Holiday Gift Guide 2017: jewelry, clothing, accessories and home decor

Are you looking for some great gift ideas for the coming holidays? We are glad to offer some ideas! Take a look at these and see more by typing " rusteam2017 " in the search window on Etsy (or click here).

The eternally best-dressed

Grandmother mother daughter necklace from SilverJewelryElena

Men's fingerless gloves by socksandmittens

Men's necklace "Ancient sword" made of bronze by ModernancientShop

Felted flowers necklace by VeronikaWoolFlowers

Zodiac constellation stainless steel necklace by MagicGlowJewelry

The vintage time traveler

Vintage sugar bowl by J B Rogers Silver Co from agardencottage

Vintage warm dress with long sleeves by anothernewbreath

November is a great time to shop on Etsy so please enjoy!

Hot color trends for the spring and summer 2012

It is important to choose your wardrobe in trendy colors as wrong color selections can spoil your mood even in the finest weather.



Here are some hot color trends to stay fashionable for the spring-summer 2012. Yellow, orange, red, white, black, fuchsia and soft caramel colors are a must for all ladies who follow fashion trends.

Yellow and all its shades seem to rule the fashion scene this season. Yellow blouses and skirts are seen in all the fashion houses and designer stores.


You can never go wrong with orange this spring season.


A red dress is great for any occasion. Bright red has the potential to make even a grim situation appear bright


White is one color that gives you a complete feminine look. If you wear a white laced blouse or shirt with a bright colored skirt it will enhance the white color.



Black is a color that never goes out of style. A little black dress is perfect for the night out with friends.


Fuchsia is an ideal pick as it is neither too vibrant like orange or yellow, nor as soft like caramel colors.


Other good choices for your wardrobe would be soft caramel, cream, light pink and light coral colors.


By Marina Lee (LeeMarina)

Some thoughts on knitting

When I was a teenager I had a friend Katya. Her mother was a talented designer. That is why Katya always had the amazing dresses, jackets, hats and scarfs. For her mom it was a hobby to make garments for herself and for her daughter. One day Katya came to me to invite me for a walk. She was wearing an unusual hat and gloves. I was thrilled.

“Where did you get them?” I did ask my friend. “My mom made it for me” Katya said proudly.
“Wow, Katya, you are so lucky! Your mother is so talented! I wish my Mom could knit and teach me to do that” I said with jealousy.
“You know, my mom could teach you how to knit! She was trying to teach me but I really don’t have the patience for this. Let’s go for a walk and after we can talk to her.”

Katya’s mother showed me how to knit and crochet. 

That was thirty years ago, and I have enjoyed this hobby ever since. And I found a lot of benefits of knitting. You can make something memorable for your family. You can make gifts for Christmas and Birthdays for your friends or co-workers. You can create a very unusual jacket or hat.

 You can be a real artist working with different colors of yarns and fibers.

When you are a woman on a budget you can save a lot of money making garment for your children. But from the other side you can make money if you will knit items for sale.

What could be better than to do something for your family? What could be sweeter, softer and warmer than a blanket which a future mother makes for her baby? Or what if you would crochet a tablecloth or lacy center peace for your family holidays? Imagine your children and grandchildren coming to visit you on Thanksgiving Day and having your family’s traditional tablecloth on the table. It is great, don’t you think?

When Christmas is coming we all are looking for presents and gifts. Of course, you can buy presents but if you will make a scarf or hat for your boyfriend or husband it will be a very unique present.

Pick out his favorite colors and your soul mate will appreciate this gift even if it was three sizes too big! Just because you spent your time making this hat or scarf only for him, just because during the time while you were making those items you were thinking of him.

Everyone likes to be complimented. Are you on tight budget? You can save a lot of money by knitting yourself an unusual outfit.

 It is very pleasant to make something that people will like. Yes, it takes time. But believe me, to make a hat or scarf is very easy. Choose a pattern, choose your favorite colors, make a cup of tea or coffee, turn on your favorite DVD and enjoy your knitting during your free evenings.

Alaska’s winter is a perfect time for knitting. And Alaska is a perfect place for a knitting business. If you will learn how to knit hats and gloves or mittens you can knit them even for sale. A lot of stores take stuff for consignment. People like handmade items. You will benefit if you will use natural materials, like wool or cotton.

I like to knit. When I see a handmade outfit I always compliment the person who wears it. This garment keeps you warm not only because of wool but and because of positive energy, because of love which hands put in each stitch.

Try to knit. I’m sure you will like it.

Story by Alena HappyFrogFromAlaska

Interview with a Star - Svitlana (VitalTemptation)

Please, welcome our team member Svitlana who runs VitalTemptation shop on Etsy.


Please tell us a little bit about yourself
Hi everyone! My name is Svitlana. I live in New York, but I was born in Ukraine. My home town is Simferopol located in the peninsula of Crimea. Crimea is well-known for its spectacular landscapes, beautiful Black sea, and many historical places.
Now I live in the Big Apple with my family, my husband and my son, and two very important members of my family Chubby and Buster, my dogs.


