By ERIC KEPHAS

PDT Staff Writer

The residents of the Hill View Retirement Center are preparing for their annual Christmas Bazaar, which is scheduled for Dec. 2. As part of that preparation, the residents have been hard at work making homemade jewelry, scarves, sweaters and more.

Wyvetta Hicks will be contributing homemade purses to the sale. The purses are Vera Bradley remakes.

“My cousins got me in on it,” Hicks said. “Someone was giving lessons and I went with her to learn how to make them, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Hicks added that anything that isn’t sold at the bazaar will still be available to purchase at Hill View’s gift shop.

There will also be plenty of things available to help get customers into the holiday spirit, such as individually decorated Christmas trees. Frieda James was one of the residents who worked on the trees. She said the trees have always been a part of the bazaar and have always been a big hit.

“Every Bazaar … we’ve had trees that’s been decorated, and they all sell,” James said. “They go quickly.”

Not everything at the Christmas Bazaar will have been made by a resident, however. Margaret Gordley took on the task of finding outside vendors for the event, and said she received positive feedback to their largely word-of-mouth campaign.

“We have six, maybe seven or more, outside crafters that are coming in,” Gordley said. “This will be the third year that we’ve had outside vendors, and they make homemade jewelry and knitted sweaters and scarves and things. We’re really happy to have our outside vendors.”

Hill View Retirement Center, at 1610 28th St., Portsmouth, can be reached at 740-354-3135.

ERIC KEPHAS can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 234, or ekephas@heartlandpublications.com.