How did you hear about us?

I was always curious to learn how people find Russian Artists team on Etsy. Every day a few new shops join our team. They find us among many teams on Etsy and many more other Russian speaking communities on the web. To find out where our amazing team members come from I just added a question to our standard Russian Artists team questionnaire. The question being "How did you learn about Russian Artists team?"

I would like to thank all the shops that answered the question and provided us valuable and interesting information. It looks like most of the new team members learned about our team through their friends. Other sources of information about our team are Life Journal and Internet forums. That means Russian speaking internet community out there is talking about us. This is great news! Word of mouth is a very powerful tool. If used wisely it can be extremely helpful in creating and building a strong brand.

Interestingly, a few our team members found us through searching Etsy teams and just searching the web. That means our team tags work pretty well!

Overall it looks like friends’ referrals and Life Journal discussions are for now the main source of information about Russian Artists for our future team mates.

I will continue collecting marketing information and sharing it with you. I believe it is very important to know how people find us, what they think about us and what we could do to become even more successful as a team!

Tonya Utkina (CityCrochet)

Russian Artists team get together in Moscow, Russia

This summer was very busy for all of us! Some of Russian Artists team members stayed put at their home cities while others traveled abroad. Our team is unique in that it gathers together Russian-speaking individuals from different countries and continents. Whenever a Russian Artists team member travels abroad chances are high someone from our team lives in a travel destination city. We try to get together as often as we can as it is a great opportunity for us to socialize, exchange our ideas and share our concerns.

This August we had our annual Russian Artists team get together in Moscow, Russia. We had a great time chatting, sharing ideas and presenting our handmade items to each other. It was wonderful to finally meet everyone in person!

On the photo above: Anastasya meudeus, Tatiana manonknits, Tonya CityCrochet, Tanya soroka.

Tanya was so sweet to bring each of us a lovely present a set of price and gift tags handmade of beautiful paper that are available from Tonya's second Etsy shop ZaraBezbazara. Each of us had to pick a set she liked and we all ended up picking completely different styles and colors as there were so many to chose from. Thank you, Tanya!

Interview with a Star - Evgenia (JaneBoFelt)

Please, welcome our team member Evgenia who runs JaneBoFelt shop on Etsy.

- Please tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m was born and raised in the small town Pavlovskiy Posad, just outside the Moscow. This city is famous for its beautiful colorful wool shawls. Right now I live in Moscow with my family, my husband and our two kids.



- How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?
I’m creating since I can remember myself. My grandmother and mother taught me how to knit and crochet when I was a child. I tried macramé, embroidery, origami, sewing etc. I knitted sweaters, scarves and hats for myself. Several years ago I found out about felting and could not stop thinking of it! So I decided to give it a try. I purchased some wool and began to felt. I love it so much, I can't stop doing it!


- Why did you decide on JaneBoFelt name for your business?
Felting became my hobby and my passion. So I decided to try to make it also my work.

- What items in your shop do you most enjoy making and why?
Most of all I like to make scarves. I think of scarf not only as an accessory to warm your neck up but also as a piece of art, a picture. Even know that you will not see the worn scarf completely since it is tied around the neck I like to make it beautiful, from one end to another.


- What would you say makes your shop unique?
Most of my items are one-of-a-kind. I could not copy them even if I wanted to. It’s not just me who is making felted items. It’s my mood, my imagination, my thoughts and something else involved.


- Do you have a favorite item you have made?
Yes, this scarf:



...and this baby hat with flowers:



- Do you use any special techniques or tools?
Most of all I like nuno-felting. Wool and fabric are mixing during felting process and become unweaven fabric with great texture. I do not use any electric devices, just water and soap like ancient people did.


- What do you sell and what is so special about your works?
There are different items in my shop: scarves, hats, mittens, brooches and bags. All of them are made by me using my own designs. Also I like custom orders. It is always a challenge to make something special for somebody according to his or her taste and style.

- Name 3 things you can’t live without?
Coffee, wool and my laptop:)

Russian Artists team welcomes new members in June!

We would like to welcome all wonderful shops that joined Russian Artists team in June. A total of 16 shops became a part of our family!

We are so thrilled you are members of our wonderful team now!
05ksyusha05
AnnaOriona
annatelman
BellaShveya
Bolytta
Dariami
FromKharkovWithLove
GaliaBorn
GORGEOUSTA
Grimme
inartjewelry
JLLeatherSupplies
Melasha
TopStitchDesign
walldecoration
WisperOn


Half year Russian Artists team statistics.

