Family Life | Scrapbook Fantasies

A Time of Trial

Alicia Redshaw29 July 2012

I have gone through in my mind what I will say in this post for weeks now and just couldn’t find the will to sit down and complete it.  I have had to write about this on my business blog, in newsletters and recount the information hundreds of times for friends, family, customers and acquaintances, however none of that has been as hard as writing about it here on my personal blog.  I don’t want to complain about my lot in life or cry “Why Me”, I just need to explain my absence and build the strength to move forward.  So here goes…

As some of you know I own Scrapbook Fantasies, a brick’s’n’mortar and online papercraft store in Gladstone, Queensland.  In June I received a letter from my new landlord for the premises I rent for Scrapbook Fantasies notifying me of his intention to increase my rent.  At the time it appeared to be an 85% increase to the rent and the details were quite vague.  I started looking around for a new premises as a back-up plan if I couldn’t negotiate a better deal for my business.  It took another two weeks before he let me know of the full costs and conditions to the changes he proposed, with an increase total of over 127%.  This increase is by no means reasonable, and anyone who has been inside (or even outside) the building I rent will understand what I mean.

I have spent the last six weeks trying to find a new affordable and suitable premises for my business, trying to protect my children, staff and family from the pressures of the situation, and trying to assure my customers that I am not closing my business and that I will be there for them no matter what.  I know that the situation has taken a tole on my family, my staff, my poor neglected blog and my health, as I sit here without a voice (laryngitis) and knowing that I haven’t had a good nights sleep in six weeks.

Everyone has been very supportive even strangers, but especially my children, staff, family and customers.

Quentin has been a wonderful support helping to search for new premises to rent and even going to the extreme of working behind the scenes for the last four weeks to purchase a building for my business.  I am hopeful that he can make it happen, and if anyone can it is definitely him.

Obviously my creative drive has been missing during this time, however I have pushed myself to keep designing for my weekly Scrapbooking classes and the Scrapbook Fantasies Retreat next weekend.  I am hoping that the retreat will give me the boost I need to get back to creating for the pleasure of creating.

I just want to end this post by saying thank you to you all for your ongoing support.