Roses Without Thorns is a Toronto based craft business that is specialized in Paper Crafts. The Owner/Artist, Link Tong, graduated from Algonquin College (Ottawa) as a Floral Designer in 2008 and has been working as a freelance artist since then. With the help of his family & friends, Link started Roses Without Thorns – a professional craft business, which was always his teenage dream - in 2014.
Kirigami (Art of Paper Cutting) is an ancient Japanese art that is very popular in Asia among other forms of Paper Crafts (such as Origami, Paper Quilting…). Link’s family and friends started a craft business in Hanoi-Vietnam in 2003 when Laser Cut Technology was a brand new concept. They were among the first members of a community of designers/artists/artisans that was creating and developing this kind of 3D Pop-Up Card Art.
Link moved to Canada in late 2004 at the age of 16 to pursue his study in craft and design. Their Pop-up cards are now hand assembled right here in Toronto - Ontario. Some custom designed cards are now being sold at the gift boutique of Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, ON and Victoria, BC.
Link also co founded Bubblicious - Beauty in the Bath, handmade natural bath & beauty products, in 2013 with his friends in Toronto.
“Roses without Thorns” is a series of artworks that Link started in 2005 using his handmade paper roses as a medium. Each rose is intricately shaped with colored crepe paper, glued together forming various designs and then finished with clear acrylic paint to make them strong and long lasting. Many of his works have been donated and displayed in public places such as the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Alta Vista Public Library, the Royal Canadian Legion and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Roses symbolize love and beauty. That is what each piece within the ongoing “Roses without Thorns” series is all about!
Aside from her open mind, endless energy and optimism, Phoebe, with her background in finances, helps Roses Without Thorns forge ahead in their activities. Not afraid of challenges, and with an eye for detail, she always manages to keep our team in good spirits and focused on our next productions goals.
A mom, a scientist, a crafter…Tracy sure knows how to keep herself busy. Always mindful of the need for quality products, she helps ensure the highest standards of excellence in the manufacturing of Roses Without Thorns’s cards. Her positive attitude is infectious when you meet Tracy at the craft shows we are vending.
Giane has been Link's close friend since 2003 when they started their little craft business in Hanoi-Vietnam.
She lived and worked in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Toulouse (France) and Birmingham (UK) for a few years, contributing to develop Roses Without Thorns’s diverse portfolio of card designs before moving to Montreal at the end of 2018.
With background in graphic design, Yiming always has many creative ideas for the pop up card collection. Besides from studying and practicing to become a professional contemporary dancer, he helps maintaining the website and sketching new designs.
