Janice Hateley's craft retreats are proving popular across Benalla and the wider region.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
When Benalla’s Janice Hateley closed her Gingerbears shop on Nunn St to focus on online sales it opened up time for her to focus her creativity in unexpected ways.
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Now, about six times a year she facilitates a what she describes as a sit n stitch event, called Ginger’s Craftee Retreat, where other like-minded people can come along and spend a day being creative.
“I do those at Goorambat where I’ll have a guest pop-up shop as well as my own pop-up shop.
“Ladies come and have morning and afternoon tea, they might bring their own lunch, or go to the local pub for something to eat, in-between sitting and sewing with other like-minded people.
“And, it’s not all just sewing. We do all sorts of crafts.”
Having operated her shop for almost 20 years Janice brings expertise and advice to her retreats, and is always happy to help attendees.
“I first opened the shop in 2005, and after a couple of moves I closed in 2024,“ Janice said.
“I sold collectible teddy bears, but it was also a craft supply shop.”
People can still come along and see what Janice sells in person, however nowadays, that is by appointment only.
Ginger's Crafty Retreats are proving a great place to get creative while meeting likeminded people.
This is also where people can find more about Ginger’s Craftee Retreat.
The retreat is a great social get together, but also offers an opportunity to showcase the range of crafting supplies, which are available to purchase.
“It was something I had been thinking about for a while,” Janice said.
“I had been doing some classes at my shop, but when COVID hit I stopped.
“Which made me realise just how much work was involved in those classes.
“I’d been mulling over the idea of some kind of retreat, and once the shop closed I had more time to put into it.”
Janice said while she offers a range of crafting materials and associated items, she has a big following of collectors, keen to get the new ‘Charlie Bears’ when they are released.
Charlie Bears are handcrafted, collectible Teddy bears and characters known for their unique personalities and artistry.
They are often released as limited editions, and are highly sought after by collectors.
“It always surprised me the different types of people that collect bears,” Janice said.
“A lot are men which shocked me, and I’ve sent them all over Australia and even internationally.
“They bring out a collection each year, and people know when they will be available.
“So I’d get collectors calling me to pre-order just before the new collection was released.”
But it is the retreats that bring a smile to Janice’s face more than anything else.
“I chose Goorambat as it is close to Benalla, but still far enough away to be a day out,” she said.
“And it has great facilities, with the pub and the Park Street Pantry.
“I have people coming from Shepparton, Dookie, Seymour, Wangaratta and all over the region.
“We’ll often have around 50 or more people attend.”
Janice said she gets great feedback, but the best thing is the number of people who keep coming back.
“If they want to come back, they must be happy,” she said.
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