By Staff
Artisans abound at annual affair
By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
Having trouble deciding what to give that special someone, neighbor or co-worker for Christmas? A visit to the Washington Civic Center today may help make up one’s mind when it comes to Christmas gifts.
From jams to jewelry, the Beaufort County Arts Council’s annual Holiday Arts and Craft Show offers a variety of gift choices. The show, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, has a hometown feel to it.
Just before the show opened at noon Friday, Valda Belyeu made last-minute preparations at her booth.
Born and raised in Washington, Belyeu recently returned to the city. She’s been making jewelry for about one and one-half years.
That meant learning to make small, porcelain pieces that become part of her jewelry.
The mother-and-daughter team of Leadell Hill (she’s the mother) and Marie Bright also spent late Friday morning putting the finishing touches on their booth. They paint and decorate Christmas figurines, then they sell them. They live in Washington.
The figurines, manufactured elsewhere, are made with crushed pecan shells and resin, Hill said. That combination produces figurines that look as if they have been carved from wood. The mother and daughter have been decorating and selling the figurines for at least 20 years.
Since they learned about the show from other vendors, George and Vicki Phelps are making their fourth appearance at the show. Their Mapleville Fruit &Berry Farm booth features jams, jellies and stained-glass garden ornaments. She makes the jellies and jams. He makes the stained-glass pieces — butterflies, dragonflies and garden angels.
Among the offerings at the booth are jars of seedless blackberry jam, hot apple jelly (with a hint of cayenne), rosemary blush jelly and strawberry jam.
Mapleville Fruit and Berry Farm, located in Louisburg, makes what it sells, according to Vicki Phelps.
The show’s exhibitors offer items such as knitted scarves, woven rugs, a large selection of seasonal decorations, pottery, baskets, stained glass and glassware, wood designs and handmade soaps.
A variety of food — vegetable soup, homemade chicken-salad sandwiches, homemade pimento cheese sandwiches, hot dogs and baked goods — will be available during the lunch and dinner hours at the Grace Martin Harwell Senior Resource Center in the Peterson Building next to the Civic Center. The Pamlico Senior Citizens is providing the food. From 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. today, the group will sell cheese biscuits, coffee and cocoa.