At K&M Crafts of Kentucky we design and produce ornaments. The ornaments often follow traditional designs, but many are also created to fill the custom needs of a specific event or customer.
Our primary medium is wood, hardwoods specifically selected to meet our strict guidelines that help us ensure quality in our products. The Aromatic Red Cedar has become our signature material used for our many copyrighted designs. The Red Cedar’s unique fragrance as well as the wide variety of colors and texture of the wood grain helps make any two ornaments, though similar in design, two very unique pieces.
The tools and techniques we use cross a broad spectrum of the wood working timeline, such as the hand carving techniques Morgan uses for his master carvings, our use of a wood lathe from the 1920’s, to our advanced CNC machine and custom designed tooling of today.
Long before Morgan ever received his degree from Indiana University in business (with a minor in art), he was learning wood turning techniques and other basic skills from the hands of his father and close neighbor. Morgan’s father was a machinist with a mechanical engineering degree, highly respected, whose industrial processing designs are still used today.
Our primary medium is wood, hardwoods specifically selected to meet our strict guidelines that help us ensure quality in our products. The Aromatic Red Cedar has become our signature material used for our many copyrighted designs. The Red Cedar’s unique fragrance as well as the wide variety of colors and texture of the wood grain helps make any two ornaments, though similar in design, two very unique pieces.
The tools and techniques we use cross a broad spectrum of the wood working timeline, such as the hand carving techniques Morgan uses for his master carvings, our use of a wood lathe from the 1920’s, to our advanced CNC machine and custom designed tooling of today.
Long before Morgan ever received his degree from Indiana University in business (with a minor in art), he was learning wood turning techniques and other basic skills from the hands of his father and close neighbor. Morgan’s father was a machinist with a mechanical engineering degree, highly respected, whose industrial processing designs are still used today.
“Though he (Morgan’s father) passed away from cancer when I was sixteen, he had already instilled within me the passion and desire to create. Our neighbor Bob Berkel was a true craftsman of handmade furniture, an old school wood worker. I was able to spend hundreds of hours in his shop as a youth, learning the proper techniques while making a wide variety of wooden projects.“-Morgan Stapp
In the past 40 years, Morgan’s skills have led him to a host of different experiences, with one major common theme, the shaping of wood. Designing original pieces of furniture, custom millwork for both home and high rise commercial structures, historic restorations and even designing and manufacturing the official table of the Pro Billiard Tour(hailed as both innovative and the finest table in the world for a number of years), have been but a few of the endeavors he’s excelled at.
Yet it has been the design and manufacture of these ornaments that have been the most enjoyable, challenging and allowed the use of his creativity. Over the years our items have been carried by such well-known companies as Land’s End, Orvis, QVC and exclusive galleries and museums such as Ansel Adams, Museum Fine Arts, Boston, and the National Cathedral in D.C.-just to name a few.
We have been honored over the years to have been selected to design and produce the ornament of Kentucky’s Bicentennial Celebration, the Centennial of our Kentucky State capitol, and this past year our design of a box set of ornaments commemorating the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games was selected as the State gift of Kentucky. Numerous sets were given by Governor and First Lady Beshear to the various dignitaries, supporters, and even royalty that came to be a part of the games.
Despite all the years, it is a thrilling yet humbling experience when one of our customers purchases an ornament to be given as a gift to a friend or loved one. So often we have heard stories from those who have received our ornaments. Of how the ornament has become so much more than just a gift, but also reminds them of their loved ones or a cherished memory shared together. Being a part of that experience, that tradition, is one of the highest compliments we could ever be given.
Yet it has been the design and manufacture of these ornaments that have been the most enjoyable, challenging and allowed the use of his creativity. Over the years our items have been carried by such well-known companies as Land’s End, Orvis, QVC and exclusive galleries and museums such as Ansel Adams, Museum Fine Arts, Boston, and the National Cathedral in D.C.-just to name a few.
We have been honored over the years to have been selected to design and produce the ornament of Kentucky’s Bicentennial Celebration, the Centennial of our Kentucky State capitol, and this past year our design of a box set of ornaments commemorating the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games was selected as the State gift of Kentucky. Numerous sets were given by Governor and First Lady Beshear to the various dignitaries, supporters, and even royalty that came to be a part of the games.
Despite all the years, it is a thrilling yet humbling experience when one of our customers purchases an ornament to be given as a gift to a friend or loved one. So often we have heard stories from those who have received our ornaments. Of how the ornament has become so much more than just a gift, but also reminds them of their loved ones or a cherished memory shared together. Being a part of that experience, that tradition, is one of the highest compliments we could ever be given.
