Perfect Valentine day gifts

Have you done your upcoming holiday shopping yet? Do you have any Valentine's day gift ideas on your perfect gifts to the person your love or a special friend?

 Photo source: fleetingstillness

We at Russian Artists are always happy to help with your shopping on Valentines day gifts! Here is some ideas on what to get for your Valentine's day this year:

Adorable Valentines day gifts for men:

Source: Arctida, agardencottage, manonknits, IrinaPhotographyCard

Great Valentines day gifts for her:

 Source: JuliaWine, SweetKeetleCards, katrinshine, YUNILIsmiles

Sweet things to embellish your Valentine day gifts with:

Source: thecupcakekid, HandyHappy, NataliaDecor, miopupazzo

 ... Or just search on Valentines day gift ideas from Russian Team on Etsy

 Photo source: NESWeddingGarden

Happy shopping!

Story by Tanya (SocksAndMittens)

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is coming up next week. It’s a fun holiday whether or not you are in a relationship.



If you are single make sure you don’t just skip the holiday but instead treat yourself. You love yourself, don’t you?


If you are in a relationship make sure your significant other knows how much you care about him/ her.


Some people like sweet little gifts that will remind them that they are loved.


Some people prefer practical gifts and it’s not too hard to find a cute Valentine gift that is also functional.


I personally like something cute and funny for Valentine’s Day.


Valentine’s Day gifts don’t have to be extravagant and expensive.


And if red hearts are too much for you, you can always go with an anatomical version.


What are you doing for Valentine’s Day this year?


Story by Yana (WineCountryLife)

Merry Christmas!

Dear team members and readers!


We wish you a Merry Christmas. May Peace be your gift at Christmas
and your blessing all year through!

Happy holiday!

Christmas gifts for her

Congratulations to Russian Artists contest winners! Thank you so much for taking part in our contest, for voting, commenting and sharing. All the items submitted to the contest could be viewed at Russian Artists Facebook page

1. Necklace - Blue Butterfly from LovelyBijou


2. Grey leopard felted shawl from Baymut


3. Hot Red from Lulya


4. Crochet hat from Lasunka


5. Silk and wool felted scarf DRACO from Manonknits

Polymer Clay "Chevron Style" beads (Star beads)

Polymer clay beads are fun to make and they look great. Make these chevron style beads with Daria (Dariami) and get the compliments on your new necklace or earrings!

Materials and Tools:

·         Three contrasting colors of polymer clay (e.g. red, blue, white)

·         Plastic wrap

·         Plastic card (something like credit card)

·         Pasta machine

·         Knife (tissue blade)

1.      Condition the clay.

2.      Roll the clay through the pasta machine: red and blue on 2mm setting, blue – on 1 mm setting. Make 3 white, 2 red, and 1 blue sheets.

3.      Layer the sheets in order: white, red, white, red, white, blue. Cut the edges so you have a nice rectangle.

4.      Cover the block with plastic wrap and cut it with plastic card onto equal segments. Notice, when you cut with plastic card, the colors are shifting.

 5.      Roll the log out with white polymer clay. Place striped pieces to the white roll blue sides out as shown.

6.      Make the cane thinner by pressing it on center and to the ends. Try to press all over the cane equally. The cane will become longer and thinner. Do so until you reach the necessary size.

 7.      Cut the cane onto equal pieces. Shave off some clay at an acute angle. Do this all the way around the base of the bead. Repeat that with the other end.

 8.      Using your fingers, shape the beads.

 Now use your imagination to create one of a kind piece!

By Daria Dariami and Albina Arounbeads

Ruby, stone of the calendar month of July

The Ruby in Sanskrit is known as ‘Ratnaraj’ which means ‘king of the gemstones’ and rightfully so. Ruby signifies royalty and is dedicated to the Sun. In occult, this is a stone of special magical strength and power. Ruby will help it's owner to wage a battle with evil forces, to conquer fear.



In antiquity, ruby was also believed to be a healing stone. It was believed to stop bleeding, prevent memory loss, cure low blood pressure, help with sleeping disorders. Due to its red color it was always associated with love and vivacity. However, it was considered bad to constantly wear a ruby since it could take too much energy from its owner.



Ruby is a precious stone that ranges in color from pink to red. It's English name came from Latin word "ruber" which actually means red. The color determines the price - the bright blood-red stones are most expensive. Clarity, carat weight, and cut play a secondary role. In fact, all natural rubies have imperfections in them. Inclusions in natural rubies are used in order to tell a natural ruby from synthetics and substitutes. Ruby's hardness is surpassed only by one precious stone - diamond, and only one other mineral - moissanite



Story by Irene (Beautyland)
Translated by Alla (FleetingStillness)

A lesson in Patriotism

It’s staggering to think that the USA is a country that is only 235 years old. That’s just a couple of centuries, only a few generations! And yet, ever since the Declaration of Independence was signed that day became the symbol of hope, freedom, and patriotism. Everyone who lives in the USA, no matter where they are from originally, celebrates the Fourth of July.


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

Our Russian Artists on Etsy team is also getting ready for the Independence Day. Our members have prepared wonderful apparel and accessories in the patriotic colors for you.



