Lyubov Gorelova: Lakosta Handmade Toys from Kind Cartoons

While looking at the Lakosta Handmade Toys made by Lyubov Gorelova, it seems to you that you’ve got into a kind children’s fairytale. Lyubov Gorelova is the person who likes to create beauty. She is absolutely certain that beauty exists everywhere; you should just take a closer look to find it. She is fond of craftwork, photography and enjoys painting.

AP: How did you get known of felting? Tell us your story.

LG: I became interested in creativity at the age of 4. From an early age I was fond of painting and, as a consequence, I entered the art class. Then I took a great interest in the volume painting, I was also keen on sculpture. I liked to contrive something that you could twist in your hands and view from different angles. Later I became interested in craftwork. It all started when I created handmade Christmas toys. Basically, I used cotton wool, paper and glue. And once I saw a friend’s album with handmade toys on the Internet. I wondered how it is possible to make crafts from the usual lump of wool. And I decided to try my hand at the dry felting technique. I learned about it on my own, watching online tutorials and reading various articles.

AP: What kind of equipment do you need for dry felting? Did you face with any difficulties while using felting technique?

LG: For this process you need special needles with notches for felting, sheep wool itself and sponge, on which you should make a toy. Of course, at first I had some difficulties in felting technique. For example, I usually broke needles, which I used for working with wool.

AP: Would you consider yourself as an expert in this sphere?

LG: I’m not a magician. I’m just studying. I usually answer such questions this way. There is no limit to perfection. Inspiration comes from the outside world. You should just be attentive not to miss it. I would like to continue improving my skills. I dream about making something great and massive, because now all my toys are small in size.

AP: What genre are your works? Do you prefer to work in one direction?

LG: My creative works belong to a decorative genre. I like to make toys that look like natural, but cartoony and funny at the same time. I generally work in one direction. However, I also like experiments.

AP: How would you describe your handmade toys?

LG: To my mind, every handmade item is unique and original. This is not a conveyor souvenir. Every handicraft, even the copy, is still different from the previous work. It’s hard to be a judge of your creative works – people should judge them, not me. People tell me that Lacosta Handmade Toys are alive, they have soul, and every toy animal has certain emotion. What is more, I try to make my handmade toys functional, e.g. an ornament for the flower pot.

AP: Is there someone who helps you in your creativity?

LG: My friends are also creative people. They are fond of handicraft, they like to make something unique. And all together we formed a group at vkontakte.ru, where we spread our handmade items.

AP: What would you like to make in the future? What plans do you have?

LG: I do not like guessing the future, but my plans for the future are great. I would like to open a store to sell my handmade toys and souvenirs. Now I have a small online store, where all my handmade items are exhibited. I take orders for something specific. I have never been involved in competitions. Still, the best reward for me is satisfied customers of my toys.