Russian Artists Team welcomes new members in May

We would like to welcome 24 new shops that joined Russian Artists team in May!
We are so glad you are members of our wonderful team now!

bowup
dollsforyou
GaliaK
GayaGoa
GoldenSection
grinevitsky
Haharyashki
handmadeineurope
Hisp013
InnaGanke
Lubavyshka
Lulya
lyukadesign
MariesCorner
odenwald
Picture4Home
ProjectSarafan
Regisha
rosaupalanalapuasor
Saawariya
SvetlanaYalta
VargoJewelry
Watchchas
whitedeershop

Russian Artists team welcomes new members in April!

We would like to welcome all those wonderful shops that joined Russian Artists team in April. A total of 18 shops became a part of our family!

We are a great team! You will like it here!

AlexMOS
elenushka
fromSiberia
JewelryByIW
KiskaArt
leatherblossoms
Lenaknit
LenMec
lovedolls
luxurybyvera
mamzellefifi
Muza
Nicejewels
ProdigyCrafts
quattrocento
RussianSoulVintage
SunshineFelt
tevagallery

Mothers Day Contest results

The wonderful Mother's day is approaching and Russian Artists team came up with a cool gift for all of you our dear readers, fans and followers. Why to spend hours looking for a perfect present for your mom? We already did the search for you. Russian Artists team just had a Mother's day gift contest with a large selection of astonishing and beautiful hand made gift ideas for your loved ones. You don't have to search any longer. Just go to Russian Artists Facebook Page where all great gift ideas are already pre-selected for you.

Each Russian Artists team shop could submit one item to the Mother's day contest. Our friendly challenge turned out to be a huge success with 78 team shops suggesting gift ideas for our moms. All of the entries are outstanding, crafted with great care and absolutely unique. The access to the voting page is public so everyone was welcome to cast his or her vote. With so many beautiful items to choose from it was tremendously difficult to make a choice!

Nevertheless three items that received the highest number of “likes” are as follows:

1. Hand crocheted freeform scarf by Allmadewithlove


2. Stained Glass Panel by FleetingStillness


3. OOAK Angel "Saveliy" by timBelinskas


To give you an idea of how many amazing and beautiful items were actually submitted to the contest we decided to feature three more art pieces created by Russian Artists team members. These items were among the most "liked" ones.

Venice, Bridge - Print of Original Artwork by Yury Tarler


OOAK Suede Tote in Coral by FineEmbroidery


White dreamy tulips blank note card by IrinaPhotography


Thank you so much to all of our wonderful and amazing Russian Artists team shops and to everyone who took time to vote and to tell the world about our special Mother's Day team contest!

Russian Artists new team members in March

We welcome Russian Artists new team members! 48 new Etsy shops joined our team in March and that's a wonderful number. We are glad so many talented and beautiful shops became a part of our Russian Artists Etsy team. Together we will make our Etsy experience a huge success!

2kolory
AlmendrillaTile
ArtnestDesign
BelleCoccinelle
bonbonLand
Bruixa
ColoredGlassByOlia
crafts2love
creativeladys
DemyBlackDesign
DinniFelt
dollcollection
Elfies
EmbroideryByOlia
Filzwunder
FlyingBeauty
FlyingSilliness
GalaGlam
GentleHug
GreenOptimist
HarborFibers
heartygift
HoneyCase2
irinaj67
IvanovaCouture
lannarfelt
Leris
LoveBeautyMagic
Ludmilacouture
mailo
mariaHandmade
MariaSiyanko
marjasinkova
Minimaliya
minitoes
NatalyaDesign
oldfashiontrend
photojuicy
ProninA
Roltinica
Rozibuz
shabbyobsession
Shir4el
starlife
svetluz
timBelinskas
WineCountryLife
woodgenie

post by TonyaUtkina

We welcome new Russian Artists team members in February

We are happy to introduce 27 Etsy shops that joined Russian Artists team in February.
Together we will make our team stronger and more successful!

Welcome!

AllimYalo
annyfelt
BRUSESA
CelestialWorld
CuteThingsBox
expressyourself
FineJewelryDesign
GentleHugSupplies
Katya5
KMalinka
KoloBolo
Lapenca
lovisetto
marinaasta
martora
MimimiCards
moloco
Moussycrafts
NataliaSnezhkova
OlgaAlmond
PeonyForest
shimshoni
tanyushagrizlik
TinyCuteGift
WoolGemArt
yelenalamm
ZenyaBoutique

posted by TonyaUtkina

New Russian Artists members in January

We are happy to introduce 24 Etsy shops that joined Russian Artists team in January.
Together we will make our team stronger and more successful!

Welcome!

