- done,

by Valorie Lennox
Tne Review

“The. Howers from: Kathy ‘Thomp-
son's garden blogm in colorful
profusion on her kitchen walls
throughout the -year, carefully
arranged. and mounted on wooden
plaques.

In the dining room, the same
pretty flowers bloom around the
hase of candles or nestle inside a
brass frutme.

“TL like to garden,’
North Saanich resident.
gardening very. relaxing.”

A graphic arts background and
Thompson’s. love of gardening
combine to create the pressed
flower pictures, stationary and
candles she sells in local craft fairs
and to a lew stores.

The home-based craft business,
started Lwo yCars ago, IS growing as
successfully as her flowers.

“My store orders, they were.a
lot bigger than last year,” she said.

She sells to Eaton’s and-to the
Butchart Gardens gift shop.

She also joined in last week-
énd’s Peninsula Community Asso-
ciation craft fair and held a show
of her work. in-her home. -

Displayed was the full range of
“her work: wall plaques and brass-
“framed pictures of pressed flowers,
-stitionary, fridge. magnets, book-

marks, flower decked candies,
dricd flower arrangements and
~ powpourrie
“s “Ep kind. of sniowbaled,”
said. :

said the
“T-find

she

~-¢ame*about-by. accident,
Soson originally wanted lo. create-
‘pressed flower: pictures, but had»
“-uouble fi inding. the right frames; SO:
“began. by mounting the. Towers « on
plaques.
os She: was. making candles with.
her. children’ for Christmas ‘pre-

the dried: flowers on’ the candles. :
After some. experiments, ‘she: was.
‘successful, and: began producing
the candles. ;

She had done live flowe r greel-
ing cards, before, while working for
someone else,
her crafts,

and: polpaurri

‘a unique blend of 75

and: prestine. parkland,

Po oe

neighbors’

Some. of the, floy ory varicly 3
Thomp-.

sents. when: she first: urigdputti ;-

so-added them lo

With a dried tower oper ration in
full swing, iL was a short step to
adding ‘dried: Hower arrangements, |

“Luxury living i ina natural setting”

adult. orientated carriage
homes nestled throughout 75 acres of mt nicured

“OPEN DAILY: 10-5
1255 Wain Road, Sidney

Raa et ewe ae

“T hate doing the same thing
over und over again.”

She grows most of the Towers
herself, although some come from
gardens and a few are
aliractive plants found in fields.
She also dries the Mowers herself,

“Pin the whole staff.”

‘To press the flowers, she needed
lots of old phone-books, which she
collected by visiting the leg gishalive
buildings just as the new books
were issued. She now has about 80
phone books. -

It is-a year- -round craft, includ-

ing gardening, drying the flowers

and creating the items. Thompson
usually works on. several projects
at once, as she enjoys varicty, and
likes lo ensure everything is well-

served in pictures and on
candles, are created by
Kathy Thompson of North

artistic talent and love. of
gardening:

655-311

Sold

Choice Locations:
Now Selling
in our p

ee ee

lowers FOREVER, pre-}

Saanich. The dainty craft |
combines. Thompson's |

trd & Final Stagel’

For example, she puts dried
flowers all around the base of her
candles, NOL just on the front of the
candle:

“Usually w hen | do something,
{-have to like it myself.”

Her background includes a
graphic arts degree from Fanshaw
College in London, Ontario and
experience as.u. designer for kit-

chens, billboards, and plastic and
neon signs. She has also done

“historical black ink sketching.

The craft Icts her carn moncy
yet stay at home to care for sons
John, 9, and David, 8. Thompson’s

carmings have gone towards visits
to her family: in Ontario and hus-
band Michael’s family in England.

“DRAR . ag

- discounts

We

Victoria

; : a q ¥ ui i
< ; ie +
td

NOW ~- three locations le

u 929 Ellory Stroot 2050 Mills Hd, Sldnay 2596 Sooke Road
388-7837 656-5266 478-0331

TheReview .

DEAR... “LISTE N TO THIS!
~-Thermoshell will:
© Keep our furnace. oil full
* Check our furnace :
—* Provide equal monthly billing.
* Give us early payment

‘should call | cae
‘THERMOSHIELL today!”

Wednesday, November 29,1989 — BE”

652-6422

ALL WORK GUARANTEED
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