The small parking lot of the Erskine’s IOOF Hall kept quite busy as scrappers from Stettler and area came together for a weekend of scrapbooking and sharing their love for the craft on April 28 and 29.
Pat Kelm, who was managing and taking care of the event, said the retreat was one of their biggest successes.
“The girls came from as far away as Wainwright, Chestermere, Calgary, Stoney Plain, Innisfail, Lacombe besides our regular locals,” Kelm said.
Reminiscing about how Kelm got started on scrapbooking herself, she said, “My daughter, Sherry Marshall and I got started by attending a Creative Memories party and were very interested in what could be done with all the photos that we had.”
There, Kelm added, they learnt how to trim pictures and it made a world of difference to the way they looked.
“Then we learned how to decorate a page so the pictures stood out, and from there we kept purchasing materials to use,” Kelm explained.“Sherry always had a desire to own her own store but didn’t want to leave the bank at that time, so when the opportunity came to get the contract for the Erskine Post Office, she decided to invest in the scrapbooking business as well as other products in coordination with the post office.”
Kelm added that she quit her job too, so she could manage the store and post office. “And we try to add more to our stock as time goes by,”Kelm said. “We ask customers if there’s anything they would like us to carry so they can pursue their hobby by purchasing locally.”
After a few years, the mother-daughter duo decided to host workshops, and since then they have never looked back, the business has grown bit by bit.
“We also have a day of card-making classes periodically and carry all the supplies for that hobby; we sell cards made by Sherry and they are becoming very popular,” Kelm commented. “Sherry has put a lot of work and thought into her business and so far has been successful as so many scrapbooking stores have closed in the past few years, which is why we get customers now from all over central Alberta and even northern Alberta.”
Kelm said she would like to thank all those who attended the retreat to make it a success.
“A huge thank you to Lori McKay from Alix who did the massages and to Jennifer Hubert who did the pedicures,” Kelm added. “These extras really helped to make the weekend experience, a pleasurable one.”