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InformationstechnologieLsungen
Imagination is the beginning of creation.

CONTENT
Workshop painting traditional dower chest Market of cultures traditional wooden handcrafts Success stories from Turkey, Lithuania, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Estonia and the Czech Republic

You imagine what you desire, you want what you imagine and at last you create what you want. These words of a famous Irish playwright express the best our outcomes of the first project year within the EU funded project You can do it new perspectives for women to have own business. In this newsletter we would like to present you some success stories of creative women.
Asta Bybartienes shop in Sakiai, Lithuania

4 Partner Meeting in Prague

The 4th project meeting took place on 15th and 16th of September 2011 in Prague, Czech Republic. During the project meeting in Prague, the issue of creativity and business was discussed from a different point of view, as we did in the previous meetings. The partners visited creative workshops organized for people with psychological and physical disabilities. These courses foster the creativity and self-awareness of these people - feeling to be a useful member of society. Please read more on www.yocait.tk

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Workshop in Sakiai, Lithuania painting a traditional dower chest

During the 3rd meeting in Sakiai a creative workshop took place with the participants of the You can do it project in the Zanavykai folk museum. This workshop was supervised by Rima Vasaitien. She has a masters degree in ethnology and has been working in museums for 18 years. Thanks to this specialist, exhibitions, seminars, educational lectures, celebrations and other activities are taking place in the museum. The lectures are delivered and seminars are held on such topics as Shrovetide and how to celebrate it, The production of Shrovetide masks, Practical lectures of specking eggs, Bread its way from grain to table, etc. Students of different age, employees of the cultural and educational field, and representatives from various organizations can participate in the courses organized in the museum.

NEWS
Project meeting report from Lithuania and the Czech Republic as well as some new pictures about country specific handcrafts on www.yocait.tk *** The 5th project meeting will take place between 29th and 31th of March 2012 in Ankara, Turkey.

Market of cultures
Lithuanian wood tradition
Lithuania has a long forestry tradition that goes more than 200 years back in time. These handmade wooden products were made in Sakiai and its region. In each edition of the YOCAIT Newsletter we will introduce country specific handicrafts and traditional working techniques. This allows you to get to know the project countries from their creative side and maybe get inspiration for your own work. Dower chests In the past, women used to stow their dowry in dower tubes, later in the chests. Lithuanian dower chests distinguish themselves by their beautiful polygraphic. Symbols and ornaments typical to the Zanavykai region are usually painted on these dower chests. The dower chests are made from wood: aspen, fir or pine. It is emphasized that Lithuanians, as other nations, believed that some people, sometimes even divinities, came from wood. In the past, people also believed that souls live in the trees, forests and waters. Therefore, the mythological tree of the world was created which divided the universe into three parts: upper- the sky, middle the earth, lower the underground. The decoration of dower chests in the Zanavykai region images the arbor vitae growing from the flowerpot which has three, five or, less often, seven branches that end in the large blossoms of lilies. The blossoms usually are of red, yellow or white color. In the picture of the lily blossom, we can see the motive of a snake - the symbol of fertility. However, the dominant and central element among the ornaments on the dower chests is a lily.

Contact
For more information about these products please contact Mrs. Aurelija Grinkeviciene eMail:

agrinka@yahoo.com

The blossom of a lily usually consists of three small leaves. It is assumed that the motive of lily pervaded all over the region due to its prevalence on the textile of the national costume. The tracery of lily dominated on the apron of a national costume. Since the makers of textiles and painters were travelling a lot within a region, they used to borrow different things from other artists. This is the reason why the constructional form, the elements of ornament and their composition sometimes seems repetitive. Eventually, a distinctive style of dower chests has been formed. The specialist of the museum is trying to show, teach and to reveal all of this during the workshops of dower chests painting.

Success Stories

GOKCE YEDDAL Businesswoman in Ankara/Turkey

E-mail: gojeko@gmail.com Web: www.gojeko.com

Yedidals shop "Gojeko" was established in March 2008 in order to leave a cleaner world for future generations, to educate children and young people about environmental issues, to raise awareness of consumers to reduce plastic bag use, and to provide alternative products such as tote bags. She has a variety of products such as aprons, kids bags, t-shirts. She designs all her products.

Maternity T-Shirt

Tree Bags

Coffee and Love Apron

Ballet Bag

Shawl

Shawl

Shawl

InformationstechnologieLsungen

Asta Bybartien Businesswomen in Lithuania

The first step towards Asta's own business was made in 1989 when she tailored her first slippers designed for her son. All the material necessary for the slippers was taken from the furniture restoration company that Asta worked for at that time. After that, all her family began wearing slippers made by Asta. In 2000, Asta started to sell her slippers in the market during the weekends. Since she was working in furniture company "Lauksva", all of the slippers had to be made late in the evenings after Asta had finished her work. As a consequence of the world's crisis in 2009, the load of work in "Lauksva" decreased, therefore, Asta lost the job. However, she did not stop selling her own slippers. Once, her husband and she went to a fair called "Kaziuko mug" for the first time which took place in Kaunas. They both had a good experience there and they liked it. After that, they started showing interest in commerce during various festivals taking place in different cities and towns. Since then, selling slippers has been Asta's and her husband's main occupation. Asta and her husband built a small sewing studio in their yard. They buy merino's wool fabrics, natural leather and they produce natural house slippers which are decorated with original ornaments. During the weekends, the family continues commuting to various fairs where they sell their production. They are very glad, because they receive very good responses from their customers.

