Matt Hewson
After years of online-only events through the COVID-19 pandemic Geelong crafters will be able to attend a face-to-face, two-day craft expo in their own backyard.
The From Picture to Page and Beyond Papercraft Show, which will be held at the Vines Road Community Centre in Geelong on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24, ran from 2017 to 2019 before COVID-19 hit.
From Picture to Page creative director Michelle Brown expects to see hundreds of crafters from across Australia attend the event after the two-year hiatus.
“We’re excited to have crafters come together again to see new products, learn techniques and get together with like-minded crafters,” Ms Brown said.
“During the lockdowns we successfully reached many of our crafters through videos on Facebook and Youtube, but it will be wonderful to return to face-to-face craft shows again.”
The expo will feature specialty retailers as well as a wide range of activities, mini-classes and demonstrations.
Sue Kayler-Thomson, a life-long crafter and exhibitor at the expo, said From Picture to Page’s return to Geelong was very important to the Geelong crafting community, particularly after the pandemic years.
“For people that love to craft, we haven’t got anything much in Geelong anymore,” Mrs Kayler-Thomson said.
“We do have one shop, which is really good, but we used to have lots and lots of stuff. If we want to find other products or speak to experts we usually have to go to Ballarat or Melbourne.
“But even those places haven’t fared very well through COVID, so it’s become a more online market and it can be hard to know where to find stuff.”
Mrs Kayler-Thomson said Ms Brown’s craft shows were always locally focused, which could provide a big boost to Geelong retailers and consultants as well as the community in general.
“I’m an independent consultant for Close to My Heart, a supplying company, and we do workshops and events to teach people how to use the products,” she said.
“So for us to get an opportunity to get out there in front of the public is fantastic. Michelle tries to get local people involved as much as possible.
“It means people in Geelong get to find out what’s happening in their own town, which is really good.”
Mrs Kayler-Thomson has an abiding love for scrapbooking, and said it is an excellent way to both express feelings to loved ones and provide physical objects to commemorate special memories.
“One of the parts of scrapbooking I love the most is making beautiful keepsake books,” she said.
“So many people have their photos on their phones now, and they never do anything with them. But when you have a book, just seeing it makes you want to look through it.
“It might be about a holiday, and reading through it is just like revisiting those holidays all over again. The memories flood back to you.
“I feel really sad there’s a whole generation of kids that don’t have photos of themselves growing up. To me it’s really important, and it’s great to put something in their hands that can let them know they’re treasured.”
