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.”
The couple opened Flowers of Spring on the Bedford Highway in early September. Along withselling Real-Touch flowers and Li making different nylon floral arrangements, she is also offering classes. With these classes, students are able to create different kinds of nylon flowers – from roses to lilies, depending on their skill level.
“There are many different kinds of styles” says Li. “The more you do it, the more these different ideas come out.”
Since September, the classes have grown to include more days and times. Originally there were four classes, two days a week. Now Li teaches morning classes of six students from Monday to Saturday, along with evening classes on Tuesday and Thursday. Additional evening classes of up to four students can also be pre-booked.
“They have a blast; it’s social time for them,” says Gaudet, noting that once a student takes a class they are eager to come back again. “Every time she [Li] makes something to put in the shop, they [the students] want to learn it.”
Even though Li’s students are eager to try different arrangements, they are a bit apprehensive when they first start.
“When they come here, they don’t know how to make it [the flowers] and say it’s so difficult, but when they do it they see it’s easy,” says Li who guides each student in a step-by-step process.
Gaudet mentions one student who didn’t think she could make flowers because of a pre-existing medical condition. However, due to amount of attention that is sometimes needed to complete a flower, the student was forced to focus on their task instead of their ailment.
“[One student]has had pain for quite a while, but the exercise she does with her hands making these flowers helps with mobility and also gives her something to concentrate on instead of pain,” he says.
Overall, Li has found Flowers of Spring to be a worthwhile venture, with the way the craft brings together students and helps them being just two of the many rewards.
“I like that it gives people some place to go… when they are here, they are like family,” she says.
For more information on Flowers of Spring visit www.flowersofspring.ca or call 902-835-8006.
对栗艺丹女士而言，花的意义远远大于用作观赏。她通过尼龙、线和丝的简单搭配,便可让你耳目一新,展现花卉百变的姿态。
艺丹与她的先生拉斯.高德特共同创立了春天工作室(Flowers of Spring)花艺店，专门出售尼龙花/东篱花以及仿真花。艺丹于2005年第一次来加拿大。2008年，她选择定居加国。她最初并未想要创业，而最近的一趟中国行，却给了她不少启发。一次，她订购了一些材料来制作尼龙花，没想到还剩下25盒材料，当下艺丹不知道该如何处置它们。
“我看着我先生,问‘我们要怎么办呢’?于是我们心想，何不尝试做个小生意。”艺丹发现,手工尼龙花在新斯科舍省并不常见，也许可以把它们引入人们的视线。
高德特发现尼龙花特别适合新省的手工艺行业，因为每一朵花的制作工艺都离不开大量细节的投入。
“艺丹心灵手巧，她能研究透各种手工艺的制作，从水晶、锡器制作到缝纫,从帆船到小独木舟。 ”高德特说:“她用心制作、一丝不苟，她的作品充满着爱与自信。”
2015年9月初，夫妻俩在Bedford Highway上的店面开张了。店内除了出售仿真花和艺丹亲手制作的各式尼龙花，艺丹还开设了花艺课程,教授学生做不同种类的尼龙花。从玫瑰到百合，课程的难度大小取决于学生的掌握快慢程度。
“尼龙花的样式非常丰富,”艺丹介绍说。“一旦做得多了,创意也就会越来越多。”
9月以来，艺丹的花艺班规模越来越大,最初还只是一周两天四堂课。近期，每周一至周六上午，以及周二和周四晚上，艺丹都收有6名学生上课。花艺班现在也只有4个晚班的报名名额。
“这个课程特别受欢迎。学生都觉得上课是一种放松,并有机会与他人交流。”高德特说，学生刚上完课，就对下一堂课充满期待。“每次艺丹出了新作品，把它放店里，学生们都特别想学。”
但在一开始,虽说学生们都特别渴望学习花艺,他们还是有些犹豫的。
“刚开始上课的时候，她们还不了解花艺手工该怎么做，都觉得花艺肯定特别难学。慢慢地，她们熟悉起来后，就发现它原来如此简单。”艺丹说。她还说,她会手把手教每一个学生具体的步骤。
高德特告诉我们,有一名学生由于生病的原因,不相信自己能够做出花来。但在花艺课上，这位学生不得不把注意力由疾病转移到手工上，最后顺利完成一朵花的制作。
“这位学生曾经因疾病缠身痛苦了很久，但由于花艺对手部的锻炼，促进了手部的血液循环，同时转移了她对痛苦的注意力。”高德特说。
无论如何,艺丹觉得春天工作室是个特别有意义的创业经历。花艺把学生们汇集在一起,同时也某种程度上帮助了这些学生,可谓一举两得。
“我特别享受能让大家聚在一起的这个过程……她们在这里学习,就像一家人一样。”
想了解更多关于春天工作室的信息，请登陆www.flowersofspring.ca或拨打902-835-8006。
