Evrim is a jewelry designer from Bursa, Turkey and the owner of HUDOCA Design. She specializes in designing and handcrafting beautiful jewelry pieces that pay tribute to the animals we love. I personally own her 14k gold corgi necklace. I wear it every day. 🙂
Visit her store at Hudoca Designs.
Hi Evrim, can you introduce yourself?
I’m Evrim. I have licenses in chemistry, business management and an associate degree in veterinary technician. Right now I’m getting prepared for veterinary license degree. Animals, nature and design are my life. Animals and design have been the most joyful things in my life. While I’m in touch with animals making designs and when I put my designs into practice I feel like I’m in heaven. Jewelry design that started as hobby, became a full time business once interest to HUDOCA Design has grow up. In time, my husband (Engin) quit his job and joined Hudoca. It is a pleasure of working together and we are a strong team.
My husband works on the graphic and photography parts and I work on the production, workshop and sales. Once we combine these new ideas, new designs start to grow by themselves.
– – – –
Tell us a bit about how you got into your craft. In this case, jewelry design! And what is your reason for specializing in pets?
I’ve started this business as hobby. The love to my Golden Retriever Angel at the age of 11 derived me to be by her all the times. I’ve designed objects that reminded her to be. She is my amulet. Everything started with her.
When the people around me started to see the things I created, they asked me to make similar things for them, so I did! Right now the products I’m doing in different countries of the world represent bringing two hearts together. The power of this idea grew Hudoca. It provided a soul to it, and is more than a job. Etsy has a great role to be globalized. I believe Etsy has a similar soul.
– – – –
What does a typical day look like for you? Do you make jewelry full time or as a side hobby?
A business day starts first with evaluating special orders. We are producing products that have special emotional power, so we are giving quick responses to the messages we receive. Then Engin prepares the drawings of the orders in computer. Then I prepare the orders in the workshop. We take photos and send them. We are always in search of doing new things. It’s very important to deliver the orders to the right people on time, so we are tracking the cargos regularly.
– – – –
What is your process for making jewelry?
Everything starts with drawing a sketch of a new model to the paper. The scratches of the model are transferred into the computer. Then depending on the characteristic of the model, it’s cut with a hand saw or laser cut on silver plates. The cut products are then sanded and polished for cleaning. If it’s a necklace, the chain lengths are adjusted. If it’s a product that needs welding, I weld it. Fine polishing and shining is done. We then clean the piece using electrostatic cleaning and vapor cleaning. If coating is needed it’s coated with rhodium, gold and rose plates in a coating unit and the products are ready to be packaged.
– – – –
Where do you find your inspiration?
My inspirations are Angel, Ginger, Bourbon and the circumstances we have with them. The desire to have them always by me, the belief that each single animal lover has the same feeling with me are my inspiration.
Our designs combines with a story in each person and it becomes the amulet of that story. From that point the value of that amulet is not the mineral but the soul in it. I know it because I experience it. The thing that I dream about when I was I little girl became true. I can see what animals say when I look through their eyes!
– – – –
And last but definitely not least, tell us about your “furmily” 🙂
Angel: 11 years old female Golden Retriever – Very calm, loves swimming. Everyting started with her.
Ginger: 3.5 months female French Bulldog – Very jealous, wants everything to be her property, energy cube, our source of amusement
Bourboun: 2 year old female Chinchilla – Hearing impaired, The best game friend of Ginger.
They decide our life fluency. We make car, house and vacation choices according to them because we’re a family.