Feautured artists: Svetlana Mititelu, FromBabushkaShop. Upcycled crochet bags made from plarn

We love our planet and the concept of repurpose, reuse, resycle and upsycle is always on our mind. Today we'd like to introduce our team member Svetlana from Moldova who is following this concept very much with her idea of recycling the plastic bags from the grocery stores. She uses the yarn made of these bags to crochet baskets, bins and totes, They are sturdy, pretty and look stylish, too!

You can find many of Svetlana's items in her Etsy shop (FromBabushkaShop) She is always on a watch for a new ideas, new methods and stylish looks so visit her often!

Here is her story about her inspirations.

Q: Tell us about yourself?
A: I am a mom to two wonderful grownup daughters and a grandmother  I am 52yo and only now I began to do what I really like, crocheting, and to be exact crocheting bags.

Q: What are your bags made from?
A: The bags are from the basic plastic shopping bags. This method (upcycling) is very popular just now and gaining more publicity because the pollution of the environment is very important. I take the single use plastic bags and make from them a reusable bag for life.

Q: How your bags are different to other upcycled plarn bags?
A: First of all, I tend to make them not only practical but also beautiful, designer! Secondly, almost every bag has a fishing line added to the base for strength, so the bag can withstand up to 10k. Maybe more but I didn’t manage to carry more from the shop. So instead of using a new plastic bag every time you shop, you use one plarn bag from babushka.
And my plarn bags are very light, fold if necessary and don’t take much space.

Q: What do your clients like about the plarn bags?
A: Every bag is one of a kind. You can choose a bag based on your mood and character and be sure that nobody else will have the same. My clients like the versatility of its usage. You can use the bag for shopping, or to go to the beach, or use it as storage unit. Also they like that the majority of bags have handles that easily transform and you can carry it as a shoulder bag, in hands or cross body that is quite practical as hands are free!

Q: What care do they require?
A: The plarn bags are easy to take care of! If there is a small spot then wipe it with a damp clean cloth. Also you can put them through a gentle wash cycle, 30* degrees no more. Every bag has a small tag attached, it’s a sample that you can wash first to make sure the bag is not going to be ruined.

Q: What would you like to wish our readers?
A: I would like to say that you don’t need to spend much energy to be green. Start from yourself and your habits. Pay a bit more attention to the environment. Hopefully together we can help our planet!

Featured artists: Olga Gogole, graphic designer and illustrator

Russian Artists Team on Etsy has so many talented artists. We love to introduce them to our readers and share their stories. So today, please welcome Olga Gogole, graphic designer and illustrator from OlgaGogole shop. Visit her shop, you will love her art as much as we do.

Here is her story:

 I am Olga Gogole from Latvia. I am 36 years old, and I have been drawing all my life. Putting together the years in art school, art classes and art academy, I spent at least 16 years perfecting the skills. I adored drawing even back in kindergarten, using every piece of paper I could find. I remember my teacher told my mom that it might be worth considering showing me to a psychologist J

I certainly had my moments of creative stagnation when I wanted to abandon it all and start something totally new. Sometimes it was unclear where to head and what I want to do next. I aspired to get higher education in arts, but it seemed like an impossible dream at times. Eventually, with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, I made the dream come true, and finished Latvian Art academy, majoring in graphic design. Higher education in Latvia is of very good quality, but it is full-time attendance only, so there was no chance to have a regular-hours job during the studies. As they say, there are only 24 hours in a day, but there is also the night J During my first year at the academy, I founded the graphic design company. I studied during the day and drew posters, logos, leaflets, designed corporate style for the clients at nights. My company will celebrate 10 years anniversary next year.

I certainly did a lot more graphic design in the early years of my professional development, as well as worked as full-time packaging designer for a large cosmetics producer “Dzintars”. Later on in my career, I increasingly turned to illustration. Sometimes I draw for my own pleasure, and I love when the works end up light and positive, in one go. I like when people buy my ready-made works, not the pre-ordered ones – this means that they like them as they were intended, the way I see them and that buyers relate to my perception and the mood I was in when creating the piece.

