Fortuna native Sondra Kirtley had an associate’s degree in business administration from the College of the Redwoods in her back pocket when she left home to attend California State University Chico. She was serious when she told her mother that she would never move back. “Humboldt is too boring,” she recalls thinking. Yet somehow on her journey to earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and management at Chico, she changed her mind. The woman who thought Humboldt was too boring laughs when saying she now lives 2 miles from the hospital where she was born.
Coming back to Humboldt also meant putting her talents to use. Sondra worked in corporate human resources long enough to know corporate life was not for her. Before long, she joined the family automotive business, where she added marketing and merchandising to her repertoire. After her mother retired, she decided to branch out on her own. Kirtley wanted to open a full-service business with computer stations, scanning, shipping and copying. “I looked around and found that the Copy Stop & More was for sale,” she says. She immediately noticed that it had ample room for adding retail and thought, “He’s got all this wasted space!” The decision made, the unused space became her opportunity. And she had a great idea.
Kirtley loved paper crafts, but local options left her wanting. “It was not just me having the hobby, but a retail and print background to offer what no one else really was. I looked at similar stores to see what they were offering to not duplicate their efforts. Why duplicate what they are doing well? There is enough room for all of us,” she says. Kirtley’s careful research more than paid off. “When I started there were two businesses doing rubber stamps, so I did not. When they stopped, I started. Rubber stamps are now one of our biggest categories,” she says. Soon the shop was filled with colorful papers and stickers to entice Humboldt’s scrapping community through her doors. She offered fun classes for those in need of crafty encouragement. The lures worked so well that she quickly outgrew her 1,400-square-foot floorspace. As soon as the lease expired, she expanded into the current 6,400-square-foot location (728 Fourth St., Eureka, 707-445-9686) and a staff of seven. The new store was renamed Scrapper’s Edge.
Kirtley’s philosophy has kept her business flourishing for 22 years as of this June. “We evolved as the needs of customers and community have changed,” she says. “You can’t do the same things you did 20 years ago … listen to your customers. Just paying attention is not rocket science.” She definitely pays attention. “When I took over copy shop, it was just me doing everything. It’s neat how I’ve been able to build the team over the years. We like to help people and it shows,” she says. Kirtley keeps staff happy by not having meetings or asking them push add-ons, a low-pressure approach that in turn makes customers happy. “If you take care of the customer, then everything else falls into place. My team has really embodied that philosophy,” she says. She takes her own customer service responsibilities just as seriously. “People are amazed when I answer the phone. If I’m not available, then the next experienced answers and that is how we do it. It’s very unique but it makes sense. Nothing is worse than calling a business only to have the least experienced person answering the phone. Not a good look,” she says. “The most knowledgeable should be answering. Giving the right answers gets those people in the door.” Scrapper’s Edge‘s focus on excellent customer service was rewarded when it won the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce 2025 Small Business of the Year.
Kirtley offers classes in card making, scrapbooking and her current passion, journaling. Scrapper’s Edge carries journals of all kinds, including ones with blank covers to personalize. Or maybe you have the urge to create something small and wonderful? Check out scrappersedge.net to find the monthly theme for the Redwood ATC Club art swaps. The only rule is to keep it small: 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, to be exact. Crafters and makers let their imaginations roam free to create three pieces of tradable coolness, aka Artist Trading Cards.
“My Humboldt life is full of gratitude.”
Printing is the biggest part Kirtley’s business, and one that she enjoys. “Ninety percent of graphic design is when customers have a vague idea of what they want and I am able to create something that makes them say, ‘That’s exactly what I want,’” she says. “I work hard to exceed their expectations and get it done quickly. Customers are so appreciative. Sometimes you have to tweak the design. Sometimes they don’t know what they want, so having an eye for design and knowledge of marketing really helps me create things that look good and are effective. It’s rewarding!”
Scrapper’s Edge puts that expertise to good use by giving printing discounts to local nonprofits. Kirtley’s community service does not end there. She helps protect Humboldt’s vulnerable youth through her favorite local nonprofit Boys and Girls Club of the Redwoods. “I sat on the board. I worked on the fundraiser Cruz N Eureka every year,” she says. “I don’t know what would happen if the kids did not have this club. Having a safe place to go after school with caring adults that can help them is really important.” The Humboldt native loves to give back to the county that gave her so much.
Kirtley doesn’t hesitate to finish the sentence “My Humboldt Life is,” with a voice full of emotion: “My Humboldt life is full of gratitude. I am grateful to live in such a beautiful, peaceful place. I’m grateful for the spirit of the people of our community. They are very supporting of local businesses and causes. So giving. It’s amazing how much they give not only their time but their money to causes that mean so much to them. I can’t imagine being in business anywhere else.”
Or any other business. Kirtley loves working for herself and even more, what her business can do for Humboldt’s memory keepers.
Scrapper’s Edge
728 4th St, Eureka
(707) 445-9686
scrappersedge.net
@ ScrappersEdge
This article appears in My Humboldt Life February 2026.