A little something for everyone at Little White Fence
Our Town Goodman-Pembine Area
Little White Fence gift shop owners, from left, Susan Zahnen, Barbara Barker and Carol Coffey show off the array of Polish pottery items they offer for sale at the business in Armstrong Creek, Wis. The pottery reflects the community’s strong Polish roots, they said. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
The Little White Fence gift shop at 771 U.S. Highway 8 in Armstrong Creek, Wis. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
SOME OF WHAT can be viewed during a visit to the Little White Fence gift shop in Armstrong Creek, Wis. This is a selection of Jellycat stuffed animals, some with their own books, that are popular for baby showers. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
SOME OF WHAT can be viewed during a visit to the Little White Fence gift shop in Armstrong Creek, Wis. These are paintings by local artist Stephen Wysocki. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
SOME OF WHAT can be viewed during a visit to the Little White Fence gift shop in Armstrong Creek, Wis. This is a small cabin on the property that houses some vintage and antique items. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
Little White Fence gift shop owners, from left, Susan Zahnen, Barbara Barker and Carol Coffey show off the array of Polish pottery items they offer for sale at the business in Armstrong Creek, Wis. The pottery reflects the community’s strong Polish roots, they said. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
The Little White Fence gift shop at 771 U.S. Highway 8 in Armstrong Creek, Wis. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
SOME OF WHAT can be viewed during a visit to the Little White Fence gift shop in Armstrong Creek, Wis. This is a selection of Jellycat stuffed animals, some with their own books, that are popular for baby showers. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
SOME OF WHAT can be viewed during a visit to the Little White Fence gift shop in Armstrong Creek, Wis. These are paintings by local artist Stephen Wysocki. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
SOME OF WHAT can be viewed during a visit to the Little White Fence gift shop in Armstrong Creek, Wis. This is a small cabin on the property that houses some vintage and antique items. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
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ARMSTRONG CREEK, Wis. -- It isn't a thrift shop, art or crafts store.
The three sisters who own Little White Fence emphasize that in describing the little gift shop they run outside of Armstrong Creek, Wis.
The store was opened about five years ago by Barbara Barker, Carol Coffey and Susan Zahnen, all Armstrong Creek residents.
"Both Suzie and I would sit on the phone for hours. We would gab and gab -- 'Oh, if we could do this, if we could do that' -- and finally it came to be," Barker said. "It was always a dream to have a retail gift shop we could do together."
They like to joke that Coffey joined the business under duress.
"She had to quit a paying job in order to work here for free," Barker said, joining her sisters in laughter.
The property has a family connection. It originally belonged to their uncle's grandparents and his parents farmed it. It was a working dairy farm. But another family owned it when they purchased the site.
The 100-year-old barn has been remodeled and serves as a workshop for restoring furniture and other projects.
The three-room shop, formerly the farm cabin, has the original floors but was gutted and remodeled with new electrical. It's filled with a variety of items that fit a farmhouse theme. They have a mix of items available, including candles, soaps, jewelry, lamps, purses and assorted home decor items. There are used books, a few antiques and seasonal items.
"We always have to be changing things, because our customers like to see change," Barker said.
They also have several local vendors who make items sold at the shop, but they are selective of the items they choose to sell.
They have wooden baskets made from reclaimed wood by Patrick Meyer, soaps made by Abby Meyer, Up the Creek mittens, Lumberjack Maple Syrup, and paintings by artist Stephen Wysocki, to name a few.
The super-soft Jellycat stuffed animals are popular as baby shower gifts.
Another display has an assortment of sassy cards with adult humor. They say they often hear people laughing at the cards from another room.
"Those are really fun and you don't see them everywhere," Barker said.
But anyone who enters the store will be instantly greeted by the visually stunning, hand-painted Polish pottery the store is known for -- a homage to Armstrong Creek's strong Polish roots.
"It's not just pretty, you can actually bake in it," Zahnen said.
In a cabin on the property, they also have a small selection of antiques and other items. They have a greenhouse as well and sell an assortment of in-season plants and flowers.
"We have a little bit of everything," Barker said. "A lot of people come in looking for gifts and end up buying gifts for themselves."
The shop usually is open Wednesday through Sunday but after Christmas opens only Fridays and Saturdays. They recommend calling the store at 715-336-3000 to get the exact hours. The shop is at 771 U.S. Highway 8 in Armstrong Creek. For more information, go to the website at www.littlewhitefence.com or find them on Facebook.