Hello

Hi, I'm Ivona! I’ve been living in Vancouver, Canada for the past five years, but I grew up in beautiful Croatia. As an immigrant and a lifelong creative, my journey has been anything but ordinary.

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Since childhood, I’ve always been a crafty soul. My first love was painting and drawing—anything that let me express myself through color and form. I got into sewing at an early age, often trying to hand-stitch clothes for myself or “redesign” old garments with scissors. Looking back, a lot of those creations were hilariously bad—my mom definitely didn’t let me wear most of them after I’d chopped up  T-shirts (oops!).

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I went on to study pedagogy and art history—fields I truly loved. During that time, life took me in a more academic direction, and I stepped away from my creative side for a while. But a few years ago, something shifted. I felt called back to my roots. I began painting again, picked up sewing with more intention, and even learned how to crochet. It felt like my true self was finally coming back to life.

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Now, through Winter Tree Design, I combine the crafts I love most—crocheting, sewing, and occasionally painting—to create beautiful, meaningful, handmade pieces. I’m so grateful to be doing what I love and sharing it with others!