Field Notes: From a Life of Crafting

Hi! I'm Vivian! I am an American Artist living and working in Berlin, Germany. I teach Maker workshops for the hip creative who is looking to build a repertoire of techniques and skills for a more sustainable life. When I'm not crafting I am sewing costumes for my performance art which you can find images of on my website above! Feel free to contact me with any thoughts, questions, or proposals via: viviankvitka(at)gmail(dot)com Mit Liebe! Visit VIV KVI's profile on Pinterest.

[viviankvitka]

Paper Moon Crafternoon Meetup #5!

The very last meeting of the year is this Monday December 1st!  New Crafters always welcome and meetings are always free and open to the public!  Paper Moon Crafternoon is dedicated time to work with your hands and meet new folks!There isn't a theme this week, so feel free to bring or start any paper project that suits your fancy.

For more information and to be reminded about upcoming events like our Facebook page!

[viviankvitka]

Workshop Opportunity! December 6th

Hurray! Its the Holiday Season and you have enough time to actually make some gifts this year! 

This workshop will not only add a new skill to your repertoire, you will also leave with sheets of beautiful craft paper that can be used to wrap gifts, make greeting cards, gift tags, envelopes, notebook covers, etc.

Its only 8 Euros (plus eventbright fee if booked online) for an hour long workshop during the betahaus Christmas Markt! We will be learning to transform normal printer paper into beautiful semi-transparent water resistant paper, with a lush waxed surface and your own printed design. The techniques you will learn are easily reproducible at home, you likely already have all the supplies you need! 

You will Leave with: As many sheets of of A4 + A3 Printed and Waxed paper as you can finish within the hour!  With only five participants per workshop you will get one on one instruction and plenty of space to work.

Workshops start on the hour! Reserve your spot on event bright or pay at the door! (CASH ONLY)

  FAQs:

Who Is the Workshop Leader?

Me! Vivian! I am an artist and expert DIY-er. I have a passion for working with paper and personally conceived and developed the technique for this workshop.  

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Feel free to contact VivianKvitka(at)gmail(dot)com about the workshop 

Who can attend this Workshop?

Anyone! No prior skill is required. Children who are able to handle a hot iron safely are welcome! 

Where is betahaus  and where is the workshop located?

betahaus is in Kreuzberg Berlin at Prinzessinnenstraße 19-20, 10969 Berlin, Germany

The Workshop will be located in "The Loft" which is past the cafe down the hallway and to the left! Signs will Clearly indicate where to go! 

[viviankvitka]

Paper Moon Crafternoon

The Past four weeks has been the start of a new pet project, Paper Moon Crafternoon. Its a bimonthly crafting circle in Berlin that mimics the form of a knitting circle but focuses on using paper as a material experiment. Each session friends and curious crafters meet up to play with paper. Its dedicated time to work with your hands and feel free of the cynical voice in your head telling you your work isn't worth while. 

So far its been a great success, new people come each time and leave with a project tucked under their arm and a few new phone numbers in their pocket. 

The Next PMC is December 1st Which will be the last meeting held this year! 

Like the PMC facebook page to be reminded about the next meet up!

[viviankvitka]

Big Open Spaces Full of Possibility: Templehof

Every time I go to Templehof I get that feeling like I sometimes do after an amazing workout, the feeling that makes me think, “Why don’t I do this more often? This is so good for my SOUL”

Templehof is perhaps the most beloved park in the city of Berlin. Its constantly buzzing with activity, families biking, people wind surfing and roller blading, barbecues, gardening, bird watching, picnics, and sunbathers. Even on the most beautiful days the park could never be crowded as it is just TOO HUGE. Its housed on an old nazi airstrip which makes for amazing gusts of wind to whip your skirt around you while you fly your big red kite.

