Yellowknife (Oct 20/04) - There's a warm feeling as you enter Karen's General Store.

Located on Kam Lake's Melville Drive, the building used to house school children. Now it will be a place where Yellowknife crafters can sell their wares and those interested in making crafts can learn the necessary skills from others.

"I find it ironic that the building will now be used to teach people once again," said Pat Guinan, who owns the building.

His wife, Karen Guinan, is the owner of the store, which is set to open its doors Oct. 23.

Much like a summer or fall craft fair, the idea behind Karen's General Store is to rent stalls to crafters looking for a place to sell their wares.

In the Centre Square Mall, there is always a bit of a tug-of-war between the crafters who want to set up the booths and the shop owners, said Guinan.

"Shop owners think the crafters are taking away from their businesses, whereas the crafters think they are bringing more people in," he explained.

Guinan said there will be no such hassles at Karen's General Store.

Some craft sellers have already set up their wares at the front of the store and the hunt is on for others, he said.

Anything homemade -- such as crafts, jams and jellies, knitted items and quilts -- is what Guinan expects to see in the store.

The 1,500 square foot store will feature 10 stalls, as well as shelf space for those not wanting to rent out an entire stall on their own.

There will also be a common room offering coffee, teas and various homemade goodies. Another space for teaching craftmaking is also available.

The idea is something which has caught on in the south and Guinan hopes it will be a hit in Yellowknife as well.