Name: Taranukha Nataliya
Occupation: economist
Age: 37
Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/
Tell us about yourself:
Greetings to all!
I live and work in Donetsk, Ukraine. I’m an economist. Moreover, I’m very inquisitive and creative p
When did you start creating and how long have you been on Etsy?
Everything began two years ago. I wanted a new dress and somehow miraculously I found myself on some Russian website “Master’s fair”, and just there, later on the same day I stumble upon a “needle felted toy”. First, such a collocation puzzled me. Then I pasted the phrase into Google and found a lot of photos and information… And I’ve understood – I’ve fallen in love, it’s mine
My first toys I just presented to my friends, then my first customers appeared. When I saw that adult, imposing, and self-confident men are laughing having received a cat as a gift, I opened my first small shop on the Russian website of handmade articles. And only this year in April my Etsy shop was opened. Now little by little, I get into the nuts and bolts of the website and find my customers, but sometimes I have problems with the language barrier
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from my life – my mother and my friends. Sometimes my toys have their names. I adore people with a great sense of humor, I get a lot of positive emotions while communicating with them and they inspire me to create lively and cheerful characters. But the most important thing is that all my toys have a soul. And I should thank my loving and beloved people for this.
Moreover, I like cartoons – kind, cheerful, insightful, sad, but surly with a happy end. I know that practically in every adult person there is a child eager to play. My creative work is exactly for these people.
How would you describe your creative process?
I always compare the felting process with plasticine modeling. All people did it in their childhood and didn’t think how to make a favorite character from the picture. I think that it just happens out of intuiti
Of course, ideally, I try to find the picture or the action figure of the character (or the photo – if people order the copy of their pet) from different angles and in different positions to clearly imagine all the sizes, curves, scopes of the toy, but sometimes I can just see some funny animal in the picture and want just “take it out” of the plane and make it alive. And in this situation I have to come from what I have – that is only the picture, and to think up myself what is missing
Apart from creating things, what do you like to do?
I don’t know…Maybe as for the rest of things my life is similar to the lives of thousands of people. As well as other people I like relaxing, travelling, visiting new cities and meeting new people. In addition, I like knitting a bit. I hope to open one more small shop of knitted, felted clothes and accessories by this fall.
What is your most cherished handmade item?
I like making cats – it seems to me they have come to us from some other planet – they are too intelligent, attractive and affectionate. And some people say that cats are the gods’ eyes.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
It's going to be all right!
I’ll try to improve myself as a master and surprise you with my new characters. Perhaps my hobby will turn into work which will give me joy. I hope that we all will be come much ha
Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about starting their own shop?
Better be sure than sorry...... You will definitely find people who will help and support you. You will have grateful customers who will keep coming back to your shop and buy something new.