       { I have too much shame to take decent selfies }

The first time I went to Templehof I had been living in berlin for about two months. I was constantly a nervous anxious reck and couldn’t get a full breath of air. When we biked up the little hill to the gate I GASPED at the immensity. No one could have prepared me for the relief my eyes felt soaking up so much sky. I kept making funny, overwhelmingly satisfied grunt-sighs for the next hour as we biked through only a quarter of it. 

Now, each time I go back I have a similar feeling of relief, like the park helps me sluff off the chaos of living on a foreign continent. I leave feeling I need nothing, that I’m ready for whats next. 

On my list of the top five things that make me blissfully happy, this park, Templehof is number four. Its pretty damn good if you ask me ;)

What public spots in your city make you feel as alive, big and small all at once?

[viviankvitka]

Friday Night public Musings

Image by Gary Schott polite hands clapping

There were too many things to think about. too many distractions and nothing seemed to get off the ground. There weren’t enough right words to fill the page and she felt, not alone, but like the time she had alone was very limited and the fear of using it well was preventing her from doing so. 

She could imagine a place 

Where the people clapped bending only their wrists, 

And only took selfies in secret.

Where only old men and women wore heels and were considered to be terribly out of date

Where clubs were alternate realties, where dancing was considered to be an a sexual activity that everyone could enjoy

Where composition mattered more than efficiency

where window displays weren’t put behind windows

Where field trips are taken to hill tops for audible release sessions.

where pictures of decapitated heads are everywhere

and everyone is in school forever

where neighbors bring over meals

Where boat sails are made of clean laundry,

and humans are visually complex rather than emotionally, but looking at ones self in any type of reflective surface is considered vain and rude

where pets are not owned but shared... along with babies,

and long hair is considered inefficient 

and public benches are replaced by swings

Where galleries are replaced with circus tents

where awards are designed for individuals,

and the virgin mary is a brand of tampons

Where children dress in costume every day

where shrines are made in payment of other things,

and everyone laughs as they bike over cobble stones

where book covers have no images only intriguing titles like “this is how you lose her” and “bad poetry”

where clothes in stores are made from paper and only turn to cloth when you take them home

Where it snows when emotional intensity is high

and beautiful paper is a lovely gift

Where everyone makes messes and leaves them behind

where candy is eaten like cigarettes are smoked

“I really need a candy, want to step outside with me?”

“ I don’t understand why you like the stuff”

“I don’t but I like the way it makes me feel”

Where most walls are covered in framed pictures and letters salon style

Where things begin organized neatly but are left torn to bits or unraveled

Where bead curtains are a huge hit and cloth curtains are hung floor to ceiling in the middle of rooms

Where clothing hangers are covered in paper like the ones that come from the Laundromat 

Where all doors have giant graphics

Where therapy sessions are done over throwing wheels

[viviankvitka]

Big open spaces that feel full of possibility

Film Still from my short film The SeaMonster and The Babe 2013

I really don’t know if my definition, space = opportunity is universal. I think the main ingredient for making things happen is space. This can mean mental space. Even when I have the hours in the day to take on a project but mentally I am booked because of a recently ended project. OR if one small project or personal issue has me feeling creative fatigue, the project will stutter and spit rather then take off in the desired direction. 

Having physical space for projects is of chief importance to me. I have always drooled over empty store fronts with FOR RENT signs in the windows. The idea of having private space I could open to the public with constantly curated entertainment, programing, happenings, makes me feel buzzy and paralyzed all at once.  

Snapshot on the lagoon at Oxbow School of Art and Artists Residencies

Physical space like massive parks, alternative museums, urban gardens, or tiny DIY store fronts, all make me feel jazzy in the same idealistic naive way. 

I’ve decided to start a new writing series called Big Open Spaces Full of Possibility  where I will introduce spaces around Berlin (and hopefully outside of) that exactly fit the title and what I’ve just been telling you about. We all need space, Studio space, meditation space, kitchen counter space, whatever you name it, and by starting this series I will not only encourage myself to seek out these places but also spend a bit more time appreciating why this category is in my list of the Top Five Things that make me blissfully happy. 

