Shop displays different variety of holiday tree

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REEDSVILLE - Not your typical Christmas tree, the Dairyland Gift Shop's "Giving Tree" is helping area residents give back to the community.

Daphne Marthouse, one of Dairyland's co-op artists, said she and the eight other artists that contribute their work to the shop, are donating handmade ornaments to decorate the store's tree.

The ornaments are for sale, Marthouse said, and the money made from the ornaments will go directly to the Mifflin-Juniata Special Needs Center in Lewistown.

Each of the artists contributed their own style to the tree, with ornaments ranging from miniature quilts to wool sheep to grapevine angels and stars.

Marthouse said some of the ornaments are holiday-themed, while others are not. There are Penn State felted tassels and some jewelry, as well as beaded ornaments and wooden snowmen, she said.

While some of the artists stuck with their regular well-known crafts, others went a little bit "outside of the box" in their creations, Marthouse said.

She said all of the ornaments will be on display on the tree, which was put up Wednesday.

"Hopefully, we'll sell everything off that tree," she said.

Each co-op artist made a different number of ornaments, and they all range in price, Marthouse said, estimating that there are roughly 150 ornaments.

By the shop providing ornaments for purchase, it is helping customers get involved in a charity, Marthouse said.

With each ornament purchase, customers will receive an acknowledgement card that explains where the money from the sale is going.

If people decide to give an ornament as a gift, their recipient will know the money spent on it "went further than the cash register," Marthouse said.

This is the shop's first "Giving Tree," Marthouse said, adding that the original idea came from co-op artist Jenny Landis.

The artists started making the ornaments last month, but began talking about the idea at the end of September, Marthouse said.

The decision to give the profits to the Mifflin-Juniata Special Needs Center was made through a corporate discussion, Marthouse said.

"That was the one that surfaced," she said.

Marthouse said the "Giving Tree" now is an idea the shop, located in Reedsville, hopes to continue every year. It will still be called the "Giving Tree," Marthouse said, but each year different ornaments could be made for the tree and the profits could go to a different charity.

Dairyland Gift Shop artists and vendors also include Cathy Nale, Jan and Marv Brubaker, Jenny Landis, Jodi Myers, Joy Rodgers, Marty Fisher and Gail Young. The shop has been operating as an artist co-op for about five years.

It is located in the Dairyland Complex at the interchange on U.S. 322 and state Route 655 in Reedsville. Its hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

For more information call 667-6003 or visit www.dairylandgiftshop.com.