In 2018, a new path began for me.

The truth is, my love for paper, notebooks, and the beauty in details isn’t new.

As a child, I could spend hours in bookstores — in that scent of new books, pencils, and notes that transports you to another world.

At Christmas, I didn’t ask for toys, but for the thickest notebook I’d admired and flipped through all year.

I loved those places so much that once they even ‘lost’ me in a bookstore — I was simply immersed between the pages of my dreams.

A collector at heart, in love with the smell of books and doodles on napkins, I never imagined this could become a profession.

I thought the most I could do was ‘work in a bookstore’. But life, as always, had bigger plans.

My other passion was psychology and philosophy — so I chose to study in Veliko Tarnovo.

But in my fourth year, when I found out I was pregnant, the path led me back to my primal inspiration — paper, images, the smell of glue and cardboard.

In my family, we’re all connected to handmade craft — my father builds houses from scratch, my aunt pours candles, my cousins are manicurists and artists…

…but the most important figure, my first ‘door’ to this art, is my mother.

In 2017, she started filling bags with paper flowers, cardstocks and sequins.

I watched her… and not only my hands were itching to start, my heart was burning, my stomach tightened as if I were in love. It calmed me.

I didn’t think I’d make money from this — I did it because my soul breathed through the paper.

At night I spent hours on social media, searching for inspiration and kindred spirits.

I remember dreaming of having my own die-cut and embossing machine one day. Back then it cost 150 leva — a small fortune for me.

My first album was made of glued notebook covers, wrapped in something that barely resembled cardboard.

But I was proud — because I believed that when you devote yourself fully, it works out; even if every time I took the utility knife, I needed at least two rolls of bandage and a coagulant spray.

The true ‘path of the heart through my hands’ began when Joanna (my daughter) appeared — my inspiration ‘Inspired by Joanna’.

She was my inspiration, my driving force, my most beautiful project.

At first I only had scissors, a utility knife, and a few sheets of cardstock, which I bought when I had an order.

I remember asking a boy from an office store to print greetings for my cards.

Then came the day I bought a printer, and later the machine I dreamed of.

I taught myself to work in a vector program, and the game became even more interesting.

2021 was a turning point — I opened my first studio. A small garage, but for me — the whole world.

Some didn’t believe it, said I’d be ‘wasting money’. A year later, I had a company and a two-story studio with a shopfront and 3.5m height.

I worked tirelessly, with passion and dedication. The machines and inventory I had exceeded 10,000 leva.

Until one day my body reminded me I’m human. I had my first panic attack. I didn’t go out for two months. I moved the studio home, and for a long time work was the only thing that kept me going.

But then came the fatigue, and apathy… and again — a new growth.

With a lot of care, perseverance, and self-love, I returned more aware, calmer, more mature.

Today I have my home office from which all the ‘homes for your memories’ come out.

I’m not planning a new studio — in Stara Zagora the interest is low, and I’ve already stroked my ego, but I’m not giving up on the idea of a bigger space and more hands.

Through couriers, my albums travel around the world. And when you pour your love into what you do, I believe it can travel beyond the world.

Seven years later — after hardships, misunderstandings, mistakes and victories — I’m here.

More organized, calmer, and still in love with the art.

Ready for every next challenge that will turn yet another memory into a home of paper and love.