But more on that later...

xo

Vivian

[viviankvitka]

Live in Berlin! Five Loop Braid Workshop!

There are some techniques that are so simple and fluid you find yourself incorporating them into nearly every project. This technique is exactly that. Five Loop braiding is one of the simple variations of Loop braiding, a technique that is thousands of years old and as origins across the globe.

This workshop is an introduction that would allow you to delve deep into Loop braiding, or simply utilize this one braid a thousand different ways.  I will teach you how to create the braid and tie it into a key fob  or a friendship bracelet but once the workshop is complete you will have mastered the technique and can make anything you can dream up.  The workshop (just like the coin purse) will be held in the PopupVillage at Boulevard Berlin 

Hard Facts:

When:July 23+30 at 14:00

Where:  Schildhornstraße 5 12163 Berlin, Germany Cost:  €15.50

Buy your ticket and reserve your spot! Reserve for July 23  Reserve for July 30

[viviankvitka]

Live: DIY Coin Purse Workshop! + Chance to WIN a FREE ticket!

I’ve been busy developing workshops lately and I’ve got two more opportunities for those of you who missed the last one! I’ll tell you about the first now and the second later ;)

Come get your creative release on! + Be sure to enter to WIN a Free ticket! (details below)

Make Tuesday (July 22nd) evening a crafter-evenin'! From 2:00-3:00pm Learn how to make a vegan leather drawstring coin purse in this hands-on, in-person DIY workshop to build upon (or start) your arsenal of maker skills. This workshop has a limit of seven makers which means personalized teaching and one on one time with me! The techniques are simple and managable meaning you can learn it in an afternoon. It is fun and easy, leaving you feeling capable and successful and who doesn’t want that?

You will learn: How to make a simple pattern Methods of working with faux leather

Who this workshop is for: This is for someone who isnt getting enough (or can’t get enough) creative social time; for those who love working with her/his hands and understands the value of new techniques. This workshop is for those who love to follow blogs with diy tutorials but sometimes need extra motivation to complete (or begin) the project! It’s also for those looking forward to meeting new crafty friends

Who this workshop isn’t for: Those who don’t see the value in handmade and are more interested in the final object than enjoying the process and social environment. It isn’t for anyone who isn’t ready to learn from their mistakes and start again.

Reserve your spot on Eventbrite!

This event will be held in Popup village at Boulevard Berlin, featuring brands from the UK brought especially to berlin for a limited time!

Repost This image on Tumblr, Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #CoinPurseWorkshop for the chance to win a Free Ticket!!

[viviankvitka]

WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY: "KRISE"

Performative Workshop Installation “KRISE”

#We-Trading: personal input for collaborative Art.

Each participant of the workshop will exhibit his/her Art piece in Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien within the whole duration of We-Traders exhibition (3 July 2014 - 17 August 2014). Also, each of the participants will create a performance, Ok, co-exhibit and co-create, which in this case is unexpectedly beneficial.

Participants will be invited to co-produce an art-piece during the workshop on the 3rd July and then extend it up to a collaborative performance by 17th August.

Professional artists along with people who have no prior artistic experience are welcome to participate. We all certainly hold the knowledge that is worth exchanging.

Hard facts:

3rd of July 2pm-6pm - Performative Workshop / Co-creation of an Art piece

3rd July 17pm - Opening of the exhibition

[time in between] - a few meetings devoted to co-creation of the performance [IMPORTANT: It is ok if you are out of town most of July/August. Appointments are going to be very flexible and not obligatory]

17th August 8pm - final performance

Where: Kunstquartier Bethanien (Mariannenplatz 2, 10997 Berlin)

Fee: it’s FREE! Each of participants may have minor costs while making his/her personal costume for the final performance.

