Portfolio
Crafting my career
Forging my own path through creativity has been one of the most challenging and life-shaping things I’ve ever done. I never felt drawn to conventional routes, so when I started Stori Dori in late 2015, it became my way of carving out space for something that felt truly mine.
There were times I took on more than I could handle, and times I couldn’t rest until I’d brought a stubborn vision to life. More than a decade later, I’m still walking that road — still figuring out how to make work that’s rooted in dignity, compassion, and storytelling with soul.
This portfolio holds some of my proudest moments — projects that mark different stages of the journey. It’s an offering to anyone who, like me, is on their own path of discovery and recovery.
Each project opens into its own page, where you’ll find stories, photos, and reflections that dig deeper into how it all came together. Feel free to explore in your own time — there’s no rush.
Thank you for being here, it’s a joy to share this work with you.
Handmade Leather Journals
The Beginning of Stori Dori
Stori Dori started when I finally decided to put myself first — to stop shelving my creative urges and actually follow through on something I’d been yearning for.
I was tired. Tired of the pain, the strife, the constant feeling of being stuck in survival mode. I thought, surely it’s about time I tasted a bit of the good stuff and let myself enjoy life, get curious, even have a bit of fun?
That’s when I made a quiet promise to myself: this next chapter would be different. I’d explore who I was beyond the trauma. Not just the bruised parts, but the dreaming, creative parts too.
One small decision kicked it all off. I wanted to document this journey my way and set out to find a journal that felt personal and special. Something I could keep close, day and night. Something that said, this is for you.
Most of what I found felt flat or soulless — until I came across Traveler’s Notebooks. Leather-bound, with elastic binding so you can mix and match inserts however you like. That was it. I was sold.
I made my own. Then another. And another. What started as a personal project turned into a full-on collection and, unexpectedly, a quiet little movement. Others started reaching out. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one searching for adventure and meaning through journaling.
COLLECTIONS IN CHAPTERS
CHAPTER 1
ADVENTURE
CHAPTER 2
SEEKER
CHAPTER 3
TRAVELLER
CHAPTER 4
WONDER
CHAPTER 5
LIBERTY
CHAPTER 6
HERITAGE
PAST CREATIVE JOURNALING EVENTS
SUMMER SOCIAL
JOURNALING THROUGH A PANDEMIC
Craft Buffet
NILLY ILGÜY
The most important story you'll ever know is your own.
Live it well.
Fee Amanillah🤍