Showing posts with label matryoshka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label matryoshka. Show all posts

Sunday, 13 December 2015

Interview: Art from North

Interview with a great artist Olga from Russia (hand painted wooden decor, doll, gifts)

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
 Olga: 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?
 Olga: 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?
 Olga: 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?
 olga: 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?
 Olga: 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.

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

Babushka dolls, hanging ornament


I am in love with my new project. Can not stop to make my cute and small babushka dolls. I make hand painted faces (acrylic paints) and prefer to use different lace, colours and decorative elements  to get variation of styles. But seems like I am addicted to shabby and chic :o)

Embroidered lace, light grey and coral palette

Popular now -  mint and pink colours.  Embroidered lace, special sparkle trim

Angels babushka dolls. Why not? They can flight now ) Baby pink and blue, handmade satin flowers

Embroidered lace, satin flowers and linen fabrics. Shabby chic and rustic

Traditional colours, red palette with golden sequins trim.
Nautical style. Typical in  blue, red and white colour scheme
Rose garden babushkas. Very girly  










Blue porcelain collection. I have used golden and silver sequins trim and selected patterns fabrics
And now - tea time!

Sunday, 4 January 2015

Blue porcelian Style

As a loyal fan and an admirer of blue porcelain china and all type of willow pattern I can not pass indifferently next to such stuff made in this style. Yeees, I  collect cups, plates etc...
One year ago I have created my plush babushka doll of lovely blue willow pattern cloth and they were popular in my Etsy shop. It was pity but I could not find the same fabric in our craft shops and I just had some hope to find it again! And- yeeeehhhuuuu! It happend 3 days ago!
So I very happy to introduce my new beauties for you.

 Matryoshka or Babushka dolls 
The second doll has a really nice gold embroidered tape with shimmering effect. Their faces are my unique drawing (acrylic paints). Their faces are my unique drawing (acrylic paints). I can say - to draw faces is my favorite part of work, because every time a new personality comes ))

Craft supplies in my Etsy shop

Anyway if you would like to create your own babushka doll - I will be glad to help you!


A cup from my small porcelain collection. Ummmmm, that a great coffee is from this cup always!

My outdoor Garden I have planted in willow pattern collection)


Friday, 31 October 2014

Gray color - not boring if you know how to use it!

Some people think that gray -  is booooooooring. Not bright, not attractive and does not catch eyes
But I love gray very much  -  neutral palette can be combined with any color excellently.
White + gray   and   pink + gray   are  my favorite combination


  I make my plush creatures in gray colors scheme, and my Stuffed Whales - mom and her baby couple is loved by my customers of the Cherry Garden Dolls shop a lot!




Next will be a  Ballerina Doll in gray dress )

Monday, 6 October 2014

How I have created my babushka dolls

I love to sew dolls. Especially babushka dolls. The other day I have thought to create a special edition of Pearl Princess dolls.


So, my choice for materials - european natural linen and luxurious silk dupioni with shimmering effect for their bodies, handcrafted vintage lace pieces, linen lace and beautiful pearl beads for decoration. Seems like a great choice for the royals!
All their faces are made of cotton and face image in my unique drawing. They are really unique like  humans.
The bodies are ready, the faces are also - now is  time for hair. That is the best color to match with eyes? 

Girls  should think about their unique looks. After this hard task -  I sew on silk shawl the pearl beads


My beauties are  ready! Would you like to get one?

Seven  Gorgeous sisters -  Pearl Princess


Tuesday, 13 May 2014

New style babushka dolls!

I have created a new pattern for slim babushka doll - I have a few traditional curvy ladies Matryoshkas, but as I like to reseach something new always - so here we are!


Deer Girl and her friends )

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Great gift for Mother's day

Studio Cherry Garden Dolls offers during May a great opportunity to purchase a beautiful gifts - buying 1 rag doll dolls - get 1 Babushka doll for free

So, this fabric dolls (and 3 more)


                                                                             see the dolls here


and  this Babushka dolls




Happy browsing in Cherry Garden Dolls!

Sunday, 30 March 2014

Babushka doll, how I make it

I admire to make Babushka - Matryoshka rag dolls. They are colorful, pretty and very decorative. In Russian folk culture Matryoshka doll is a symbol of motherhood. 





I have painted traditional wooden babushka dolls, but I like to create plush fabric ones better - but all my babushka dolls have hand-painted cute faces, so they are not identical, just look as a sisters )


Here I'll show you how I make the babushka doll:

1. Instructions for ordinary babushka doll




If you want to decorate you doll - easy to do this part of work now. You can do it then the doll is finished also. I do decorating before and after sewing. Decoratw full width of the dress part



Pin the two pieces together (as if the fabric was inside out) Keep the divide between the shawl and dress) according the line on the sewing pattern and mark the outline of the pattern (I use a special craft pen, but you can use a pencil).



Leave a gap at the base of the doll for stuffing. For the babushka doll with stable bottom (that can stand upright) see more description how to make it below.
Sew Front and Back together. Dont forget the gap!




2 Babushka doll with a stable bottom



2. Instraction for the stable bottom of the doll.
To make it clear this part of work I use 2 pieces of fabrics - front is yellow and back is red



Г shape unsewed parts of product let you make the stable bottom! The gap for stuffing is in the middle of the bottom
















Oh! Almost has done!



Last step  is my favorite -  I use sewing glue or sew on the face of the doll and decorate her.

Hello! My name is Olivia!

Babushka rag doll

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Garden. How I have decorated my boring fence.

I  admire vintage willow pattern china! Love this white and blue color scheme, this miniature images and I would like to have numerous collection of this pieces! but now I have got  only a little bit of them and I have hanged my treasures in the garden



Perhaps it is an interesting idea to decorate a boring fences in the garden :-) All my finds came from thrift shops. 
According  my "willow pattern love" I have created a few plush toys of such fabric.

Tricksy snail (she loves tea parties)







and Russian Babushka rag doll





Even I have made a special order of 3 Babushka Dolls - ladies love willow pattern china as well!