How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?
I was creating since I was a toddler. I used to annoy my parents, this week I wanted to learn how to make pots, next I wanted them to buy me wood curving instruments, the week after I wanted to do embroidery. I always had thousands of hobbies. Even now my parents in Ukraine have many of my creations around the house. I remember how I was fascinated by watching shows about glass-blowing and pottery.

I always had that unexplained draft to fiber art. A few years ago I was browsing the Internet and one felted piece caught my eye. Wow, I said to myself, I want to know how it’s made. That was a start of lifelong romance. I realized there is nothing more unexpected, intriguing, magical than felt!
Besides felting I always liked to knit and to make crocheted pieces.

What items in your shop do you most enjoy making and why?
Of course the most enjoyable time for me is when I spend hours while making Nuno Collage pieces. By using Nuno techniques I can achieve very interesting texture and amazing color combinations. Nuno collage in many ways reminds me painting and painting was my obsession when I was a child.

Do you have a favorite item you have made?
You can ask me the same question a week or a month from now and I will have the same answer: “My last item” :)

What are your best marketing tips?
Believe in yourself and never think that achieved is the peak of the mountain!

Why did you decide on VitalTemptation name for your business?
Oh, that name has a little story behind it. Before opening my shop I did a serious research about Etsy. I realized then that the name of your business is just as important as the quality of your items. I remember I had a few sample names for my shop and I went to my husband to ask his opinion on them. It happened that he was watching a TV show with a name Vital Temptation on the History Channel … and he just: this is the perfect name for your shop! That was true the name was sharp and it reflected my vision on what I was going make.

What would you say makes your shop unique?
I think every artist is unique. Our work is not just a bunch of wool, fabric , beads … our work is a reflection of our feelings, emotions, experiences… we all are different, we all are unique in our own way.

Tomorrow is Svitlana's Birthday. We wish her well and we are very happy to have her in our group.

Happy Birthday, Svitlana!

Stay Warm and Look Cool!

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that Fall is the best season of the year - from the golden foliage to pumpkin-flavored everything and cool weather, Fall gives us many special things and one of them is new look. Fall Fashion shows were presented in Spring and we had a good six months to prepare for autumn dressing.

In our collections you can find all what you will need in this season: chunky knits, sweater dresses, felted and knit scarves and many other accessories to stay warm and look cool. Bright, eye-popping colors make a statement this season - favor the bright and don't be shy to pair different shades of the same color.

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

All these would complete your winter look and more would also keep you warm in the windy and freezy days.

Accessories all year round can transform a boring outfit into a stylish look. In another words, accessories can revive an old dress and turn it into a fashion masterpiece in a matter of a moment. The bottom line: selecting and using accessories tastefully is an art that pays back.

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

Here's a summary of all big trends of the Fall/Winter 2012 with from Vogue Magazine for F/W 2012:

Mood/Style:
layering is the starting point for a collection that consists of many pieces that are also mix-and-match and purposefully crafted to combat the winter temperatures. The source of inspiration, then, is the book The Stonemasters and its images of the California climbers of the Seventies. Sporty details mix with very masculine pieces and feminine dresses. It passes from the checked shirt to pieces in oversized knits, from touches of fur to ponchos with decorations that bring to mind the typical graphic prints of Native Americans. But also trapeze tops worn over undershirts, skirts that look like shirts or cardigans, flower-printed dresses and ankle-length skirts

Lengths:
midi and maxi

Colours:
black, bordeaux, army green, red, cement, khaki, anthracite, sandpaper, white, ivory, dove, camel, pearl

Fabrics:
fur, woolen knit, cotton, nylon, woolen cloth, satin, lightweight wool, silk, cashmere, sweatshirt, lurex, chiffon

Shapes:
flared, sarouel, oversized, A-line, loose, layered

Accessories:
knit berets, cloth belts, robust patent leather lace-up high-top shoes, pearl necklaces, wool gloves, fur stoles, lightweight knit collants, wool stockings, maxi woolen scarves, fur busbies, knit muffs, charm necklaces

Vogue.it

To find all new listings for upcoming season use "rusteam fall fashion" key words in Etsy search.

Story by Lyudmila (WoolSolution)

Summer 2011 Fashion Trends

The air is getting warmer, people are taking off layers that kept them warm through the winter, the sun is getting hot, and the beach is tempting with cooling waves. It’s about time to update your wardrobe for the summer.

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

The classic summer fabrics such as cotton and silk take on bright colors and “loud” prints in 2011. The rainbow colors of this sexy full skirt, the butterflies on this elegant free flowing blouse, the cute vintage skirt with the floral pattern – these are great examples of what’s going to be hot this summer. Another big trend this summer is the return of lace texture. You can even have it on your bikini!

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

Summer 2011 is all about color. With right accessories you can create striking combinations. Even a single bold accessory can make you look stylish. Check out the fashionable handmade products offered this summer by Russian Artists on Etsy.

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

All of these (and more!) are made by our team members to make you look and feel fabulous this summer!

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

Have a wonderful summer!

Story by Yana (WineCountryLife)