New Niles store born out of hobby

Published 11:49 pm Monday, April 16, 2007

By By KATHIE HEMPEL / Niles Daily Star
NILES — Teresa Herman thinks of her scrapbooking as a modern quilting bee. Husband John has laughingly referred to her gathering of like-minded crafts people as a cult.
However one looks at it, scrapbooking continues to be a way for friends to gather, sharing photos and memories. For Herman, it has also become one of Niles' newest businesses, Niles Scrapbooking Etc.
"I never intended to open a business. When we first moved here last May, I was just looking for a local supplier," Herman said.
The avid rubber-stamper and scrapbooker discovered Galaxy Scrapping next to the Galaxy Roller Rink. Unfortunately, the owners were going to close the shop.
Herman surprised even herself when her first instinct was to buy the store. She was even more surprised when her husband also thought it was an OK idea.
"I told him that not only would I get my supplies at discount, but that the cards I was always making could also be done at the shop. I almost never do my scrapbooking at home. I haul my case to my girlfriends' and we will spend several hours chatting and scrapbooking," she said.
The couple decided if they found the perfect location, it would be a sign they were meant to move ahead with the project. They saw the former Office Mart at 2830 S. 11th St. and knew they were on their way.
During the Grand Opening April 13, Herman said that since quietly turning over the open sign two weeks ago she has signed up 100 new customers for updates on sales and classes. Her vision includes inviting customers to come and gather in the new space to work on their own projects. The facility has a large area behind the main showroom set up with tables and cutting stations for that purpose.
"It will answer the problem of how to finish a project when one runs short on a supply. They will have everything they need at hand. With the store all on one level, there is no problem with the large wheeled bags many use to transport their projects from place to place," Herman said.
Judging from the number who shopped following the grand opening, Friday the 13th held no bad influence over the growing business. With new supplies arriving weekly, hobbyists will have something new to look over whenever they visit.
The Hermans are glad to finally find a community in which to settle after years of never being in the same job for longer than two years. With her husband completing his last tour as a Naval Commander, they deliberately went on the search for a place to call home.
"We looked over a number of possibilities. The position, teaching Naval Reserve Officer Training Corp at Notre Dame allowed us to live here. We wanted a place with all four seasons and a small city easily accessible to larger centers," he said.
The Hermans loves of football and the relatively lower cost of living were satisfied with the Notre Dame and Niles combination. When Herman retires in 2009, they feel sure that Niles will truly be home.
"We didn't know we would become so entrenched in the community so soon. However, between the business and John joining the Niles Fire Department as a volunteer, we know we will be here for a while," Herman said.
Niles Scrapbooking Etc. is just the place to find everything a scrapbooker needs. New all acid-free albums, stickers galore, a variety of punches, cutting boards and trimmers, new spring loaded eyelet setters, computer cutting systems, templates, alphabets and books with plenty of ideas to use them all are on hand. Rubber stamping supplies are also there for those who wish to create their own greeting cards. Papers for every project line one wall.
Currently, the hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. As the business expands to include "crops," scrapbooking gatherings, they may open some evenings until midnight to accommodate the parties.
For now, whether one is looking for a way to decorate graduation memories, to celebrate a wedding or new baby in the family or just to create a lasting memory of a special day with the kids, Niles Scrapbooking Etc. has whatever is needed.