After the birth of my son, life certainly changed. Thanks to my child, I started focusing on illustrations for children and collect children books illustrated by famous artists, frequently when visiting bookstores on my trips abroad. 

Olga Gogole,

Graphic designer and illustrator.

Featured artists: Anastasia, Scandiroom. Handmade home decor for children.

I would like to introduce our team member Anastasia who runs the Scandishop on Etsy. It is filled with great children decor items. All of them are made with love and it shown. Here is her story about her inspirations.

Hello everyone,

My name is Anastasia and I am 31 years old. My family and I live in Suktuvkar, a small northern Russian city.

As with many artistic people, my creative roots became stronger when I became a mother. My children are my inspiration. When they were born, I wanted to surround them with natural eco friendly toys so I started to make them with fabric, wood, paper and yarn.

It started with my children's room when we wanted to add some light and style to it. The northern nights are long and the days are short so we wanted to add some sunshine to the room. For a start, we painted the walls with a happy light yellow paint. Then I started to decorate it. 

It is such a great feeling when you cover your baby with a cozy handmade cotton blanket, giving him a little bear pillow to hold through the night and whisper to  him: I love you to the moon and back. Your baby feels that you care and grow stronger.

I am a spontaneous creator. I walk into a store, see a great quality yarn or fabric and it's just screaming to me: make something from me! I am listening and that's how my ideas are becoming live. 

I love what I do and I am happy that people love my designs. I am happy to say that my creations live in many places around the globe now. 

My shop is constantly developing and pretty soon you will find more adorable little things for your children. Soon I am planning to team up with the other artists, Tatiana, who is also all about handmade, natural materials and style. So please visit my shop often to see if there is anything you want for your child!

Interview by Tanya (socksandmittens)

Featured artist: Yelena, LenaMer. Boho and steampunk jewelry

Yelena from LenaMer is a great artisan jewelry designer and a silversmith from Israel. Her favorite styles are steampunk and boho.

She loves to play with shapes and textures, colors and materials. Her works are unique and inspirational and if you already own a piece made by her you will want to get another one.

It has been 4 years since we published an interview with her here on this blog  so we were interested in what's been happening since. We contacted Yelena and are happy to see that she is working hard on creating new beautiful designs.

Here is what she told us about herself and where she stands right now:

It's been four years since my last interview. I remember that time as if it was yesterday: after several years of silent watching, I finally found the courage to open my Etsy shop and share my favorite designs with this crowd of amazing and talented people obsessed with the same passion of creation and appreciating the uniqueness of handmade. It was a difficult and scary step to take, as the process of jewelry making was always very personal and intimate for me. 

It begins as an idea, or, more precisely - an echo, a shadow of a thought, that slowly forms into something more tangible and then gets transferred to a paper. Sometimes it took months for this thought to transform into a real thing. And to share something so personal is never easy. But I met a group of amazing people who were incredibly supportive and helpful. They answered my questions and gave me tons of great advice and just hugs when I needed them. I am very grateful to our wonderful Russian Artist Team! :)

Today, I feel much more comfortable with my Etsy shop. Through those years I had some ups and downs, I met a lot of talented people, began to teach once again, tried some different styles and techniques and learned more about myself. As of now, my main feeling is that only the sky is the limit, when I really want to achieve something.

Currently I keep working on my "Copper and Silver" collection. Another piece of news is that I have a brand new site. You are welcome to visit, and this is my new post about my studio: www.lenamer.com/blog/tour-my-workspace

Interview by Tanya socksandmittens

Featured artist: Anna Ryasnova, AnnaRyasnova. Felted miniature

We love our pets so we were happy to see  almost identical figurines of our dog's breeds at AnnaRyasnova shop. There are so many interesting items there. Anna, the owner of the shop, works in a needle felting technique and reached a high level in what she does. 

She loves to make miniature pets figurines, especially dogs and every one of them is unique. A happy customer's reaction is what inspires her to create new figurines. She loves the challenge of working with miniatures and trying to make her work even smaller every time. What a great artistic approach!

 

Anna's works can be seen during Miniaturitalia Exhibition in Milan, Italy, on February 7-8, 2016 or visit her shop to see if there is anything that touches you.

