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Craft show raises funds for Parkersburg Boys and Girls Club

From left, Sandy Murray, of Newark, W.Va., the grandmother of Sara Almashy, of Sandyville, West Virginia, a teacher at the Parkersburg Boys and Girls Club, display their crafts at the Parkersburg Boys and Girls Club Craft Fair Saturday. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)

PARKERSBURG — The Parkersburg Boys and Girls Club held its Crafts Show Saturday, and there were several vendors looking to show and sell their work.

Pam Webb, the director of outreach for the club, said the funds raised from the event will go back to the organization to fund programs for the kids.

She also said the event is done quarterly. There is no regular schedule posted, as they try to do this around other activities.

Vendors come from several places besides the Parkersburg area, including Ripley, New Martinsville and St. Marys in West Virginia, and Belpre, Marietta and Little Hocking in Ohio.

One of the vendors was a 12-year-old girl from Marietta, who has her own business selling dog and cat treats.

Garrett Honse and Sheri Bond, both of Parkersburg, stand in front of some Boujie Bombs at the Parkersburg Boys and Girls Club Craft Fair Saturday. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)

Isabella Giffen, of Parkersburg, who operates Bell Animal’s Boutique, said about starting her own business, “I wanted to start it because I have been accepted and requested into a program for a program by the Boys and Girls Club a couple years ago, Envision, Lead, and Grow.”

Giffen also said, “I really liked it because it looked like a really good way to earn money and part of my money helps donate to an animal shelter.”

She said that her business opportunity gave her a chance to learn more about how to run her business and advertise it.

Giffen makes her treats at home, and people call her and pick up their orders at her home on 33rd Street.

Sara Almashy of Sandyville, W.Va., sells various items such as stuffed animals.

12-year-old Issabella Giffen of Bell Animal’s Boutique in Parkersburg shows her dog and cat treats at the Parkersburg Boys and Girls Club Craft Fair Saturday. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)

She said, “We’ve been doing them probably eight years or so.”

Her display had some homemade ducks, rabbits, homemade oven aprons, and puppets, as well as cookie jars.

Almashy is a worker at the club and works with the teens as an instructor.

She was accompanied by her grandmother Sandra Murry.

Another vendor was Mystic Raven Co., run by Garrett Honse, Sheri Bond, and Michelle Honse, Garrett’s mother, all from Parkersburg. Michelle was not present at the crafts show.

They have three divisions within their business, metaphysical, divination (tarot cards, psychic, and a healer, and Boujie Bombs, made of chocolate.

Garrett said that they had been doing vendor events for about four years.

“We are a bit of an eclectic shop, I guess, so we’ve got everything from Boujie Bombs, which are hot chocolate bombs, juice bombs, and things like that,” Garrett said.

They also sell wine slushies.

Garrett also said his part in the business focuses on astrology, tarot reading, and anything catering to the mind, body and soul.

They hope to open a new business location at 2185 Dupont Road around May 28, and are currently doing craft shows.

Larry Launstein Jr can be reached at llaunstein@newsandsentinel.com.

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