How to register: the number of participants is strictly limited. So make sure to

BOOK YOUR PLACE by dropping a line at [email protected]

The brain and muscle behind the Performative Workshop Installation “KRISE” are Vivian Kvitka and Elizaveta Barsegova. Through previous collaborations in diverse directions, the two defined a necessity to co-create an experimental project. It was an obvious step due to perfect creative understanding. Their is a dynamic late night workflow that results in large-scale social art experiments. The creative duo teamed up with We-Traders and is supported by betahaus| Berlin to discover the soul of what people define as Crisis. Along the way, they are intending to explore ideas of authorship and collaboration, within the context of fine art and performance.

Photo by Maansi Jain, Costuming by Vivian Kvitka

[viviankvitka]

Lavender Mint Gin Cocktail

I was feeling inspired by all the lovely smells of summer at the market this weekend and bought some dried lavender. I love how many uses there are for lavender. Last fall I made a lavender tincture to make a room spray. I use it almost every night, spraying it over my pillows before going to bed. Its a small luxury that makes crawling into bed that much sweeter.  This weekend I thought I would try making a lavender simple syrup. I had never done it with anything other than mint, but I figured it would be roughly the same. 

In total it took about an hour and a half with maybe 30 minutes standing in front of the stove. Very simple very tasty

Supplies:

Dried lavender buds (I used about four heaping table spoons)

3 cups of water (distilled is best)

granulated sugar (I'm not sure how much I used but at least 2 cups)

Fresh Mint 

Gin

Ice

Sparkling Mineral Water

Sauce pan

Strainer

spoon to stir

Directions:

Add water and lavender to sauce pan and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to a light simmer. Leave lavender simmering until the buds turn brown about 45 min. Pour liquid through strainer to filter out lavender buds and return liquid to pan. Still on a low temp slowly add sugar to liquid stirring to dissolve. Continue adding sugar until your sugar wont dissolve. (I stopped before this happened as I was running low and I decided it was sweet enough.) The syrup should be slightly thicker than water. Pour syrup into a jar and put into fridge to cool and thicken.  Crush a handful of fresh mint leaves in the bottom of the drinking glass to be used. Add three, or to taste, table spoons of syrup into the glass. Add a shot of Gin, a handful of ice, and fill with Mineral Water.

Add a sprig of Mint for decoration and Voila your sweet and relaxing cocktail is done!

[viviankvitka]

My Latest Obsession

I can't help but collect the flowering weeds that line the streets here in Berlin. They are so beautiful once they are collected into a bouquet, and some how they feel like hidden gems that only I have noticed. I was feeling cooped up in the apartment today and found these on my walk. In the picture you can see that I have tied them together. They are currently hanging upside down to dry.

[viviankvitka]

Work in Progress

Heres a sneak peak of what I'm currently experimenting with ;)

- v

[viviankvitka]

Dabbling in the World of 3D Printing

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Last week I was invited to a lecture with RepRapPro, the first self replicating 3D printer invented by Adrian Bowyer. (The photo above is the CubeX Trio also sold by RS components) I finally understand what the 3D printing craze is all about. The Lecture was held at KunztSchule am Checkpoint Charlie, a beautiful event space if not a little bit outdated in its attempt to look modern. 

I came to the event knowing almost nothing about 3D printing. I’ve always thought, sure it sounds cool, but what would I print with it? I had been thinking about it in the wrong way. Its not about a single item that you can create because the fact is you can make every object a 3D printer can through traditional methods.  Its about accessibility, its about having the printer in your home so that when you’re shower drain breaks, or your earbud splits, you can make another one. This revolutionizes the consumer industry, once you have this machine in your kitchen or studio, you are no longer dependent on the stores closest to you, to shipping times, to store hours, to costs incurred by so many middle men. 

(RepRapPro above) 

I came in to the lecture knowing that I would want one. I am a sucker for tools of any kind, but this is the ultimate tool. With this tool you can build more tools, you can even (almost) build another 3D printer. The RepRapPro can print 60% of its own pieces, and the rest you can buy from the company. 