Slippers

Undine Myja Businesswomen in Germany

The monastery in Buch is inconceivable without the herbalist Myja Undine. She not only ensures that the herb gardens bloom again in the monastery. In the calendar of the monastery she is constantly present with her events on herbs. The trained engineer-economist has put the herbs growing in the center of her live. This great love began almost by accident. After she was out of work suddenly, she was offered to help create the exhibition "The fascinating world of herbs in the former convent within a job creation scheme in 1998. She revived the three thematic monastery gardens (herb, honey comb and medicine garden), which clearly show her handwriting. Not only numerous "herbal donations were required. Undine Myja had to acquire extensive knowledge and gain a certificate as herb expert. Since 2006, the mother of two grown-up daughters is self-employed with her own special knowledge about herbs. The appointment to Herb Queen of Erzgebirge confirmed that the chosen path is correct. The certified herbal specialist Undine Myja patient passes her knowledge on herbs and plants through lectures, tours, seminars and courses for kids and adults. She also gives workshops on seasonal flower decorations and flower arrangements. Her big dream is to write a book in which she reports on her experience and knowledge on herbs. But for that she does not have time right now. "It will be possible when I'm old and wrinkly," she said and rushes again from herb shop in the garden.

Herbs, flowers & plants

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Yolanta Tzenova Businesswomen in Bulgaria

Yolanta Tzenova is a hereditary coppersmith master. She is one of a few women, practicing this craft. She has imbibed the mastery of her father since her early childhood years. She graduated from the Art School of Ceramics and Glass. Then she specialized in engraving and supplemented her knowledge and abilities by taking lessons in drawing. She has been working as a coppersmith since 1984. She is very successful on the Bulgarian and international market. Private collectors from USA, Germany, Japan, Italy, Russia, etc. are buying her works. Good pieces of coppersmith mastery are of high value nowadays and this is how this craft has preserved itself. Yolanta transforms the metal with her hands into beautiful pictures with complex floral and animal ornaments that express the strength of life. She is a contemporary author who is building a bridge between the old craft and modern art, seeks new forms of expression, and transforms the craft into art. The coppersmith master produces art souvenirs of copper, icons, pictures, cards, plates and constantly develops her artistic searches. The basic technology used by Yolanta Tzenova is hammering by hand, making use at the same time of some new instruments and materials.

Coppersmith mastery

Monika Businesswomen in Italy

www.craftonline.it

This is the story of Monica who is managing an online shop about craft & hobbies. Since 2003 she organizes courses for privates and firms, provides consultancies, and creates and realizes craft artistic products as angels of tape, snowman, flowers with ribbons, decoupage, stencil, Biedermeier, angels long lags, puppets jars, Christmas on the spoon and angel garden. During the workshops and the training courses she suggests and provides the materials for each one of these original handcrafts above mentioned, and she explains in details how to do it step by step. Monica manages her own business selling her handcrafts directly done by her, through web resources and participating in several open markets on the street, when they are organized in several towns during festivals or during for instance Christmas time in order to promote the handcrafts activities in our local area. Furthermore, Monica works for some shops of the surrounding area providing them her handcrafts under request: for instance a shop can ask for her 20 dolls, within a certain deadline and she satisfies these orders, so she can compensate occasional sellings (those coming from the website or from the open markets) with other ways of selling, in accordance with her available time, family needs and her usual job too.

Dolls

Larissa Businesswomen in Estonia

I've chosen Larissa to give me an interview not by accident. Larissa, as many other women in former Soviet Union, had higher engineering education, worked as an engineer and any piece of clothes she needed she could knit with her own hands. She knitted not only for herself, but also for her family as well as for friends. In the 1990s, however, hard times came for most of these women: engineers lost their jobs. Larissa became a housewife and during 8 years didnt work. But this wasn't the life she liked and wanted for herself, therefore after 6 years she started to suffer from depression. But the solution was found: after 2 years she took a bank credit and opened a small shop called Everything for knitting. It happened 11 years ago. Nowadays Larissa already provides several more women with work and as the shop expanded, you can find everything for embroidery as well as for any other kind of needlework there now. In her shop there are a lot of samples showing what can be made by hands, including accessories and bijous. All this stimulates women to create their own exclusive products for themselves or for presents, or someone, inspired by Larissas example, to open their own business!

Everything for knitting

Photo:Countryliving.com

Photo: craftstylish.com

Emilie Strejkov (1919-2009) Czech Republic

Emile decided to renovate a devastated huge estate in Prague 10 and founded Stedisko ekologick vchovy (Center for Environmental Education) in 1994 at Toulcv Court, where many holistic activities are happening since that time. You can do there what you would like to do: Handcrafts, riding horses, take care of home animals. Programmes are organized for small children, teenagers, adults, seniors and women. The different groups are encouraged to learn from each other new and interesting things. There is also a beautiful small shop with handcrafts. For more information please visit www.toulcuvdvur.cz.

Creative Center

Contact
Wisamar educational institute Eszter Csepe Eszter.csepe@wisamar.de Heinrichstrasse 5-7 04317 Leipzig Tel. 0049 (0)341 21977000 Fax 0049 (0)341 21957519

www.wisamar.de