WHEN keen scrapbooker Ann-Maree McKay moved to Queanbeyan last year and realised the town didn't have a dedicated scrapbooking and craft store, she realised it was a niche opportunity in the world of Queanbeyan small business.
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Her new shop Craftyas opened its doors in January, and Mrs McKay said she had already received a warm reception from the local craft community.
"It's been really good so far. Opening up a shop has been a smoother process than I thought," she said.
"And a lot of people have commented how nice it is not to have to drive all the way to Canberra to get what they need. They can do that here in Queanbeyan, which is really positive."
It's Mrs McKay's first small business, and she said finding the right location for her store was one of her biggest priorities. She eventually settled on a Thurralilly Street location, just off Yass Road and opposite Queanbeyan East Primary School.
"We didn't want to be in town because then our prices would have to go up into the mainstream, but out here we can keep it at wholesale prices, and there's better parking access too," she said.
Craftyas caters to scrapbookers, card-makers and cake decorators, as well providing more general craft supplies. The store stocks a range of scrapbooking and card-making embellishments as well as stamps, inks, papers and scrapbooking tools and accessories. The store also offers edible icing images, where customers provide an image or photo they want to place on a cake, which is then printed onto edible icing.
And for those who aren't clear on what the scrapbooking phenomenon is all about, Mrs McKay said it's a creative way to preserve family or personal memories through craft.
"It's about documenting history that you can pass on, but for some people it's also an outlet, where they can be creative and social and meet people," she said.
The local store is also fostering the Queanbeyan craft community through regular classes and social events, and Mrs McKay said she aimed to place her new business as a central hub for scrapbookers in Queanbeyan.
"We run a variety of classes each week from beginner's classes to more advanced, where people can come in and learn new scrapbooking techniques and have a chat."
"They all come along to share ideas and do craft together. And someone will bring a cake and someone else will bring a soup. It's all very social and good fun," she said.
Visit Craftyas at 61 Thurralilly St, Queanbeyan (Ph: 6299 1881), or check them out online at www.craftyas.com or on Facebook.
