation process and those who lived in the radiation affected areas. Some of them have already died of cancer.

I decided to do something to help people in Japan. But I did not know how. I knew that from the first day of the Japan disaster other artisans started to make treasuries to showcase the Japanese shops, but for me it was not enough! I decided to sell some of my necklaces and donate the money to the Red Cross charity organization in Japan. I shared my ideas with my colleagues from the Russian Artist team mentioning that the other artisans on Etsy were already doing that. I proposed we get involved in the fund rising process as a team and start making treasuries for charity. I was surprised how popular my post was. Till the end of the day we were not doing anything but discussing how the fund rising process should be organized.

I was quite confident that our efforts can make a real difference. By the end of the day there were 10 of us who declare that they were ready to start fund raising for Japan by donating their items. We agreed that we:

- Change the titles and the descriptions on the items designated for the donation, mentioning the percentage of donation and the charity we will be donating to.

-tag the charity items “artist aid” “Japan relief” “Japan aid”

-start making treasuries for charity every day to increase our chances to sell products

-inform the customer who buy the items on where we donated the money they spent on our items by sending them the reference numbers of the charity transaction.

- notify the other Russian Artists team members about our sales and donations for charity.

Also we joined the Artist Aid group on Etsy where we found a lot like minded artisans already selling their art for charity and donating.

Story by Anastasia (Lovisetto)

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Please stay tuned to know more about Russian Artists Etsy Team efforts to help people in Japan.

Interview with a Star - Inessa

As we all know there are so many different shops out there! Some are like a well trained platoon matching in front of its commander. All items in such a shop are alike. They are like cupper buttons on soldiers’ uniforms. Some stores are very cozy and welcoming. You want to stroll through them checking out every detail. You might even drink a cup of tea with a store’s owner and relax.

Some stores are like a cave with Ali Baba treasures. Every time you come in there you tremble. You never know what you are going to find in this treasure chest this time.
That’s exactly how I would describe Inessa’s shop called Vintageer


In her shop Inessa has gathered unique items: Home Decor and Linens, Kitchen and and Dinnerware items, Vintage Jewelry and even Christmas decorations. All these wonderful things date back to the last century. Every piece has a story behind it!

For example look at this set of salt and pepper shakers.

This rare set is approximately 100 years old. The pattern is a stunning gold gilt floral pattern with orange and blue flowers on a cream colored rim with a white background and gold trim.
The pattern is called #42200, but was referred to in the catalogs as "Raised Gold", and was made by Noritake (Japan). The pattern was discontinued Circa: 1918. Plates form this set were marked with a back stamp of the letter "M" encircled by a wreath, with the words "Hand painted".

Here is what Inessa tells us about her treasures:
“My fascination with vintage started from Christmas tree ornaments and decorations. I have a small personal collection of Christmas tree items made in Germany, Poland, Japan, USSR in 1920-1960. It’s amazing how such delicate and fragile pieces survived wars, relocations and cats’ curiosity!”


Apart from Christmas tree ornaments one can find adorable collectible plates in Inessa’s shop


Unique kitchen storage jars


and jewelry


All those exclusive and lovely items make our home cozy and our outfits unique and stylish. Thorough research into history behind every object in the shop makes our lives happier and richer.

Inessa was intervied by Lana at FineEmbroidery
Translated by TonyaUtkina