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       Sheila Dinwoodie has been crafting metal sculptures since 1994.

     The new Arts and Crafts Village at The Christmas Fest at the Smoky Mountain Opry Theater in Pigeon Forge is giving guests a chance to see local craftsmen at work and to shop for handmade goods while in town. The festival. Located at traffic light 0 will run through Dec. 30.
    David Fee, president of Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment said the shops at the Arts and Crafts Village at The Christmas Fest are different from ordinary shops.  “Each of our shops is unique with a tremendous selection of hand crafted items,” Fee said. “They offer things to meet the needs of a traveling customer who sees shopping as entertainment while in town.  Buyers have access to one-of-a-kind products in a hassle-free, casual, and fun shopping environment that is in a convenient location right in front of The Smoky Mountain Opry Theater. Parking and admission to the Arts and Crafts Village is free and we hope visitors will want to walk around our festival that features over a million lights and see our Smoky Mountain Christmas Spectacular Show while they are here.”
     Just in time for the holiday season, the following locally hand made items are offered at The Christmas Fest outside The Smoky Mountain Opry:  rustic frames, metal sculptures, sock dolls, baskets, soap, pottery, nylon wreaths, portraits and many other things.  The festival also has a huge outdoor ice skating rink -- the first of its kind on the Parkway with a covered arena, skate rental and changing area, as well as a viewing area for those who just want to watch.  In addition there is a Ferris wheel, Christmas Carousel, a Himalaya ride, an Alpine Racing Slide, Santa Claus, live reindeer, an outdoor synchronized Christmas Light Show and a choreographed indoor Laser Light Show, food vendors, horse drawn carriage rides, a Santa train ride, and a S'mores Pit. At the S'mores Pit guests are able to roast their own marshmallows.  Also available are Wassail, hot chocolate, popcorn balls, roasted nuts and other Christmas themed menu items. 
    Jean and Jeff Zinneman of Sevierville have The Basket Shop at the Christmas Fest.  Jean has been making baskets for over 25 years and her merchandise was featured twice on QVC.  The second time she was on QVC she showcased a mail/key holder basket and she sold 1400 baskets in 3 minutes. After she filled all of those orders she didn't want to look at baskets for 4 or 5 years she said. At The Christmas Fest the Zinnemans are offering a wide variety of basket items as well as wooden ornaments and organic dog treats.  They are also exhibiting some wood products made by Wayne Reynolds in their shop.  Reynolds makes birdhouses, jewelry boxes and specialized children's wooden toys such as guns, ping-pong ball shooters and a jig doll. (A jig doll, also known as a slapjack, is a wooden percussion instrument that consists of a doll with loose joints on the end of a long stick. The operator jiggles the toy rhythmically and the legs of the doll hit the stick as if the doll is clogging.)  In addition they are also selling hand made stockings by Pat Edmonds.  Basket prices in the shop range from $12 to $50.
     Another shop at the Festival is from The Knoxville Soap and Candle Factory.  Soaps products include: Chamomile, Cucumber and Grits, Lavender, Lemongrass, Patchouli, Peppermint and Oatmeal, Rosemary, Smoky Mountain Rain, Seaweed, Tea Tree, Honey and Oatmeal, Plumeria Facial Cleansing Bar, Eucalyptus, Spearmint and Oatmeal, Christmas Cinnamon and Avocado Shaving Soap. The Knoxville Soap and Candle Factory has been making soap since 1998 using their exclusive recipe containing 85 percent olive oil, along with coconut and palm oils and they have now added shea butter as well.  They make hand-rolled soap balls, square soaps, candles and melting tarts.  “We have a rich lather that moisturizes skin and never leaves a soapy film,” said shop worker, Savannah Newcomb.  “Our soaps retail from $2.25 to $8.”
     The Solar Stone Studio Shop features handmade stoneware pottery such as functional coffee cups. They also have artistic pieces such as face jugs and mugs and oil lamps.  Owners Tiffany and Nolan apprenticed at Alewine Pottery in Gatlinburg and have been making pottery for the past six years.  They produce their pottery at a studio in Cosby, Tenn., and some shops in Gatlinburg also carry their collection.  Their pottery ranges from $6 to $50.
