Whimsical art creations appeal to the eye - and you can eat them if you want to

As Spring Festival approaches, Xu Haixia, 53 - a maker of Chinese pancakes in Mengyin county of Linyi, Shandong province - becomes a master artist in high demand for her three-dimensional pancake flowers and other creations.

Last year, Xu copied world-famous paintings using pancakes,including Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers, and won many fans.

Ahead of the holiday, pancake flower sales have tripled, Xu said, as people buy baskets of the intricate edible art for relatives and friends. Her work is both appetizing and appealing to the eye, she said.

Xu has been making pancakes - a thin paperlike food made of grain - for 15 years.

"Pancakes are a staple food for three meals a day in our village, so I chose to make and sell pancakes," she said.

Her business is going well as she continues to innovate and present new pancake products.