Name a nearby craft show or mall, and chances are, friends Debbie Blair and Tina Blair are there.

Even though the two are accustomed to such events, the women were highly impressed with the Ironton Co-Operative Club's craft show.

"Any time we can find a craft mall, we hit it as often as we can," Debbie Blair said.

"This one has as good, if not better, selection and the prices are better," Tina Blair said.

The Co-Operative Club's 17th annual craft show began at 10 a.m. Saturday, and will continue today from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ironton High School Sports Center. Admission to the show is $1 and proceeds from the show will go to the club's education and civic projects.

One of the main changes with this year's show, according to chairwoman Margaret Reid, is that the artists and crafters will be the ones selling their work.

"These are true artists and crafters," she said. "They're not selling other people's work. We don't have as many booths, but we wanted to have things that were unique and handmade rather than things that people could buy anywhere."

Some of this year's added variety includes a Columbus woman selling hemp products and Albany resident Lori Hibbard's laser engraved woodwork.

Hibbard said she found out about the craft show on the Internet and discovered that they had openings. Hibbard sold some of her laser-engraved Christmas ornaments, Ironton Fighting Tigers items and displayed some of her other work, such as personalized engraving.

"It's going pretty well," she said. "Things have been pretty steady and people keep coming through."

The proceeds from the club's show will go toward projects such as an Ohio University scholarship for a deserving female non-traditional student, academic awards at Ironton and St. Joseph high schools and various other educational projects. This year, Reid said, the club will also raise money for new division banners for the Memorial Day Parade, something that will be quite expensive.

"We have our work cut out for us," she said.

Reid said club members were also grateful for the support of the Singing Kernels barbershop quartet for performing and Porky Nichols of White Eagle Antique Mall in Russell, Ky., for returning to do appraisals at no charge.

"He won't even take a hot dog from us," she said.

"We will do this as long as Ironton and the surrounding area will support us. It takes a lot of effort."