Lusy
Baymut
orangeni
SafiraAccessories
aniutik
tatocka
alvant
vusova
nesjewelry
Catswithattitude
VeraidaGifts
earringsAND
FunYarns
whyzee
Shadowpuppets
vintagebuckle
AnyaGat
MamaTita
LaFiabaRussa
SilkByLena
Lazo
Reginao
nesluxury
marsvetlana

posted by TonyaUtkina

Interview with a star - Natasha (Rumosaic07)

There are so many talented artists are gathered together in our team! Today we'd like to introduce you to Natasha (rumosaic07) whose mosaic works are truly one of a kind.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m a professional pianist. I perform a lot and that’s why I’m rarely at home. Thus, I don’t really have that much time for my crafting. However, I love to create and to work with my hands. I hand craft my items mostly at night or on weekends. In the summer when day light in Russia stays long enough I have plenty of time for my crafting.
photo at the studio
I usually craft on a balcony which is my major workshop. My family supports me and offers a valuable critic that is extremely helpful!


How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?
I was born and raised in Ekaterinburg, Russia in a family of true artisians. My great grandfather had a well established company that produced tools and equipment for a bee-keeping. His products were featured at the famous Paris exhibition in early 20th century. He lost everything but his artisan skills during the revolution in Russia. Our family still has one of my grandfather work, a miniature children’s teapot that is only 3 cm tall! He hand made it out of an American tin from canned food during the World War for his grandchildren. My mom and my granny sewed for the whole family during the Soviet era when it was hard to buy clothes. It’s not a surprise that I knitted my first item when I was 6.


What do you sell and what would you say makes your shop unique?
I have two shops on Etsy. In rumosaic07 I sell mosaics (I like to work with American vintage glass and china or porcelain bits and pieces), also macrame and crochet items.


I love to learn new techniques so right now I am also learning how to make an Irish lace. Pretty soon you will be able to find some new nice items in my shop!


In my second shop RUussrvintage I offer rare vintage pieces dated back to the Soviet era. There is a lot of history behind these items so my shop is a real find for collectors of Soviet memorabilia!


How did you choose the names for your shops?
If you’ve noticed both of my shops’ names start with RU which corresponds to the domain of Russia “.ru”. The idea is to inform potential clients and buyers about Russian routs of my business.

Where would you like to go with your business?
I create unique hand made items in macrame, stained glass and mosaic techniques so that all these items could make my clients’ homes beautiful and cozy.


I experiment a lot and always try to learn something new. I’m constantly improving and my main goal today is to succeed in my search for personal style.

Interview with a Star Aleksandra VALI

Today our featured guest is Aleksandra Vali who is a member of Russian Artists Etsy team. Aleksandra creates unique and amazingly beautiful jewelry including necklaces, rings, brooches and earrings that are available at her AleksandraVALI store on Etsy.
Q: Aleksandra could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m originally from Siberia, Russia. I grew up surrounded by harsh and beautiful forests, lakes and rivers of Northern Russia. After receiving my Masters Degree from Novosibirsk State University in Novosibirsk, Russia, I worked as a ceramic artist for seven years. My experiments with clay helped me develop a feel for perfect shape, balance my design and contrast texture. My artwork has been highly praised in Russia and exhibited internationally.
Later on I moved to America where metal became a medium for my artistic expression. It was in metal that I found my true passion.
Q: Why do you think metal is so inspirational for you?
For me, metal provides a unique opportunity to create unusual and unique pieces that show my individual approach, skill and flare. Working with gold and silver allows me to experiment and make the most out of the three-dimensional form. I am able to bring my former physical knowledge of working clay into jewelry through carving, casting and smithing. I am intrigued in the complexity of edges, textures and mixed materials.

Q: Are you currently working with any other materials besides metal?
I continue experimenting with clay and create one of a kind sculptures. I like the idea of creating something unique and exclusive that cannot be replicated.

In jewelry I create collections where all the individual pieces are united by one single idea or a vision. For example my Chocolate Dessert collection or my Steam collection .

I like to experiment trying to combine materials that are deemed incompatible or looking for new shapes and ideas. The result is always unpredictable and often times incredibly beautiful.
The second year in a row American Art Collector publishes my art work. My jewelry and sculpture have been featured in numerous catalogues, magazines and art publications. I'm actively participating in art shows and exhibitions.

Here are a few of my recent shows:
2010 February, Lill Street ArtCenter, Chicago Metal Arts Guild Exhibition,Chicago, IL
2010 February, Greater Denton Arts Council, Materials: Hard & Soft, Denton, TX
2008 February, MaNa Gallery, Strictly Black & Wight Show, Chicago
2007 March, Gahlberg Gallery Exhibit, Wheaton
2007 February, A.R.C. Gallery, Chicago, Broken hart

Aleksandra, Thank you for taking your time and talking to us! Russian Artists team is honored to have such a talented and successful artist as its member!

Interviewed by Tonya Utkina at TonyaUtkina