Artist Spot Light At The Mountain Craft Center

For the month of March, our artist spotlight is on a mother-daughter team, Lorella Wood and Karen Trammell. Talent abounds between the two of them.
Lorella has been a member of the Mountain Craft Center for over 12 years. She has served on our board for many of those years. She makes, demonstrates and teaches how to make corn shuck flowers, dolls, and angels helping to keep this traditional Appalachian craft alive. In addition, Lorella makes many lovely Christmas ornaments, some crocheted ribbon jewelry and other more contemporary art as well. Lorella is also an active member of our community with the McCreary County Historical and Genealogical Society. Lorella was a founding member and served as their president for 22 years. She has also been a volunteer tax preparer with the Senior Citizen Center for 31 years. We so appreciate her past and continuing support of so many wonderful organizations in McCreary County!
Daughter, Karen Trammell, is also a vital part of our association, serving as our secretary for several seasons. She started with the Center in 2006 and her wood working talent has been documented in several newspaper articles over the years. When asked about how she got started with wood working, the following was her answer.
‘As long as I can remember, I loved working with wood, making different items. My favorite is scroll sawing. I like to try new designs. My mom likes to tell the story on how I got started in woodworking. She said when I was in third grade and it was time to sign up for 4H, I signed up for woodworking. She was going to change it to sewing (I guess she thought little girls should be sewing not using a hammer and nails). The teacher told her if that is what she is interested in to let me stay in woodworking. My first project was a birdhouse, of course my dad had to help me with that one. Since the third grade, I have made may different styles of birdhouses. I like to try making different items, some don’t turn out as well as I wish they had. Most of the wood items in our house I made including the kitchen cabinets. Like I said, they don’t always turn out the best but I can say I made that. I always said I inherited my love for woodworking from my grandparents. My Grandpa Wood was always building something and my Grandpa Hamlin built coffins and houses. I have had the ‘Ole General Store & Post Office’ banks on a national TV network.’
These items are displayed at the Mountain Craft Center. Another of her well-loved wooden products displayed in the Center is her eleven-piece nativity scene that she cuts out of cedar with her scroll saw. These are popular with young and old alike. Karen also makes many other seasonal items and household wooden crafts.
This mother-daughter team are our steady volunteers running the Center on Thursdays on a regular basis. Both Lorella and Karen demonstrate their skills at many of our events at the Mountain Craft Center. Our guests enjoy watching Karen at her scroll saw cutting out items and Lorella teaching a young person to turn some corn shucks into pretty colorful flowers.
Our Spot Light Artist each month has a special display just inside the entrance to the Center. So, visit anytime to check out their talent. We thank these two women for their long-time support to the association and their many volunteer hours in our community. The Center would not be the same without them! We’re located about 7 miles east of Hwy 27, at 6930 Hwy 90, Parkers Lake, KY.