Hello, my name is Ken Edmunds and I am The Craft Wizard. As long as I can remember, I have been around woodworking. It started with my grandfather. His name was Grady Lightsey, and he did wonderful work. He built some beautiful gun cabinets and gun racks, which he sold not only from his home shop, but also at the local hardware store in Sylacauga Alabama. There was one thing that he built that I loved when I was I kid, and that was a miniature working Ferris Wheel. When my grandmother passed away, my grandfather moved in with my mom and dad. Shortly after he moved in, my parents had a shop built onto the house so he could continue his woodworking. He soon came up with a new item to build and started making swinging baby cradles. The cradles were very popular and he sold quite a few of them. I was a teenage boy at the time, I thought that they were nice and appreciated the craftsmanship, but other than that, I wasn’t excited about them. Years after he passed away, I got married. My wife and I were expecting our first child. My mom and dad gave us the very first cradle that my grandfather ever built! I still cherish it to this day.
While my grandfather lived with my parents, my dad became interested in woodworking too. He learned a lot from my grandfather. I never thought that my dad would have been into woodworking. Once he started, he couldn’t learn enough and became a great craftsman as well. He built many beautiful things for their house. He made bookshelves, a kitchen pantry, tables, fern stands, outdoor benches, birdhouses, and bird feeders. He built toys for our first daughter, including a swing, a little horse with wheels to ride on, a doll cradle, a table with chairs set, and several other things. Sadly, in 1996, about a month and a half after our second daughter was born, Dad passed away. Our youngest daughter still got to play with the things that Dad built. I know that if he had not passed away, he would have built her lots of things too. The shop and the tools weren’t used much after Dad’s passing. I think it was just too painful to spend much time out there without seeing images of my grandfather and my dad out there working. For several years the shop and tools were not often used. Several years later, in February 2008, Mom passed away, and I received the majority of my grandfather’s and my dad’s tools. I had no idea what I was going to do with them. I decided to start a shop of my own and brought the tools home with me to Huntsville. Before I got these tools the only things that I had built with wood that looked like I wanted them to were several sets of clothes racks. Once I got my shop set up, it was almost like I could feel my dad and grandfather out there with me. I have truly been surprised at what I have been able to create.
The products that I make have gone to homes all across the United States and several counties around the world! I am truly grateful to every one of you!