From an engineer in the Soviet Union to an artist in Canada

By clicking the links, we'll dive deeper into the story.* The purpose of my presentation is to draw attention to my "Intellectual property"—a collection of handmade greeting cards and a website, www.amazzzingcards.com which serves as a catalog, advertisement, and sales tool for this collection.

Viktorina Savelieva. November 2025

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Actually, the transition from engineer to artist began even before we planned our move to Canada. I arrived in my new land with the clear intention of becoming an artist. My homeland is Ukraine, where I was born, raised, educated and had a successful engineering career designing electric drives and automation systems for steel mills.
Arts and crafts were always my hobby, but before retiring, I earned a diploma in design and painting. The story behind this is in my essay, 'My Greeting Cards.' By opening the link and reading the text, you can get to know my inner self. The essay also describes the unique style I created: three-dimensional thematic collages on shiny, silk-like backgrounds.

The Beginning of a New Life. January 19, 1995.

A chain of amazing events led me to create the handmade greeting card brand Viktorina Cards. In my website, I advertise my cards this way: "It's as much a gift as it is a card ," and approximately 25,000 cards have been distributed worldwide with the address www.amazzzingcards.com  printed on the back of each card. Purchasing a card demonstrates your interest in this creative collection. The website will help you learn more about it; about the history of its creation; about the locations and methods of sale; about some of my customers; about the history of the website, and the author, Viktorina Yuryevna Savelieva.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues, teachers, relatives, friends and many others whom I have ever met in that happy life in Ukraine.

I also telling thank you to officials and those around me, nice Canadians who helped me overcome many difficulties.

Comments

*Actually, the beginning of the presentation is the family website Family Savelev , where this page can be found in the Literary Pages section .

You see the Front page of website Viktorina Cards and– the catalogue of cards available for sale.

I was advised to concentrate on the content. Yes, it is something very valuable for me. Both – the card collection and website are my main achievement in Canada, and I want an will share it with you.

But, If I were you, I would be more interested of how it was made.

 

We arrived in Montreal in 1995 as visitors. We were already retired, without Permanent resident status and money, with very basic English. Our son’s family immigrated in 1994; they had two children: 5 years-old girl and 7 months-old boy. They were doing their best but were not able to sponsor us.

 

In 2001 I managed to present my own company original greeting cards collection at National Stationery Show – at Javits Centre, New York, the top show for this product in North America. By then, I finished business course, had registered solo proprietorship, could speak about what I needed, was a member of North American Greeting Cards Association, had a studio-workshop in Montreal, web site, group of immigrants helping me with card producing and many friend and supporters and money to pay for a very expensive show. My husband’s achievements are not the theme of today’s presentation, but actually his earnings were our main income. So, what happened during those 6 unforgettable years? Are we talented? Sure, like everyone, we have some skills. I told you before about my goal after retirement - to become an artist and about the chain of amazing events, but even now I can’t believe that all these happened to me! Now I believe that strong, outside me, power organized this chain. Yes, God, but in my understanding, it is something very complicated.
 

I will try to talk about this as short as possible.
We arrived on Saturday, On Sunday morning I was walking to oversee the neighborhood. Wanting to make some contact, I told also walking around woman: “I arrived from Ukraine just yesterday”. I was invited to nearby Westmount Park United church. During the refreshment
time I was able to tell my prepared speech: “We can do EVERYTHING and need job, for me – preferable working as Companion in order to earn cash (we did not have Permit for job yet) and learn language.

On Monday I was already introduced to the lady after stroke in order to accompany her in walking to different places. All family around her were very busy, and she looked to be happy in sharing her thoughts, complains, etc. to educated woman and to help this woman also to tell her stories and knowledge from the completely different World.
It was lower Westmount with mainly English-speaking middle class professional residents. Upper Westmount was occupied by richest in Canada families, but rich elderly women loved to come down to Arena with skating ring and swimming pool, library, shops, galleries and craft group located in Westmount Park church.
I got a lot of Canadian friends who helped me with everything and finding very good free social services and contacts. As a result:
Business course, very interesting and sometimes even famous companion-clients; permit for job and a Gift-decorator official job . In this job I learned to do small compositions with a glue-gun as fast as I could not imagine before. After losing a job in one year I got unemployment insurance and was able to move further. At that time, I was already able to make and sell handmade cards. I passed an exam, received Quebec Artist card and grant: the place for selling cards in downtown Montreal. I was so happy with that! Some important people paid attention to cards and other, again, amazing events led me to achievements I told you before.
So, let's go now to my booth at National Stationery Show, New York.

 I invite all my friends, relatives, anyone interested, and most importantly, - my GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, to join me on a journey through its pages.