     The Afterlife Rejects, which has humble homemade beginnings in a home in Cosby, Tenn., is a 2-year-old company that has found success with sock dolls.  “Every one of our dolls is unique,” said owner Patty Kalas.  “We never make the same one twice.” Kalas teamed up with her 13-year-old, son, Laurence, her 17-year-old daughter, Naomi, her 19-year-old daughter, Cat, and her 22-year-old daughter, Savannah, to launch the doll company.  Even husband Peter helps with the business by stuffing the dolls and lugging them to trade shows. Dolls range in price from $10 to $25.
     One of the most unique specialty retailers at the Christmas Fest at the Opry is the Dinwoodie Metal Sculptors made by Stan, Bob and Sheila Dinwoodie.  Stan Dinwoodie has been creating metal sculptures since 1972, and he taught son, Bob, in 1987 and Bob taught wife, Sheila, in 1994 -- so it truly is a family business. The Dinwoodie's use copper (sheet goods, tubing and wiring), brass, stainless steel and nails to create their works of art.  “We can put 150 hours of work into one piece so it is very labor intensive,” Bob Dinwoodie said.  “I use flat copper that has been hit with a hammer to create the look of bark when I make copper tree pieces and then I color them with a torch,” he said.  “Some pieces are given bright color with chemicals and some are painted.”  The shop carries copper “stocking stuffer” items such as ladybugs, Christmas ornaments, dogwood and candle centerpieces, and various wall plaques featuring pine, oak, maple and dogwood leaves, as well as black bear lamps.  They also make garden accents such as water fountains adding the tranquil sound of the great outdoors.  The shop even has a copper turkey for Thanksgiving.  The sculptures range in price from $ 5 to $750 so there is something for all price ranges.
     Ruth's Roses features hand painted roses on lamps, dishes, note cards, hand held mirrors, jewelry including necklaces, earrings, pins and bracelets, and even baby shoes and bathroom sinks! Owner Ruth Russell from Columbia, Missouri, is a third generation china or porcelain painter. Her specialty is roses but she paints all kinds of flowers, rabbits and other things found in nature.  She also paints angels and she paints photo mats that her husband frames.  All of her designs are fired in a kiln so the designs won't fade or wash off and the items can be cleaned with regular window cleaner. Russell has been doing craft shows for over 20 years and she travels from craft show to show in her motor home.   She travels with two kilns so she can paint on the road.  Merchandise in her store ranges from $9 to $48.    
    Smoky Mountain Portraits has keepsake portraits in a wide variety of styles, sizes and mediums.  Perfect for souvenirs of guest's visits to the Smoky Mountains or to give as Christmas gifts, the company offers pencils sketches, charcoal portraits and classic pastel portraits.  Owner Mike Spearman is originally from Florida and worked at a lot of amusement parks there.  He most recently worked at Dollywood where he did a portrait of Dolly Parton as well as one of her parents.   His sittings range from $16 to $75 depending on what the customer wants and how long it takes.  He is even willing to take special orders to make portraits from photographs.  “I really like to do fine portraits by commission,” he said. 
    Bill Spurling, of The Huckleberry Patch in Wears Valley also has a shop at The Christmas Fest.  He makes and sells rustic framed prints.  Spurling buys the prints from different print companies.  “I began the business 10 years ago in Pigeon Forge,” he said.  “We couldn't get the frames anywhere else so we started making them ourselves and now we wholesale our frames all over the country.”  Spurling uses Alpine wood that he buys from a lumber company and then he stains it before making the frames.  The framed prints range in price from  $10 to $110.
    Donna Blackwood (of The Country Jamboree Breakfast Show), Carol Reed and Jonathan Kunkle offer Christmas Wreaths in their booth called J & M Designs.   The wreaths made of nylon netting, come in a wide variety of colors including a UT orange and white wreath.  They also carry hand painted ornaments from Gatlinburg.  This is the first year of the business so new merchandise is plentiful and they have some great deals said Blackwood.   The wreaths range in price from $75 to $150 and the ornaments sell for $9.95.
   Christmas Fest is open every day at the Smoky Mountain Opry from 1 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.  The Smoky Mountain Christmas Spectacular runs every day with shows at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 3 p.m. matinees on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  Tickets are available online at www.SmokyMtnOpry.com or by calling 865-429-SHOW (7469).  The Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group also owns The Comedy Barn Theater®, The Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show, The Country Jamboree Breakfast Show, Tony Roma's Restaurant, Happy Days Restaurant and SeePigeonForge.com.