Unique Jewelry Crafted with Love: A Passion Passed Down from My Father

Today, we take you to the workshop of Ilina, a new local heroine who opened the doors to her world for kajak.mk. We found Ilina working on a unique bowl, which takes her 7 days to complete before it can adorn the home of one of her clients.

Ilina dedicates time, love, and patience to her craft. Through the photos you'll see in our feature, you'll conclude that she has the experience to create various decorations and jewelry, which she then sells through her Facebook page.

For kajak.mk, Ilina introduced herself as a person who loves art, enjoys sports, and supports sporting events. She has already volunteered at several athletic races. She considers walking in nature an obsession, especially in the autumn when she often finds inspiration for some of her future creations.

She says that her parents had a significant influence on her falling in love with art. "Since I was little, my dad passed on his love for literature and art to me, and by third grade, I knew the entire 'The Fisherman and the Fish' by A.S. Pushkin by heart. My mom sewed little dresses for me, and I, myself, fell in love at first sight with those tiny beads when I was a child," she says.

She associates the beginnings of her craft with stringing small beads. Her first jewelry pieces were made from them, and the first technique she used to connect the beads was found in a magazine of her father's titled "Do It Yourself". Later, when the opportunity arose, she started studying the filigree craft at the Rubin jewelry store, where she worked for a long time.

About 4 years ago, she finally began working with jewelry and leather products, decorative items, and more. She had the opportunity to learn this craft from an elderly master from abroad, who taught her how to use exclusively traditional techniques and fully handcrafted methods to create a product with a modern touch.

Not long ago, Ilina had the opportunity to sign a three-year contract with the fashion platform Clothia, where she made her first sales of leather jewelry. The earrings were particularly favored by buyers. Unfortunately, the Clothia website no longer exists, but this year, two of the jewelry pieces she created were selected for exhibitions in Italy.

The time and effort that Ilina dedicates to creating jewelry and decorations are priceless. Clients who enjoy handcrafted pieces respect the work an artist invests in creating each item. Ilina mentions that it takes about seven days to make one piece. The process includes material preparation, shaping, stitching, drying, and final finishing.

For the readers of Kajak.mk, Ilina shares that they can find more information on her Facebook page, Bottega Azzurra.