A Chelsea mother-daughter team raised almost $1,800 for charity last Saturday through the Second Annual Chelsea Arts and Crafts Fall Festival.

More than 50 vendors set up booths &045; selling everything from fine art to turkey calls and jewelry to petunias &045; at the Sept. 30 festival.

The proceeds from the $35 vendor entry fee went to the American Red Cross, as did the 27 pints of blood collected during the festival&8217;s daylong blood drive.

&8220;I think our turnout of vendors and shoppers was great,&8221; said Laura Chambless, one of the organizers. &8220;We are still babies at this. We are still growing.&8221;

Chambless, along with her mother Terri Ritchie, planned the first fall festival last year after Hurricane Katrina as a way to benefit charities and the community.

After considering several projects, the two decided an arts and crafts festival would be the perfect way to mesh both charities and the Chelsea community together.

&8220;We said &8216;What can we do to help?&8217;&8221; said Chambless. &8220;It&8217;s so easy just to pull out the checkbook. But we wanted to do something that pulled Chelsea&8217;s talented people together.&8221;

The two also coordinate a spring festival that benefits rotating charities, last year&8217;s money went to Hannah Homes. The second annual spring Arts and Craft festival will be in April 2007