Here is what Anna is telling about herself and her creative vision.

"It fills me with gratitude and pride that by today my creations have reached people from such diverse countries as the United States, Australia, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Thailand, Singapore, Israel, Bulgaria, Russia, Germany, Ireland, England, France, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain. I take inspiration from my three beautiful sons, from nature as a whole and the animal world in particular.
Furthermore I consider it a special honor that so many clients have trusted me with orders to portray their dearest companion animals.

I firmly believe we all can be creators of happiness, for ourselves and for others, if only we allow love and affection to guide us. Everybody can create something, so can make a difference, and help to turn our world in a better place! I hope you will enjoy my works as much as I did making them."

 Interview by Tanya agardencottage

Featured artist: Anastasiya Prosvetova, Prosvetovaart. Acrylic painting

When you see a picture that's touching to you, you wants to know more about its creator. That what happened with us when we see the beautiful works of our team member, Anastasiya at her shop, Prosvetovaart. So we contacted her and asked to tell us a bit about herself and her artistic inspiration. Anastasiya agreed and we are happy to share her story with you, our dear readers.

 Here is her story:

My name is Anastasiya Prosvetova and I am an artists from St. Petersburgh, Russia. I paint little gentle winged creatures who leave me when they find people who love them. It was sad at first, especially when the first angels were gone but I am always happy for them. Their light images are always a part of me and my new creations.

New images are coming and staying with me. They are waiting for the right moment and showing me their story like a colorful slide show. Where they are coming from?

... The snow was softly falling on the ground this morning. Here is a new image, a new story. The pencil is begging me to pick it up. The magic is coming from daily life. You just need to look around and see the inspiration.

 When you take a thought trapped in your mind and turn it into your image it's like freeing a bird from a cage. You feel light and excited. You are  not sad about anything and you do not think about anything. The world around you is kind and beautiful.

And this is my favorite state of mind.

Interview by Tanya Socksandmittens

Hand painted decor from nordfolk

Today, we would like to introduce one of our team members, Olga, who runs nordfolk shop on Etsy. Her shop is filled with lovely hand painted matryoshkas (nesting dolls), Christmas ornaments, Easter eggs and other wooden home decor items.

Here is what she says on her artwork:

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

 My name is Olga and I live in Arkhangelsk - one of the oldest town in the North of Russia. I do not have any special education or degree in Fine Art, but  I have been keen on art throughout my life, utilizing every spare moment. I cannot imagine my life without  brushes and paints.

I have been doing Fine Art drawing since 2000. I have done special Russian north folk art such as Mezensk, Puchuzhsk and Permogorsk style  paintings, but finally I have focused on the Boretsk style Painting.  Initially, I made  traditional folk items and ornaments, but over time I began to invent my own  stories and themes and to add new, atypical traditional painting elements such as "paisley" pattern.

2.  What items do you offer for sale in your shop?

 In my shop I have interior/indoor decor: wooden dolls, eggs, apples, boxes etc. My daughter and I are developing hand-painted wall panels now, which will appear in my shop in spring.

 
3.  Your items are distinguished by clean, bright and luminous palette. The colours of your work are reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance frescoes. What is your secret?

I use Tempera paints. It has the necessary qualities. Sometimes I use metallic acrylic. I do not rely on ready-made palettes and I am always looking for new, more sophisticated color combinations.  Quite often I use a certain color scheme at the request of the customer.

As I have said already,  I am doing Borets Painting - it requires special artisan skills, neatness, patience, and has a rather complex technical execution.

4. How much time do you spend to produce one item?

 Creating one item  takes about 4 days to a month, depending on its complexity and theme.  I always try to create artworks that are not only beautiful, but tell some story - stories of my life, a story of the traditional trades and crafts and North Russian routine of ordinary people’s life and leisure activities.  But sometimes I draw people in a more modern lifestyle.

5. Do you take the custom orders?

 Before I opened my shop on Etsy, I worked mainly with individual orders, they are still my main source of sales. Custom orders very often give me a new challenge that helps to develop my creativity and make my work even more unique.

Interview by Sveta CherryGardenDolls

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.»