Watching the stain darken on her palms, Tammi Boudreau realized the power of henna.

It was seven years ago and her mother recently died.

A friend put a “smelly, gross paste” — also known as mehndi — all over her hands as a symbolic way to ease the pain of her mother’s death.

“There was this amazing, brilliant orange, wonderful stain on me when I took the paste off,” Boudreau said.

“I was hooked — it was such a healing thing.”

So, the mother of three immersed herself in everything henna — learning about the flowering plant native to tropical regions of Africa, southern Asia and northern India and its traditional uses on the Indian subcontinent for marriage, fertility and luck.

Boudreau taught herself to draw in a different way — given the creative gene from her mother, who was an artist — and went from henna hobbyist to home-based business owner.

Now, she said, the art form that dates back to the Bronze Age isn’t just about traditions: “Henna has become everybody’s . . . it’s making really beautiful stuff from mud.”

For the past three years, Boudreau has run Henna Bee Designs, sharing her love of henna with bridal parties, birthdays, showers, Canada Day celebrations and pre-natal belly blessings — her most-favourite occasion.

“I get to create a memory for mom, I get to pamper mom, I get talk with baby — as corny as that sounds,” she said, adding she does them from home but has even done sessions in Starbucks.

“It’s just a really cool session.”

And it’s not just skin Boudreau adorns, she also used henna to embellish silk, wood and glass as well as mixing it with acrylics on canvas.

“It’s art. It’s a wonderful medium.”

For that reason, she said everyone should experience the beauty of henna, pointing out it can be a relaxing retreat to a way to pamper a friend or a spiritual event to a healing moment.

“It can offer so many different things to many different people,” Boudreau said.

“You don’t think it would be — but it is.”

For more information or to contact Boudreau, visit hennabee.ca.