By KATIE INGRAM
翻译：杨沁

For Yidan Li flowers aren’t just nice to look at; there’s also a sense of beauty and craftsmanship in being able to make flowers by simply using nylon, thread and wire.

Li is the co-owner of Flowers of Spring with her husband Russ Gaudet, a boutique that specializes in nylon or ‘Tori’ flowers and Real-Touch flowers. Li, who first immigrated to Canada in 2005 and has lived in the country on a permanent basis since 2008, didn’t think of opening a business until a recent trip to China. While there she ordered supplies to make nylon flowers, but found herself left with 25 boxes of material she didn’t know what to do with.

“I looked at my husband and said ‘what are we going to do’ so we thought maybe we could do a little business,” says Li, who also found since making nylon flowers wasn’t common Nova Scotia, it was time to introduce them to the province.

Gaudet finds that nylon flowers fit in with other Nova Scotia-based craft industries because of how much detail and attention is given to each flower.

“Yidan sees the skill that is involved and the pride of workmanship in everything from crystal to pewter to quilts and homemade sailboats and canoes,” says Gaudet. “She gives each and every piece the same kind of meticulous detail and crafts her product with love and pride.” Read More →