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

I know you’ll be outdoors on the Fourth of July watching the parade, barbequing, and waiting for the fireworks. I’ll be doing the same! And to make sure I’m comfortable I might choose to wear something out of these:


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


All of these wonderful white, red, and blue items are made by our team members including the ones who don’t live in the USA. The hope for justice and freedom is a universal concept and affects people around the world!

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

Have a wonderful Fourth of July, no matter where you are from and where live!

Sincerely,

Yana (WineCountryLife)

Interview with a Star - Serden from Serdomania

Love, painted in black and red. Passion, loneliness, sadness, hope - all of these feelings will overwhelm you when you look at Serden's paintings. His Serdomania shop on Etsy is easy to recognize because his works are one of a kind.

Please welcome Serden from Serdomania!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Serden,
Pencil artist and also photographer.

Born in Turkey.
Graduated with a Tourism Management degree from Economy University of Varna in Bulgaria.
Lived in Bulgaria, California, New York and Ukraine.

Speaks: Turkish, English, Bulgarian, Russian, Macedonian.

What are your main sources of inspiration?
My artwork is called dream and I draw my dreams. Everyone has a dream, and they do come true. My inspirations are not only my dreams, but my future, love, breath, tears, feelings, hopes.
But my main inspiration is the love.

When you look at my drawings, you can not see so many faces. Because I am searching the real love in my drawings. This is my secret.

How would you describe your style?
I use just black, white and magical red colors on my works. I strive to produce realistic looking drawings and add my own conceptual ideas, too. I'm trying to form my own style, and share my soul, my feelings with everyone. My style sometimes is crazy, sometimes is romantic, sometimes is sad. But it is all about love.

Do you have a Favorite quote you'd like to share with us?
Whatever you want, say now. Whatever you want, do now. Because tomorrow will be late for it.

Why will people love your items?
Because I create different things. And people find themselves in my artworks.

Where would you like to go with your business?
I don't make so many plans, but I love what I do. When people love my artworks, it makes me to create more and more. I hope some day everyone will know my artworks. And when they put my drawings in their houses, my soul also will be there. Maybe my body is not going to be there but my soul always will be there.

Name 3 things you can’t live without?
1-My family and friends
2-Love
3-Art

Virginia in winter

I've been living in Virginia for 8 years now. It's a wonderful state with hot summers and mild winters. Virginia is home to a lot of beautiful trees like pink flowered Dogwood or Holly and brightly colored birds like Northern Cardinal that is an official state bird of Virginia.

In winter Virginia loses its colors as so many trees and shrubs stay naked yet beautiful bushes like Holly with their green and shiny leaves and bright red berries make Virginia landscapes less pale and dull.

As the climate is very mild in winter and temperatures rarely fall below 40 F. It's such a pleasure to spend a day outside walking in a park which Virginia has a plenty. Days are mostly shiny and although one doesn't see much hues and colors in the winter landscapes, it's still worth spending a few hours enjoying the beauty of green pine trees, bamboo forests and bright reds of Holly berries here and there.

During a few days the winter it gets so warm that some shrubs actually start blossoming. Flowers on shrubs in the middle of winter look weird and beautiful. Then the frost comes and the plants are caught in the middle of their mixed up spring awakening. I wonder what happens with these poor shrubs when the real spring comes in a few months. Do they recover and blossom in the spring?


Come visit us in Virginia! As you’ve probably heard that "Virginia is for lovers". It's definitely place to check out!

Russian Artists team shops located in Virginia and Maryland
aniutik
bumblestore
CityCrochet
daisiescrochet
FleetingStillness
TonyaUtkina

text and photos by TonyaUtkina

Valentines Day Perfect Gift Team Contest

As Valentine's Day is approaching and so many people are looking for perfect gifts for their friends, co-workers, class-mates, neighbors and loved ones we decided to help all of them to find special and unique presents they are looking for. Russian Artists team held a contest among its members to select three wonderful gift ideas for Valentine's Day. The contest has got a huge support among Russian Artists team members. We had fifty nominations in total with every Etsy team member shop nominating one of its items. It's amazing how many beautiful items has been created by our talented team member shops on Etsy for this event!

Each team shop had a chance to cast its vote and select three items from a pool of fifty wonderful and unique hand made creations. Many shops shared their concern that it was actually hard to make a decision as all of the items in the contest were superb. Forty five member shops voted and three winners were selected.

SPA-CAT-THI LOVE - Cats with attitude by Catswithattitude
Original watercolor painting on high quality watercolor paper 7 x 9 inch


Garnet Fans earrings in oxidized sterling silver by NeroliHandmade


Fingerless mittens crocheted and knitted in cherry white by Lasunka


Although the original idea was to select just three items as ultimate winners, three more pieces pretty much shared the fourth place. They are definitely worth presenting as our fourth place winners.

Modern Garnet earrings hand made with argentums sterling silver by daimblond


A mixed media work Love Original by marina826


Vintage installation Art Heart by YanArt


Congratulations to the winners!!!
Thank you so much for participating in Russian Artists team Valentine's Day perfect gift contest!

All of the nominations for the contest made it to Russian Artists Team treasuries. You are always welcome to check out our Valentines Day treasuries as they are full of perfect gift ideas for Valentines Day!
Valentines Day perfect gift ideas by Russian Artists Team 1

Valentines Day perfect gift ideas by Russian Artists Team 2

Valentines Day perfect gift ideas by Russian Artists Team 3

posted by TonyaUtkina
Russian Artists Team captain