BUT I haven’t gotten to the best part; the machine is 100% COPYRIGHT FREE. There is nothing to stop you from printing machines and selling them, from making your own adjustments and improvements and joining the market. With websites like thingiverse.com you can download free designs ready to print or modify them using programs like Blender, Art of Illusion, OpenSCAD, or Google Sketch up just to name a few. I don’t know about you but I’m now looking forward to this consumer revolution.

[viviankvitka]

Playing With Prints and Waxed Paper

Since my last post I've been continuing to work with making prints and waxing the paper. I'm really happy with the results and I wanted to share it.  I've come up with a few better methods of waxing the paper and am now only using guache instead of a guache and acrylic mix. I found that this allowed the paper under the paint to soak up more wax for an even coat.  I have also found two new ways to fold the paper into card holders that I like even better than the first technique I showed. I plan on updating my tutorial in the coming days so stay tuned for that!

[viviankvitka]

Waxed CardStock + DIY Business Card Holder

Hello Everyone!

This last week I was playing around with potential DIY workshop ideas and came across the post on How About Orange from a couple years ago for folding an origami business card holder. 

I played around with the technique a bit and found that there are many websites with slightly different folding techniques. This one here is nice as it creates four pockets instead of just two. 

The result is quite nice but I didn't like how flimsy the origami paper was and how minimal the actual protection was. I wanted the paper to be heavier and waterproof so my solution was to create waxed card stock!

The process was really simple and quick. Likely you have all the supplies already, which is the best kind of project.  you will need:

parchment paper or baking paper twice the size of your paper to be waxed an iron a tea light candle or a chunk of paraffin wax

Fold your parchment paper in half and place your card stock inside it. I have found it best to iron the paper at a low setting with parchment paper on top to warm up the paper first, then while the paper is still warm rub the paraffin onto the surface of the candle. Once you have covered the paper with a layer of the wax, or if the paper has cooled enough that the wax isn't gliding as easily across it, close the parchment paper and iron over the whole surface. Its very easy to see where the wax has soaked through as the wax causes the paper to become transparent. you can continue the previous step until the whole sheet is transparent or, like I have in the photo, leave small portions opaque. These spots are coated in wax but not soaked through. I think leaving these spots makes a really beautiful pattern. 

And thats it! If you try out this technique I would love to hear + see your results!

[viviankvitka]

Visible Mending Workshop March 17th

Hello! I want to inform you all that I will be teaching a visible mending workshop at TradeSchoolBerlin Next week! Trade School is a really interesting community group in which the students and teachers barter items for knowledge. The teacher requests specific items and the students can select an item that they will bring to class. I love the idea of it because while I think knowledge should be free, as a teacher I still need to sustain myself! 

A description of the course:

Hand mending is a meditative relaxing process that allows us to appreciate the act of being self-reliant. We use and dispose of clothing faster than any generation before us; because of this we lack a connection to the fabric that houses us every day. Beyond the purchase we don’t feel particular ownership or pride once we feel we have used up its value. Through this workshop participants will learn to extend the life and increase the value of their clothing through the reflective labor of hand mending. This workshop focuses on visible mending as intentional and beautiful design to highlight the value of our clothing. After this workshop, participants will have the skills and knowledge to creatively repair holes and strengthen thinning fabric, using two different mending techniques. Participants will know how to evaluate a worn item and determine the best method of repair.

As of Today there are only five spots left so hurry on over to http://tradeschool.coop/berlin/ to reserve your spot!!

Tchuss,

Vivian

[viviankvitka]

After attending a textile pattern making workshop hosted by Anita Heiberg and her company 13dresses I was feeling inspired to keep going. I made several prints from simple stamps made with craft foam and pill bottles. Super super easy and fun :)

The second image is my design for the contest Anita was running at La Fayette Gallerie in Mitte. If my print is in the top 20 it will be printed as a scarf and if it is in the top five she will use the print for a full dress! How cool! She has a very cool business concept much like Threadless. The textile design is based on crowd sourcing and the dresses are her own design. Check out her website and vote for my print over at http://www.13dresses.com/vote/submission?contest=6&ideaId=120